Monthly Flavors for November – Autumn Leaves of Red and Gold

♪ The falling leaves drift by my window, the autumn leaves of red and gold ♫… I love that song! November is the perfect month to cozy up with some blankets and tea while listening to jazz. The crisp air makes me crave warm flavors, something comforting and relaxing. So grab a book or find a movie, cuddle up with a warm blanket, and enjoy the chocolates this month!

The November chocolate flavors are inspired by autumnal offerings and  traditional Thanksgiving foods. The cookie flavors are a little nostalgic, while staying fun and relevant.

This Month's Flavors

Square chocolate that comes into a diagonal fan shape painted black with silver splotching and yellow splatters on a blue plate

Foliage

Walnut Praline with Sage Dark Chocolate Ganache

The walnut praline is rich and almost a little tangy or sharp which offsets the ganache beautifully. Sage gives a lovely herbal, kind of minty note to the decadent ganache. Overall, this chocolate is like being  next to a fire on a bear skin rug – sumptuous and indulgent!

Square chocolate that comes up to a vaulted dome shape painted dark red and copper on a blue plate

Autumn

Masala Spice Coffee Milk Chocolate Ganache

I love this twist on a coffee ganache! Masala spice is a mix of cumin, coriander, cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. It gives a touch of savory-ness to the ganache which is so fun! Plus, the baking spices in the mix play off the coffee bitterness perfectly. 

Hexagonal chocolate with a braided knot-like top painted maroon with spirals of terra cotta on a blue plate

Chilly

Apple Butter with Rum Dark Chocolate Ganache

There are few things more fall appropriate than mulled apple cider (spiked or otherwise). I made the apple butter with Granny Smith apples, Ceylon cinnamon, star anise, and cubeb pepper. It is very reminiscent of mulled cider, but a little more sour from the apples I picked. The ganache is so smooth, with a funk from the rum agricole I used. Together, they warm you up perfectly!

Square chocolate that dips to the center painted tan with orange splatters on a blue plate

Thankful

Lemon Ruby Chocolate Ganache with Candied Cranberries

Maybe a bit controversial, but one of my favorite Thanksgiving foods is the cranberry sauce. Growing up, my mom made hers with orange zest, fresh cranberries, and sugar. Now that we are adults, she plays with lemon and other spices to change it up. Lemon and cranberry are such a good pairing. The homemade candied cranberries gives a lovely chew to the chocolate. The ruby chocolate brings red fruit tanginess that is brightened by lemon. So delicious!

A round domed chocolate painted light blue with a green stripe at the bottom and darker blue splotches on a blue plate

Cozy

Earl Grey and Rose Chocolate Ganache

A good cup of Earl Grey tea can turn your whole day around. Smooth and bright from the bergamot, it is almost a no brainer to pair with chocolate. The dried rose petals add this wonderfully subtle note of floral earthiness. The ganache is a mix of milk and dark chocolates to get the best of all worlds – sweet creaminess from the milk chocolate, bitter complexity from the dark chocolate. Impossibly smooth, this ganache just dissolves on your tongue to leave a lingering bergamot flavor. Wow. 

A square chocolate that rounds down on two upper edges painted brown with gold splatters on a blue plate

Crisp

Maple Candied Pecans with Dark Chocolate Caramel

This one is a take on pecan pie. The pecans are crunchy and delightful, with the maple syrup brightening the overall flavor. Meanwhile, the caramel is luxuriously bitter and sweet. Though there is no molasses, the caramel comes close to the tangy depths so familiar in a pecan pie. I’ll take this for dessert any day!

This Month's Gallery

Cookie Flavors

#1 Oatmeal Rum Raisin Cookies

I do love to take fun twists on a classic cookie! The raisins in these cookies have been soaked in rum overnight so they are plumper and juicier (plus, rum!). Even a little tweak like that takes these cookies to a while new level! They just cry out for a cup of coffee or a bowl of vanilla ice cream.

#2 Pumpkin Cookies

These wonderfully cakey cookies are almost like a pumpkin whoopie pie. Soft and pillowy, they still get a bit of texture from the sugar on top. Lovely spices and pumpkin earthiness make these cookies perfect autumnal treats!

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