Chocolate

Single Habanero Jams

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Three, two, one, let’s jam!

Today, I’ve got a jazzy little duo from Single Variety Co. – Makers of simple, straight-forward jams that use only a single fruit. Or, in this case, chilli.

In fact, our new, limited edition pair only have a single pepper between them – The habanero – and are intended to showcase the difference between two of its distinct strains. One made with the most common, orange variety and the other with the richer, darker and more earthy – Yet not in the least bit cocoa-y – “chocolate” colouration. A glossy brown version with rather more heat than most.

You can find a little bit more about these peppers on my encyclopedia pages but, today, I’m going to see what they do to jam and just how much difference the colour of the pepper truly makes to a product. Because these two are, in fact, the exact same recipe.

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Wiltshire Chocolate

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Happy international chocolate day again, everyone! I know I said that last year was my last time celebrating it, because of my disdain for what Milton Hershey did to chocolate, but I just so happened to come in to some very exciting bars this week. And I couldn’t just leave the Wiltshire Chilli Farm’s latest ’til later, now could I?

These are their brand new chilli chocolate line and they range from a medium chipotle and orange milk to the extreme, extra dark naga. With a habanero and lime flavoured regular dark in the middle.

All three sound and look fantastic, wrapped in a mix of black and Wiltshire’s signature action lines. But will their taste and texture live up to that first impression?

There’s only one way to tell.

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Dark and Dry

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Hey folks, I said that we were going to be seeing some more from Alkemio Kitchen soon. So, what better time and way to start than today, with a sauce that I’ve already shown you but couldn’t previously go into depth about?

This is Fergus’ Black Garlic, Chipotle, Tamarind, Chocolate and that last titular ingredient makes it a perfect fit for my first post after World Chocolate Day. But it’s not the only such festive item that I have for you, this year.

I’d also like to showcase a little something in the same vein – Featuring the same blend of chipotle and chocolate – from a less familiar company:

The Chipotle Chocolate Stout, from Hop’t. Which, as their name implies, is heavily focussed on the use of hops. Albeit in a very different setting from any that we’ve seen such herbs in before.

In fact, it isn’t even the same sort of hops as any of those past products. But you’ll have to read on if you want to see what sets them apart.

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Alkemio Kickstarter

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Hey folks, happy thursday!

This is not a post that I was planning to write but, today, I have some fantastic news to share: I’ve got my first affiliate link. And it’s not from the company that I was expecting.

The one that I’ll be featuring is Alkemio Kitchen, who you’ve seen a couple of reviews for, in recent weeks, and are just now making their way onto Kickstarter. So, if you’ve liked what you’ve seen, so far, please do use 💰this link💰 or the one in my sidebar to go check them out and support both me and the company.

Or read on, to find out more about them and what this means for my reviews.

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Chocolate Hell

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Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to the last tuesday of march. The perfect time for a quite unusual pair.

Today we have two very different sauces, with very different heats and flavours, but one particularly appropriate ingredient in common: Chocolate.

It is coming up to easter, after all, so why not start the celebrations early with Ignis’ CNC9 and Haskhell’s Chipotle?

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Death Brownies

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Sup folks, it’s white day today and, if you haven’t heard of the holiday before, you might think that it sounds a tad controversial. But, in reality, it’s just the japanese holiday where people give back to those who gave them valentine’s chocolates.

No, the real controversy, today, is going to come from my recipe. Because, while I’m following the white day tradition of cooking up chocolate-based sweet treats, I’m also going to be adding in black garlic. As suggested by the Isle of Wight Garlic Farm.

I know that that’s going to raise eyebrows, at the very least, because most people seem to think that garlic should never go with sweets. And normally, those people would be correct. But this isn’t normal garlic.

Raw, cooked or even caramelised, the bulb has an intense, aromatic and sometimes almost fiery quality to it, which belongs as far away from chocolate cake as one can possibly get. But, by cooking it low and slow for a whopping fourteen days straight, the act of turning garlic black gets rid of every last ounce of that pungency. Leaving behind only rich, earthy undertones, a dark, balsamicky sweetness and a slight hint of anise.

And I don’t know about you but that sounds like perfect brownie material to me!

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Somerset Chilli Choc

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Hey folks, it’s february and I really appreciate all of you, for reading my reviews and making this blog feel worthwhile. Chilli is my love and my passion but it’s you, dear readers, who give my writing meaning. And so, with that in mind, I’d like to share my valentine’s day chocolates with you.

Chocolates which are, of course, very on brand for my site ;).

This year’s come to me from Somerset Chilli Garden – Not to be confused with The Somerset Chilli Co. – and were actually sent to me a little in advance of their public release. Since a friend of mine happens to live nearby and put me in touch, back when they were still just prototypes.

What I have now, however, are the finished release. Just a little bit early, in order to give you all a good look at what’s inside, before you buy.

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Pasilla Chocolate Pudding

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Hey folks, it’s recipe time again and we’re now in the middle of winter, right after what can only be described as the most depressing year of the century. So, I don’t know about you, but I think we could all use some serious comfort food.

This is chocolate denver pudding and it is one of the richest, gooiest, chocolatiest and most warming desserts that I know. A recipe handed down the american side of my family for generations, which always comes out at times like these.

And, today, I’m going to pass it on to you.

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A Bunch of Cherries

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Hello again, everyone. We’re fast approaching the end of the month and I would normally use this week to feature something just a little bit on theme for the winter season.

This year, though, I already highlighted Tom’s Curious Sauces‘ Cranberry, in the run up to december, and I’m fresh out of everything else with a christmas theme. So, instead, here’s a little gift set from me to me:

Three cherry-based sauces that can hopefully finally replace the long lost 💀T.N.T.💀 that I loved so much.

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Sweet Alchemy

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Hey folks, it’s been almost a month since the intersection of international chocolate day and national curry week, when I featured The Chilli Alchemist‘s Dark Matter Chocolate, and, in that time, I had hoped that I’d also be able to show off their sauces.

Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case.

Major computer problems have slowed down the release of the video in question and, while I’m working on a solution as we speak, it may still be a short while before I can properly feature the company’s main range. So, for the time being, you’re going to have to make do with their dessert toppers, instead:

An indulgent-sounding pair of chilli chocolate and salted caramel spreads, wrapped in equally dark and decadent-looking labels which have only heightened the excitement that I already had for them.

I’ve been looking forward to these two for quite some time now and, if they’re even half as good as I imagine, they’re going to be utterly amazing. So let’s see how they compare to my mental image, shall we?

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