Monthly Flavors for May – Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, These Chocolates are For You!
May I just tell you about these lovely chocolates? Given the month, I think many of us are thinking about Mother’s Day! As per the
May I just tell you about these lovely chocolates? Given the month, I think many of us are thinking about Mother’s Day! As per the previous few years, I used all floral flavors this month. I did change up what flowers I used from years past, so hopefully at least one of these is new to you!
Jasmine White Chocolate Ganache
I think many people are familiar with the scent of jasmine – the vine or bushes smell absolutely divine when flowering. There is also jasmine tea, where tea leaves are layered over the flowers to infuse their smell and taste into the tea. But I do not think many people have tasted just the blossoms before: it is a perfumed, sweet taste that is similar to the smell but much lighter. The white chocolate here helps elevate the sweetness of the flowers while letting them be the star of the show.
Elderflower and Raspberry Dark Chocolate Ganache
Personally, I really only think of the flavor of elderflower in terms of a liqueur (St. Germaine in particular). When I smelled the dried flowers alone however, I was really surprised by how much they smell like lychee! I immediately wanted to pair them with raspberry, since that is one of my favorite combinations. The raspberry and dark chocolate create a strong, tart base for the floral and exotic elderflower to float on. This is a really fun chocolate, definitely one to make you pause.
Hyssop Caramel
This is the flower most people are likely the least familiar with. Hyssop is native to Southern Europe, the Middle East, and the region surrounding the Caspian Sea and has been long used as in traditional herbal medicines. It has a minty, slightly bitter flavor that plays really nicely with caramels. The bitterness of the herb is similar but distinct to the bitterness of the caramel, and the mintiness is a lovely herbal finish.
Passion Fruit Pâte de Fruit with Passion Flower Milk Chocolate Ganache
I was surprised that the passion flower doesn’t really taste a whole lot like its fruit. It is very delicate, where I think of the fruit as a very assertive flavor. So, to get the full passion experience I needed to have both in this chocolate! The pâte de fruit is crunchy with seeds while the ganache is smooth and almost elastic on the tongue. Passion fruit is tangy and acidic where passion flower is earthy and almost savory. This chocolate is a wonderful experiment with dichotomy!
Chamomile Ganache
Chamomile can be a tricky flavor to balance. It gets very overwhelming and bitter quite quickly for a flower that is fairly mild. To play with that and balance it, the ganache is almost 50/50 milk and dark chocolates. So, the ganache is a great balance of earthy and bitter with sweet and mild!
Lavender and Vanilla White Chocolate Ganache
Lavender can turn so perfumy so quickly! Balancing it within a ganache can be quite tricky, but I think this chocolate turned out beautifully. Here, the vanilla is strong and creamy while the lavender is citrusy and minty. The white chocolate just carries these two floral flavors along while giving body.
May I just tell you about these lovely chocolates? Given the month, I think many of us are thinking about Mother’s Day! As per the