Chocolate Blog

Vosges Holiday Truffle Collection

I was lucky enough to be sent a box of Vosges' Holiday Truffles to sample for review here on the Chocolate Blog.  Vosges has long been one of my favorite chocolate shops and these truffles really lived up to my expectations.

First of all, these truffles are pretty -- from the beautifully tempered chocolate and decorations on the top of each truffle, to the box tied up with a purple bow. The box contains four different truffles:

Eggnog and Jamaican Rum -- This was my absolute favorite, sweet with a spicy warmth.  The white chocolate pairs beautifully with the nutmeg and ginger, and hint of rum in the background.  The filling is smooth and creamy and the Dominican Republic white chocolate melts beautifully.

Peppermint Candy Cane -- A wonderful holiday flavor uniting dark, chocolate with peppermint.  Slightly floral with a deep chocolate flavor.

Marrone Pistacchio -- Italian chestnuts & Sicilian pistachios with deep milk chocolate.  Rich, smooth and nutty.  The flavors of fresh cream and chocolate shine through.

Holiday Plum Pudding -- A fruity confection which combines plum, Armagnac, marzipan and dark chocolate.  The dark chocolate here enhances the fruit and tempers it's sweetness.  A hint of booze elevates this truffle without being overwhelming.

I loved all four of these truffles and think they would make a great gift for any chocolate lover on your list.  And if truffles aren't your thing, I highly recommend their holiday chocolate bars, which I reviewed last year.

Vosges Exotic Holiday Candy Bars

If you are looking for a special holiday treat for yourself, or for someone special -- Vosges Holiday Candy Bars are the perfect thing.  Vosges sent me these delicious bars to sample and review here and I have to say that they are all delicious, but I do have my favorite.

Peppermint has always felt like Christmas to me, and this bar is no exception.  The chocolate is deep, dark and rich with no bitterness.  The peppermint pieces are bright and give a pleasant texture to the bar, contrasting with the creaminess of the chocolate.  I loved this bar, as did my 10 year old daughter.

The Gingerbread Toffee Bar is a 65% cacao chocolate with gingerbread spiced toffee pieces throughout.  The touch of ginger, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg give an added dimension to the buttery toffee which shatters beautifully with each bit.  A well balanced bar that has a real holiday feel.

The Marzipan Bar combines a lovely dark chocoalte with almond marzipan and amaretto.  The chocolate here is once again rich and smooth, and each square holds a pocket of creamy, but slightly textured amaretto infused marzipan.  The flavor is almondy without being overwhelming and it is certainly not boozy.  While I'm not a huge fan of marzipan, I was able to finish off this entire bar with no problem.

Last, but certainly not least, is the Bapchi's Caramel Toffee Bar -- a deep milk chocolate with sweet butter toffee, walnuts and pecans.  This bar was my absolute favorite and deserves a 10 out of 10!  The chocolate is amazingly smooth and rich, the toffee is buttery and salty and the nuts give the bar a rounded flavor and an added bit of texture.  The toffee shatters with each bite, releasing the caramel notes which enhance the chocolate.  This bar was not safe in my drawer -- I couldn't stop breaking off just one more square -- and all too soon it was gone.  I'll definitely be asking Santa for one of these in my stocking!

You can see all the Vosges Exotic Candy Bars at the Vosges website.  And as a reader of the Chocolate Blog, you can get 10% off your order!  Just use code "BLGF10" at checkout.  (Coupon good December 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010.)

 

New Vosges Chocolate

I'm a huge fan of Vosges. In fact, my all time favorite chocolate bar -- the Barcelona Bar is made by them. So when I heard that they were coming out with panned chocolates -- including Barcelona Almonds -- as well as a new line of organic bars, I was eager to try them to say the least. Well, they arrived in the mail this week and I'm going on a chocolate binge.

I resisted the urge to start with the Barcelona Almonds and instead opted for the simplest item in the lot -- a milk chocolate bar. The Vosges Organic Dominica Lait bar is made with Grand Cru beans, both Criollo and Trinitario. This is the good stuff.

Upon opening the package the smell is strong and intoxicating -- a bit earthy, maybe even slightly smokey. Upon putting the first piece on the tongue, it melts quickly into a lush creaminess -- ultra smooth with a silky mouthfeel. A bit sweet, almost like caramel with a touch of saltiness and a hint of smoke. It is absolutely lovely.

Wow! If I don't stop myself I might devour this entire bar in one sitting -- it's that good. I can't wait to try the next bar!

Oh -- I almost forgot! I have a coupon for you from the lovely people at Vosges! The coupon is good for 10% off all <website purchases from Nov 1st to Nov 30th. At checkout, enter promo code 2810WB1.

Other Vosges posts:

• Vosges Exotic Caramels
• Vosges Mo's Bacon Bar

Vosges Exotic Caramels

If you are looking for a gift for just about anyone, I have the gift idea for you -- the Vosges Exotic Caramel Hatbox.  Not only is the box very pretty, with it's two swing out levels and pretty tied ribbon, but it contains come of the best caramels I have ever tasted.  There are 2 each of 9 different caramels, ranging from spicy to fruity.  Here's are my tasting notes on each:

• Rosey -- Spicy, but not hot.  Aromatic floral hint.  Caramel rounded it all out and tempered the heat.
• Crema -- Mild, nutty.  Nice crunch from cashews.  Very sweet.
• Leather -- Crunchy!  Nice touch of bitterness set off by rich, sweet caramelized sugar flavor.
• Tart -- Burst of tartness at start.  Freshness and brightness from orange.  Nice Balance.  Not at all boozy.
• Sunshine -- Floral.  Interestingly slightly sweet & sour.
• Leaf -- Bit of astringency.  Herbal.  Not too sweet.
• Maple -- Nutty, nice maple flavor.  Mild but not too sweet.
• Verde -- Not spicy.  Good crunchiness from pumpkin seeds.  Slight lingering heat on sides of tongue.
• Blush -- Sweet & salty -- what's not to love?

There wasn't a bad one in the bunch.  Even ones that I thought I might not like were exceptionally good. (Rosey with it's pink peppercorns and rosewater sounded like it might not be my thing -- but I loved it!)  The combinations were subtle enough that the caramel was never overwhelmed, but strong enough that each caramel definitely tasted unique.  I really loved these and would happily eat them again and again.

I was sent these by Vosges for review, but you can purchase them from the Vosges website.