Hotel Chocolat has rolled out their Easter treats!

Check out the Engraved Eggs (pictured above) in milk or dark. I got to try the milk and these are not the flimsy hollow chocolates you get at the store – these eggs are thick, delicious chocolate!

Also make sure you check out the Eggsibitionist Eggs and Dark Fix Eggs, thick chocolate shells stuffed with “a dozen beautiful chocolate eggs with decadent praline and velvety ganache fillings.”

I would love to wake up and find one of those in my basket!

[images from Hotel Chocolate: used with permission]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

1. I have a soft spot for the See’s Signature Red Heart. It’s such a classic, timeless Valentine’s gift and one that’s sure to please just about anyone. My mom liked it so much that we still have a “vintage” See’s heart box from the mid-60’s tucked away into storage! The satin-covered box holds two pounds of milk and dark chocolates, including Soft Centers, Nuts & Chews, Marzipan, California Brittle®, Almond Square, and Molasses Chips.



2. Hotel Chocolat has a seasonal Goody Bag that makes a fantastic gift. It comes with a Raspberry Crème chocolate mini slab (don’t let the dried raspberries scare you off – it’s delicious!), 40% milk chocolate mini slab, six seasonal chocolates, a bag of Caramel Canapés (which are my new favorites), and a milk chocolate dipper. It’s packed with so many goodies that Valentine’s will last a lot longer than just one day!



3. You may not be able to eat it but a theobromine molecule t-shirt is still one of my most favorite chocolate items! YellowIbis created this one especially for this month’s contest, but if you don’t want to wait or don’t want to enter, you can purchase one for yourself and a loved one (think how cute those would look layered over a long-sleeved tee!). They’re available in three colors — raspberry, brown and pink — and can be worn long after Valentine’s Day is over!



4. Emily’s Chocolates dark chocolate covered strawberries. They also have dark and milk chocolate covered fortune cookies (be still my heart) and you can choose friendly fortunes or love fortunes.



5. A chocolate of the month club! Now, I have no experience with this and haven’t tried the chocolate, but of course I love the idea. You can sign your loved one up for three months, six months or a full year. You’re billed monthly so it doesn’t kill you wallet in one fell swoop, and what’s better than getting chocolate delivere right to your door?

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

~ Voting for the Death by Chocolate contest starts today! Please vote for Chocolate Bytes!

~ There’s still a week left to enter the Chocolate Bytes February contest to win a free theobromine t-shirt!

~ The chocolate luxury gift contest from Hotel Chocolat runs for four more days. A Chocolate Bytes reader is guaranteed to win, so go enter!

~ I created a new poll on Friday but forgot to mention it. Check it out over in the sidebar! —->

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

Win a luxury chocolate gift for a loved one this Valentine’s Day!

Because we all need a little luxury once in a while, Chocolate Bytes has teamed up with Hotel Chocolat to offer you the chance to win a selection of decadent chocolates from Hotel Chocolat’s Valentine’s Day for a loved one.

To enter, click here and tell us in 200 words or less why we should surprise your loved one with this luxury gift. It’s time to tug on our heart strings and get out your violin, as the most compelling entry will win! The competition closes on February 8, 2008 and entries will appear live on the Hotel Chocolat site.

A Chocolate Bytes reader is guaranteed to win, so go enter!

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

Emily’s Chocolates
The chocolate covered macadamia nuts (pictured above) are some of the best chocolate I’ve had this year. The chocolate covered cookies and chocolate covered nuts and fruits are also amazing!

Chocolate Oranges
You can’t go wrong with the an old standby. And they fit perfectly inside a stocking!

Hotel Chocolate
Just imagine the look on someone’s face when they open up a slab of chocolate!

Do you have a favorite chocolate that you give or like to receive during the holidays?

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

Hotel Chocolat brings their luxury chocolate to the US this fall with the launch of their US-based website and I was extremely fortunate to be able to try it out! The generous folks at Hotel Chocolat sent me some samples to try and now I know what people mean when they say “the first one’s always free.” This chocolate is amazing and will likely have a permanent spot in the snack cupboard.

I first tried the Fruit & Nut Canapes:

“A classic fruit and nut combination given a deliciously modern twist. With velvety smooth 40% cocoa milk chocolate, the crunch of a whole, carefully roasted hazelnut and the contrasting succulence of a jumbo raisin pressed carefully into the chocolate.”

Each time I ate one I couldn’t help but curl my toes a little and close my eyes. I love fruits and nuts in chocolate and each little chocolate square had the perfect amount – one hazelnut and one giant golden raisin – pressed into it. The chocolate was very smooth and mild, which works well with the additions.

Now get a load of this:

That, my friends, is the Rocky Road Slab:

“A generous slab that brings new meaning to the word chunky – with generous chunks of white chocolate, crispy puffed rice and hand made chocolate chip cookies blended into a 70/30 fusion of milk and dark chocolate. A journey of textures to complete satisfaction! Being larger than the pages of this site, our 1 pound slabs are large enough to elicit a short gasp of astonishment. 10×6inches!”

I did, in fact, gasp when I took it out of the box. It looks really busy and a little overwhelming but trust me, the tongue does not care. What kind of mind came up with this? Obviously a brilliant one. Feel like some cookie? A bit of white chocolate? Crispy crunch? It’s all there and a generous portion of chocolate to boot. You can’t help but just stare at it for a while, taking it all in.

Make sure you check out the rest of their products – all appropriate for gift giving or keeping all to yourself: Liquid Hot Chocolate, Signature Slabs, Mini Slabs, Gift Collections, Peepsters, the Purist Range, and Chocolate Christmas Gifts. Also check out the gourmet cooking chocolate and ingredients.

Post from: Chocolate Bytes