Seattle Chocolates Orange Appeal Truffle Bar

After the filling distribution issues with my last Seattle Chocolates bar, I was a little worried about this one, but at the very least, the chocolate would be good. Oranges and chocolate are a classic combination, and the idea of candied orange peel filling sounded very appealing.

This bar was purchased locally, and again, the packaging really caught my eye. Clean lines and bright colors always seem to work on me. No Seattle tie-ins on the name of this bar, but at least there's a nice little pun.


The orange zest aroma of this bar was amazing. The chocolate was soft and delicious, and the slightly bitter cocoa was wonderful with the sharp, sour orange flavor. I don't know what I was expecting from the texture, but the candied orange peel was really hard! It almost felt like that unexpected bone in your meat, and it definitely took some getting used to.

Even with the texture surprise, the flavor was unique and wonderful. The orange peel was sour and zesty (and evenly distributed throughout the bar), and it was just perfect with 53% cocoa. There was no aftertaste or sticky mouthfeel, and it was a good bar all around. Just watch out for that candied peel!

A

Seattle Chocolates website

Seattle Chocolates Panoramic Pecan

Although I've seen Seattle Chocolates in my area, when I was visiting Seattle and saw this truffle bar in the Space Needle gift shop, I was compelled to buy it. The package design was very cool, and I thought it would make a good souvenir...and I ended up eating it myself. To be fair, I shared it with 3 people, but I do feel a little guilty.

I never made the connection before, but many of the Seattle Chocolates truffle bars pay homage to famous locations in the Seattle area. Some good examples are the Pike Place Espresso Bar and the Whidbey Wildberry Truffle Bar, but I haven't tried either. Panoramic Pecan promised raisins and praline pecans in dark chocolate truffle.


Because it's a truffle bar, the chocolate had a matte finish and a very soft snap. It smelled of raisins and chocolate (like Raisinettes, if you've had them). The chocolate was sweet for being dark, but it was very smooth and silky with a mildly bitter finish. I liked the texture and the flavor very well.

Did you notice that I haven't mentioned any pecans or actual raisins yet? That's because in the first of 4 quarters of the bar, there was almost nothing but chocolate. My piece had one tiny candied pecan piece, and while it was crunchy and had a nice caramelized flavor, I was pretty disappointed with the distribution.

Luckily, one of my guinea pigs let me have half of another piece later, and the experience was quite different! The plentiful nuts added a firm, sweet crunch and the raisins were tender and flavorful. It reminded me of a high quality trail mix. If only the whole bar had been like that....

B+

Seattle Chocolates website

Chocolaterie Chocolates

My sister and her husband went on a trip to New York City and the surrounding area recently, and sometime between sightseeing and attending a taping of The Colbert Report, they bought some chocolates at a shop in Nyack, New Jersey and brought them back home.

Chocolaterie is run by Annette van Loon, a Dutch woman who moved to the United States but missed the chocolate of her homeland so much that she decided to open a European chocolate shop. I've done my best to match the flavors my sister and brother-in-law brought back to the guide on the website, but I could be mistaken.


Papillon (French for butterfly) was Fair Trade Certified, and it had a very buttery filling surrounded by a nice, bitter chocolate. The honey and ginger flavors in the filling were subdued, but it was definitely a nice piece. B+

Aztec Spicy Truffle had a dusty brown sugar coating over sweet dark chocolate, but the ganache was quite spicy. Along with the chili flavor, there were hints of ginger and liquor. Despite the sugar coating, the level of sweetness was just right. A-


The Brandy Truffle had a sweet and milky white chocolate coating, balanced with a milk chocolate inner layer. The filling wasn't distinctively cognac, but it had a very tasty liquor flavor. B

The Rum Truffle was simply fantastic. The filling was ultra boozy and distinctively rum, and the chocolate coating was perfect with it. I'd love to eat this one again! A+


The Ginger & Honey Heart was another nice quality dark chocolate piece. The ginger flavor seemed stronger than in the Papillon, and the honey gave it a slightly deeper flavor. B+

One of the truffles was a bit stale in the middle. I'm not sure what happened, but it had a sugary grit throughout and I don't believe it was supposed to. That truffle was excluded from the rating.

Overall, I enjoyed the liquor chocolates and truffles the most, and was pleasantly surprised by the punch of the Spicy Aztec. If I'm ever in the area, I would definitely stop by to try other kinds!

