December 14th: Hotel Chocolat Classic Christmas H-Box Selection (2011)

Over the past three years I've been treated to many Hotel Chocolat Christmas themed selections including:

*Hotel Chocolat Sparkling Stars Caramels (See HERE),
*Hotel Chocolat The H-Box Christmas Selection Without Alcohol (See HERE)
*Hotel Chocolat The Sleekster Classic Christmas Selection (See HERE)

Well quelle surprise they have updated and refreshed their Classic Christmas Selection for 2011. Below you will see what I made of all the new flavours.

Before I give you my verdict on some of the new chocolates in the collection this year, it's only right that I inform you of some of the 'old school' favourites that retained their places. Above there you can see (from left-to-right) Simple Milk Truffle, House Praline, Rum Ingot, Caramel Chocolate Baubel, Mulled Wine, Champagne Truffle and a Salted Caramel Dome. I suggest if you want to see remind yourself of how they all faired, you check out the older reviews I posted above.

Gingerbread Truffle - The dark chocolate shell was a good match for the inner ginger filling and the melt transition was perfect. The mouth feel of this dome shaped piece was super soft, yet had a little grip to it which meant the spicy flavours were longer sustained. Very Good.

Zesty Marzipan Star - This was a stunning chocolate and one notable for it's dexterous flavours and textures. The crisp outer dark chocolate contained a beautiful, cool, juicy orange ganache that topped a small under layer of firm, delicious almond marzipan. Superb.

Christmas Mess - This Christmas variation of one of my all time favourite chocolates was better than the normal HC Eton Mess for just one simple reason .... it was much bigger :D I needn't say more. Superb (times a million!!).

Cherry Florentine - You will have seen several reviews before where I have expressed my love for HC's Florentine chocolates. This one here was every bit as good as it has been previously, just with a touch of cherry fruit to give it a sweet, real tasting red berry taste. Very Good.

Ginger Cheesecake - This piece also features in the smaller Cheesecake Dessert pack so I was well versed what to expect here. It again presented itself as sensational piece, with the sugary, gooey ginger layer at the bottom contrasting perfectly with the sour cream notes of the firm cream ganache ontop. Wrapped in thick dark chocolate this was only ever getting one rating. Superb.

Star Anise - I adore aniseed so I can't tell you how much I was looking forward to this one. Unfortunately I was left feeling extremely underwhelmed as the booze element overwhelmed the very subtle licorice undertones. This should have been so much better than it was. Poor.


Overall it wont come as any surprise to you folks that Hotel Chocolat have maintained this as a simply fantastic selection box offering. I genuinely think you are going to be hard pressed to find another collection where the range of flavours and different truffle types are as variable as they are here. By and large, the range in the quality of the chocolates is very narrow - a good 90.0% of them being either very good or superb. In terms of the retained pieces from previous years, I think they chose right keeping some of the plainer chocolates for the less adventurous, whilst also keeping the more unique offerings such as the Mulled Wine and Rum Ingot in the mix. For the third year running I feel entirely comfortable recommending this selection. There is something there for everyone, whether it be a highly intricate Zesty Marzipan Star or just a simple Caramel Bauble. A double JCM thumbs up from me.

8.6 out of 10

December 12th: Heavenly Cakes Christmas Chocolate Cake

Rounding off the Christmas reviews for Heavenly Cakes this year we have the last of their new festive offerings, the Christmas Chocolate Cake. This cake is one that @BettyBakes (Heavenly's 'in-character Twitter feed) has been lauding about for months now - even on their website (See HERE) Heavenly see fit to dub it their 'Festive crowning glory'. Promising a 'fudgy choc base, mincemeat, marzipan, Belgian milk choc & a marzipan snowflake on top' this certainly sounded like a cake with potential to trouble the upper levels of the JCM scoring chart.

