While one person may prefer classic, American-style confections , crammed with toffee or caramel, another may crave deep, dark ganaches or Wonka-worthy flavor bombs. The options out there can be staggering. Other outstanding options include flavor-forward samplers , chocolates that evoke composed desserts , single-origin truffles , a few vegan collections , and a nut-free assortment.
Who these are for: Adventurous chocolate lovers and traditionalists alikeβthose who will appreciate creative riffs on a classic chocolate selection. Every piece is memorable.
Classic concoctions, such as Burnt Caramel and Piedmont Hazelnut, offer just the right balance of sweet and bitter. One of our favorites, the Sesame Nougat, has the perfect texture of chewy caramel, a little crunch from toasted sesame seeds, and the snap of perfectly tempered dark chocolate.
We found the chocolate itself to be of high quality, with the subtle, long flavor that comes from great cacao. No two chocolates are alike. Some have intricate patterns, while others look like little sculptures, and the visual variety adds excitement to this experience. To top it off, the matte black packaging is among the most elegant we encountered in our testing.
It includes a minimally designed booklet explaining the flavors, with black-and-white illustrations of each chocolate. We found this much easier to decipher than keys for many of the other brands. Those people might be happier with the more-classic flavors of the Valerie Baby Grand Assortment. The toffees, caramels, and truffles from Valerie Confections are deceptively simple, combining classic fillings with beautiful technique, βand some unexpected flavor combinations. Who these are for: The sweets enthusiast who relishes the toasty, buttery goodness of an excellent toffee or a runny caramel.
