Christopher Elbow Chocolates

Every day of my life, I start the day with chocolate.  Ok, with a nicely balanced breakfast, a cup of coffee, and chocolate.  To me, a piece of chocolate alongside my morning coffee is just ... essential?  Often times it isn't fancy, just a decent quality piece of dark of milk chocolate, depending on my mood, but there are certainly days that a truffle or chocolate covered nut or toffee feel more appropriate (or, uh, necessary).  Anyway, I eat a lot of different chocolate, which I often don't review.

Christopher Elbow is a chocolatier that launched his own product line in 2003, after starting his career as a line cook at a country club, and eventually working at one of Emeril’s flagship restaurants.  But chocolate was his passion, and thus, a chocolate brand, in his own name, was born.  The brand is based in Kansas City, but has exactly two stores, one there, and oddly, one in San Francisco, which is where I was able to find it.  I only tried two items, but I'd gladly try more.

Confections

"From chocolate-covered nuts and our fan-favorite pecan caramels to rich buttery toffee and small-batch malt balls, these classic confections have been deliciously re-imagined with the highest quality gourmet chocolate and best ingredients from around the world."

While Christopher Elbow does make chocolate bars, it is the confections that I zeroed in on. 

Candied Hazelnuts. $15.

"Oregon hazelnuts that have been freshly roasted and coated with a buttery toffee, then covered in our gourmet milk and dark chocolate blend and dusted with powdered sugar."

The first item I tried was candied hazelnuts.

These.  Are.  Amazing.

The center is a roasted hazelnut, super crunchy, coated in amazingly sweet and crunchy toffee.  Then it is coated in a chocolate shell that is thick enough for the high quality chocolate to come through, but it doesn't overwhelm the nut.  The powdered sugar on the outside mirrors the sweet toffee inside, pulling it all together.

I loved these.  Sweet but balanced by the quality chocolate and nut, crunchy, addicting.  Clearly high quality components.

At $15 for a small bag makes them a splurge, but, a worthy one.  ****.

Peppermint Bark.

Next up, a seasonal offering, peppermint bark.

It was a bit of a boring, particularly compared to the glory of those candied hazelnuts.

It was fine, a thick layer of white chocolate, a thin layer of darker chocolate, peppermint crunch on top.  Basically, fairly standard peppermint bark.  Some slight peppermint flavor.  It seemed no different to me than the stuff from Williams-Sonoma, or anywhere else slinging it during the holidays.

The high quality of the chocolate wasn't allowed to shine here.

***+.