Ferrero Duplo zartbitter

Ferrero Duplo regular leaves me cold. It’s too sweet, the milk chocolate isn’t very chocolatey, and I don’t bother with it unless I have a really strong chocolate craving and nothing else is available. Same can be said for regular KitKats.
Then I discovered KitKat dark chocolate. Mmmm,. Much better. When I saw dark Duplo in the store yesterday, I knew I had to try them.
Now Duplo is made by Ferrero, the makers of Rocher. Rochers are one of my favorite candies, better than a candy bar because they are small, and not as expensive as high-class pralines. With Rocher, Ferrero has proven itself quite capable with light crunchy wafers and nougat cream.

How did they do with Duplo? Just as good. Certainly, Duplo doesn’t have that lovely crunchy hazelnut that the Rocher has, but if I want a little candy bar, and the dark Duplo is there, it’s a good choice for something light.
What’s better – KitKat or Duplo? Duplo, hands down.

Reviewed: Duplo zartbitter
Personality: Rocher’s candy bar
How to enjoy: OK, I brought one into work, but it didn’t last 15 minutes. So sue me. I’ll skip dessert today.
Rating:
1: Better than sex
2: Little bites of heaven
3: Share with your best friend
4: Will do in a pinch
5: Halloween candy

Where to buy:
Grocery stores in Germany.
USA: http://www.germandeli.com/ (maybe not the dark – you’ll have to ask
Ferrero: http://www.ferrero.com/eng/index.html

Lindt Edel Marzipan

One more from Lindt tonight. This one is a bit of a problem, because they disappeared so fast that I can hardly remember their special characteristics.
I do remember buying them half-price after Easter, choosing them because marzipan and chocolate is my husband’s favorite, and really enjoying the one I had.
Then suddenly the rest just faded into oblivion. Next thing I knew the bag was empty, one more stinkin’ thing I had to cart off to the recycling, and I could see a big smile on my husband’s face.

Reviewed: Lindt Edel Marzipan Easter Eggs
Personality: Husband pacifier, better even than beer
How to enjoy: Drop one into the husband’s hands, then ask for anything you want
Rating:
1: Better than sex
2: Little bites of heaven
3: Share with your best friend
4: Will do in a pinch
5: Halloween candy

Where to buy:
Lindt is sold many places worldwide

Lindt Hot Pralines

Some manufacturers are pussy-footing it around the theme of chili and hot pepper. They add a little, and sometimes you don’t even know for sure that you’ve tasted the pepper. Other manufacturers have a product portfolio broad enough to offer a choice.
Lindt is exactly that manufacturer. They have hot spices accenting their product line richly, and none is better than the Hot Pralines.
I bought all three flavors in one set, but they are also available in bars. All three flavors are great, and the fruit flavoring comes across as well as the heat.
Maracuja (passion fruit) is the one with the middle amount of heat. Granatapfel (pomegranate) is less hot, while the best combination of heat and flavor comes out in the papaya-flavored praline.

Reviewed: Lindt Hot Pralines
Personality: Reminds me of the sweet jelly which accompanies the cheese popper appetizer, plus a really nice chocolate
How to enjoy: Good kicker for dessert after a mildly spiced dinner
Rating:
1: Better than sex
2: Little bites of heaven
3: Share with your best friend
4: Will do in a pinch
5: Halloween candy

Where to buy:
Lindt is sold many places worldwide

Stainer Masai

In spite of the name, Stainer is an Italian chocolatier. They are also highly creative, with spice combinations like this one, the Masai. The Masai spice mixture is a complex blend of cola, cinnamon, Tonka-bean and vanilla. Wow. Lots of my favorite flavors.
The spices come over in the scent of the bar, which came wrapped in plastic. At first I was wondering if it wasn’t a bit cheap, but now I see that the plastic protects the spice flavors’ intensity.
Part of Stainer’s World Spices collection, this is a sophisticated taste, with plenty to experience while the chocolate melts on your tongue. This is a chocolate for savoring. The chocolate is not as pushy as a Cluizel dark chocolate is, but the spices really stay with you.

