Raspberry M&Ms

This blog certainly features a lot of artisan chocolate bars, which I like doing because first, these bars are generally well-crafted and delicious, and second, because they are not cheap and most readers likely want to know what will and won’t be worth their while before they invest.

Yes, chocolate is an investment. Possibly a more sound investment than a lot of equities these days.

However, not everybody has access to this kind of chocolate on a regular basis. So every so often, I try to review something that might be more accessible to most, possibly chocolate that can be found at a standard grocery or drug store. When I found out that Raspberry M&Ms were being rolled out, I figured that this was a perfect opportunity – a new product, easy to find, and delightfully combining berry and chocolate flavors.

Then, I tried to find them myself, at a few dozen grocery stores and drugstores. No luck.

So much for accessible.

Until the day that I saw them on a shelf at a downtown DC CVS.

Wonderful day. Even more wonderful: the raspberry M&Ms are dark, not milk, chocolate based, which gave me homes for a more intense chocolate flavor than the standard M&Ms.

A distinct berry aroma emerges the minute you open the bag, while the red and pink colors give raspberry M&Ms a nice aesthetic appeal – for M&Ms – and elicit thoughts of berry flavors.

They also happen to be quite large compared to plain M&Ms, with a thicker candy shell that takes longer to melt away, but a higher overall chocolate to candy ratio.

 

Once the shell dissolves, the raspberry flavor is clear, with a generic coffee-centric dark chocolate flavor coming forth next. The chocolate has a gritty melt characteristic of low quality chocolate – but come on, these are M&Ms. Not fine chocolate with carefully selected cocoa butter. Enjoy them for what they are – candy, and in this case, candy with a relatively varied and pleasing flavor profile.

And of course, if you are an M&M chomper without the patience to let them melt (you know who you are), you’ll get less of the raspberry and chocolate flavors with the sugar of the candy shell dominating instead.

Double Chocolate Cashew Meringue Cookies: Passover Approved

With the completion of the Passover Sedar for 2012 (well, 5772 if you follow the Jewish calendar), most people who observe the holiday have plenty of chametz free desserts in their houses. But perhaps you’re itching to bake again before the holiday ends at sundown on Saturday, yet you just CANNOT stomach the idea of another coconut macaroon.

I understand. Let me help you. With these double chocolate cashew meringue cookies.

Double Chocolate Cashew Meringue Cookies - Ingredients

1 cup finely chopped cashews

2 egg whites, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup cocoa powder*

1 teaspoon vanilla*

5 ounces bittersweet chocolate*

*If observing Passover, ensure that these items are certified Kosher for Passover. In some cases, additions such as corn syrup can be problematic.

Whip egg whites at high speed until foamy, then gradually add sugar 2 tablespoons at a time, whip until stiff. Add vanilla and cocoa powder, whip until fully incorporated. Gently fold in chopped cashews.

Spoon batter into a pastry bag, pipe into 1 ½” diameter rounds on a parchment paper- or silpat-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 325 F for 17-19 minutes, move to wire rack to cool. Once cookies have cooled, melt chocolate, then dip tops of cookies in chocolate.

Shake off excess and allow chocolate to solidify.

Enjoy as a year-round, or Passover-specific, treat. If you make them this week, I bet you’ll love them enough to make them any time of the year.

Chuao CoCo Bar

As I noted on Tuesday, Chuao has a vivid imagination when it comes to chocolate bars. And many of these – like potato chips – are brilliant. Since I have a serious soft spot for chocolate and coconut, I gleefully picked up the Coco bar, with coconut, almonds, cinnamon, and coriander, the moment I saw it.

The bar has faint aromas of spice, coconut, and even honey.

 The texture is wonderful, with finely chopped and well-distributed almonds, along with rich, crisply toasted coconut. The bit is soft, with a slightly dry melt that is almost immediately rescued by the rich coconut and almonds.

The bar has a subtle, sweet coconut flavor that comes forward immediately, and is followed by some dairy, and then the coriander, which is acidic and unpleasant. A sad ending to a bar with a delightful texture and opening flavor.

Adventurous, but not my favorite.

Chuao Potato Chips in Chocolate

Some people think that chocolate should be pure, with only a hint of sugar added, and surely never milk or even a dash of vanilla.


Other people think that chocolate bars should involve potato chips. 


Count Chuao in the second group.

This bar of 41% cacao milk chocolate has bits of kettle cooked potato chips mixed right in. 

The caramel aroma is strong, and the chocolate itself has a soft, creamy melt.

The chips are crisp, small, and well-distributed throughout the bar. They are a bit oily, and are also somewhat salty, but not until the end. They contrast nicely with the banana, caramel, and dairy flavors of the chocolate, and of course complement the creamy texture with their robust crunch.

$15/ounce artisan single origin chocolate with a complex flavor profile? Not really. A delicious combination of junk food? Definitely. You need this.