Advent 2012–Day 20

Another honest opinion: Love Vosges. Don’t love these as much as other chocolates I’ve tried this month.

I didn’t really taste a lot of salt here–I guess the point is to let the caramel shine through? I definitely got that, but the salt, not so much! Ah well.

» Pink Himalayan Crystal Salt Caramel Petits Chocolats | pink Himalayan salt + burnt sugar caramel + 70% cacao dark chocolate
» Check out Day 20 of my sister’s nail polish advent calendar!
» Introduction to my Advent 2012 blog post series

Advent 2012–Day 19

Strange name, great chocolate!

I don’t really know what hemp seeds are–but they add a nice crunch, and I love the coconut in here too. And of course: milk chocolate. Yum.

Also, writing these posts all in a row is really doing a number on my vocabulary (I’ve also been writing grad school essays all day long), so forgive these short, kinda lame posts…

» Mini Woolloomooloo Chocolate Bar | roasted & salted macadamia nuts + Indonesian coconut + hemp seeds + 45% deep milk chocolate
» Check out Day 19 of my sister’s nail polish advent calendar!
» Introduction to my Advent 2012 blog post series

Advent 2012–Day 18

Bombalinas again! Love these little things. Seen on Day 5 and Day 10.

Advent 2012–Day 17

Mm! Bacon!

The vegetarian in me is sighing in distaste, but my inner carnivore is very pleased.

Vosges really does do incredible toffee. It’s buttery and sweet and lightly caramelly.

And it’s definitely great with their signature bacon in there too. Savory and sweet. Yum.

» Bacon Caramel Toffee | buttery toffee + hickory smoked uncured bacon + Alderwood smoked salt + 42% cacao milk chocolate
» Check out Day 17 of my sister’s nail polish advent calendar!
» Introduction to my Advent 2012 blog post series

Advent 2012–Day 16

Ladies and gentleman, we have a winner.

This is up there with the peanut butter bonbons for sure.

I liked this toffee in its whole form, but it is stellar in a chocolate bar. I’m not a fan of super crunchy treats so having bits of toffee throughout adds the perfect amount of texture for me. I would definitely buy this again!

» Bapchi’s Toffee Chocolate Bar | sweet butter toffee + walnuts + pecans + 45% deep milk chocolate
» Check out Day 16 of my sister’s nail polish advent calendar!
» Introduction to my Advent 2012 blog post series

Advent 2012–Day 15

Day 15! Usually I love everything to do with blood oranges, but I and my chocolate-loving friend with whom I shared these weren’t super in love with this one.

It certainly wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t anything special either. This might be because I’m not the biggest caramel or liqueur fan, but, well, we weren’t dazzled.

The overall view of the advent calendar is shaping up beautifully, though. Check it out below! What a design:

» Blood Orange Petits Chocolats | hibiscus flowers + blood orange caramel + Campari + 70% cacao dark chocolate
» Check out Day 15 of my sister’s nail polish advent calendar!
» Introduction to my Advent 2012 blog post series

Advent 2012–Day 14

And, we’re back! Get ready for a bunch of posts (short, but sweet).

This is another one of my favorites. Deep milk chocolate? Sea salt? I’m in, no matter what else is in the bar. Happily, here there are smoked almonds. Delicious.

» Barcelona Chocolate Bar | hickory smoked almonds + grey sea salt + 45% deep milk chocolate
» Check out Day 14 of my sister’s nail polish advent calendar!
» Introduction to my Advent 2012 blog post series

Advent 2012–Day 13

Today was a repeat! These were definitely my favorite so far: Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Bonbons! Unless something fantabulous comes along in the remaining days, these are hands down my favorites.

I’ll be in New York for grad school until Tuesday, so you won’t see any posts until next week. Happily, I’ve queued up all my photos and have plans to try each day’s treat with one of my best friends, who is visiting me so we can take a mini-vacation before the holidays! She is a chocolate fiend, so I know she will give some good opinions. Prepare yourselves, and in the meantime, have a great weekend!

Advent 2012–Day 12

OK, I’m gonna be totally honest, like I promised in my first post.

These were not my favorite. That’s mainly because I don’t really like beer.

I know, I know. I live in Milwaukee! How could I not like beer? I’m sorry, city of mine. I’m just not a beer girl. But if you, like every other person who lives in Milwaukee, like beer, then you would without a doubt like these chocolates.

They don’t have a super beer-like flavor (just that kind of beer-y aftertaste?) and that burnt sugar caramel is really something. For me, these weren’t a hit, but if you know a beer connoisseur or amateur brewer, this would be the perfect gift.

» Smoke & Stout Petits Chocolats (in a gift box) | Rogue Ale’s Chocolate Stout beer + Alderwood smoked salt + burnt sugar caramel + 70% cacao dark chocolate
» Check out Day 12 of my sister’s nail polish advent calendar!
» Introduction to my Advent 2012 blog post series

Advent 2012–Day 11

It’s days like these that I kind of miss being a carnivore.

I stopped eating out last year and became an accidental vegetarian (I hate cooking meat anyhow), but I really do miss bacon. (I mean, I had just discovered BLTs before I went veg, and they’re kind of amazing.)

Happily, a little bit of bacon in a delicious chocolate bar will not make me sick, so I had a little bit of this yummy bar. I’d had these before and love them–it’s kind of what Vosges is known for–and I especially love the milk chocolate version. Vosges’ milk chocolate is super delicious–they call it “deep milk chocolate.”

» Mo’s Milk Chocolate Bacon Bar | 45% deep milk chocolate + hickory smoked uncured bacon + Alderwood salt
» Check out Day 11 of my sister’s nail polish advent calendar!
» Introduction to my Advent 2012 blog post series