One thing that I find frustrating about Valentine’s Day candy is the shelf space that is dedicated to the heart shaped boxes of chocolates. They come in all different sizes and each had a collection of frontal designs to choose from. I find this part of the candy aisle both daunting and annoying. You know they’re all boxes of chocolates, but which is the right size? Which has the assortment you would like? All these answers are unknowns until you buy one to see. That’s exactly what I decided to do.

I decided on the smallest heart shaped box that retailed for about $1.69 at the local drugstore. The color is a beautiful deep red with a rose illustration that looks like it was done in needlepoint on some red fabric. It’s very simple, pretty and romantic. I could have chose one that had a cute animal with googly eyes on it, but I find those obnoxious. I when with both a Whitman’s sampler and a Russell Stover sampler, even thought they are made by the same company.

Inside are three pieces, nicely settled in a plastic tray to keep them protected. They are a middle, milky brown color with a subtle sheen.

The first piece is a molded solid milk chocolate piece with the relief of a delivery boy carrying a box of Whitmans. It smells sweet with a hit of cream and caramel. The chocolate itself tastes of pure nostalgia to me. It’s sweet, creamy, has a nice toasted malty flavor to it which really brings out a “milk chocolate” flavor to it. Simple and tasty, while the piece is small enough to satisfy without going overboard.

The second piece is square shaped, smooth but with rippled from the enrobed chocolate. Like the first piece, it smells sweet with notes of caramel. My first, dense, slow bite reveals that this one has a thick caramel on the inside. The caramel is dense and chewy, but it’s not sticky or too hard. The flavor of the milk chocolate is sweet and malty, and the caramel adds a bright buttery note to it. Tasty, but not refined like more “upscale” caramels that I’ve gotten accustomed to.

The third pieces is an oblong oval, also with enrobed chocolate details on top. Inside this one is a smooth chocolate mousse. It’s light, creamy and fluffy that gives off an intense chocolate flavor that reminds me of chocolate ice cream. Delightfully flavorful and sweet, it went beautifully with a cup of coffee.

For the cost of this sampler, I think it’s a pretty nice little collection of chocolates. Sure they’re not anything overly gourmet or fancy, but there’s something so familiar and satisfying about these in their simplicity. I thought the chocolate was flavorful, way more than any Hershey’s bar I’ve had recently. If my fiance presented me with one of these, I would be pleased.

Rating: Will Buy Again

Links Whitman’s Website

The very first Valentine’s Day candy I got this year were these delicious samples from See’s Candies. They are very festive, with a large, heart shaped Milk Bordeaux and a Sweetheart box. They use lots of red and pink, plus the heart shaped which make them perfect for Valentines Day. I was super excited to receive these samples, as See’s candies are favorites of mine, and I adore trying their seasonal fare.

If you’ve never had a See’s Bordeaux, well, let me just say it’s a little slice of heaven. It’s a mix of brown sugar and butter cream, so it’s rich and smooth, which being a little grainy and sweet. So, terribly addictive. This one for Valentines Day comes in a little box, but don’t let it fool you. It’s still a large Bordeaux even if it’s not a whole pound of them from their chocolates counter.

It’s very sweet looking, in the shape of a heart, with two frosted hearts in the center: one red and one white.

The way this candy melts in your mouth is an absolute pleasure. You get waves of sweetness that are buttery and have a richness that is hard to explain. The texture is smooth and thick, as if a square of fudge just melted on your tongue. It doesn’t dissipate too quickly and it leaves you moth feeling clean. No greasy aftertaste or grit. It’s pure bliss.

Everyone I’ve shared pieces of this Bordeaux with, cause for it was was that big, absolutely loved it. My fiance posture relaxed as he looked at me and said “Wow, that is really good”. The Bordeaux is one of my favorite See’s, and it will firmly remain there.

The Sweetheart Box is a lovely collection of some of See’s best truffles. This box, though, is the oly boxed assortment that has their Peanut Butter Pattie and P-Nut Crunch (tm) in it. Both are perfect for any lover of peanut butter, so this assortment is a good bet if your Valentine loves that flavor. There’s a nice assortment of other chocolate, nougats and nut-brittle in here, so your taste buds certainly won’t get bored. To add to its festive feeling, not only is the box beautifully decorated, there’s solid red foil wrapped heart candies in here that complete the feeling.

I am smitten with these chocolates and especially that Milk Bordeaux heart. I’d have a constant stash of those in my kitchen in an ideal world. If your sweetheart is into rich chocolates and sweet fillings, See’s is a great option for your Valentines Day gift giving.