I received these cakes in the traditional Heavenly Cakes 'single serve' format, however chose on both occasions to split it in half to share with another taste tester. On the face of things, I thought this was easily the nicest looking of all four of the new Heavenly Cakes Christmas varieties on offer this year. The layering system between the chocolate cake, chocolate coating and marzipan decoration was very evident and their arrangement made for a cake that looked both appetising and interesting. Aroma wise the presence of the Christmas spices was made very apparent upon the breaking open the cellophane packet - as Homer Simpson would say MMMMMM CHRISTMAS :D

As I mentioned above, I took two fellow taste testers along for the ride today and boy were they grateful. Namely my Mother and a work colleague were these very people and their conclusions about this cake matched that very much of my own. Now I'm probably reading too much into this but if you look at the name of the product it is the word 'Christmas' that precedes 'Chocolate Cake' - thus indicating to us that this was supposed to be a Chrismassy flavoured chocolate cake base and not the other way around. Well anyway this is exactly what we got here - the chocolate cake base had this delightful moistness to it and had parts of greater viscocity where the raisin fruits were portioned. Taste wise the cake was a dream and had a scintilating flavour journey that was rooted in rich, buttery cocoa wheatyness, but enhanced every so often by hints of cinnamon, sweet fruits, nuts and sugar. For most this would just be enough, however Heavenly Cakes always ensure they give that little bit extra to ensure they are a cut above. Indeed, topping this gorgeous cake were delicious layers of fudgy chocolate and marzipan. Both of these brought their desired cream and nut flavours, and they did so with unique smooth melting, soft textures. Altogether this was a Christmas Chocolate Cake dream.

Overall all I can say is 'WOW what a cake!' Those were the words uttered by my work colleague who was having their first ever Heavenly Cakes experience, and I don't think they could have summed it up better. This was simply just another stunning offering from the HC guys and it was a cake that ticked almost every box from what I wanted from a Christmas season cake. It was rich, chocolatey, spicecy and just wholly warming and satisfying for this time of year. Eaten as snack or as a dessert in itself, this would no doubt be warmly met by any chocolate fanatic Christmas cake lover. I could spend all day telling you just how excellent I thought this cake was, but I would rather you just try some yourself - I'm sure 99.0% of you will be in full agreement of just how special it is. I did my usual trick of saving the best until last but don't worry there is still plenty of time for you to get an order in (See HERE). If you do I am extremely confident there will be no regrets.

9.1 out of 10

December 10th: Bits n Bobs - Jim's Christmas 2011 Guide Part #1

Hi All,

It's that time again when I run down my recommendations for Christmas. Today I bring you Part #1 featuring Elizabeth Shaw, McVitie's, Heavenly Cakes and Hotel Chocolat to name a few. These reviews will be short, sharp and concise. Any questions, thoughts and opinions are welcome - just drop off a comment.

Just to clarify, not everything featured will get a JCM score or recommendation. This guide is here to give my own personal opinion on what's 'hot' and what it is 'not'. I hope you enjoy the post.

N.B. Please contact me via Twitter if needs be @ChocMission - please do not attempt to leave comments on this post.
----
Mint - Kcal 504 Fat 31.6g Fat(sats) 19.9g Carbs 48.6g (per 100.0g)
Butterscotch - Kcal 524 Fat 28.8g Fat(sats) 18.1g Carbs 60.1g (per 100.0g)

Elizabeth Shaw is one of those brands that we always seeing pop-up around Christmas time here in the UK. One would normally associate the brand with it's widespread Mint Crisp Mini Chocolates, but last week I found these new bars on shelf in my local Sainsbury's priced at £1.89 each which made them a more affordable option compared to the bigger 'Mini Chocolate' packs. The chocolate wrappers were nicely presented but I was disappointed that each bar had no decoration patterns or branding. The dark chocolate mint bar was the nicer of the two given with it's better contrasting semi-sweet to sugary mint honeycomb focus. For me the milk chocolate and butterscotch was just a little overpowering on the sugar front with the honeycomb pieces in that one more coming across like balls of clustered sugar rather than the desired floral noted honey taste. I wouldn't buy either again but if you wish to try them for yourselves before buying the bigger packs then they could be of use.

