I was lucky enough to get some of the brand new giftable Lucky’s mini cakes – also known as Tiny Pieces of Wonderment – at Chocolate unwrapped.  These little cakes were presented in a mirrored box and are just the right size to scoff yourself.

The cakes are the creation of a passion for chocolate and cake and a desire to create something different.  They combine high quality chocolate with cake and are presented as giant versions of some delicious chocolates.

The attention to detail with the creation of bespoke moulds and the invention of the flavours and designs and the whole idea is what makes these unique.   They are beautifully presented and come across as a high quality chocolate gift.  The different types of chocolate used and the different fillings means there is always something someone will like.

These are more of a hostess gift than something to bring and share at a party so if you’re looking for a gift this holiday season and the recipient enjoys chocolate, this should be on your list.

I got a certificate to try out some Chocri personalised chocolate and it turned out that I could afford to get 3 types of bar.  I decided, unlike a fellow blogger to create chocolate creations that I thought I would enjoy and that worked.  I actually spent a significant period of time calculating what the best combination would be with what chocolate and I even made one for my husband. I should be given a medal for sharing chocolate!

The first bar (I’m reviewing, not that I made) I called “Dave’s Delight” because this was the one I gave to my husband.  Thankfully she shared some with me.  I created for him a combination of cappuccino buttons, gold flakes, coffee and I think possibly cocoa nibs in milk chocolate.  I have to say that he likes coffee and this certainly smelled strongly of coffee when we took it out of the packet.  That coffee flavour was clearly present but not overpowering despite my selections.  The milk chocolate in this combination wasn’t too sweet and as such I have to say I recommend this specific combination.

The next bar I called “Sweet and Sweeter” because despite creating it with dark chocolate, I added strawberry bits, pecans, candied rose petals and real gold flakes.  This bar wasn’t as nice as the coffee bar.  The dark chocolate was quite bitter and so despite the sugary toppings the dark bitter chocolate overwhelmed the flavours making it not at all sweet.  While usually a good thing, I didn’t get the flavours I was hoping for coming through.  I might go with a different mix next time and might go with stronger, bolder flavours in the dark chocolate.

The last bar I made I called “Suggested Selection” because I went with the suggestions made at the top of the selection area.  You might not notice but each time you select something then move to the next section there are suggestions made in the top row.  This chocolate bar was a milk and white chocolate blend and the suggestions came out as cinnamon, cocoa nibs, pecans, raspberries and golden pearls.  I have to say, I feared for my teeth in more than one way!  The sour raspberries were a shock and weren’t quite blended with the flavours I had selected. Perhaps the gold balls was overdoing it a bit. I didn’t get too many pecans but when I did, they nicely balanced out the sweetness and cut through it a bit. Far too sweet for me but I’m sure some would like it

All in all, I think this is a great gift for a chocolate lover.  While the base chocolate used isn’t Soma microbatch (and really, who can equal them and Askinosie… really…) that would actually make me more reluctant to experiment.  I’d have to specify though that either stick to the milk chocolate or when using dark chocolate, make sure to choose bold flavours.  I did make an effort to create combinations I thought word work in the different chocolate styles but coffee in milk chocolate worked best and I think it was the strong flavours, slightly bitter, with the sweet milk chocolate which was not too sweet.

***FREEBIE FRIDAY*** WIN A £15 gift certificate to make your own bars!  Leave a comment here about what flavour combination you’d try, and/or do the same on Facebook and/or tweet “If I won @chocri_uk from @mostlyaboutchoc like this http://bit.ly/ftN5BZ I’d make …” and fill in what you might choose. Winner will be chosen around mid-day Sunday while I recover from jetlag :-S

***WINNER*** Congratulations to LondonSheSaid who has won! Chocri will need your details!

While at Chocolate Unwrapped, I was lucky enough to meet two of the lovely people behind Chocri.  Chocri is a chocolate company who create custom chocolate for you based on what you choose.

This dark chocolate bar was poured into what we would recognise as a typical chocolate bar mould.  It has little squares but in the window of the chocolate box that part of the chocolate bar isn’t what you see – what you see is the topping put on what most of us consider the bottom of the bar.

