Marcheurs De Chocolat Belgian Chocolate: Flaked truffles

Product name: Marcheurs De Chocolat Belgian Chocolate: Flaked truffles
Calories: 236 per 40g serving (660 per 112g box)
Country of origin: Belgium

So we’re over half way through August, and it’s nearer to next Christmas than last, but I’ve finally got around to eating the last edible gift I was given in December 2013!

These Marcheurs De Chocolat Belgian Chocolate: Flaked truffles were part of the Walkers Chocolates brand and, like many of their other products, I’ve seen them in discount stores quite a lot. As was the case with me, this made them a good add-on present!

The ‘truffles covered in Belgian milk chocolate’ came in a royal blue box that featured a photo of the chocolates but, despite this looking promising, I was a bit apprehensive on opening it as it rattled quite a lot and I was convinced almost all of the flaked chocolate would have become detached from the truffles themselves. As it happens, I was pleasantly surprised to find things hadn’t got as messy as I feared, and there were also more truffles inside than I’d expected – 11 (although this would have been frustrating if I’d been aiming for the quoted three servings!).

I was disappointed to see that, after the main ingredient (sugar), the truffles mainly consisted of vegetable fat. However, there was a strong smell of cocoa powder, and the chocolate itself contained a minimum of 25% cocoa solids and 14% milk solids.

Whilst widely the same in appearance (generally round with flat bottoms and coated generously in chocolate flakes), the truffles were slightly different shapes and sizes, and they were lovely and soft to cut through. They seemed to consist of three layers: a truffle centre that looked a bit like a fluffy  mousse, a chocolate coating, then the flaked chocolate. However, unlike what the picture on the box suggested, these layers were all the same shade of brown.

The chocolates had a nice texture – they were really soft and squidgy and had a melt-in-the-mouth feel as the different elements melded together. Even the flakes were soft, although they did add a contrasting bumpy surface.

Unfortunately, I really wasn’t a fan of the flavour, which is unusual for me with chocolate! It just tasted weird and, although there was a chocolatey aftertaste, the overall feel was one of staleness. As is often the case with truffles, there was a slightly bitter aspect to the flavour, but I just felt that the chocolate’s taste could have been so much stronger and better. Furthermore, although there was no denying that the truffles were rich, the absence of cream in the ingredients didn’t go unnoticed.

I wasn’t expecting great things from these budget Flaked truffles but it was a shame that the area where they fell short was, for me, the most important: taste! I’ve definitely ‘spent’ my calories on better snacks...

Appearance: 7.5/10
Aroma: 7.5/10
Taste: 4.5/10
Texture: 7.5/10
Overall score: 6.63/10

Guylian Artisanal Belgian Chocolates: La perlina (milk truffles)

Product name: Guylian Artisanal Belgian Chocolates: La perlina (milk truffles)
Purchase details: £1.00 for a 66g box of eight truffles (Poundland)
Calories: 53 per truffle (424 per box)
Country of origin: Belgium

I’d never had these ‘Belgian milk chocolate truffles’ before but, since they were made by Guylian, I wanted to give them a go.

The white and gold box tied in nicely with the branding of the seashells products and there was also a brief history of the company on the inside cover which taught me something new – it was named after the founders, Guy and Liliane...clever!

Despite being ‘premium chocolates’, their cylindrical appearance made them look quite standard. Decorated with simple lines, the chocolate shells contained a ‘smooth truffle filling’ that looked a bit like a mousse and made up 55% of the product. Free Translation told me that ‘perlina’ means ‘bead’ but I couldn’t quite see the connection!

The milk chocolate contained a minimum of 31% cocoa solids and 23% milk solids and was quite slippery to the touch. Up close, it did smell simply of chocolate, but this wasn’t detectable from a distance.

The product description of ‘a delectably smooth milk chocolate filling’ that had been ‘enrobed within the finest Belgian milk chocolate for an exquisite taste sensation’ suggested that it was the truffle itself that was the star of the show. These centres were really smooth and moist and melted in a way that was not dissimilar to Lindor, although they were more solidified, despite appearances.

The main flavour was cocoa and there was a slight bitterness mixed in with creamier elements of the product. If I’m honest, whilst very rich, I didn’t think the truffles had the best taste in the world. The centres were very nice, if a bit plain, but there was something about the chocolate shells that, initially, didn’t quite seem to match up to their contents. However, the taste did quickly become addictive, and the chocolatey buckets were by no means unpleasant.

The downside of the shape was that the chocolates weren’t great for melting as they were a bit too tall to comfortably suck on. However, doing so did seem to improve the cocoa’s flavour before reaching the filling.

There was certainly nothing wrong with these Guylian Artisanal Belgian Chocolates: La perlina (milk chocolate) but there wasn’t really anything about them that stood out as special either. They may not have matched up to my enjoyment of the Original praliné bar but they were still a substantial treat. I hadn’t thought eight in a box sounded like many but they turned out to be more than enough!