Dark Chocolate Mint - 7.6 out of 10
Milk Chocolate Butterscotch - 6.9 out of 10
----



Heavenly Cakes Midnight Mint Cake- Kcal ??? Fat ??? Fat(sats) ??? Carbs ???
This isn't a review but more a recommendation and a 'heads-up' that Heavenly Cakes have their seasonal Midnight Mint Cake back in-stock on their site (See HERE). You may recall this was a cake of their's that I reviewed last year (See HERE). I commented that this 'milk chocolate brownie base, topped with a layer of mint fondant and Belgian dark chocolate' was 'the best Christmas themed cake' I ate that year, so suffice to say it is well worth your attention again this year. Achieving a score of 9.0 is no mean feat here on JCM and I can confirm that this years batch is every bit as good as the last. Fans of dark chocolate mints will fall in love with this cake, I'm 100.0% sure of that.
----

Hotel Chocolat Yule Log Hazelnut & Ginger - Kcal ??? Fat ??? Fat(sats) ??? Carbs ???

Was it likely there was ever going to be a JCM Christmas Guide without a Hotel Chocolat product featuring!?? No obviously not :D For the third year running (Yes, I know I've been doing this to long!!), my pals at HC sent me a 'Yule Log', with this years flavour being their ginger and hazelnut variety. With the past experiences in fresh memory (See HERE & HERE) this was one that was welcomed with sheer delight when the grand unveiling of our Christmas sampling package took place. Suffice to say this wasn't one that let us down and it was met with an even grander seal of approval than the logs that had come before. The base praline gianduja was utterly indulgent, and had a rich cocoa nuttyness that was in a real standout class of it's own. The woddy nut focus of the base was further compounded by the whole hazelnuts pieces that littered the top of the entire log. The more savoury flavour focus beautifully contrasted with the sweet, syrupy ginger slithers, which with their softer jelly like texture created an intriguing mix up of textures. A portion of this tucked alongside a dark coffee is an experience worth investing in.

8.6 out of 10



------
Cake Bars - Kcal 141 Fat 7.1g Fat(sats) 3.6g Carbs 18.1g (per Bar)
Biscuits - Kcal 50 Fat 2.9g Fat(sats) 1.5g Carbs 5.6g (per Biscuit)

Whereas it seems the rest of the market are content with slapping a picture of Santa/Rudloph on the front of their packs and calling their products 'Winter/Christmas Editions', McVitie's appear to have chosen a slightly different strategy. Indeed it seems that McVitie's are happy just pushing their 'Temptations' product line, a range that started out as just biscuits, but have now followed up with some cake type offerings. I purchased the two products you see today at Tesco (£1.00 of course), where on a aisle end they had all types of different 'Temptations' varieties. The white chocolate with inner milk chocolate biscuits turned out to be just as nice as than the previous Praline variety I had tried (See HERE), and the light milky flavours went nicely with the buttery biscuit base. Whilst the biscuits were the nicer lighter option of the two, the Cake Bars provided a more substantial snack and they tasted pretty good to boot. The base cake and outer chocolate components established a Galaxy like creamy sweetness, though it was the 'creamy topping' layer that gave me greatest pleasure. This element was heavily vanilla noted in taste and brought a highly desired moistness alongside the chewy chocolate caramel. Neither of these will fill you with Christmas cheer, but bravo McVitie's for breaking the mould and not jumping of the bandwagon.

White Chocolate Truffle Biscuits - 7.3 out of 10
Chocolatey Cake Bars - 7.7 out of 10

December 7th: Artisan du Chocolat O Magic Collection

If you thought Artisan du Chocolat were content with showcasing just the one Christmas 2011 offering this year on JCM you better think again because today we have this 'O Magic Collection' giving our tried and and tested rating system a run for it's money. Yes indeed, following on from my review last week of their 'Christmas Chocolate Pudding' truffles (See HERE), this 'limited edition twenty piece box of dark, milk and white chocolate O discs filled with seasonal coulis' was also sent my way from Artisan. With the 'Old Man' on photo duty, and my Mother providing her "expert opinion" :D we today embarked upon our latest Artisan du Chocolat festive experience.

