Recently I was contacted by Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier in Madison, WI who wanted to send me some truffles to review. I received 2 pieces each from the Classic Collection and as you can see, they are pretty chocolates -- glossy, dark and with little extra bits sprinkled on top. All truffles are made by hand in small batches, are preservative free and she uses single origin chocolate from South & Central America as well as Hawaii.
I sampled every piece in the classic collection and liked all of them. In fact, I couldn't resist and had to eat the second caramel before I started this review.
Lucille's Vanilla -- This is actually a chocolate truffle filled with a rich, thick ganache. Very satisfying and homey.
Caramel Sprinkled with Grey Salt -- Obviously I loved this one. The caramel has a soft bite and a lightly caramelized flavor. Wonderfully smooth and buttery, the salt gives it a bright pop which livens things up!
Raspberry -- Smooth center with a true raspberry flavor. Fresh and sweet, a bit jammy, the cocoa nibs on top add a nice texture.
Espresso -- A strong, true coffee flavor, bright with a subtle tanginess -- delicious!
Cognac -- I'm not one for boozy chocolate, so this was a wonderful surprise. The thick center hinted at the complex flavor of the cognac without being boozy. The dark chocolate shines through here, with a wonderful fresh, spicy surprise from the candied ginger on top.
Cointreau -- Dark and rich, the subtle orange flavor does not overpower the chocolate.
These were quite good, and I'm looking forward to trying more in the future. Gail has some seasonal truffles which I am longing to try -- coconut and key lime in the spring, mint in the summer, chai tea and four spice in the fall and cardamom with orange, peppermint and chestnut in the winter. I'm also intrigued by her "every now and then" pieces which include peanut butter, pepitas bonbon and pistachio caramel.
You can find out more and purchase Gail Ambrosius truffles at her website.
They look absolutely delicious and I am a sucker for truffles! I really like that she doesn't use preservatives either, I bet that that really influences the flavor.
Posted by: Amy | February 12, 2010 at 07:48 PM