Hotel Chocolat
and a
Tasting Treat!
Review of
Classic Christmas Basket
I received a little bit of Christmas early the other day ~ Hotel Chocolat very kindly sent me The Classic Christmas Basket to taste and review on my blog. I chose the Classic Christmas Basket as I wanted to try lots of different chocolates and the contents of this gift basket had some wonderful new Christmas flavours comprising……
Tiddly Reindeer milk chocolate • Cinnamon Almonds • Orange Nice Spice Puddles • 6 Alternative Mince Pies • Winter Liquid Chocolat
These were all packed in a large “trug” like cardboard box which had a fabric bow securing it. The total weight is 450g and the price is £35:00
You can find this gift basket on the Hotel Chocolat website here:
My Tasting Notes:
~ Tiddly Milk Reindeer ~
These are 40% milk chocolate and are alcohol and gluten free. These little reindeer shaped chocolates were smooth and creamy; they would appeal more to children than adults, but we all managed to polish them off fairly quickly! There are 8 chocolate reindeer in the box and they are very Christmassy in a cute way; I prefer darker chocolates with higher cocoa content, but these were actually quite chocolatey for milk chocolates and of high quality with well tempered chocolate.
~ Alternative Mince Pies ~
I have to admit to being intrigued with these and their inclusion in this gift pack was the deciding factor whenI chose this Christmas basket. There are 6 alternative mince pies in the box and they are little milk chocolate cups with alternate layers of salted caramel and praline ~ quite delectable and very grown up too! I have to own up to being a salted caramel addict and these little mince pies did not disappoint. The praline and salted caramel was very distinct and these pies were the hit of the chocolate testing evening with us all fighting over the last one! (The chocolate tasting group consisted of my parents and daughter.) They looked attractive and were each adorned with a dark and milk chocolate star, which makes them very festive looking.
~ Cinnamon Almonds ~
These were delicious ~ the caramelised almonds were the stars of these chocolates but the cinnamon chocolate was warm and festive tasting.Again the milk chocolate was 40% cocoa solids and the finish was glossy and had a inner crunch with the caramelised coating around the almonds. The cinnamon is subtle but leaves a warmth on the tongue. We all loved these, but then as a family we all love chocolate nuts.
~ Orange Nice Spice Puddles ~
These are not so much puddles as button shaped chocolates; they are flavoured with orange and chilli as well as some other warming background spices. The milk chocolate was 40% cocoa solids and the prominent flavour was orange with an after kick of chilli, but not overpoweringly hot. There was an after taste of orange liqueur and warm hot spices. The flavours again were quite grown up and these would make excellent after dinner chocolates to accompany the coffee.
~ Winter Liquid Chocolat ~
This drinking chocolate mixture is obviously the same spiced chocolate base that the puddles are made from……the label says:
“Silky smooth drinking chocolate full of deep cocoa flavours in a warming Winter blend especially for the chilly season”
The flavours are exactly the same as the spice puddles with a predominate of orange and chilli and it did make a luxurious and smooth hot chocolate drink.It melted into the hot milk very easily. I had a quick look on the Hotel Chocolat website and there were some innovative beverage recipes that could be made with this hot chocolate mix. I was quite taken with the Chocolat Ice Cubes ~ which I have shared at the end of the post. This was a lovely smooth hot chocolate with subtle spiced and citrus flavours and would be wonderful as a bedtime drink on Christmas Eve.
What We Thought:
The gift basket looked impressive when I opened the box and was nicely presented for the Christmas season with cellophane lid and rich gold ribbon, plus the contents were all attractively arranged.
On taking out the contents we realised that there was not as much in there as we had imagined ~ and the paper shavings filled over half of the box; the box was described as a basket and we all felt that a wicker basket or a more substantial container would have added an extra layer of luxury to this gift pack, especially as it retails at £35:00.
The chocolates were of high quality, and what I would expect for Hotel Chocolat ~ I have subscribed to the Chocolate Tasting Club in the past and I have always been impressed with their creative range and taste. However, we all thought that the Milk Chocolate Reindeers did not fit the overall feel of adult indulgence that the box promised, and maybe the inclusion of some truffles would have been a better choice….plus Hotel Chocolat truffles are the BEST you can buy!
There was a total of 450g of chocolates in the box, and at £35 this really is the sort of gift that maybe only a few could indulge and afford for very special occasions, of which Christmas is one I agree. There was no doubting the quality but maybe a little less packaging and a lower retail price would be more realistic for this gift basket ~ or, extra chocolates and a more substantial basket as I mentioned before.
I would like to thank Hotel Chocolat for sending me this lovely box to taste and review and the contents were thoroughly enjoyed by all of us ~ we all thought that the chocolates were very seasonal and with unusual and innovative flavours, which makes Hotel Chocolat stand apart from other large commercial chocolate companies; and it’s for that reason that after I added up all the individual tasting scores, this gift box gained a respectable 8 out of 10 points from the family tasting panel!
Overall review opinions:
An indulgent seasonal looking gift box with innovative, high quality variety of chocolates but, overpriced for the total weight of chocolate that is included in the box.
NB:
I would also like the applaud Hotel Chocolat for their impressive work in St Lucia with their Engaged Ethics projects and for bringing cocoa production back the island, this little known fact is something that should be advertised more and is a “plus” selling point for me.
Karen S Burns-Booth
Chocolat Ice Cubes
For the total chocolate experience add chocolat ice cubes to your favourite creamy drink…
Serves: 4
Ease of preparation: Easy
Preparation time: 5 mins
Freezing time: Overnight
Equipment:
Ease of preparation: Easy
Preparation time: 5 mins
Freezing time: Overnight
Equipment:
1 x medium size pan
2 x 12 cube- ice cube tray
Ingredients:
- 200ml Semi- skimmed milk
- 50ml water
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp Cocoa Powder
- 70g Classic Liquid Chocolat™
Method:
- Place the milk, water, sugar and cocoa powder in a pan and bring to the boil.
- Take off the heat and add the Liquid Chocolat™ allow the Liquid Chocolat™ to melt into the mix.
- When cooled, pour into ice cube trays and freeze.
- When frozen de-mould, place in a cold glass and pour your favourite creamy drink over the top. (Recipe from Hotel Chocolat Website)
Yes, I think the over packaging is something HC need to look at – I've seen several comments about this. Having said that, I'd be very happy to indulge in those cinnamon almonds or the mince pies. And you did make me laugh with your chocolate ice-cubes – I love your inventive streak.
I admit that I always pop into Hotel Chocolate when I am in Chester city for a little treat. It's a shame that they haven't gotten the gift box thing down quite right yet. This is the second or third review I have read of one of their gift thingies that has them falling short of the mark. I think one of the reviews was their Christmas Stocking. In any case though, having long been a fan of their truffles etc. I would agree that their chocolate is fabulous. I love their little tiddly pots and of course their taster boxes. xxoo
I am really bought into the engaged ethics of this company having once been at a talk given by Angus Thirwell. Amazing man. I think THIS is what pushes me to purchase alongside the cost. A lot of 'good' chocolate is expensive and I think HC are priced pretty well. Lovely review darlink!
what a fab review and a lovely set of chocolates. I too am intrigues by the alternative mince pies! x
What a lovely review to be asked to do.Mmmmm the alternative mince pies look wonderful. Will be visiting Hotel Chocolat soon as Winter Liquid Chocolate needs to find a home here.
Ooooh, lucky you! 🙂