As described above this was a box of chocolates that contained twenty disc shaped chocolates weighing 130.0g and retailing online for £15.00 (See HERE). Last week we were all falling over ourselves lauding Artisan with praise for the quality of their presentation. I hope you will agree that once again this level of appreciation should be merited to them again with this 'O Magic Collection' as it was every bit as beautiful. If you look at the Old Man's photography you will be able to see the level of care they went to once again here. The outer box was wonderfully decorative in it's detail and the chocolates had some of the most intricate pattern and design work I've ever seen on any chocolates before. Just look and admire.

Within this special collection, Artisan were offered five different flavours: apple and cider, red current, Champagne, whisky and cherries and spiced wine. Contained within various different chocolate types depending on their suitability e.g. red current with white chocolate, these flavours were all well matched and I think the total package was much better for having white, milk and dark options rather than just designating all to just the one type. As you can see in the photos the discs were thin in stature and broke with a distinct snap sound that reassured me of the fresh ingredients. The extremely smooth melt of the chocolate and cool sensation of the coulis created a luxurious mouth feel which only further substantiated the sense this was a premium chocolate product. Thankfully this was all matched by the flavours offered by the majority of the different flavours, with the only partial disappointment coming in the form of the underpowered whisky offering. That flavour aside, the fruit flavours were terrific and created sweet, real tasting, tarty/zingy fruit experiences that contrasted perfectly with their sweet milk and white chocolates shells. For such thin, elegant chocolates we were all surprised at the volume of flavour each delivered - perhaps we shouldn't have been given past experiences. If we had to pick-out a stand out flavour, the champagne offering came in for particular praise from my Mother who instantly expressed her delight with a resounding 'wow'.

Overall this Artisan du Chocolat O Magic Collection has to go down as one of the best things I have tried whilst doing all my reviews for Christmas 2011. Everything about the total package, from the way it was presented, to the taste of the actual chocolates again just felt like it was done with a touch of class. This box of chocolates successfully managed to give me that feeling that I was lucky to be reviewing these for the site, and that every chocolate I was sampling from the box was an exciting and potentially delicious prospect. Speaking as someone who tries their fair share of chocolate (understatement of the century) this has to be regarded as no mean feat. Artisan du Chocolat O Magic Collection offers a festive themed flavour experience that I would recommend to anyone who appreciates good quality chocolate. The bonus of it all is that the package is presented in a near perfect form. A purchase of these for yourself or a significant other wouldn't be a decision resulting in regret.

8.5 out of 10

December 5th: Hotel Chocolat Desserts Selection

Today we have these two new Hotel Chocolat 'Desserts' Selections, which are mini collections featuring four truffles styled on popular and seasonal flavours. Both of these sell online for £6.50 and can be bought instore or on the Hotel Chocolat website HERE.

I'm not entirely convinced that words are even needed today - well done to the 'Old Man', this I would say is his finest work to date ...
Hotel Chocolat say: "Discover our irresistible twist on classic petit fours – as treats at elevenses, for a touch of afternoon tea elegance, or for relaxed after dinner nibbling. With stunning chocolate recreations of silky soft Chocolate Mousse, Tiramisu, Crème Brûlée and fruity Strawberry Trifle"

Strawberry Trifle - A delicious, tarty berry truffle with real tasting fruit flavours and a creamy finish. Very Good.

Tiramisu - Disappointing as a Tiramisu flavour as it lacked rum or coffee flavour notes. There were tones of mascarpone amongst the creamy chocolate at least. Standard.

Chocolate Mousse - Part of me believed this plain option was unnecessary for a four-pack of chocolates, but the chocolatey flavours were rich and bold making for a sensational, pure chocolate indulgence truffle. Superb.

Creme Brulee - Multi-layered/textured and with a compelling creamy, butterscotch taste that captured the Creme Brulee dessert amazingly. Superb

8.5 out of 10



--------
Hotel Chocolat say: "Discover our irresistible twist on classic petit fours – as treats at elevenses, for a touch of afternoon tea elegance, or for relaxed after dinner nibbling. Contains: Caramel Pecan Pie, Christmas Mess, Chocolate Souffle, Apple Strudel"

Chocolate Souffle - Is this really a Christmas/Winter flavour!? Whatever, this dark chocolate truffle had the creamiest milky centre ever and it tempered the strong earthy cocoa tones brilliantly. Very Good.

