Sometimes the nicest chocolate surprises land on your plate completely by accident. I was visiting a friend when she pulled out a box of these to have with our tea. Apaprently they were given to her by her grandmother and she’s not that big on chocolate. Go figure.
I’d never heard of Maître Truffout and I must admit that I wasn’t immediately taken by the packaging. It looked a bit like supermarket chocolates trying to appear posh. Definitely grandmother chocolate material.
But when I bit into one of the truffles I was instantly happy. The dark chocolate was the perfect combination of bitter and sweet- very chocolatey, but not overly sweet either. The coffee flavour gave it a zingy overtone, which was rather enjoyable and warming. For the purists, this chocolate might be slightly too sweet, but I enjoy a hefty dose of sweetness in my chocolate. In this particular incident there was no sickly aftertaste even after I made grandma proud and ate several people’s share of chocolate.
The texture was rich and creamy, but pretty solid with it. There is no discenrable distinction between the chocolate and the filling – it’s all just one substance, lightly dusted with what seems to be cocoa powder.
All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by these. They’re definitely not posh chocolates, but they are unassumingly yummy and perfect for having round the house for when people come over. If anything, they are posh chocolates masquerading as supermarket chocolates, rather than the other way around.
It’s funny how you hear about new chocolatiers sometimes. Matcha were recommended to me twice in the space of the week, and just a few days later they got in touch via Twitter offering to send samples.
Matcha is based in Oxfordshire and the brainchild of Katie Christoffers who makes all her tea-themed chocolates by hand using fresh ingredients Valhrona chocolate. And first impressions are great. A quality red and pink box that looks very similar to the ones used by Chococo for their handmade chocolates.
The Emporor’s Selection contains sixteen chocolates in five varieties (all tea-based, of course). A little more variety might have been nice, but at least this way, you get to share the experience with a couple of friends.
The chocolates are:
Uji Matcha
A milk chocolate enrobed square of dark chocolate ganache with an infusion of Uji Matcha green tea.
This square chocolate, decorated with an edible transfer bares a strong resemblance to the work of Chococo or Lauden but has a wonderfully unusual flavour. The combination of dark chocolate chocolate ganache and Matcha tea has a wonderful, smoky, almost liquorice-like flavour. Very nice.
Jasmine Silver Needles
A white chocolate dome of white chocolate ganache infused with Jasmine green tea.
A very light and subtle chocolate, but a little too flowery for my taste. It somehow reminded me of my grandmother’s scented soaps, but that probably says more about me than it does about the chocolate. Lovers of flowery teas may rave over it, but this was my least favourite of the selection.
Midnight Peony
Milk chocolate ganache with black tea liqueur enrobed in a dark chocolate dome.
This is probably the one that people will love or hate the most. A large dome filled with a strong black tea liqueur ganache with an unusual smoky, sightly alcoholic flavour. Not being a fan of this kind of tea, this was my least favourite, but that’s probably because I’m simply not used to the flavour combinations. I’m sure there’ll be people who love it for exactly the same reasons that I didn’t enjoy it.
Masala Chai
Milk chocolate ganache infused with Masala Chai enrobed in a dark chocolate dome and topped with crystalised ginger.
This Indian black tea ganache is absolutely packed with flavour. It’s infused with cinnamon, ginger, pepper, cloves and aniseed, all of which you can taste, but none of which overpower the rich dark chocolate. Luckily, you get four of these in the box, because it’s easily my favourite.
Blackcurrant Bliss
An all milk chocolate demi-dome infused with a blend of scented blackcurrant tea and Assam tea. Complimented by blackcurrant puree and topped with a dried blackcurrant.
The fruitiest of the selection, this chocolate has a lovely natural blackcurrant flavour, but as with the other chocolates, that flavour never overpowers the tea or rich milk chocolate. Not convinced the dried blackcurrant on top was entirely necessary and it’s a little little smaller than the rest of the chocolates.
The true tea lovers out there – and I know there are many of you – will love this selection. It’s a box of chocolates that’s been made with love and attention to detail. If you’re not particularly into your teas, then it will be a bit of an education for you, as it was for me.