Rating: Hoard

Links See’s Candies Website

I’m always excited when I find Tea Room Chocolates in stores. I love the flavors that they do, which is mixing all sorts of teas with different types of chocolate. So far my favorite of theirs is the White Chocolate Chamomile. This is why I was very happy to come across a few new bars of Tea Room’s in Cost Plus World Market. I immediately snatched it up, along with another new flavor, and eagerly took them home.

Today’s bar is 38% organic cacao “infused with a tropical fruit tea blend of pineapple, banana, mango and other island fruits”. Sounds yummy! The package is colorful and vibrant, which I think reflects the tropical fruits used in this bar. The chocolate is a nice medium brown color with a subtle sheen. The aroma is that of creamy milk chocolate with some hints of caramel. Sometimes I feel like I get a whiff of fruit, but it’s fleeting and quickly overpowered by the chocolate.

The flavor is immediately sweet and I get a slight hint of pineapple. then the rich chocolate flavor kicks in with notes of cream and caramel. At the end of the flavor I get some notes of coconut and “fruits”, hard to lay my finger on exactly what is it. Delicious, I’m really impressed. I admit I was a little worried that it’d taste like sun tan lotion but it totally doesn’t. It’s a subtle flavor that adds to the chocolate’s profile.

Out of all the Tea Room bars I’ve tasted to date, this one ranks pretty high up there. The flavors are all really well balanced and it makes for a very interesting and fun flavor. It comes across as exotic, and I think it’s a nice new twist on the more mundane flavors you see mixed with milk chocolate nowadays. I recommend it if you happen to come across it!

Rating: Will Buy Again

Links The Tea Room Website

I was lucky to find this bag of Lindt Lindor Holiday Spice Mick Chocolate Truffles (say that three times faster) in Cost Plus World Market the other day. I had originally gone in there to see if I could find the Ritter Sport Espresso that Cybele from Candyblog.net found there, but alas I came back empty handed. I found these Lindor truffles instead though, so I’d say that was a good trade. Lindt is a chocolate brand that I’ve always enjoyed, respected and have kept an eye on. They’ve been forever present in my chocolate-loving life, and I love trying what new things they have to offer.

The package is a wonderful warm russet color with gold lettering. There’s snowflakes scattered on the package, so it does carry a decorative seasonal element. The truffles are protected in a beautiful golden wrapper, so as they may not carry the typical holiday color scheme of red and green, they still manage to feel seasonal. The illustration of the Lindor truffle next to some cinnamon sticks give the viewer a good idea of what to expect with the truffles.

The flavor is wonderful and just reeks of holiday yuletide. The milk chocolate is rich and chocolatey, with nice notes of caramel and cream. The spice flavor is incredible, the predominant spice flavor I taste is nutmeg, accented with cinnamon and some mace. It’s really tasty and it evokes the holiday charm so well. The texture is also amazing, as all the Lindor truffles share. The shell is thick but easy to break into, and the center is so incredibly silky smooth it just feels so luxurious.

I really loved these, as did my boyfriend when we shared some with Sunday morning coffee. They are rich and chocolatey with just the right amount of spice to make them interesting. I plan on going back once everything goes on sale to grab more of these, as they’re certainly a new favorite of mine.

Rating: Will Buy Again

Links Lindt Website

This is the last of the Michel & Augustin Petits Carres bars I bought while out shopping with my sister. The last two bars I tired the Dark Chocolate and the Hazelnut Dark Chocolate were unimpressive to be honest. The cookies crust bottom was hard and sometimes overcook to the point of it looking burnt. The chocolate center is flavorless and strangely gummy. So as I prepped for this review, I’ll admit, I wasn’t excited. I don’t like “being a hater” and panning bad candy. I try to look for the good in everything. These are just…in this strange middle ground. They’re not horrible, not to the point where I gag and spit it out. That’s usually the signal for a “Not Worth It” or “Inedible” review on the blog here. No, these are just a good idea executed terribly.

So today is the Caramel Milk Chocolate flavor. Same format, just different flavors. This is the only milk chocolate one I had, as the other two were dark. I’m curious to see if there’s any difference.

Much like the Hazelnut Dark Chocolate, the cookie edges here are darker and somewhat burnt/over cooked looking. They’re also incredibly hard to break, which is annoying since I hate have a crumb explosion every time I wanted to take a piece. The chocolate center tasted more chocolatey and sweet. I didn’t really taste any caramel. I did get a nice flavor of salt toward the end like the dark chocolate one, and I am unsure if it came from the cookies crust or the caramel.

This bar was better than the other two, but still not enough to redeem them all for me. Again, it’s a good idea, just not terribly well done. It’s mediocre at best, and now I know these just dn’t do it for me.

Rating: Might Eat Again

Links Michel & Augustin Webpage (French)