Al Dente: Drenched in Chocolate

Drenched in Chocolate

by Kitchen Maus on July 14, 2008

Last Wednesday I featured a photo of a terrific-looking novelty confection from Cosmic Chocolate--a truffle with an image of Barack Obama. What I learned on Sunday at the Seattle Luxury Chocolate Salon however, is that Cosmic's beauty is more than just skin deep. With more than 20 chocolate companies represented at the event, Cosmic was the one that really blew me away. Not only were their chocolates stunning to look at, but the flavors were brilliant and true (try their passionfruit!), and the textures luxurious. And though I was maxed out by the time I'd sampled (a couple times) from all the tables, I couldn't resist going back for one more taste of my favorite, the Limoncello Ginger Cosmic Bomb. Wow! Cosmic, indeed!

Trends from the show included Asian flavors and motifs, brilliant colors and metallics, decals/transfers, exotic flavors (see below), lots of citrus, and liquid or near-liquid centers. Salted caramels continued to be in the spotlight, with at least half of the tables showcasing their renditions. My favorite was from Cadeaux Chocolates, where the caramel was dark, rich, and glossy, punctuated by an occasional crunch of sea salt. Alma Chocolate also warrants a mention with their salted lavender caramel.

Flavors of interest:

Truffle oil (black from Cocoa Chai Chocolates and white from Petits Noirs)
Soy sauce (from Petits Noirs)
Lemon basil (from Alma Chocolate)
Pinot noir with pink peppercorns (from Oh! Chocolate)
Olive oil (from Fiori Chocolatiers)
Toasted anise (from Petits Noirs)
Habanero mango (from Oh! Chocolate)
Yuzu (from Cocoa Chai Chocolates)
Smoky Blue, featuring blue cheese from Rogue Creamery (from Kekau Chocolatier)
Strawberries and balsamic vinegar (from Fiori Chocolatiers)

Although chocolate truffles were the main focus of the show, several tables featured origin bars with cacao beans hand-selected by single chocolatiers (check out Theo Chocolate and Amano Artisan Chocolate). One table had decadent brownie combos (Blissful Brownies), and another had layered cookies enrobed in chocolate (GrendelSweets Handcrafted Chocolates). For an unusual salty-sweet treat, try GrendelSweets's Beer and Potato Chip Truffle Cookies.

Top five KitchenMaus chocolate recommendations:

Limoncello Ginger Cosmic Bomb (Cosmic Chocolate): a stunning burst of true limoncello flavor with the bite of fresh ginger.
Passionfruit Cosmic Bliss (Cosmic Chocolate): this will send you to a tropical paradise with just one bite.
Balsamico e Fragola (Fiori Chocolatiers): luscious strawberry flavor balanced with just the right amount of balsamic vinegar--complex and luxurious.
Madagascar al Citron (Kekau Chocolatier): a refreshing infusion of fresh lemon in a creamy ganache.
Champagne and Rocks (Cosmic): a chocolate bar with embedded Pop Rocks--just for the fun of it!

Run, don't walk, to those online order forms right now!

--(Chocolate-covered) KitchenMaus

More photos of the chocolate after the jump...