Uneaten chocolates are something of a rarity in my house. Whilst a standard bar of dark chocolate can remain in the fridge for a week or so, with nothing more substantial than a couple of nibbles at a time, when it comes to fine chocolates, which really are a rarefied treat, they get demolished within moments. And yet hours after I unwrapped the colourful and intricately decorated Lauden Chocolates, they remained untouched. Admired but untouched. And that’s really the only downfall of Lauden Chocolates – the miniature works of art, created using edible transfers, are so gorgeous to look at that it’s a challenge in itself just to bring yourself to eat them!
But eat them I did (with some assistance). Like a luxury box of Roses, there’s a simple pleasure in having to check which prettily patterned chocolate corresponds to which flavour. And Lauden offers 12 of them; Fresh Mint, Lemon, Lime, Sour Cherry, Passion Fruit, Rose & Lychee, Blackcurrant and Redcurrant, Raspberry and Rose, Mediterranean Orange, Salted Caramel, Marc de Champagne and Single Origin. The gooey, melt in your mouth middles are surrounded by a crisp dark chocolate shell that gives a satisfying crack as you bite into it.
The out and out favourite seemed to be the savoury-sweet Salted Caramel,swiftly followed by the tangy and more exotic Passion Fruit and the juicy, fruity Mediterranean Orange. But for an interesting and adventurous chocolate twist, the Lychee & Rose offers an aromatic blend of East meets West and the Raspberry & Rose, (a personal favourite) a refreshingly fruity taste reminiscent of English summers.
As fine chocolates go, these artistic and delicious, divine offerings from the Leeds based independent chocolatiers Lauden will make a very welcome change from your standard chocolate gift box.
Lauden Chocolates from £9 www.laudenchocolate.com