This particular bar was created for me.  I had made three bars myself but this one was made by the Chocri people based on popularity and I have to admit it was slightly worrying.  It has chilli *and* raspberries in dark chocolate.  It was a brave combination and one I was happy to try.

The bar was slightly strange.  I think chilli should be put in the milk chocolate bar as it would have been sweeter but the raspberry then wouldn’t have worked as well as it did.  The dark chocolate isn’t bitter and it is slightly sweet and with the tart raspberry and the hot chilli it made an interesting bar.  It’s not artisan chocolate but it is delicious and quite frankly making the effort to try and make a bar I think shows love.  Perfect as a gift!  Why not buy a gift certificate and someone can make their own and experiment!

Freebie Friday!  I’ve got a bar of this chocolate to give away to one lucky person who comments on this post, likes it on Facebook or tweets “I’d like to win a @mostlyaboutchoc freebie Friday @Chocri_UK bar http://bit.ly/91BRsg”  I’ll draw the winner on Sunday!

I recently went back to Soma and had a tour by the owners and got to experience some new chocolate experiences. It was a million times better than the last time I was there for sure. While I was there, I bought myself some chocolate including some Chuao bars and this Old School chocolate bar. It was recommended to me by the owners (frankly I would have bought anything they recommended) as a unique experience.

Apparently this is chocolate as it was back in “the day” – simple and pure. But I think pure means not quite mixed all up until smooth and yummy. Well, it is yummy, just not smooth. This is, however, about as pure as you are going to get with chocolate as there are only two ingredients: partially ground cocoa nibs and cane sugar. This makes a bar that is almost like a cookie/biscuit. It has a constantly changing flavour depending on how you chew it and the bit you get.

This chocolate bar is confusing but I love it. It is rough and chocolaty and yet has hard bits and nibs and chunks of cane sugar. It is bitter and sweet at the same time. This is a bar for chewing, not for letting it melt slowly in your mouth unless you don’t mind your mouth being flooded with sweetness. It isn’t conched for 96 or 120 hours – it is just as it is. YUM!

I love Soma chocolate.  They hold themselves up to be one of the world’s best chocolate makers whether they realise it or not.  They design and create awesone chocolate and if you don’t try it you’re a fool.  I give a lot of it away so hit me up for some next time you see me and if I have a bar on me, I’ll share it!

Delicious smooth and creamy ganache made from single origin beans. You must not miss the opportunity to try these chocolates but since my readers are from all over the world I thought I’d review them here. If you are ever in Toronto though, do try some for yourself.

Madagascar 70% Criollo/Trinirario beans – lovely smooth dark chocolate without any fruitiness and slightly acidic.

Papua New Guinea 70% Trinitario beans – fruity flavour slightly hard to capture

Santa Domingo 70% Criollo/Trinirario beans – the fruity ness is slightly hidden by the acidity of the chocolate. Not as pleasant as the Papua New Guinea one

Venezuela “Sur del Lago Clasificado” Criollo/Trinirario beans – subtle but strong with a distinctive flavour you can really tell the difference here in where it was grown.

Tanzania Forastero beans – very strongly chocolaty and weirdly my favourite of the bunch though not because it was 75% but the bean itself was delicious. I could eat a box of these and not get bored whereas I felt the others were slightly disappointing in complexity. I suppose the Soma chocolate bars are so delightful and help transmit the complexities of the bean flavour so well I was slightly spoiled by them.

Not to detract from the chocolates I’ve been slightly harsh in my assessment because they are all so delicious and high quality. I’ve held them up to a higher standard than usual but if you were to compare them to other high quality chocolates they would stand up quite well.

When I met and interviewed Paul Wayne Gregory, I was gifted with a triad of his new popping candy, chocolate and sea salted caramel pops.  These were kindly gifted to me after a discussion about the sea salt caramel in my other box and chatting in general.  I have to admit some trepidation as I thought it might be too much but I was pleasantly surprised.

The layers of high quality chocolate make biting in to this pop a deliciously messy affair exactly as it should be.  Anyone who has ever tried to bite into a Tootsie pop knows how foolish that is.  Allowing the chocolate to warm as you gently nibble brings the chocolate to just the right temperature to gently bite.