Reviewed: Stainer Masai Dark Chocolate 70%
Personality: Earthy
How to enjoy: Drink a cup of tea or coffee with this one, so the spices which linger on your tongue can reach full expression.
Rating:
1: Better than sex
2: Little bites of heaven
3: Share with your best friend
4: Will do in a pinch
5: Halloween candy

Where to buy:
Germany: Salon du Cacao http://www.salonducacao.de
USA: Stainer website http://www.stainerchocolate.com/

Ritter Sport Zitrone

I definitely have a thing for white chocolate at the moment. Standing in the store yesterday, I settled on Milka cow patch chocolate, milk with white patches. At work today, I sampled a tiny Toblerone bar, again milk, but with a layer of white chocolate, and now Ritter Sport called to me from my freezer when I got home tonight.
Last summer when I went to the Ritter Sport factory outlet in Waldenbuch, I picked up some tiny white Ritter Sport bars. Ritter recommended that you keep them in the freezer, and enjoy them on a hot day, which I thought was a great idea, except for the fact that I don’t often think to look in my freezer when I think of chocolate. Hence, it wasn’t until I decided to empty out my freezer that I though of them again.
These are the mini size, and they go down fast. The lemon is tangy and crunchy, and the yogurt-white chocolate is smooth, even better as a frozen treat.

Reviewed: Ritter Sport Zitrone (seasonal)
Personality: Chilly-icious delicious
How to enjoy: Definitely keep them in the freezer. They’re a delight, and I only hope Ritter brings them back this summer.
Rating:
1: Better than sex
2: Little bites of heaven
3: Share with your best friend
4: Will do in a pinch
5: Halloween candy

Where to buy:
Sorry, not available, but maybe when summer comes again. Keep your eyes on the Ritter homepage for more info. They do now have an online shop, same prices at the stores. http://shop.ritter-sport.de/

Cioccolatta Carlotta Tartufi Dolci

The Piedmont is an area of northern Italy known for its agricultural products. It's also the home of chocolate manufacturer Ferrero, so when I found these chocolates in a local Italian grocer, I had high hopes. I was disappointed.

Tartufi dolci are "sweet truffles," therefore not the fungus. I wondered at first if these were simply old, but the nuts inside were fabulously crunchy, indicating their freshness. Basically, these truffles were chocolately, but quite dry, with flakes breaking off at every bite.

Reviewed: Tartufi Dolci from Carlotta

How to enjoy: Don't bother. Look for another brand, maybe they'll be better.

Rating:

1: Better than sex

2: Little bites of heaven

3: Share with your best friend

4: Will do in a pinch

5: Halloween candy

Where to buy: http://www.buonissimo-world.de/Produkte/3116, or go to Alba, Italy and try them for yourself

Mövenpick Chocolate Picante ice cream

Mövenpick has a lovely array of products from restaurants and hotels, to chocolate, gourmet cookies, smoked fish, and now premium ice cream. Whoa! SMOKED FISH? Oooo-kay. A little diversification isn’t bad for a business, I guess.
This week I fell victim to advertising. Mövenpick has announced its line of premium ice cream, with Chocolate Picante being one that caught my eye.
So Dear Hubby dutifully put the ice cream on his next shopping list, and today was the taste test. “Prüfung bestanden,” the Germans say. “It passed with flying colors,” say the Americans.
It’s definitely a premium ice cream, with good density and flavor. The Picante part could be a little more pikant, but it’s still noticeable.
What really bugs me about ice cream in Germany are the chocolate bits. They put these tiny chocolate chips into many ice creams, but these things can hardly be described as chocolate, they are so dry and tasteless. It’s not just Mövenpick, but rather every ice cream with bits that I’ve tried. Give me a small thread of ganache instead, and I’d be much more satisfied.

Reviewed: Mövenpick Chocolate Picante ice cream
Personality: Chilly Chili Chocolate (boy, wouldn’t that be a great name for an ice cream. Trademark!!!)
How to enjoy: Dole it out in small portions, because it comes in a pint size or less, and is reasonably priced
Rating:
1: Better than sex
2: Little bites of heaven
3: Share with your best friend
4: Will do in a pinch
5: Halloween candy

Where to buy:
Edeka grocery stores in Germany, but I don’t think it’s outside of Germany yet
Check in with Mövenpick to see where it's offered: http://www.moevenpick-icecream.com/de/home.aspx

J.D.Gross Confiserie Eier mit Alkohol

Here's one from J.D. Gross that did not impress me, even though it's a bargain price. Or maybe it was because it has a bargain price.

They are large dark chocolate eggs, total weight about 20g, with a ganache filling. The ganache has alcohol in it, but not very much.

The egg liquor flavor has a nice yellow color inside, but was more creamy sweet than liquor-flavored. The other flavors were similar, and I had a slight preference for the Scotch over the Pralines.

Reviewed: J.D. Gross Confiserie Eier with Alcohol
Personality: A big lump of so-so chocolate
How to enjoy: Buy them after Easter, because they're not really special enough for your Easter nest.
Rating:
1: Better than sex
2: Little bites of heaven
3: Share with your best friend
4: Will do in a pinch
5: Halloween candy

Where to buy:
Lidl grocery stores