Emily’s Cherry Hazelnuts and Cranberry Almonds
Continuing with Emily’s Chocolates, we have these two red boxes. The first is half cherries and half hazelnuts; the second is half cranberries and half almonds. They’re all covered in a sweet dark chocolate with a vanilla flavor this time. Being without the cocoa powder, this coating is more the usual thing, also with its glossy seal. Again, it’s a good, thick chocolate layer.
Emily’s claims to stand by pure ingredients, and that’s definitely evident here. The dried cherries are nice and soft and moist, with their sweet/tart aspects balancing well with the chocolate. Chewy and melty, sweet and fruity. The hazelnuts are crisp and clear in their freshness, taking the lead while the chocolate acts as more of an accent.
It turns out that the cranberries actually have a less tart presence than the cherries. They don’t really get lost in the chocolate, what with the nice tang they give you to chew on, but sometimes it feels like they get pretty close to it. I think I enjoyed the almonds as much as the hazelnuts. The chocolate in them acts very flowing and gentle.
I’ll admit, I wasn’t wowed so much by these. But wowing isn’t always necessary. There’s a mark on the back of the boxes saying “Everyday Treasures – Created With Care” around a treasure chest. That basically explains it. This “Festive Gathering of Fruit and Nuts” isn’t like the Hotel Chocolat Christmas Wreath, but each of these boxes is also only four dollars. So that results in a fitting, less expensive alternative that stands in its own position of good quality.