The popping candy is the first experience.  I thought I would be put off by it and yet it was delicious.  It added to the experience by giving an initial kick then fading away.  Next is the salt quickly overwhelmed by caramel to be finished with a touch of salt.  That almost sour flavour balancing the sweet and the beautiful dark chocolate rounding it all out with the last vestiges of the popping candy still thrilling your taste buds.

So… nomnomnom… I suppose my verdict… nomnomnom… is that… *washes sticky hands* I really like it!

Born on the 1st of July 2008, Xococava is one of the newer chocolate shops to hit Toronto.  Located in Deslie Court just north of the St Clair subway station, this ideally located chocolate shop brings some of the most innovative chocolates to Toronto.  From the perennial salted caramel favourite – a popular chocolate in the shop – to the exotic churitzo including real meat, this shop pushes the boundaries of chocolate making to a higher art form.

Laura White, a former pastry chef and 5 year expert chocolate maker, invents some of these innovative chocolate flavours at the front of the shot in full view of the window to the outside tables where people sup on home baked cookies with some of the finest chocolate chips nestled in excellent dough.

Utilising Tuscano Amedei chocolate in her creations, Laura balances the flavour of the base chocolate against the exotic fillings.  Often utilising Belgian style chocolate as a carrier for her more exotic flavours, Laura uses her knowledge of flavour and chocolate to balance flavours off.  Marrying tea and coffee both with chocolate but in very different ways, she is committed to creating delicious and innovative chocolate.

I found her sea salt caramel to be one of the flavours of hers I liked best.  The chocolate did not seem to be the highest quality but the sea salt caramel was lovely. The Earl Grey tea was way more intense than I was used to but it didn’t detract from the overall experience.  The chocolate covered almond dragees were nothing I hadn’t enjoyed elsewhere in the UK but I have a feeling they are a rarity in Toronto.  As such it is nice to see these lovely roasted almonds with caramelised sugar covering them before the delicious chocolate and powered cocoa finishes it off.

Pop by and try the chocolates.  They are yummy and unique and fun at a dinner party.

While in the famous Fassbender & Rausch shop, I picked up some of the Kleines Konfekt miniature dessert chocolates.  With a solid chocolate base and whipped chocolate body in a plastic cover, they were too cute to ignore.  I chose Latte Macchiato and Chocolate Praline versions of these chocolate delights.

Petit Petit Chocolate Praline – this chocolate delight seems to be topped with real cocoa bean with a sweet chocolate top to the chocolate base.  It’s a bit like a cross between a lush dessert and a naked chocolate.  In fact naked chocolate is the best way to describe it.  There is a slight hint of alcohol flavour to it and it is pleasant and as these are not too expensive they are a delightful party gift.  As this one was quite sweet perhaps one each would be enough.

Petit Petit Latte Macchiato – this is mainly white chocolate and so far too sweet to me but with the most lovely coffee flavour.  Oh if only this had been done in regular chocolate my husband and I would be in heaven.  The coffee flavour though is spoiled for me by the extreme sweetness of the white chocolate.  Despite a layer of milk chocolate, it tasted like sugar candy.  I’m sure for many people who love white chocolate this would be utter heaven.

They don’t travel though as mine got squished and my chocolate one was hard to free from the plastic.  I ended up licking the plastic (so I did enjoy it) and it really made the chocolate one feel like a naked chocolate to me.  I’d love to try others though and next time I am in erlin I fully intend to go back to Fassbinder & Rasusch.

Under a threatening sky the London Chocolate Festival launched the weekend before Easter with what seemed to be more stalls than the previous event. With chocolate makers (a chocolatier is a very special thing and I do not feel qualified to bestow such a qualification) from all around the UK gathering together in one place, it was every chocolate lovers dream.

I was lucky enough to be invited to the launch event where we learned about Valhrona and how all their chocolate is made in a single factory in a small village in France in the Rhone valley and has been there since 1922 despite selling into 65 countries and using 3,000 tonnes of chocolate.  While that sounds like a lot it is apparently around only 10% of the annual production of chocolate.  They walked us through three chocolates in a sampler pack they provided which was lovely and taught everyone how to taste chocolate. I’m sure my fellow foodies were very familiar with trying it in this way.

