Hotel Chocolat 100% Cocoa Easter Egg

Okay we are really past Easter now but I've always been one to hoard my Easter eggs and eke them out over a longer period rather than demolish them over the Easter weekend. I was really lucky to receive one of the new 100% cocoa Easter eggs from Hotel Chocolat. This is a pretty unique offering being the only Easter egg I've ever seen that is sugar and sweetener free plus it's pure 100% cocoa status. Those who don't like dark chocolate look away now.

I don't eat milk chocolate these days and 70% dark chocolate is my minimum with 85% being my preferred. I've enjoyed Lindt's 90% bar before but never ventured beyond that. Is a completely unsweetened dark chocolate going to be too much.

Like all Hotel Chocolat products, it looks premium, beautifully packaged and very sleek. Inside you get the 100% cocoa egg which is studded on the inside with raisins and roasted almonds and you also get a little tray of hazelnuts panned in 100% St Lucian cocoa as well. This egg picked up a lot of press attention as its dairy free, sugar free and suitable for vegans but does it taste any good.

Like I said those who don't like dark chocolate will in all honesty not like this at all and even 70% aficiandos might find it difficult to stomach. It's really quite earthy and the lack of sweetness is really noticeable. It's a raw intense deep and slightly dry taste from the St Lucian chocolate. It's very pure but also quite a complex flavour. I could get hints of slight earthy fruitiness within it and I can understand how chocolate experts can really compare and notice the subtleties like a fine wine. It's got a hint of maltiness and taste utterly different to any chocolate I've had before.

However, as said the lack of sweetness is very noticeable. When you eat it with the studded raisins in that natural sweetness for me is enough to elevate it but the bites without although very tasty don't feel as much of pleasure as 70-90% chocolate. I still enjoyed it however and I think it is all about how you train your palate and reliance on sugar. As I've eaten this more over a few days I've liked it more. The roasted almonds add crunch and the raisins sweet chewiness. I remember when I found 70% chocolate just right and 90% too earthy but now I find 70% a little sweet so it's all taste perception.

No, I don't quite like this as much as 85% and 90% chocolate but I did like it and would like to have one of these again next year. However I'll stick to dark chocolate with a little sugar.

Price: £15
Bought at: Hotel Chocolat

Hotel Chocolat Vegan Gianduja Egglets

I have to say the sheer amount of vegan Easter options this year has been phenomenal. It’s not in any way niche, obscure, difficult to find or more expensive with every supermarket having a good choice of diary free eggs. Hotel Chocolat always excel in dark chocolate so these gianduja dairy free vegan egglets had high expectations.

Priced at a fairly hefty £8.50 for 8 egglets they are presented very nice well in a high quality and attractive tube. These are described as super smooth pralines sealed in dark chocolate and dusted in cocoa powder. They’re fairly substantial feeling, bigger than a mini egg with a bit weight behind them. You probably could eat it in one but this is more of a two/three bite hob.

As soon as you bite in you just taste pure high end chocolate. The praline is properly hazelnut flavoured, really nutty, rich and roasted and creamy. The dark chocolate casing is your usual high end Hotel Chocolat affair,  rich, dense and very dark. I just think dark chocolate is so much nicer nowadays, it’s just so more interesting.

These are super rich and creamy and sinfully indulgent. I ate two and that was pushing it, there was no way I could have a third but the two I had were just pure bliss. Rich, nutty and super chocolatey, these are real high end chocolate treats. You would never guess they were dairy free or vegan and they are also much lower in sugar than other chocolates. Utterly divine, it just shows how delicious vegan options can be.

Price: £8.50

Bought at: Hotel Chocolat

Score: 9/10

Hotel Chocolat Christmas Gingerbread Chocolate Spread

I have been absolutely dying to try this since I saw it posted on GroceryGems. I absolutely adore gingerbread - anything with cinnamon, ginger, molasses and all those warming winter spices is a winner in my eyes - and nothing is more suited to cold winters than the spicy, homely smell of gingerbread. I completely forgot about it with the run up to Christmas but luck was on my side and I found the very last jar in my local store - I practically dived on it to stop anyone else snapping it up!

