16 December 2013

Classic Christmas Selection - H Box (@HotelChocolat) [By @cinabar]




We are big fans of Hotel Chocolat chocolates here at Foodstuff Finds, and couldn't resist having a look at their seasonal selection box, to see what goodies it contains. The first thing we noticed was that several of the chocolates seemed to be themed especially for Christmas, which is a lovely touch. They were in my selection when it came to giving them a try once cold evening.
Inside the box thought I was immediately drawn to the pistachio topped green chocolate. A glance at the menu inside told me it was a Pistachio Praline Crunch. I realise I'm always drawn to the nut chocolates, but it was the hint of green which caught my eye. I loved the shape of the chocolate, with its folds of praline inside the dark shell. There was a lovely hint of extra sweetness inside too from cherry which brought out the pistachio flavour really well.
The Christmas Mess was a seasonal twist on an Eton Mess. The base fruit flavour was cranberry and strawberry which was pared with Hotel Chocolat's signature white chocolate. The meringue added a nice but of texture to the fruity flavours, and made this one fell really special.
I was also drawn back to the nutty chocolates and found myself drawn to another, Christmas themed, praline. This time it was the Nutmeg and Almond one, which didn't have a hint of marzipan, and focused instead on a truer almond taste. The nutmeg added a nice tingle of warm spice and turned it into the perfect winter chocolate.
The Mulled Port was a liqueur chocolate of sorts, without being too strong on the alcohol. There was a hint of orange and Christmas spice that made it taste perfect for winter, and it was lovely and warming. If you are after a stronger alcohol hit I'm reliably informed the Rum Punch could blow your docks off!
My final chocolate was the Cranberry Cup, which was full of fruity flavour. It created a proper berry blast to the senses, complement by that wondrous creamy white chocolate - wow.
The other taste testers agreed that all the chocolates were divine. They loved that they were a special Christmas box set with unique flavours, and thought it was beautifully packaged too. We'd all be over the moon if a box of these found its way under the tree for us. ;-)
By Cinabar

No comments: