The Great Pumpkin Cometh

I've been having so much fun trying all the new Halloween chocolates that I have lost track of time - I mean Halloween is almost here!! I'll have to wait another year for the Halloween adventure to continue! (But Christmas is coming up, then Valentine's Day, then Easter - oh, life is good!!!)

But Halloween isn't over yet! Let me introduce you to Cocoa Dolce Artisan Chocolates and their Cranky Jack-o-Lantern Assortment:

I ordered these from Dean & Deluca, I didn't see them on the Cocoa Dolce website http://www.cocoadolce.com/. Love the box - nice wax stamp - cool & elegant, nice fall colors. But check out the crankies! I adore these guys!

Look at that face - very cranky! These guys are very well done - little stem, great face, pumpkin ridges - fabulous aesthetics. And now for the great news - they taste delicious! And they are the perfect size - about the size of a 50 cent piece. There are 16 crankies in a box. They are handmade with organic chocolate and they are to die for.

The dark one is orange and Cassia cinnamon-infused dark chocolate ganache. The light one is gianduja filled. (I, neophyte that I am, had no clue what gianguja was, but I liked it!). So I checked it out on Wikipeidia: Gianduja (or, more commonly, gianduia) is a sweet chocolate containing about 50% hazelnut paste. It takes its name from Gianduja, a Carnival and marionette character who represents the archetypal Piedmontese, the Italian region where hazelnut confectionery is common. Don't say I never taught you anything.

Let me tell you, these chocolates are fabulous! I checked out the Cocoa Dolce website and I am so going to order more of their great stuff!! But pace yourself - these are made of all natural ingredients, so the shelf life is not long. (I actually knew what all the words in the ingredient list were! No chemicals!)

The fillings are light and fluffy, the outer shells, firm enough to hold the design, but still luscious. I could taste all the flavors - the orange and cinnamon and the hazel nut. And I love the name! (Cranky Jack-O-Lanterns). I may have found what I've been seeking - gourmet chocolates for the non-gourmet! Delicious chocolates that don't take themselves too seriously and can be appreciated by the common woman (or man). The Great Pumpkin really does exist! Linus, you were right!

Trying new things is fun! Try something new every day this week - even if it's just taking a different way home. WAKE UP - if you do what you have always done, you may very well fall asleep and miss your life.

This week is off to a great start!! Come back for more Halloween fun!