And the winner is…
Over the last few weeks I have had access to more high quality chocolate than most people would really want and although this has occasionally left me never wanting to see another chocolate again my access to all this cocoa-y goodness has come to an end. And so it seems appropriate to deliver the conclusions of the arduous, chocolate-eating research I have been undertaking by describing my top three choices.
Number 3: Neuhaus Cornet Doré
On the recommendation of a fellow chocolate enthusiast I tried this inconspicuous (despite the gold foil wrapping) little cone. I was dubious about trying it largely because I an not a big fan of milk chocolate and by the time I got to the Cornet Doré I had eaten so much chocolate that my tolerance rate for chocolate as a whole, and milk (and white) chocolate in particular, had reduced to almost nil. However the Cornet Doré revived my faith in chocolate as my anti-depressant of choice and even made me reconsider my attitude to milk chocolate although as my first choice will highlight I still have a preference for dark chocolate. But I digress. The Cornet Doré is a combination of milk chocolate, almonds and hazelnuts. It is basically a praline chocolate without the bother of separating the different elements. As a big fan of praline this suits me as I am always frustrated by how you either have to down a whole praline filled chocolate in one go or take careful considered bites in order to get an equal distribution of chocolate and praline and so really enjoy the combination of flavours. At this point I can see most people thinking “Oh for goodness sake, it’s only a chocolate” but once you have eaten a Neuhaus Cornet Doré you will see why the chocolate-praline ration is so important and hence why the Cornet Doré is so good.
Number 2: Galler Bruges (Milk chocolate with a salted butter caramel filling)
From a previous post you have probably already realised that I have a somewhat unnatural obsession with caramel salé which did cause a little embarrassment the first time I saw this chocolate on sale as I actually gasped out-loud in the middle of the shop. Up to this point I had been casually searching for caramel salé in a variety of food shops and although the internet had provided some solutions I am not a big fan of internet shopping as I like to see what I’m going to buy even if its already in a jar or packet. So there I was, more excited than I should be about a chocolate, which of course meant I purchased one immediately. And believe you me it did not disappoint. Again a reappraisal of my attitude towards milk chocolate was required although with a caramel I am increasingly coming to the belief that the type of chocolate is of less consequence as it is really the caramel which will determine whether or not you enjoy it and, to be honest, if you do not like particularly sweet things then choosing a caramel, even if it has been deliciously tempered with sea salt, is probably not the best idea.
Number 1: Charbonnel et Walker Mint Truffle (pictured above)
So for those of you for whom either nuts or milk chocolate or caramel are out of the question I present my first choice which, although not a pure dark chocolate, should satisfy even the most savoury of palates. I say that because the mint in these truffles is not the lacklustre, jar of mint-sauce kind but of the “here’s a mint-leaf I just picked, have a chew on it” kind. Although I would not go as far as to say it is ‘spicy’ this truffle is getting there and the dark chocolate provides, as ever, the perfect partner to the bittersweet and pungent qualities of the mint. I must myself admit being surprised that my favourite chocolate is made by an English company. There are many outside the UK who are dismissive of British chocolate regarding it as consisting entirely of overly sugared, low cocoa-butter content, cheap-as-chips, chocolate bars. I, although having been aware of English chocolate companies such as Charbonnel et Walker, Roccoco and Prestat, had always tended to prefer Belgian and French chocolatiers but that was before I tasted Charbonnel et Walker truffles. I think I can go as far as to say they are the best truffles available in the UK if not in Europe. It was the Charbonnel et Walker Bucks Fizz truffle which made me realise that I really should give champagne truffles more of a chance as I had up till then not been a fan of the chocolate and champagne combination even in the finest of truffles. And the Charbonnel et Walker Lemon Truffle made me accept that all white chocolate is not as unpleasant as I remember. So Charbonnel et Walker has come up trumps and as a little acknowledgement of the beautiful pyramids their truffles are so beautifully arranged into I must say that the Mint Truffle is certainly the pinnacle of their achievement!
Number 3: Neuhaus Cornet Doré
On the recommendation of a fellow chocolate enthusiast I tried this inconspicuous (despite the gold foil wrapping) little cone. I was dubious about trying it largely because I an not a big fan of milk chocolate and by the time I got to the Cornet Doré I had eaten so much chocolate that my tolerance rate for chocolate as a whole, and milk (and white) chocolate in particular, had reduced to almost nil. However the Cornet Doré revived my faith in chocolate as my anti-depressant of choice and even made me reconsider my attitude to milk chocolate although as my first choice will highlight I still have a preference for dark chocolate. But I digress. The Cornet Doré is a combination of milk chocolate, almonds and hazelnuts. It is basically a praline chocolate without the bother of separating the different elements. As a big fan of praline this suits me as I am always frustrated by how you either have to down a whole praline filled chocolate in one go or take careful considered bites in order to get an equal distribution of chocolate and praline and so really enjoy the combination of flavours. At this point I can see most people thinking “Oh for goodness sake, it’s only a chocolate” but once you have eaten a Neuhaus Cornet Doré you will see why the chocolate-praline ration is so important and hence why the Cornet Doré is so good.
Number 2: Galler Bruges (Milk chocolate with a salted butter caramel filling)
From a previous post you have probably already realised that I have a somewhat unnatural obsession with caramel salé which did cause a little embarrassment the first time I saw this chocolate on sale as I actually gasped out-loud in the middle of the shop. Up to this point I had been casually searching for caramel salé in a variety of food shops and although the internet had provided some solutions I am not a big fan of internet shopping as I like to see what I’m going to buy even if its already in a jar or packet. So there I was, more excited than I should be about a chocolate, which of course meant I purchased one immediately. And believe you me it did not disappoint. Again a reappraisal of my attitude towards milk chocolate was required although with a caramel I am increasingly coming to the belief that the type of chocolate is of less consequence as it is really the caramel which will determine whether or not you enjoy it and, to be honest, if you do not like particularly sweet things then choosing a caramel, even if it has been deliciously tempered with sea salt, is probably not the best idea.
Number 1: Charbonnel et Walker Mint Truffle (pictured above)
So for those of you for whom either nuts or milk chocolate or caramel are out of the question I present my first choice which, although not a pure dark chocolate, should satisfy even the most savoury of palates. I say that because the mint in these truffles is not the lacklustre, jar of mint-sauce kind but of the “here’s a mint-leaf I just picked, have a chew on it” kind. Although I would not go as far as to say it is ‘spicy’ this truffle is getting there and the dark chocolate provides, as ever, the perfect partner to the bittersweet and pungent qualities of the mint. I must myself admit being surprised that my favourite chocolate is made by an English company. There are many outside the UK who are dismissive of British chocolate regarding it as consisting entirely of overly sugared, low cocoa-butter content, cheap-as-chips, chocolate bars. I, although having been aware of English chocolate companies such as Charbonnel et Walker, Roccoco and Prestat, had always tended to prefer Belgian and French chocolatiers but that was before I tasted Charbonnel et Walker truffles. I think I can go as far as to say they are the best truffles available in the UK if not in Europe. It was the Charbonnel et Walker Bucks Fizz truffle which made me realise that I really should give champagne truffles more of a chance as I had up till then not been a fan of the chocolate and champagne combination even in the finest of truffles. And the Charbonnel et Walker Lemon Truffle made me accept that all white chocolate is not as unpleasant as I remember. So Charbonnel et Walker has come up trumps and as a little acknowledgement of the beautiful pyramids their truffles are so beautifully arranged into I must say that the Mint Truffle is certainly the pinnacle of their achievement!
posted by Lucy at 10:55 am
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