Mother's Day Treats with Chocolatique, Chuao, and Robert Rothschild
It might be a little late for this mother’s day, but it’s never a bad time to get your mom (or anyone else) a gift. And that includes yourself! We have several different items from three companies, offering a range of tastes and budgets.
Starting with Chocolatique, we’ve never been so disappointed… at first. A quick look through their site’s flavor guide had us anxiously awaiting some samples, but instead of Chocolate Chip Hotcakes or Carrot Cake truffles, we got straight solid chocolates, a small box, all identical pieces. They were decent enough, 76% dark and a nice blend with good snap, but weren’t as notable as some others that we’ve tried. A bit later though, we got to try a few of their more interesting flavors, and our tasters agree… a more comprehensive set of flavors is yet to be found, and we’ve only scratched the surface. What we’ve tried, we’ve mostly liked. The Irish Cream Coffee was a nice combination of sweet and bitter, though the Chocolate Midnight Malt wasn’t a big hit- it seemed lackluster in comparison to some others. The chocolates are beautiful though, nicely formed and varied, from the heart-shaped Nibs in Dark Chocolate to the stand-out (untried) Caramel Apple. Each piece ordered from their website will set you back about $2, and take note of their other options (including super-dark 91% “anti-oxidant” chocolates).
Next up, a company we first looked at almost three years ago, Chuao. As before, they also tend towards interesting flavor and ingredient combinations, and one of the most unusual in recent memory is the Firecracker chocolate- chipotle, salt, high-quality dark chocolate… and popping candy (like PopRocks). This is a daring, divisive chocolate, with folks tending to love or loathe it, and the smokiness and carbonation make for a fun surprise for those with friends who have tried everything. Chuao also makes truffles of a very similar nature, only with a caramel fudge center, and they were a bit less popular- the smokiness and stickiness tended to overwhelm even those who liked the bars. Either way, it’s a unique sensation, and runs about $6 for an 80 g bar or a box of 9 truffles for $18 (or bonbons, on their site).
Finally, we have our first gift basket, from Robert Rothschild Farm, the Chocolate Delight. Aptly named, you’ll find Raspberry Chocolate Pretzel Dip, Chocolate Mint Dessert Sauce, Moose Munch popcorn, and Chocolate Covered Pretzels. Gift baskets have always seemed to be aimed at a slightly older audience, and this one is no exception- but most any chocoholic Mom would be happy to get it, even if you need to get some extra goodies to supplement the sauces and dips. And if your planned recipient has tastes more along the lines of spicy than sweet, consider the line of hot pepper preserves. We tried the Hot Pepper Peach, and the Hot Pepper Raspberry, and both were satisfyingly sharp and tangy, easy to use on crackers and chips, and also went well with some meat dishes. Last time we checked, the Peach was even on sale- normally $8 a jar, all available online.