The flavour combinations are expertly chosen, so that even someone like me can enjoy them. It’s the kind of chocolate you’ll want to share and talk about, rather than keep to yourself. I don’t know how big the market for tea-based chocolates is, but I’m so glad that someone is doing it. Even if you only try them once, I’d recommend giving these a try, because you won’t find these kinds of flavour combinations in your average box of chocolates.
We’ve reviewed a few raw chocolate products in the past, but this is the first Easter-themed raw chocolate I’ve seen.
Raw chocolate, if you don’t know, is chocolate that hasn’t been heat treated, has had minimal processing and is made without refined ingredients (like sugar). It’s usually dairy free and vegan, and these eggs from Rawr Chocolate are no exception.
Inside the standard egg carton are four 70g, foil wrapped eggs. Slightly larger than a hens egg – and much nicer to eat raw too, one hopes.
There are three varieties of egg – “Dark Purity”, “Orange Zest” (x2) and “After Dinner Mint”. Each egg is solid chocolate, but made in two halves so they’re nice and easy to share. If you happen to like sharing.
When it comes to raw chocolate, one of the things many people struggle with is the texture. Because the cocoa isn’t overly refined, it can have a grainy or fibrous texture. It’s not tempered like regular chocolate either, so it doesn’t form large crystals that give chocolate that satisfying ‘thunk’ when you snap a piece off.
Raw chocolate makers use different techniques to help overcome these obstacles, so the final texture of the chocolate can vary enourmously. This Rawr chocolate with its solid, firm feel and glossy finish is the closest I’ve seen to a mass produced chocolate though.
The texture is still quite grainy and soft, but once you get used to it, it’s really quite nice. The flavours are natural and subtle, and it’s never too sweet (it’s sweetened with raw agave nectar). There was a slightly woody flavour that came through at times, but as with the texture, I quickly got used to it.
But what I like best about raw chocolate is how it makes me feel. A couple of pieces of one of these eggs and I’m alert, awake and ready to get on with my day. But there’s no sugar rush or caffeine hit, just a natural feeling of having something good inside. That may be purely psychological, but I’ve always it’s something I’ve always felt after a good quality raw chocolate. And when it tastes this nice, it’s just an added benefit.
Make no mistake though, if you’re used to your cheap mass produced supermarket Easter Eggs, solid raw chocolate eggs will take some getting used to, and they’ll never be to everyone’s taste. Some people won’t be able to get past the unusual texture and flavours at all. But if you’re a health food freak fan or just looking to try something a bit different, then I recommend giving these a go.
Oh – and apparently if you use the code ‘DOMR’ at checkout on the Rawr web site, you’ll get 10% off your order. That’s not a personal recommendation and we don’t make any money from your orders.
This 75% cocoa organic bar looked like just the thing to help me get back into the world of ‘proper’ chocolate after my recent excursion into Japanese confectionery.
Aroma-wise this chocolate doesn’t pack a big punch, probably because the Forastero beans tend to be lighter in character, with more subtle flavours. There are definite cocoa notes, but they’re very light and soft, and the true character of the chocolate isn’t revealed until tasting.
Pop a piece into your mouth and it’s a different story as the chocolate melts and reveals it’s true character. This is an amazingly light, delicately flavoured chocolate. The cocoa flavours are full and strong, but there’s no bitterness at all, and the cocoa is fruity on the palate, with notes of citrus, berries and grape preceding the flavours of the cocoa.
I was surprised by just how light and delicate this chocolate tastes, even when it’s in full flow on the palate. From start to finish I was treated to a whole range of light, delicate, fruity flavours with a slight sharpness at the finish. The mouthfeel was soft with a slightly grainy texture, and the finish was crisp, clean and very satisfying.
There’s no doubt that this is one of the more upmarket bars out there at the moment, but as we know, quality comes at a premium, and this was a very pleasant surprise. Seldom have I tasted chocolate that was so light on the palate but which delivers so many complex flavours while retaining a clean, crisp finish. Like the choclate equivalent of a lightly chilled Sauvignon Blanc, this Pralus bar is definitely one I would recommend – so much so that I’m going to be buying this one again for my own personal pleasure.
Well worth tracking down.