I only discovered Hotel Chocolat last year but I am now such a big fan. Not only do they have the most interesting and innovative ideas and flavours, I love the fact this is 'real' chocolate. Lots of proper cocoa mass and butter without the need to bulk it out/cheapen it with sugar and weird ingredients. This is as far removed from the like of Nestle as you can imagine. High quality and for that reason I love it - you get less and it costs more - but it's worth it for the better taste and reduced sugar.

Opening up the tub, you can smell the gingerbread instantly. It's subtle but warming and makes you want to dive in with a spoon. It's a much thicker texture than I was expecting but this is likely due to the fact that it's made with hazelnut paste without the need for oils. Rather than Nutella's sticky, oily texture, it's more alike to a nut butter.

Neverthless it's really easy to spread. It melts beautifully on warm toast and oozes tantalisingly. This made the ultimate weekend breakfast. It's sweet but not overpoweringly so and not in the least sickly or sugary. The gingerbread notes work well with chocolate and is done masterfully so you can taste both the warming notes of ginerbread and the sophisticated darkness of chocolate both seperately and together. It tastes so decadent and indulgent and yet when you look at the ingredients, it's natural and actually not too bad. It utterly melts in the mouth and is so creamy.

It's utterly delicious and if you're lucky enough to spot a jar left over anywhere, I throughly recommend grabbing it before we have to wait until next Christmas.

Score: 8/10

Hotel Chocolat Salted Caramel Puddles

As I've said before, I came upon Hotel Chocolat pretty late and am now playing catch up on discovering just how delectable their range is. When I tried their Easter Selection box, it was the salted caramel egglet that I was particularly taken by. When I saw these salted caramel puddles, I bought them hoping to get the same taste intensity and experience.

Salted caramel is a pretty old trend now but it's still one I love as I like the depth and savouriness it brings to the sweet caramel. Like all Hotel Chocolat products, these look very nice. Effectively, they're chocolate buttons but still look very attractive. They're smooth and glossy and very uniform in appearance with a nice bit of engraving on the pack.

And taste wise, they're far superior to any chocolate buttons I've ever eaten. Hotel Chocolat chocolate is less sugary with more good quality cocoa mass. This gives the chocolate a nice natural sweetness that has more depth. The buttons melt in the mouth and are creamy with no bitterness.

There's no actual caramel in these as they're flat buttons so there's no room for filling but the salted caramel flavour is very authentic and utterly delicious. It's buttery with lovely amber notes, with the merest hint of saltiness that brings it to life.

The little pack was only 40g but because the quality and intensity is so high, I was satisfied with this. Hotel Chocolat stuff is so good I'm more than happy to have quality over quantity.

Available: Hotel Chocolat

Pros: Smooth, high quality chocolate with an intense, delicious flavour
Cons: Price (but worth it)

Score: 8.5/10

Hotel Chocolat Easter Selection

It's certainly a long way from Easter now but I'm still working my way through this lovely box of chocolates I received. The original review can be found here where I tried the Salted Caramel Egglet, the Orange Bow Tie Bunny and the Apricot Ganache Egglet - all if which were of the highest quality with really innovative flavours with real impact.

Today, I tried the Raspberry Zinger Egglet, the Irish Coffee Egglet and the Praline Bow Tie Bunny. Just to reiterate my previous review, these are just as good to look at as they are to eat. They're visually stunning and the attention to detail is immense, especially on the egglets, which have lovely vivid colours and small ‘H‘ stamps on.

Raspberry Zinger Egglet:

Described as "Smooth raspberries with a zingy touch of lime, balanced in a creamy white chocolate ganache".

This one was slightly too sweet for my tastes. However, you can't fault for an authentic, creamy raspberry flavour that isn't synthetic. I probably would enjoy it more if it used a dark chocolate shell to counteract the rich, sweet filling. White chocolate fans would love it though and the centre is creamily indulgent.

Irish Coffee Egglet:

Described as "An after-dinner treat of coffee cream liquer and our high-cocoa white chocolate".

Previously, the salted caramel egglet was my favourite in the collection but this just edges it. I often don't like chocolates with alcohol in as they can be very harsh but Hotel Chocolat have done a wonderful job here. The cream centre has a strong alcohol flavor but it's not overpowering. Intead, it adds a really delightfully full-on kick. The coffee flavour is strong and intense but also creamy and sweet. It all works perfectly with the rich dark chocolate outer shell.

