When I was at the Gorvett & Stone shop in Henley on Thames (just down the street from Maison Blanc, not far from the parking lot behind the Waitrose if you’re thinking of visiting) I picked up a couple of things. One was this awesome bag of salted butter caramels.

The milk chocolate is Valrhona and so you know it’ll be nice. Not only that but it has cocoa butter in the caramel – yum! So I cut one open to see what it was like.  As you can probably see, it isn’t runny.  In fact this sea salt caramel is very different – perhaps because it is buttered caramel

The caramel is soft but not runny. Like very smooth fudge it is sweet and soft. There is a distinct flavour which is of dark sugar with that flavour echoed in the milk chocolate. Absolutely delicious – so much so I finished all 10 in a single sitting!

What can I say? The butter caramel is sweet but delicious. The milk chocolate is sweet and if you’re in the mood for absolutely delicious and sweet, this salted butter caramel from Gorvett & Stone is absolutely perfect!

When I was in San Francisco, I bought this bar on a whim. I was in a salted caramel phase and so thought that given some disappointment in the past with single origin bars I would go for a filled one.  I really didn’t set any expectations for this bar and so I wondered only what it would be like.

According to the website, “David started Xocolatl de David informally, and unintentionally, in 2005 while just ‘playing around with chocolate.’  Over the next 4 years he worked hard to make his chocolates and confections stand out from those around him. His creations can be classified as more savory than sweet, while keeping the focus on the chocolate.”

I have to congratulate David here on what he has done. Thin slabs of clearly salted caramel are spread throughout this lovely 72% Ecuadorian chocolate bar. It is a thin bar and so the salted caramel is thin as is the bar, creating a deliciously moreish chocolate treat.

The quality of the Ecuadorian chocolate is great which means the bar on its own could really stand out as very nice but add in the salted caramel and this transforms this bar into something amazing. The salted caramel has clear salt crystals secreted inside which enhance the flavour of the chocolate as they combine with the caramel and chocolate in your mouth.  There is never too much caramel nor chocolate in a mouthful given the layers are so thin. This means the chocolate melts well, is enhanced and as a combined whole creates something way more than its parts.

Absolutely a top recommendation as a filled bar. Would this win an award? I could see it fighting an awfully good fight with the great chocolate and delicious caramel.

I ate half the box before I started writing this review and I’m eating another now.  I think that these are some of the best chocolates I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing in recent times.  I have a bit of a sweet tooth though and when I am in the mood for sweet, these are absolutely perfect.  I have a dilemma right now – a dilemma that if I eat too many more, I’ll run out and no matter how much I love them, they won’t just magically reappear. This makes me sad…

I first heard about Abianco chocolate when Mathilde Dewilde brought their innovative packaging to my attention just after the shop launched.  The name means “fan” in Spanish and thus all the packaging is like a fan.  And hey – I’m a big ‘fan’ *hahaha*… oh… OK… no more jokes

The milk chocolate is sweet but not cloying and interestingly not sticky like most milk chocolate is.  The sea salt caramel is very liquid but without just dribbling out of the pastille. The milk chocolate has a deep flavour with a bit of a molasses hit (I think) which, for me, enhances the sea salt caramel.

These are absolutely delicious.  These are sea salt caramels to be savoured and not scoffed.  I ate them over about 2 weeks and savoured each and every one as though it cost its weight in gold. These are absolutely delightful and the next time I am in Paris I’m buying more.

I’ve wanted to review this award-winning bar for awhile. Ever since I saw it on the Academy of chocolate list, I’ve wondered… I don’t rememvber it on my table but there were 60 bars each of 3 teams were going through and I imagine some other lucky table without Ms Russian Judge here. In judging, I am a harsh judge holding everything to the same standard whereas here on the blog I am much more forgiving and only review chocolates withtheir peers.

I would never dream of reviewing a Caramilk (Canadian and proud baby YEAH!) bar next to this bar but I would hold this to a higher standard than Hotel Chocolat and place it with Paul A Young in my reviewing. I have the luxury to do that because I know what I’m tasting whereas when I was judging I was tough on them all

This bar is wrapped in the fun brown paper I have come to associate with Melt. I love walking into a Melt shop and seeing all the bars and Mud Pies and Brownies laid out. To smell the chocolate and see the awards. Melt seems to an outsider with all their Academy of Chocolate awards to be one of the most AoC awarded chocolatiers around but I don’t know if that is accurate.

