Saturday, February 13, 2010

Norman Love Chocolates

Norman Love Truffles

For Valentine's Day, my husband got me a box of Norman Love chocolates. We don't do much for Valentine's Day, but I may have hinted heavily that I wanted them ever since seeing pictures. These truffles did not disappoint, so as a bit of a Valentine's Day special, this is the first of a two part review of Norman Love chocolates.

The chocolates arrived in an insulated box with ice packs to keep them at a good temperature. In the middle of February, I'm not sure how much the ice helped, but I'm sure the insulation was good for protecting the delicate chocolates from the environment. According to a note included with the chocolates, Norman Love chocolates are made without preservatives and should be consumed within 21 days.

Norman Love Truffles

The truffles truly are works of art. Each piece has a unique look, and the stunning colors drew me in immediately. In particular, I was drawn to the golds and reds. The individual shapes of each piece were interesting and they were a 10 out of 10 for appearance.

Pumpkin TrufflePumpkin was a stunning orange and white swirl, and had a lovely bouquet of spices. It was sweet and nutty and definitely hit pumpkin pie notes. My only complaint is that it might have been a little too sweet.

Vanilla Latte TruffleVanilla Latte had a lovely teardrop shape and an equally delightful espresso flavor. The bitterness was well balanced by the sweet vanilla flavor, and this was one of my favorites.

The Strawberry was one of the best, most authentic strawberry confections I've ever had. The flavor was similar to a rich and creamy strawberry yogurt, and it even looked like the bottom end of a strawberry!

Caramel Apple TruffleCaramel Apple was one of the prettiest truffles of the bunch with lovely shades of gold and green and an oblong shape. It was almost boozy, but the apple flavor was an authentic Granny Smith, and the caramel was oozy, sticky, and delicious.

Cherry CordialCherry Cordial is not normally a flavor I like, but this was a wonderful chocolate. It had an amazingly deep, authentic cherry flavor, and the tartness was balanced by the delicious chocolate coating.

Pistachio Cherry was a lovely shade of green, and had a cherry liquid and pistachio ganache center. The cherry flavor was intense and delicious, but the pistachio flavor didn't come across as strongly.

Butter Pecan TruffleButter Pecan was a surprise. The filling was like a soft, rich buttercream frosting, and the pecan pieces were delightful. This was my favorite of the bunch so far.

Rum RaisinIn Rum Raisin, the metallic purple and gold color scheme was so appealing, and although the flavors aren't my favorite, this was another tasty piece. The rum flavor was strong, but the raisin still came through.

Click here for part 2!

3 comments:

Rosa said...

How gorgeous! And lucky you to have such a caring husband!

Kelly said...

I love the colours, they look so pretty. Kind of like marbles! How much does a box of these choccies cost, are they that expensive?

ebidebby said...

Rosa - Thank you! He tried all the chocolates with me, so there was something in it for him, too. :)

Kelly - I believe this box was $32, but my husband said shipping was a little expensive. They do an excellent job of protecting them from damage and weather, so I think it's worth it!