December 2nd: Hotel Chocolat Christmas Truffles 2013

Mince Pie Truffles - Kcal 207 Fat 12.0g Fat(sats) 7.0g Carbs 22.0g (per 3 truffles)

Tipsy Christmas Puddings - Kcal 146 Fat 10.0g Fat(sats) 6.0g Carbs 12.0g (per 3 truffles) 

Cometh the Christmas season - cometh Hotel Chocolat's Limited Edition Christmas Truffles. Both of the two special edition truffles you will see on ChocolateMission today came as part of our Christmas sampling package from Hotel Chocolat. The Hotel Chocolat Mince Pies & Milk and the Hotel Chocolat Tipsy Christmas Puddings have both been put through their paces by the @ChocMission team.

Both of these variants came in packs of six truffles - selector size if you go by Hotel Chocolat's sizing system. As a team we like the presentation and decorative style of the Hotel Chocolat Christmas range this year with the sky blue backgrounds colour a nice host for the glittery silver fonts and red secondary colours. Both truffle variations looked suitably attractive - take a look at our photos and I'm sure you will agree they aesthetically don't fail in the looks department.

The alternative Mince Pies have been available for a few years now - you can see our review of them from 2010 HERE. Essentially the 'Mince Pies' on offer in 2013 are consistent from the 2010s - combining some of Hotel Chocolat's most renowned for strengths with their praline and salted caramel centres. The slight addition to the mix this year are the complimentary 'Milk' truffles. Aside from making these Mince Pies a more fun product the Milk truffles don't fail bring something to the taste party and they deliver all the delicious cream laden vanilla noted flavours you would expect from Hotel Chocolat white chocolate.

The Hotel Chocolat Tipsy Christmas Puddings are a slightly different proposition combining a ganache of raisins and rum with both milk and white outer chocolates. If it's the taste of Christmas you are after then these Tipsy Christmas Puddings are about as close you can get within the context of a chocolate truffle. The outer chocolates do become an afterthought in the grand scheme of a very busy flavour set, though they do a fine job of carrying the very eventful filling. The Christmas Pudding centres initially provide a big strong kick of booze but as the melt matures hints of nutmeg, orange and sweet raisins come to the fore. We aren't usually lovers of liqueur flavoured chocolates but we couldn't help ourselves with these - they were gone in seconds!

Overall both of these 'Mince Pies' and 'Tipsy Christmas Puddings' bring different strengths to the table that probably make them suitable for different recipients. Kids and lovers of sweet nutty chocolate will fall head over heels in love with the Mince Pies. The salted caramel and hazelnut praline make for an epic combination. Alternatively the more mature consumer (older gits haha!!) may be more partial to the Tipsy Christmas Puddings with their chocolate Christmas experience fuelled by a welcome lick of rum alcohol. Whatever for whoever you are have these in mind for one thing you needn't worry about is quality. Standards are just as high as ever - nice one @HotelChocolat.

Hotel Chocolat Mince Pies & Milk - 8.4 out of 10

Hotel Chocolat Tipsy Christmas Puddings - 8.4 out of 10