Appearance: 7/10
Aroma: 7/10
Taste: 7/10
Texture: 7.5/10
Overall score: 7.13/10

Lindt Lindor: Strawberries & cream

Product name: Lindt Lindor: Strawberries & cream
Purchase details: £3.50 for a 200g box (Wilkinson)
Calories: 76 per truffle
Country of origin: Italy

A few months ago now, Lindt announced that their next new and limited edition of Lindor would be Strawberries & cream. I was extremely excited about these ‘white chocolate truffles with a smooth melting filling’ so couldn’t believe my luck when I found them the very next day. However, I’ve been very restrained and only just opened them – I’d love to pretend I was waiting for Summer but, really, I had other products that needed eating first!

The presentation of these chocolates was lovely. They came in a girly pink and Summery-feeling box and were individually wrapped in metallic pink foil. The truffles were the usual shape (albeit with shallower ‘plugs’ where the centres had been piped in – see my Caramel review for comparison!) and the white chocolate was liberally flecked with varying shades and sizes of pink. I’d loved the box’s imagery of the baby pink liquid being poured into the chocolate shells but, of course, the centres were more solidified in their finished form. However, the filling remained pale and smooth, although I noticed that its hue had been achieved with beetroot red colouring.

The creamy berry aroma that these Lindor emitted was just like strawberry milkshake. The chunky chocolate was infused with strawberry and tasted creamy, too, with a vanilla flavour and beautiful hints of berry.

The truffles’ centres provided the usual melting texture but with a slight graininess thrown in. I was delighted to find that even this tasted of white chocolate, although the 0.4% strawberry powder and 1.1% cream powder also made their mark. To my delight, they tasted just like milkshake in a more indulgent food form! However, it wasn’t sickly, and the grainy texture somehow reduced the richness which meant it didn’t feel quite as in your face as some of the other Lindor varieties.

Despite buying these immediately in fear or the limited edition not being around for long, I know that Lindor: Strawberries & cream are still available in shops. Here’s hoping that Lindt recognise just how fantastic they are and allow them to be a permanent fixture in the range – I loved them!

Appearance: 9.5/10
Aroma: 8/10
Taste: 9/10
Texture: 8/10
Overall score: 8.63/10

Lindt Lindor: Peanut butter

Product name: Lindt Lindor: Peanut butter
Purchase details: £0.40 for a 12g truffle (Bold Street Sweets)
Calories: 73 per truffle

It’s only relatively recently that I discovered that Lindt Lindor: Peanut butter existed. As with most interesting peanut butter products, the variety isn’t generally available in the UK. However, my colleague recently took a trip to Bold Street Sweets and informed me that they were selling them. It didn’t take me long to get down there myself and buy a few to sample and I wasn’t surprised to be told by the lady who served me that they had been ‘flying out’.

The copper wrapper wasn’t dissimilar from the UK’s hazelnut variety that’s found in the Assorted box and there wasn’t really anything to go on in terms of information. However, I was able to find the Peanut butter truffles on Lindt's USA website. This claimed that the favourite ‘flavour combination’ of milk chocolate and peanut butter was being delivered ‘in a single, deliciously gourmet experience’ with the ‘delicate milk chocolate shell’ holding an ‘irresistibly smooth peanut butter and milk chocolate’ centre.

From the outside, you wouldn’t have guessed that this particular Lindor variety held an inner secret. However, on cutting a chocolate ball open, the difference was immediately clear. Instead of being solidified, the centre was thick and molten and, despite being a darker shade of brown than peanut butter, it was clear from the texture that this was incorporated in the mix.

I can’t say the truffles had a specific peanut butter scent but there was a nutty element within the chocolate aroma. The thick outer shell was milky but also provided a cocoa hit that mellowed the stronger inner flavour. This filling was properly liquidy and had a prominent roasted nut aspect along with a salty aftertaste. Whilst I’d love to rave about it, I did find the peanut butter flavour wasn’t as pure as I’d have liked, and it also had an almost alcoholic tint to it too. Nevertheless, it was still enjoyable.

The texture may well have been out-of-the-ordinary for Lindor but I think I actually preferred it!  Instead of melting in the mouth and bordering on sickliness, the filling was already molten and literally popped out of the shell when a little pressure was applied, leaving behind the tasty chocolate to savour as a nice change.

These Peanut butter truffles weren’t exactly how I expected but I was quite impressed that they weren’t totally predictable. I think the flavour could do with a little work but the chocolates were still great and I maintain that they should be more widely available!

Appearance: 7.5/10
Aroma: 7/10
Taste: 7/10
Texture: 8.5/10
Overall score: 7.5/10