L.A. Burdick Chocolate

Every year, my mother still sends me a box of goodies for Halloween.  Last year, it contained some candy corn, and mediocre generic chocolate.  I think she must have gotten the memo that her daughter has turned into a chocolate snob, as this year, the box contained chocolates from L.A. Burdick!

Burdick is a small chocolatier located in Walpole, NH, although they also have cafes in Cambridge, MA and NYC, which is where they are more widely known.  In particular, people know them for their amazingly rich hot chocolates, available in several strengths, which are perfect for New England winter days!

I've also really enjoyed some of their truffles in the past.

Assorted Mice.  $32.

The first box I opened was impressive looking.  It was a wooden box, complete with a wax seal and ribbon on it.  I opened up the box to reveal 9 little mice staring up at me.

The mice are one of their signature items.  Cute little things, with silky (non-edible) tails.  The ears are made from almonds.  The box contained three varieties, all filled with differently flavored dark chocolate ganache:

• Milk Mouse: "Milk and dark chocolate ganache with espresso, covered with milk chocolate and almonds".  Tasting notes: A nice creamy milk chocolate shell, filled with a very creamy ganache.  I did not taste any coffee flavor however.  The almonds were a surprise; I thought they were just a gimick, used for the ears, but they actually had a great flavor and added a nice crunch.  The non-edible tail on the other hand was just annoying.  Why have it in there?
• White Mouse: "Dark chocolate ganache with cinnamon, covered with white chocolate and almonds".  Tasting notes: The white chocolate wasn't very good, very waxy.  The ganache seemed milk chocolate, not dark chocolate.  It had a grainy consistency, as if perhaps it had been heat exposed during shipping?  There was some spicing, which was a nice touch.
• Dark Mouse: " Dark chocolate ganache with freshly squeezed orange juice, covered with dark chocolate and almonds".  Tasting notes: A nice dark chocolate shell, creamy milk chocolate ganache that had some orange undertones.  I don't love orange, so that somewhat ruined it for me, but overall, still decent.

These are a fairly high quality, unique, signature product, but at $3.50 each, a little pricy.

Dark chocolate dipped crystalized ginger.  $26.

These were exactly what you'd expect.

Candied crystalized ginger with a zing to it, but lots of sugar coating.  Half dipped in decent dark chocolate.  I didn't think chocolate and ginger were a great combination however, the bitter chocolate just didn't complement the bold ginger flavor.

$26 for only a handful of pieces seemed very expensive.

Chocolate Covered Pates de Fruits.  $20.  Top layer.

• Red currant with milk chocolate coating: All I tasted was sweetness.  I didn't taste the milk chocolate at all.  And the flavor of the pate de fruit was rather indistinguishable, just sweet.  Second to least favorite.
• Apricot with dark chocolate coating: The dark chocolate was really quite good.  Bitter, smooth, with some depth to it.  It was way too strong for the pate de fruits however, and completely overwhelmed the apricot flavor.  Not that I really minded, as I enjoyed the chocolate quite a bit!  My favorite of these.

Chocolate Covered Pates de Fruits.  Bottom layer.

• Rhubarb with white chocolate coating:  I didn't like the white chocolate at all.  It had that nasty fake taste that gives white chocolate a bad reputation.  I also thought the filling was apricot based on the color, but couldn't really distinguish it as anything.  I looked it up online later and saw that it was rhubarb.  Perhaps that explains why I didn't like this, as I can't stand rhubarb!  Least favorite.
• Raspberry with dark chocolate coating: Nice smooth dark chocolate, nice raspberry filling.  Had seeds in it even.  Second favorite

Overall these weren't that great.  I wouldn't get again.  And at over $1 each, definitely over priced.