Vosges Bapchi's Caramel Toffee Bar

Technology never ceases to amaze me! Right now, I am writing this entry from cruising altitude on my way to Las Vegas. Thanks to Google, Delta's on-flight internet service is free this month. So, it seemed a good of a time as any to break my lazy blogger streak.

Vosges is not an indulgence I often allow myself to make. It's one of the more expensive chocolate brands available at stores in my area, but when I saw this new flavor, I couldn't resist. It was placed next to a mint flavor for the Holidays, but Caramel Toffee sounded better.


The bar was a little beaten up, but it had an amazingly complex scent and taste. It smelled of rich, browned butter toffee with a hint of something that reminds me of rum. The flavor was at first sweet cocoa, then the salt hit the tongue, and finally, it was nutty and full of rich, incredibly buttery toffee.

There were several textures at play - smooth, rich 45% cacao chocolate (just dark enough to offset the sweetness), crisp and chewy toffee, and meaty nuts. This is definitely the best bar I've tried all year. It reminded me of chocolate caramel corn, only much more refined. It was so hard to put this bar down, but after talking it up so much, I had to save some for my husband.

A+

Sorghum and Bourbon Pecan Pie

Thanksgiving is around the corner, and pumpkin pie just might be the official dessert of the day, but pecan pie probably comes in second. I don't think I've ever suffered a Thanksgiving without pecan pie, thankfully.

But how to make pecan pie better? But not blasphemous with such additions like chocolate or orange zest. Better is as simple as ditching the light corn syrup, and going back to the era of your grandmother when she was using sorghum syrup or cane syrup. Oh, and a little bourbon isn't too out of line with traditions, is it?Sorghum syrup is a dark molasses extracted from sorghum, a tall grass that looks like earless corn. I'm using sorghum syrup in this recipe, but you could also use cane syrup, a similarly dark and deep molasses which is extracted from sugar cane. What Sorghum and cane syrup provides is an amber color and, most importantly, a depth of flavor that corn syrup does not have.So, you can bring this pecan pie to the Thanksgiving table without upsetting the traditionalist, but have your guests asking what makes your pecan pie more than just a one note, sugar and nut bomb. Sorghum and bourbon, you'll say!

Just so you know, this has to be about the simplest pie I've ever made. Also, I killed half of the pie in one sitting. Sorghum and Bourbon Pecan Pie
adapted from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook by Matt and Ted Lee
makes 1 9-inch pie

I added bourbon to Matt and Ted Lee's recipe, guided by other bourbon pecan pie recipes. Most recipes added 2 tablespoons of bourbon, and some added 3 tablespoons. I added 2 tablespoons of bourbon. The bourbon flavor is strongest on day one (don't think I'd want to eat a 3-tablespoons bourbon pie on day one), and mellows on the second day. On day three, the bourbon is almost non-detectable. Add bourbon fittingly as to how long the pie will sit before serving. Day-old pie with 2 tablespoons of bourbon was pretty much perfect.

1/3 cup tightly packed dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons bourbon
3/4 cup sorghum syrup
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, plus some halves for decorating top
1 par-baked pie crust

• In a large bowl, beat together the brown sugar and eggs with an electric mixer until incorporated.
• Add the butter, cornstarch, salt, and bourbon to the bowl and mix .
  
• Add the sorghum and pecans to the bowl and mix.
• Pour filling into a par-baked pie crust. Decorate top of pie with pecan halves.
• Bake in a 375 degree oven for 35-40 minutes.
• Remove from oven, and let cool for 1 hour before serving. Can be made a day ahead.
  

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