Chocolaterie Website

Godiva Ice Cream Parlor Truffles + 1 Bonus Truffle

That Godiva Chocolate Rewards free truffle every month program is still working out in Godiva's favor, and this surprises no one. This review includes my free truffles for May and June, plus some others I just had to try. Most of these come from Godiva's new Ice Cream Parlor Truffles line, along with one random truffle that sounded good.

Long ago, I regarded Godiva as the best of the best, then after starting this blog, I saw their chocolate as not-so-good. Now, after sampling many truffles, I do have more respect for Godiva. Not all of their truffles are winners, but they make some superb pieces.


First, my selections from the Ice Cream Parlor line, starting with Pistachio. It was subtly sweet with an ultra soft and creamy ganache. The pistachio flavor was quite subdued, but it was still very good. Pistachios are my favorite nuts, so I wish the flavor would have been a bit stronger. A-

Oranges & Creme was creamsicle all the way, but it was very sweet. It was like super sweet orange frosting, with a mild citrus and tons of creme. The cloying sweetness was too much for me, though. C+


Neapolitan was a favorite ice cream flavor of mine growing up, and Godiva definitely nailed it. The strawberry flavor was distinct and delicious, and the vanilla portion was not too sweet. Despite these distinctions, somehow, the special Neapolitan taste when all the flavors come together was still there. This was my favorite piece out of the line. A

Mint Chocolate Chip was a very good interpretation of the ice cream of the same name, but since I'm not a huge fan of that ice cream, it didn't stand out for me. The mint was cool and creamy, and the sweetness was well balanced. B+


Lemon Sherbet was very tart and had an authentic lemon flavor, but like the Orange & Creme, the sweetness far outweighed the sourness. It seems like they overcompensated for the sour lemon, and it ruined this truffle for me. B-


Hazelnut Gelato (pictured above on the right) was quite unique; it had a very smooth and almost whipped mousse ganache center like no truffle I've had before. The hazelnut flavor was very mild, but that suited me fine. A hazelnut lover might be a bit disappointed. B+

I didn't try all the flavors from the Ice Cream Parlor line; I'm missing Double Dark Chocolate, Rocky Road, and Coffee Gelato. UPDATE: I tried Pecan Sundae!


Pecan Sundae was very sweet, but pretty good. It was another double-chamber chocolate, with caramel and vanilla cream sections. The candied pecans on top were delicious, and the texture of the caramel was like a Caramello - soft and runny. Still, it was a bit too sweet for me. B+


Finally, the bonus truffle! Extra Dark was literally amazing. The ganache was thick and bitter and the texture reminded me of the center a brownie. The balance of sweet and bitter was perfect, and the dark cocoa flavor was just right. I would definitely buy this truffle again! A+

Check out more reviews of the Ice Cream Parlor Truffles at Chocolate Obsession and Sugar Pressure.

Godiva website

Godiva Spring Chocolates + 1 Summer Truffle

This free truffle every month at Godiva thing isn't working out too well for me. At the end of April, I went in with the intention of getting two truffles (one being the freebie), and I came out with six. They had an assortment of new spring chocolates, but instead of the round truffle, these were flattened chocolates stamped with a pretty floral pattern. Finally, because I can't resist mango anything, I also got a mango summer truffle for "free."

I forgot to write down the flavors when I was at the shop, but according to some post-tasting research on a non-Godiva website, they are mandarin orange, pina colada, black raspberry, green pear, and lemon chiffon. I'm not sure I agree, and I plan on double checking, but please correct me in the meantime. You can think of this as a blind taste test.


I'll start with some controversy. Supposedly, the piece with the green and white pattern was Green Pear, but when I tasted it, it felt very apple. It was delicious - my favorite of them bunch - as it had a nice, subtle cinnamon flavor and a lovely caramel texture. It tasted like a rich apple cider in a melty milk chocolate shell. A+

There was no mistaking Black Raspberry (purple flowers). It was full of seeds! So many seeds, actually, that it was distracting. The dark chocolate shell was nice, but the filling was just a bit weak and didn't have the bite I look for in a raspberry sweet. The plentiful seeds were too much for me, but they did convey the feeling of jam. C+

The only white chocolate piece in the bunch, Pina Colada didn't have much flavor at all. All I could taste was a sweet white chocolate at first, then hints of coconut milk and a tiny bit of citrus. It was so very mild, and was my least favorite. C-

