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Displaying items by tag: sweets

Wednesday, 10 March 2021 19:31

Marimba - The Suffolk Chocolatiers

Local hand-made chocolate alert! This rather lovely Spring Selection was sent to me by Marimba, the Suffolk based Chocolatiers. It's a family run business with a chocolate kitchen in Bury St Edmunds and a Cocoa House (chocolate shop and cafe) in Sudbury. The family, David and Jackie Wright, with son Brad and eldest daughter Katherine produce a Hot Chocolate Melt made from flaked chocolate, using top quality cocoa beans from Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador, all selected for their distinctive flavours. Be surprised dear readers as I do not usually drink hot chocolate. It's the hot milk thing that I've never been crazy about, but I always try what I've been given and the Spring Selection included a 52% Vietnam Dark Milk flake. It dissolved easily in a mug of microwaved milk and a quick whisk with my aerolatte produced a very enjoyable strong and rich, smooth hot chocolate. I've obviously not been indulgent enough with my hot chocolate before. There's an online shop with fabulous range of hand-made chocolates, thins, bars, buttons and seasonal collections. Spring Sunshine Thins are sweet (I'm double checking as I write) white chocolate, cut through with zingy grapefruit and citrussy orange and a slight tropical flavour of those old fashioned sweets; pineapple chunks. Strawberry and Mint Thins are made with Venezuelan milk chocolate, rich and robust with hints of garden mint, softer than the often strong peppermint found in some chocolate. The little pieces of dried strawberry add some sharpness now and again. I saved the chocolate collection until last. Hands up if you remember violet and rose creams of the 60's? These tasted better - a Rose and Raspberry Caramel, pretty in pink with a delicate rose and nicely tart, not too sticky, raspberry caramel centre. A Lemon and Violet Cream, with a dark chocolate and sugared violet encrusted case, and strongly scented violet and lemon cream filling is delicate in flavouring, just enough not to make you feel you're at a perfume counter. Last to try was the very cinnamony and dark, spicy chocolate truffle, think hot cross buns. Perfect for Easter!

Published in Reviews
Saturday, 28 March 2015 01:09

A Scotch egg with a chocolate twist?

scotch egg

'We are always discussing new flavours and combinations and wanted to come up with some way of combining chocolate eggs into one of our products,' says Mr Dun a Scottish butcher. 'We did some experimenting with a plain pork sausage meat with the Creme Egg in the middle which we found was very tasty...' Sounds so revolting I'm tempted to try it. 

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Here is a small chocolate business just down the road - on Sun Lane in Newmarket. They have recently developed a range of real ale truffles using a number of Greene King beers, and a smoked cinnamon and raspberry truffle chocolate to have with a ruby port - which gained them a place as finalists in the Chocolate Academy Noval Trophy. They frequently run chocolate making workshops and courses, and their website is www.artistryincocoa.co.uk.
Published in Artisan producers
Tuesday, 16 October 2012 11:51

What's new in chocolate?

Amelia Rope - Pale Lime and Sea Salt, Chocolate Naive - Uganda Fleur de Sel, William Curley - House Dark 70, Paul A Young - Peppermint and Black Pepper, Demarquette - Vietnam Ben Tre Milk.

Published in Artisan producers
Wednesday, 08 August 2012 11:12

Chocolate Taster has to give up his job...?!

Angus Kennedy had a job some people would consider a dream - £30,000 a year tasting chocolate. But he was warned that his cholesterol level was becoming 'dangerously high' after his role required him to eat up to 2lbs of cocoa-covered sweets that included ants and aphrodisiac lollipops - every day.  Mars and Nestle relied on his experience and his sophisticated palate to sample new treats and Angus would then write about the products in the trade journal -  Kennedy's Confection. But the high-calorie diet caused his weight to balloon and doctors warned he risked a heart attack if he carried on. Read more in the Telegraph...

Published in Gossip
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