Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Norman Love Chocolates (part 2)

Norman Love Truffles

Well, the truffles are finished, a little after Valentine's Day. I tried to make them last, and I'm sad to see them go. It's a little cruel that the box included the full list of Norman Love varieties, so I had to look at pictures and descriptions of chocolates that were not included in my set. It's a very clever marketing ploy, because I definitely want to try the other varieties. Click here for part 1 or keep reading for reviews of the rest of the assortment in my box.

BananaBanana was my least favorite of the set. The white chocolate was good, and though I didn't like the banana flavor at first, the end notes were nice, with a hint of sour to balance the sweet.

Almond MarzipanAlmond Marzipan was another lovely piece, with just the right amount of cocoa. Just under the shell, there was a delicate layer of marzipan that gave the piece a cool texture. The mild almond flavors in the ganache were tasty and the piece had an overall traditional feel.

Java FudgeJava Fudge was an amazing little chocolate, and easily one of my favorites. The smooth, shiny center had a delectable dark chocolate espresso flavor. The coating was beautiful and delicious, as well.

Gianduja Truffle had a nice, mild, hazelnut flavor. The milk chocolate shell was wonderful, and the caramelized hazelnut coating gave the truffle a lovely toasted aroma and taste.

Cinnamon RollCinnamon Roll had a delicious cinnamon ganache and a good milk chocolate coating. It was well balanced in terms of sweetness, and tasted like the gooey center of a cinnamon roll.

White Vanilla TruffleI'm always impressed with a good white truffle, and White Vanilla Truffle exceeded my expectations. The vanilla flavor was incredibly rich and intense, perfectly matched to the well-balanced white chocolate shell.

Florida OrangeFlorida Orange was beautifully colored dark truffle. The mild orange flavor went well with the dark chocolate, but it wasn't a stand out piece.

This was a visually stunning and overwhelmingly palate pleasing assortment. The pieces that really stuck with me were Butter Pecan, Java Fudge, Strawberry, and Cherry Cordial. The only flavor I felt lukewarm about was Banana. I can definitely recommend Norman Love chocolates and have no qualms about giving them my highest rating.

A+

Norman Love Confections website

3 comments:

Orchid64 said...

These are gorgeous. This sort of stuff always costs an arm and a leg here. There's a lot of interesting consumer stuff in Japan, but I miss seeing more of this sort of thing at a rate which doesn't rival the price of a meal at a nice restaurant.

Anonymous said...

I'm a sucker for anything banana flavored hehe - those look so good though!

ebidebby said...

Orchid - Aren't they? I was so pleased that they tasted as good as they looked. But I understand a little of what you're saying about Japan. The department store sweets always seem insanely overpriced.

Katyainsf - My husband loves banana, too. :)