I believe the orange and yellow chocolate was Mandarin Orange, but it could have passed for lemon. The milk chocolate was quite good, but despite a crisp citrus flavor, the center was just a bit too sweet. Still, it was probably my third favorite out of the five. B

The last of the spring chocolates was Lemon Chiffon, in yellow and white flowers (I think). I know I said the green one was my favorite, but I may have to reconsider, because this chocolate was amazing. The filling tasted just like fresh lemon pie filling. I could taste the lemon juice, and the zesty, tart filling was just perfect with the buttery chocolate shell. A+


Finally, here's the bonus summer truffle: Mango. The dark chocolate shell had a nice snap, leading to a citrusy mango filling with a surprisingly authentic flavor. It was sweet and delicious, and even had some of the smooth, thick texture of mango. A

There were some outstanding chocolates in this bunch, and though I'm not sure I needed all of them, even the not-so-stellar flavors were fun to try (especially since I was guessing at flavors).

Norman Love Chocolates (part 2)

Well, the truffles are finished, a little after Valentine's Day. I tried to make them last, and I'm sad to see them go. It's a little cruel that the box included the full list of Norman Love varieties, so I had to look at pictures and descriptions of chocolates that were not included in my set. It's a very clever marketing ploy, because I definitely want to try the other varieties. Click here for part 1 or keep reading for reviews of the rest of the assortment in my box.

Banana was my least favorite of the set. The white chocolate was good, and though I didn't like the banana flavor at first, the end notes were nice, with a hint of sour to balance the sweet.

Almond Marzipan was another lovely piece, with just the right amount of cocoa. Just under the shell, there was a delicate layer of marzipan that gave the piece a cool texture. The mild almond flavors in the ganache were tasty and the piece had an overall traditional feel.

Java Fudge was an amazing little chocolate, and easily one of my favorites. The smooth, shiny center had a delectable dark chocolate espresso flavor. The coating was beautiful and delicious, as well.

Gianduja Truffle had a nice, mild, hazelnut flavor. The milk chocolate shell was wonderful, and the caramelized hazelnut coating gave the truffle a lovely toasted aroma and taste.

Cinnamon Roll had a delicious cinnamon ganache and a good milk chocolate coating. It was well balanced in terms of sweetness, and tasted like the gooey center of a cinnamon roll.

I'm always impressed with a good white truffle, and White Vanilla Truffle exceeded my expectations. The vanilla flavor was incredibly rich and intense, perfectly matched to the well-balanced white chocolate shell.

Florida Orange was beautifully colored dark truffle. The mild orange flavor went well with the dark chocolate, but it wasn't a stand out piece.

This was a visually stunning and overwhelmingly palate pleasing assortment. The pieces that really stuck with me were Butter Pecan, Java Fudge, Strawberry, and Cherry Cordial. The only flavor I felt lukewarm about was Banana. I can definitely recommend Norman Love chocolates and have no qualms about giving them my highest rating.

A+

Norman Love Confections website

Norman Love Chocolates

For Valentine's Day, my husband got me a box of Norman Love chocolates. We don't do much for Valentine's Day, but I may have hinted heavily that I wanted them ever since seeing pictures. These truffles did not disappoint, so as a bit of a Valentine's Day special, this is the first of a two part review of Norman Love chocolates.

The chocolates arrived in an insulated box with ice packs to keep them at a good temperature. In the middle of February, I'm not sure how much the ice helped, but I'm sure the insulation was good for protecting the delicate chocolates from the environment. According to a note included with the chocolates, Norman Love chocolates are made without preservatives and should be consumed within 21 days.


The truffles truly are works of art. Each piece has a unique look, and the stunning colors drew me in immediately. In particular, I was drawn to the golds and reds. The individual shapes of each piece were interesting and they were a 10 out of 10 for appearance.

Pumpkin was a stunning orange and white swirl, and had a lovely bouquet of spices. It was sweet and nutty and definitely hit pumpkin pie notes. My only complaint is that it might have been a little too sweet.

Vanilla Latte had a lovely teardrop shape and an equally delightful espresso flavor. The bitterness was well balanced by the sweet vanilla flavor, and this was one of my favorites.

The Strawberry was one of the best, most authentic strawberry confections I've ever had. The flavor was similar to a rich and creamy strawberry yogurt, and it even looked like the bottom end of a strawberry!