I was lucky enough to get given a damaged bar by Melt so I escaped like a bandit without paying for what looked like deliciously decadent chocolate bar. Itt was quite large and think and I was slightly worried about the structural integrity of the chocolate bar and whether I’d end up with a sticky handbag

You can see how large the chunks are – three “squares” on a 45g bar means 15g a ‘bite’ I feel like, as this is a filled bar, that this makes the chunks you are able to separate too big to eat easily but I wonder if more indentations would have compromised the structre and transportability of the bar. The last thing anyone wants is a handbag or pocket full of caramel! Thank goodness for the thick chocolate then! In this bar after trying to eat a square I feel like the delicious chocolate was a bit too thick – I found myself biting a bit of the base of one square before biting my way around the walls. I know that for many chocolate lovers, this is going to be a kind of heaven and that is likely why the milk version won AoC silver. The chocolate is quality so I don’t mind but the vanilla really hits you and makes you notice it when the chocolate combines with the caramel.

I feel that for my palette that the sea salt caramel is thick but I’m missing that molassas edge. I am loving the depth it does have though and while it uses Madron sea salt, I’m not getting as much distinctive flavour. It has left me wondering how absolutely yummy this would be in milk chocolate. I have a sweet tooth and I’m sure it would be awesome.

Overall, the bar left me wanting more – more sea salt caracel and more bites so this can only be a good thing. Taste is personal and that is what makes life so interesting and why some will love this abr and some won’t. I don’t like coconut and some love it so if you like something sweet but prefer it balanced off against dark chocolate and don’t mind vanilla, give this bar a try. And while you’re at it buy some of the coffee caramels, the caramel in twists of paper and the Melt Wine dark chocolate bar You won’t regret it!

I had the very good fortune of visiting Melt Chocolates recently.  The shop is delightful and while small it is perfectly formed.  All the chocolates are open and out and far to tempting to just take one and just pop it in your mouth.  Everything looks too yummy and with some called bonbons well… I had to get some!

I chose only four of these beauties and the box they came in was darling.  I loved the single one I got in the AoC bag and I love this one just as much.  It perfectly preserved my chocolates so they were just perfect when I got home. Here is my selection:

Pimms – very minty but I could swear somewhere I found cucumber and I really don’t think it was my imagination.  Loved this delicious ganache and I could eat them with a jug of Pimms and just relax and let the world drift by as I enjoyed myself.  In fact I like that idea…

Sea Salt caramel – lovely runny caramel which just oozes forth from the delicious chocolate shell to flood your mouth with the tastiest caramel I’ve had since Paul A Young,  Delightful and I could eat these by the handful – dangerous!

Coffee Caramel – delicious and strong coffee caramel!  Not only did I like this but it is the first ganache that husband has actually asked me to go buy MORE of! Usually he’s passive but this certainly stirred his blood and I’ll be buzzing for hours!

Champagne Truffle – strongly flavoured with champagne but perhaps not as much as Melchior truffles I found this delightful but I have to admit not quite as exciting as the other chocolates.  I did like the powdered sugar and I did like the flavour and the high quality chocolate but I think I’ve become a Melchior addict (oops…)

All in all it is no wonder so many of these chocolates have won awards.  The awards all over the wall are just testament to the passion and quality that goes in to making these chocolates.  I really enjoyed my trip to Melt and I hope I get to go again soon!

As I was on my way to Canada Day celebrations at Trafalgar Sq, I stopped in at Paul A Young. It is always a treat to go there and the shop is *always* busy. On this day there were many people in the shop and the two young men handling the shop had to fetch Paul himself to help serve some customers. I was supposed to be just going in for brownies and fudge when I spotted this glorious looking confection.

I have long thought that the world would be a better place if there were larger sea salt caramels in it. I think both Pierre Marcolini and Paul A Young have the best sea salt caramel I’ve tasted and so I’m always hoping for larger and larger chocolates filled with it and here I found one!

