Matcha Chocolat Christmas Chocolate Selection Reviewed
Just down the road from where I live, Katie Christoffers makes her amazing chocolates. She has been making chocolates for years and she is currently one of the best chocolatiers in the UK. I’d put her on a par with William Curley and Paul A Young. Her flavours are very different from theirs but her quality is extremely high.
We are extremely lucky to have this, one of her best collections, available for the winter. Not since Valentine’s Day have I been this excited about a chocolate selection. Not only were they amazing but I got to try them with Katie and chat with her. At the end I bought 2 boxes – one to keep and one to give away. Given how rarely I buy chocolate, that speaks volumes about how much I absolutely loved this collection.
But what comes in the Christmas Selection? Well, there are 7 different flavours in a box of 16 chocolates which means there is at least 2 of everything. If it was my box I’d wish for extra of the mulled wine and yuzu and the winter apple caramel but it could be 2 extra of anything. The flavours are all awesome and I can’t find fault with any of them. EPIC!
Vietnamese Cinnamon – strong & clear cinnamon flavour. None of this crap stuff you seem to get here, this cinnamon is imported by Katie specifically for these chocolates. The flavour is delightful but not overpowering, just perfect and if you like cinnamon, you’re going to have a little orgasm over this one!
Winter Apple Caramel – OK… I’m Canadian so maybe I’m biased here but maple *and* brown sugar?! Then adding in a lovely bit of cinnamon and then the apple – OHMYGOD – it’s like mulled apple cider like I get back home in Toronto with the snow and the mittens and outdoors skating and the warming apple cider drink with a cinnamon stir stick… It is like Christmas at home, distilled into a chocolate.
Fresh Mint – So after a heavy turkey dinner when the pumpkin pie is all gone you’re going to want to reach for those After Eights but I’m thinking this should be your NEW Christmas traditional chocolate. The chocolate itself is a perfect balance against the mint and holds its own with the mint. It is absolutely cleansing on the palate. If I had to poke holes – like if I was judging this gold or silver the only drawback is the chocolate is such high quality with such a gorgeous flavour all its own that sometimes the chocolate pops up on the palette over the mint but holy crap such a minor thing!
Gingerbread Coffee Caramel – I wasn’t sure what to expect here. I’ve had coffee caramels and they haven’t blown my hair back but this took all who came before it and threw them onto the ground and stomped them into mush and danced on their grave. This was like coffee and speculoos in a chocolate case of pure liquid joy. Oh wow epic deliciousness.
Mulled Wine & Yuzu – this chocolate also includes Japanese –whisky and it is just the most amazing chocolate. Katie mulls her own selected wine with the spices she chose at a lower temperature to get the flavours without boiling off the alcohol or getting those tannins. The flavour of the chocolate is just amazing – the flavour is wine then the spices build as the alcohol also builds creating this multi-level experience. This is just delightful as a chocolate and the most amazing mulled wine ever.
Los Ancones Truffle – the pure flavour of the chocolate comes through. Single plantation 67% dark chocolate ganache from Santo Domingo from which I got yellow fruits and a gorgeous chocolatyness. The fruits are subtle but present and flood your mouth with a delightful flavour. Nothing overwhelms and so overall it is a totally amazing chocolate truffle.
Spiced Fig – delightful flavour of gently spiced fig which has been prepared perfectly, strained of all seeds and balanced with a delicious flavour. It was like all the good bits of the flavour of the spiced fig were extracted and added to the chocolate. This was like a British Christmas in a chocolate with a fire, finger foods and friends. Delicious.
All in all, what can I say? Just buy it. I’ve bought 2 so far and I might buy more. Just buy yourself a box – fast. Don’t question, don’t ponder – just buy some!
I didnt think she was that good, certainly not in the same class as the pro’s but anyway she has now closed down which is a pity.
I think she was at the level of Paul A Young and William Curley and used the world’s best coverture but she was working so hard and having to do all the commercials herself as well as making the chocolates and everything. I imagine it was probably too much.
You are, of course, entitles to your opinion 🙂
i am sure Paul and the other guys work very hard too Judith.The difference is that they are mostly really good pastry chefs as well and know nothing else but hard work. The people who change career and think making chocolate for a living is easy soon wake up or sadly go back to there original jobs when they realise that is not at all like the film ‘Chocolat’