Hedonist Chocolates Holiday Truffle Collection

Call it a slight case of Freudian deference to authority or what have you, but I freaking love Christmas. It might be my gay love of kitsch speaking. Yes, I'm Jewish. Yes, I grew up with a Catholic mother and a Christmas tree and menorah. One of those kids, and I can confirm what's going through your mind right now: I totally got twice the presents. Boo-yah.
As soon as December first rolls around, never before that because Christmas music in November is just batshit dumb, I start humming along to the insipid pah-rum-pum-pums of the techno Miley Cyrus/Akon remix of Little Drummer Boy on the radio and plot out recipes for no less than thirty Christmas cookies. I suddenly tear up when A Charlie Brown Christmas comes on, and I'm suddenly less repulsed by marabou-laced lingerie two-pieces at Target. Come on, they totally come in Santa colors! So yes, as much as the sorrow-tinged afternoons of Yom Kippur and the agony-laden nights of Passover move me to no end, I'm a shameless addict to the consumerist culture of Christmas.

Hedonist Truffles, whom you may remember from our Valentine's Day TweetHeart post, sent over some holiday goodies from their winter collection that were almost genetically and technologically programmed to elicit the exact amount of winter cheer from every single person on the planet. I stand by that statement one hundred percent. Five truffles in five flavors: champagne pomegranate, egg nog, ginger molasses, fig, and orange clove. Playing off my love to condense classic flavors into bite-sized cubes, they sounded like they incorporated some really intriguing and underused flavors. Each truffle is coated in a substantial shell of Hedonist's inky, smoky dark chocolate.
While each truffle was delightful in its own way, egg nog was hands-down my favorite. I think I speak for everyone when I say that typically, egg nog isn't at its best in solid form. This is the exception to the rule. Dark, bittersweet chocolate revealed a creamy white center speckled with nutmeg and cinnamon, with an egg-like springy texture and gutsy booziness. Hedonism for the win!
The other flavors didn't have as deep a level of precision as the egg nog, but still sat squarely in the high-quality, phenomenal truffle territory. These were no mass-produced Godiva truffles. The champagne pomegranate didn't remind me of either champagne or pomegranate, but had a clean, smooth smokiness that lingered in the mouth after chewing and a light salt coating that gave a saline balance to the restrained sweetness of the truffle.

The fig truffle was awesome, with a seriously seedy texture and jammy chew. Unfortunately, its placement next to the orange clove chocolate caused it to have a diminished citrus and spice flavor which detracted from the earthy figs and dark chocolate. The orange clove chocolate was delicious and had a forward, in-your-face spiciness that tasted like swallowing a pomander whole. The little piece of candied orange rind had a gummy-like chew that made me crave more! Ginger molasses was a tasty way to end our little sampling, but lacked the smoky, burnt sugar aspects of molasses that I crave. It did have a bold spiciness from the ginger.
Check these out if you're looking for an eclectic holiday gift or party offering. They make lovely little mignardises at the end of a meal or with a late cup of espresso.