As you can see, the cocoa pod is covered in an edible glow of a copper colour. Gorgeous. I split the pod along the seam as it seemed the sensible thing to so and revealed the delicious contents within. Look at that half a pecan is that not the most glorious thing you have ever seen?

The pecan is set into the sea salt caramel with is sealed into each half with a chocolate seal before the two halves are set together. As you can see, the pecan is perfect and there is a heck of a lot of caramel. So I levered the rest of the top off to reveal the rest of the sea salt caramel and licked the smallest little lick of caramel out. HEAVENLY BLISS! Of course I had some bites of the pecan with chocolate and sea salt caramel and it is just delicious. The sweet pecan really balances off nicely against the caramel and chocolate.

I think there were cocoa nibs in there as well – WOW! This is just great! I’m so glad I stopped by and got myself one of these and I’m so glad I did it before one of my fellow bloggers got to it

In Square One Mississauga is a wonderful shop of sweet delights called Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Now, the Canadian version of this shop of delights has different sweet treats when compared to its American counterpart. The chocolate and sweet treats are either made in shop or at the head office in BC so us Canucks get different (better) stuff.

I was lucky enough on a recent visit to family in Toronto to be sent a plethora of goodies which I was able to try and review. The lovely Bonnie Junyk sent me a list of things from her shop and I got the chance to try them all. Her list didn’t quite match what I thought I was eating so I’ve tried to match them up as best as I can. Some, like the Skor caramel apple were easy but the cheesecake was difficult. I was sent Choc Skor caramel apple, peanut butter cup, bombs in sea salt, dark choc and cheesecake, & caramel pretzels.

Peanut Butter Cup – Thick dark chocolate covers a peanut butter centre. The peanut butter is not too sweet and the dark chocolate is dark. The dark chocolate here isn’t my favourite and when I shared it my dad thought it was OK but my stepmom didn’t like it however I didn’t get the chance to share it with my nephew who I expect would have been DELIGHTED!

Bomb in Sea Salt – A very caramelly, chewy bomb of chocolate. A little too sweet for me but I’ve got less of a sweet tooth than others and I know these would be popular at a party and especially one with kids. I can imagine their excitement as layer after layer of new flavours and textures was revealed. You can see how interesting they look and how many layers there are.

Chocolate Skor toffee apple – OMG LOVE! Here we have a large delicious ripe apple which I think is a Granny Smith or Spartan or something tart but sweet and hugely delicious, coated in caramel gooey deliciousness and dipped in chocolate before being covered in Skor. Dear sweet apple and sugary goodness this is a delicious balance of sweet and sour (apple). Absolutely glorious! The Skor is slightly crunchy and the caramel is smooth and the apple is delicious. Awesomeness.

Caramel brownie coveted in chocolate –I’m wondering if this is the cheesecake as it is the only one I think might match. This is a sweet, dry brownie but brilliantly the caramel makes it moist. This is on a stick and I can just imagine a young child walking along, trying to fit it in their mouth as they nibble through layer after layer of chocolate, caramel and then brownie. It was a bit much for me but I’ve worked on developing less of a sweet tooth and few have like me so this is sure to be a general crowd pleaser. Makes me wonder if this isn’t a print candidate for slicing, wrapping in filo pastries and deep frying – YUM!

Waffle caramel & nuts – Wow this is a bit different from other things I have tried! This is sweet and crunchy and nicely balanced. Thick chocolate, chewy caramel & waffle cone with added peanuts sprinkled throughout. This must be made in store because the waffle cone is so fresh and crunchy. I had a bit of it and shared it around and of everything bar the caramel apple, this went fastest.

Chocolate Dipped Pretzel – This is a thick pretzel which has layers of caramel and chocolate before you get through to the pretzel. This is a bit dry much as a pretzel if meant to be, with a layer of chewy caramel and a layer of nice chocolate. Not my favourite again – few items can beat that awesome caramel, chocolate and Skor apple – but was a favourite among some at the table.