Caramel Apple was one of the prettiest truffles of the bunch with lovely shades of gold and green and an oblong shape. It was almost boozy, but the apple flavor was an authentic Granny Smith, and the caramel was oozy, sticky, and delicious.

Cherry Cordial is not normally a flavor I like, but this was a wonderful chocolate. It had an amazingly deep, authentic cherry flavor, and the tartness was balanced by the delicious chocolate coating.

Pistachio Cherry was a lovely shade of green, and had a cherry liquid and pistachio ganache center. The cherry flavor was intense and delicious, but the pistachio flavor didn't come across as strongly.

Butter Pecan was a surprise. The filling was like a soft, rich buttercream frosting, and the pecan pieces were delightful. This was my favorite of the bunch so far.

In Rum Raisin, the metallic purple and gold color scheme was so appealing, and although the flavors aren't my favorite, this was another tasty piece. The rum flavor was strong, but the raisin still came through.

Click here for part 2!

Mrs. Fields Cookie Recipe Chocolates

One of my favorite cookbooks is my Mrs. Fields cookie recipe book. There are some fantastic cookies to be made, and I've certainly never been disappointed by a cookie purchased at a Mrs. Fields store. For these reasons, I did not fear these chocolates when they showed up in my stocking this Christmas.


These were purchased from Target by my mother, and the box says they cost $1. The three flavors included were Dark Coconut Macaroon, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, and Brownie Truffle. The cookie dough flavor sounded especially up my alley, since I am a huge fan of cookie dough ice cream.


Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough was first on my list to try. I feel I should mention that none of these chocolates had much of a smell. Anyhow, inside was a lump of cookie dough. I could taste the mediocre chocolate shell, but the cookie dough center had none of the vanilla or salty flavor that actual cookie dough has. It shouldn't have surprised me, but this was just painfully sweet.


Dark Coconut Macaroon was next, and again, the first thing I noted was the overwhelming, throat-burning sweetness. Aside from that, there was creamy, sticky coconut paste inside. It tasted like a Mounds bar, which wasn't bad, since I like coconut.


Finally, I sampled Brownie Truffle, which was like a chocolate coated chunk of brownie. Unsurprisingly, this one was also ridiculously sweet. The filling was grainy (I felt sugar granules) and almost chalky. It was slightly better and much more authentic than the cookie dough flavor, but really, at this point, I was not in the mood.

I don't pull this rating out very often, but both my husband and I found these to be just too sweet to enjoy. We split each piece, so I can't even imagine finishing all of them myself. They were edible, but far too cloyingly sweet for me to ever want to consume again. It's nice that they tried to diversify, but Mrs. Fields should definitely stick to cookies.

D

Here is a link to another review of these chocolates.

Mrs. Fields website (but these chocolates can't be found on the website)

Godiva Holiday Truffles

Godiva may not be the best boutique chocolate, but it is readily available. It feels like I'm eating a lot of Godiva chocolate these days, but when I bought those Halloween truffles, I signed up for their Chocolate Rewards Club. It's free, and you can get a free truffle from their stores every month. There are other perks, but the free truffle is the only one I have used.


It's nice that there's no purchase required to sign up or get the free monthly truffle, but only certain truffles are available for free. Special molded ones tend not to be, but they do offer some seasonal ones! Here, I have Candy Cane and Gingerbread (acquired November 27 and December 6). I had meant to get Egg Nog for December, but it was sold out. The foil wrappers were cute and festive, but not as impressive to behold as the molded chocolates (see the link to their home page below).


First, the Candy Cane had a strongly minty smell when unwrapped. It tasted a lot like peppermint ice cream, the pink kind with the red and green candy bits inside. I was impressed with it because the white chocolate was quite tasty. It was well balanced and very fresh, and not too sweet at all.


The Gingerbread smelled like ginger and other cookie-type spices. My husband and I were both surprised to find that it actually tasted like a mild gingerbread! Despite having the potential to be sickeningly sweet, it wasn't. This was a nice, fudgey truffle. I was pleased that neither of them exhibited the oiliness that Godiva truffles sometimes do.

I may be inflating the rating simply because these were free, but they were both very pleasing truffles.

A-

Godiva website

Schakolad Truffles

Last weekend, my husband and I went for a walk at an upscale outdoor mall. We didn't buy any clothes or trinkets (admittedly, we weren't really the target market), but we did buy truffles.

Schakolad is a chocolate/candy chain store, and I had wanted to go there for a while, but this one never seemed to be open when I was in the area. We finally got a chance to go, so for a quick sample, we bought 4 truffles for $4.50. For the price, I was a little disappointed at the rather basic flavor assortment, but the chocolates certainly looked cute.

We selected Orange, Raspberry Cheesecake, Champagne Ganache, and Dark Milk Caramel. A couple of those aren't on the list from the website, but I'm not sure why. Here's a closer look at the flavors we chose.


Orange was a white-chocolate coated orange truffle with orange sprinkles on top. It smelled very citrusy, and the filling reminded me of orange Starburst, in that it was sour but with a little more sweetness. The filling had the consistency of thick frosting and melted nicely on the tongue. I usually see orange paired with milk chocolate, and the white chocolate with the orange made things a little too sweet here.


Raspberry Cheesecake was similar in consistency to the Orange truffle. However, there was no sourness here, just a very rich, milky filling with just a hint of raspberry flavor; my husband and I both wished the flavor had been stronger. I liked it better than cheesecake, though, because just when I had enough richness, the truffle was gone.


Champagne Ganache was the cutest of the bunch, with the gold stars. The filling was excellent, smooth as can be, and with just a hint of a champagne sparkle to make it special. More champagne fizz would have been good with me, but my husband liked this one best. I did like that the chocolate was a nice, darker milk - sweet but not bitter.


Even though it was arguably the least special of the bunch, Dark Milk Caramel was my favorite. The dark chocolate coating was tasty, but the milky, chewy caramel on the inside was perfect. It was like an ultra high-class Milk Dud, with that same kind of stick-to-your-teeth caramel but no cloying sugar aftertaste.

I'm not sure if I would buy truffles there again, but my husband and I both found the ones we had to be worth the price for a nice treat. If I did go back, I think I would try the butterscotch truffles.

B

Schakolad website

Charoset Truffles

This recipe is a bit early for Passover, but that's why I'm a better fake Jew than you are a real Jew. Yep, I call myself Philly's biggest Jew-faker. I'm not Jewish at all, but because my boyfriend is.

I'm in ur temple drinking ur Manichevitz!
I know my bar mitzvah from a mikveh, and I'll take a tween boy party over getting naked and wet in front of people any day.

I'm on The Collaborative's mailing list. Apparently, I gave someone my address one night while drinking at a bar holding a Purim event. (And if any Jewish women out there want to go with me to the all-women's Mahjong classes organized by The Collaborative, get at me. I'm itching to go, but am afraid I'll blow my cover.)Dont' know how many times I've heard a rabbi do their Rosh Hashanah spiel. Or was it Yom Kippur? Honestly, I space out and think deep thoughts. Or just count the window panes.

I've experienced a Seder with Penn grad students (boooring), a Seder at Mikveh Israel (fun, especially when the one family of Sephardic Jews got smashed and started hitting each other with scallions), and a Seder with long lost relatives (awkward, but warm).So, will you accept this charoset truffle recipe from a shiksa? Good.

Oh, you have no idea what charoset is?

Well, it's a sweet mixture of dried fruit, nuts, spices, and sweet wine that symbolizes the mortar Jewish slaves used to build the storehouses of Egypt, and is, frankly, the best part of the Seder meal. Well, slamming back four cups of wine, even if it is bad kosher wine — but not Manischevitz — isn't that bad either.

In this recipe, I'm just taking that sweet mortar, rolling it in balls, and rolling the balls into sugar. Simple.

Eat these charoset truffles during Passover — it's a long week of limited dining options — or eat them any time of the year. Think of them as Lärabars in ball form, if you like. I popped ten charoset truffles while I was taking the photos for this post, that's how good they are.
Charoset Truffles
makes about 40 truffles

This recipe is highly adaptable. Keep the dates for their sweetness, but feel free to sub any dried fruits for the raisins or cherries. Use any nut you like. Use any sweet wine or fruit juice you like. I used Port because that's what I had on hand. Just be sure to use kosher-for-Passover wine or juice if serving these during Passover. And it would have been fancy-dancy to use decorator's sugar, but I didn't have any.

2 cups pitted dates
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup pecans
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1-2 tablespoons sweet wine
sugar

• Pulse all ingredients, except for the sugar, in food processor until forms a chunky paste.
• Scoop about 1 tablespoon of paste and roll paste between palms of hands to form a ball.
  
• Roll balls in a bowl of sugar to coat, and serve.