We then learned about the brain and chocolate and how the brain reacts to the scent and taste of chocolate and got to taste the predecessor of Nutella. We were then treated to Damian Allsop chocolates which were divine.  A delicious jasmine tea infusion and a delightful coffee and passion fruit chocolate, all dairy-free.  He apparently has a new shape for his chocolates as well.

The chocolate show itself was delightful and thank goodness everyone was there!  I couldn’t find Paul A Young but I did find Paul Wayne Gregory who let me retry the sea salt caramel among others, William Curley whose chocolates I love love love, Rococco who do innovative things with chocolate but I have fallen a little out of love with lately and Outsider Tart who have the most lush baked goods ever,

The festival is easy to get to – Just pop to Waterloo station and exit through the Southbank exit.  Now, under the railway bridge and across the square and you’ll see some marquees set up and you’ll be there!  This festival is HUGELY popular rain or shine despite being outdoors and it is well worth the trip.

So stop reading and get out there fast!  The Chocollate festival continues on Saturday March 27th and Sunday March 28th.

While most chocolates which are ‘made for the middle’ utilise low quality chocolate in order, as they say, to allow the filling to shine through, I always feel that using a less than best chocolate spoils the overall effect.  So it was with some interest that I tried Damian Allsop chocolates at the extremely busy Taste of Christmas show.

After being a pastry chef for 25 years at Michelin starred restaurants, including a stint in Spain for 5 years, Damian was an expert at working in chocolate.  Spain forced him to rethink how people made chocolate, and combined with his realisation that British palettes were changing he decided to run his own chocolate based business.  He realised that cream changed the flavour of chocolate and rather than seeking a dairy-free alternative to existing chocolates, he created new flavours, new experiences and a new way of enjoying chocolate.  He knows that chocolate changes flavour as ingredients are added and that is why he doesn’t use milk or cream.

I remain fairly conservative in my chocolate outlook but Damian had me as a somewhat captive audience and as such, he went through the full range of mouth experiences with me.  He believes that our tastes in the UK are changing.  His chocolates are at the forefront of that change and he’s working hard to create delicious tastes for everyone.

We started with a ‘pistachio with acidic yogurt’ morsel.  It was an immediate hit of sour then went through to sweet then you got the pistachio nut flavour at the very end.  Surprising and extremely more-ish.  I can see people having to eat many of these at a party.

Salted Crunchy Peanut was the next surprise.  Completely overwhelming the scent or flavour of the chocolate, the salted peanut flavour was the first hit through the nose, then the saltiness hits as you bite and it is finished off with that massive peanut flavour which almost nothing can beat.

The Cloud was next and talk about heavenly.  Blueberry and violet it was a crunchy yet chewy middle light as a cloud.  The flavours are subtle but pleasant and without the harsh artificial flavour sometimes encountered.

At this point, Damian reminds me that with his chocolates, the actual chocolate is not the ‘ego’.  Rather, the filling is the most important part and the chocolate adds that extra rounding dimension.  He uses Amano chocolate and assures me that his use of high quality chocolate enhances all of them – including the flavours which overwhelm.

Jasmine Tea was a delight and I may have to simply buy myself and everyone I know a box of these.  The jasmine tea is not synthetic, as it so often it.  Synthetic, or even essential oil jasmine, has a distinctive flavour that is immediately obvious.  Not so this chocolate, made from a tea which is left for 5 nights next to the blooming jasmine flowers, infusing it with the flavour of the pollen of the jasmine flower, not the essential oil.  The tea is cold infused and this is what gives it the unique flavour.  That and the fact no cream is used and so the delicate jasmine flavour can blossom on your mouth

The penultimate chocolate was a delicious fresh mint.  A chocolate made with fresh mint has an added dimension of the chlorophyll clearly flavouring the chocolate.  It is easy to destroy the flavour and bruise the mint and so to get that flavour in to a chocolate is quite a feat.  This mind chocolate was subtle but delightful.  An added dimension to mind for mint chocolate lovers.

Passion fruit and Coffee rounded off the tasting trial. Having bravely withstood the crowd, I was rewarded with a unique blend of strong coffee and sweet passion fruit.  Coffee flavour outside, strong and sweet passion fruit inside, then another hit of coffee as you chew the grinds.  Strong but pleasant.