Each sweet treat was slightly different in texture, sweetness, flavour and appeal to people. Everyone seemed to gravitate to something different. I think that just goes to show how different everyone’s taste is. Each of these appealed to different people and while I was most in love with the caramel apple, others hogged the waffle, bomb or brownie. Each goodie had a different appeal and I think that’s what makes Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory a great treat for a family. Everyone will enjoy something different and while this isn’t Soma, it isn’t meant to be. It’s meant to be fun and yummy and light and enjoyable. If you’re near Square One in Mississauga, why not pop in for a sweet treat?

I don’t get enough of a chance to review Damian Allsop chocolates. He is a really nice guy and I wish there were more chocolate festivals so I could buy more of his chocolates. On this occasion, however, he was in Liberty’s and it was a pleasant surprise to see him there. While I was there I picked up some of these little treats to tuck into later and started in on them on the train home. It was a tough day shopping

These are absolutely lush. The cocoa dusted outer shell of chocolate is delicious and the smooth interior of caramel is firmly liquid and has a delicious dark flavour. This is absolutely yummy and well worth grabbing some if you find any!

One criticism I have with almost all caramel products (bar Paul A Young) is they are too small and the chocolate doesn’t have a chance to shine through and so leaves me feeling a little sad I could not also experience a high quality chocolate along with my sugar hit.

Ignore me – I’m a bit of a snob, right? So go off and grab yourself some of these if you can find some. Of course there is Chocolate Week coming up but who can wait for October?

Nothing could possibly touch Chef’s salty chocolate balls but that is what I think of every time I see this sea salt caramel range.  I wonder how many others hum the tune as they bite into the gooey, liquid interior.

I had a chance to try these sea salt caramels as part of the Artisan du Chocolat range for the holidays.  Artisan du Chocolat is a chocolate maker that started small and grew from artisan chocolate producer through to major manufacturer whose products have now been spotted in Marks & Spencer.

This journey has not been without its ups and downs and changes in the quality of chocolate as recipes have been adjusted and manipulated.  I’ve been a fan of the sea salt caramel balls (original) for awhile but even this fan has noticed constant changes in the quality of the chocolate encircling the delicious gooey interior.  However we’re not here about the chocolate, we’re here about the sea salt interior!

The first thing you always notice with an Artisan du Chocolat sea salt caramel is how liquid the interior is.  This is part of the process and has been deliberately designed to flood your mouth with sea salt caramel flavour (or your fingers if you try to eat it in more than a single bite).  With the addition of the passion fruit, there is an additional tart edge which stays just this side of sour to make it pleasant but not too overpowering.  The passion fruit flavour seems overly pronounced within the caramel though, as though somehow the essence of passion fruit flavour had been added without the fruit reduction which would give it a thicker, stickier consistency.

Whatever the reason for it, these sea salt caramels were much nicer for me than the fig I tried (and gifted) at Christmas.  I enjoy these acidic, sour, tart flavours balanced with sweet as that is my personal taste.  If you enjoy that type of flavour combination you’re likely to enjoy these – otherwise you might want to try one of their other flavours which tend towards the more savoury.

I don’t know how it is I haven’t reviewed these Paul A Young Sea Salt Caramels before since I eat them like candy.  I absolutely love these chocolates!

The shell is made from delicious dark chocolate in a dome shape so the top of the dome is thicker than the sides.  I say this to warn you really.  My other warning is that it is too big for a single bite but you need to approach this delicious chocolate strategically in order to enjoy it fully.

Turn the sea salt caramel chocolate upside down so you are looking at the base.  This has to be our approach.  Be careful not to squeeze this chocolate or you’ll have sea salt caramel all over your fingers (speaks the voice of experience).  Now, the base is sealed by a plug in the base (now the top) which is often thicker than the shell at this point.  I like to gently bite around the rim to ‘pop’ the plug out and scoop a small amount of caramel out with the base.  Now we have the structure of the shell intact with a missing bottom.  I suggest here biting the side and close to the top (at the moment, this is our bottom) but not through the top itself as this chocolate is often thicker.  Let the shell break but be careful about all the caramel – you don’t want to waste any.

Lovely, don’t you think? Absolutely lovely. I like to buy a few and have one or two per day as a treat.

This is my favourite sea salt caramel ever though I do munch on Artisan du Chocolat sea salt caramels an awful lot too…