Praline Bow Tie Bunny:

Described as "Our smartest high-cocoa white bunny filled with a smooth hazelnut milk chocolate praline".

Now just as I thought the Irish coffee egglet was my new favourite, this trumps it - and this coming from someone who isn't even really keen on white chocolate! The filling in this is just gorgeous -it's like an even better version of Nutella that is jammed full of real hazelnut flavour rather than fake flavouring or oils. The praline is dark, bubbly, moussey and utterly creamy with a lovely smooth chocolatey taste and the hazelnuts just bring it alive. This was so moreish it's a shame there's only one in the pack!

Price: £12
Available: Not any more as it's long past Easter but Hotel Chocolat

Hotel Chocolat Easter Selection

I have a confession to make: I have never tried anything from Hotel Chocolat before. I know people rave about it but somehow it has slipped me by. However, I received this Easter Selection as an Easter present and only finally got round to opening it today. The first thing that struck me is how premium it looked. The box was beautiful to look at with a great design with the clear plastic 'H' window allowing you a tantalising glimpse of the treasures within in.

Opening up the box, a really rich cocoa smell arose. Hotel Chocolat use more cocoa solids than sugar and this was evident from the smell alone. The chocolates didn't smell sickly sweet and you could tell this was really high quality chocolate with real depth and character.

As if the high end chocolate wasn't enough, it's the flavour combos that really intrigued me. Instead of the usual toffees and strawberry creams you get in chocolate selections, this contained:

• Raspberry Zinger Egglet
• Caramel Bow Tie bunny
• Mandarin Olive Oil Egglet
• Nutty Caramel Egglet
• Apricot Ganache Egglet
• Easter Bunny Cocktail Egglet
• Praline Bow Tie Bunny
• Orange Bow Tie Bunny
• Irish Coffee Egglet
• Salted Caramel Ganche Egglet 

What an exciting and innovative range of flavours. I absolutely love trying experimental flavours so knew these would be right up my street. In the end I decided to try the orange bow tie bunny, the apricot ganache egglet and the salted caramel egglet.

Taking these three morsels out the box, I was again extremely impressed by the design and level of detail in the chocolate. These weren't crushed and covered in bits like other selection boxes but were whole and perfect. It is no exaggeration to say these are works of art.The little whiskers sketched on the bunny, the subtle changes in colour and speckles in the eggs... these look like they were handcrafted. I particularly like the little 'H' neatly stamped on top of the eggs. It's a really nice touch and makes them look so ornate.

Orange Bow Tie Bunny:
Described as "a dapper dark chocolate bunny filled with a dangerously moreish orange and milk chcolate ganache"

The orange ganache was really intense with real depth. It wasn't sugary or sweet or even sour or refreshing. Instead, it was absolutely sumptuous and smooth and worked so well with the dark chocolate. It had a really intense orange flavour that wasn't overpowering or in the least bit artificial.

Salted Caramel Egglet:
Described as "our best salted caramel in an indulgent milk chocolate ganache"

I adore salted caramel and fully appreciate it becoming so prevalent and popular at the moment. The caramel was done perfectly - it didn't taste salty per se but had a really rich, butterscotch like flavour that was strong and melting.

Apricot Ganache Egglet:
Described as "a fantastically fruity egglet filled with a smooth apricot and white choclate ganache"

Wow, this one really took me by surprise. Maybe because the others were so rich and intense but I couldn't believe how fruity this was. You could taste the apricot and I could almost taste a sort of passion fruit taste as well. The white chocolate wasn't overly sweet either and it tasted totally tropical.



I was really impressed by these chocolates and they more than justfied the cost. I only needed three to feel satisfied and those three were utterly decadent and luxurious. I can't wait to slowly work my way through the rest of the box.

Price: £12
Available: Hotel Chocolat - although you might have to wait until next year now!

Pros: Fantastic and innovative flavours that work. Premium quality chocolate and stunning to look at. Would make a perfect gift.
Cons: That I can't get any more until next Easter!

Score: 9/10