Caramel Pecan Pie - This had a wonderful variety of flavours that took you from a taste of savoury, salty nuts, to sweet sugary caramel. Just lovely. Superb.

Christmas Mess - Hotel Chocolat's Eton Mess is one of my favourites so I never doubted I was going to love this. With the simple replacement of cranberries for the strawberries this was just as brilliant. A creamy, fruity truffle of utter class. Superb.

Apple Strudel - The delightful apple flavours were evident from the first few seconds of the melt, and the taste had a progressively creamy edge. The dried fruit pieces were an outstanding finale. Superb.

8.7 out of 10

------

Overall these were both excellent mini-truffle packs that I believe delivered on Hotel Chocolat's usual exceptional standards. Quite how they managed to pack such flavoursome and variable taste bites of some of these desserts in to such small pieces is a mystery to me, but without exception they execution all to a Very Good standard. Would I buy for someone for Christmas? Sure I would! Exceptional stocking-filler potential here I think.

December 3rd: American Soda - Wonka Exceptionals 2011

Stuck for present ideas for someone this year? One option you could consider is putting together an American themed chocolate and snacks package like the one above from AmericanSoda (See HERE). I'll be using this very collection for a Secret Santa scheme I'm participating in this year - fingers crossed they like it!!!


As you will see above, my Secret Santa package features one of the latest Wonka Exceptionals bars. A few weeks ago AmericanSoda gave the opportunity to try the two newest flavours, the Fantabulous Fudge Bar and the Triple Dazzle Caramel Bar. Below are my thoughts on them both.

Wonka Exceptionals Fantabulous Fudge Bar
Kcal 200 Fat 12.0g Fat(sats)7.5g Carbs 21.0g (4 pieces - 40.0g)

'Milk chocolate filled with chocolate fudge' - One of the things that surprised about this Wonka range (produced by Nestle) when I first tried it last year (See HERE) was just how tasty the chocolate was. Indeed for a chocolate that must be targetted at a younger demographic, I would of thought a few corners would have been cut in terms of the actual product delivery. To my delight I found much differently, and this was the case yet again with these latest offerings. This Fantabulous bar was simple in construct - a blocked milk chocolate bar with a gooey softer inner substance within each piece. The chocolate was sweet and sugary, yet it had a clean, crisp delivery of it's milk flavours - uncomplicated by pleasant nonetheless. The gooey centres didn't do much in the way of differentiated flavour progression, though they did seem to be incremental to the chocolatey flavour volume and provided a bit of interest for the mouth feel. It was very moreish and I found it easy but satisfying to eat the four block suggested serving portion.

8.0 out of 10



Wonka Exceptionals Triple Dazzle Caramel Bar
Kcal 200 Fat 12.0g Fat(sats)7.0g Carbs 21.0g (4 pieces - 40.0g)

'Milk chocolate filled with caramel' - I never like reviewing milk chocolate caramel bars now because as you can see looking at my ChocolateMission Leaderboard I have some firm favourites already in place. Well it wasn't like I could turn down free chocolate so this Wonka Tripple Dazzle got a shot at the JCM rating system and I'm glad now it did. Just as described above the milk chocolate was surprisingly good. Just like the fudge centres above the caramel was portioned at the heart of each block and texturally matched it for softness and smoothness. Taste wise the caramel exceeded expectations with it's heavy sweet butterscotch tones highlighted immensely by just the most subtle touch of salt. It's unbelievable how much better a caramel can taste with just that little simple ingredient. Again this was a very moreish bar, and one that I found easily edible in the two suggested portions. This gets a JCM thumbs up.

8.2 out of 10


Overall these new flavours are well worth taking a look at if you enjoyed the previous Wonka offerings. Out of the two the Triple Dazzle Caramel was just about my favourite, though the Fantabulous Fudge certainly surpassed my preconceptions. If you are UK based and want a 'safe' set of chocolates to gift that aren't available in this country normally then these new Wonka editions are certainly worthy of a look at.

*Apologies but no comments again weekend as I'm away on business with no access to the site. Please feel free to contact me on Twitter @ChocMission