Cool Hunting
Reinventing chocolate in both form and function, Brown Paper Chocolates come in the shape of a cube and are studded with delicious flavor combos. From the unusual, like strawberry-balsamic-marsala-mint in white chocolate or almond-tequila-chile, to the more expected espresso-kahlua-cocoa nibs, all of the ingredients are high quality and minimally processed. No other approach to white chocolate has won us over in quite the same way.
Founder Richard Kaplan shared several ways to enjoy Brown Paper Chocolates when we tasted them at his booth at the Fancy Food Show recently. Slivers are perfect for pairing with wine or for when you just want a little something sweet, but we were most intrigued by Kaplan's suggestions of grating the white chocolate with lemon, rum and thyme over a salad. He also recommends shaving the blocks over desserts and coffee—you can't really go wrong. They're available at select specialty retailers, like Whole Foods, and online here for $7 each.
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Incredibly rich and delicious, Fine and Raw Fine and Raw are made using artisan low heat techniques to preserve raw vitality. Made from sustainably-produced shade grown raw cacao harvested from the Ecuadorian rainforest, the chocolates contain no sugar, dairy or additives and have a creamy soft consistency on par with the normal stuff. Loaded with anti-oxidants, magnesium and other nutrients, the chocolates are made...
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Chocolate-Pencils is the product of a collaboration pairing Japanese architect and designer Oki Sato with patissier (and Iron Chef champion) Tsujiguchi Hironobu, the man behind Tokyo's boutique dessert shops Mont St. Claire and Le Chocolat de H. Subtle tableware effectively displays the gourmet chocolate and includes a special "pencil sharpener" for grating over a dessert. The pencils operate under the concept that shavings, which...
The lack of inventive gifts around Valentine's Day is yet another reason why we have a hard time getting behind the commercial holiday. We've found some fun alternatives, DIY solutions and, thankfully, Vosges applied their winning formula of inventive chocolate combined with clever presentation for a traditional gift with enough of an edge to keep it interesting. Shaped like a Sacred Heart, their new...
Pearl-shaped and tiny, the Manhattan patisserie Trois Crepes' Dark Chocolate Pearls contain something like a buttery Rice Krispy in a coverture of bittersweet chocolate. A pleasing crunch and slight saltiness makes for a surprising experience, but the chocolate balances both the flavor and texture. The Perles are delicious sprinkled on ice cream or yogurt, but we also like pouring them directly into our mouth....
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