Tag Archives: chocolate truffles

Thanks for November Flavors!

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There are some cool new truffle flavors to try this month while we move toward the holidays and try to keep our perspective on what’s most important. Remembering our gratitude is a central tenet of living a good life. No matter our theology, if we keep our thoughts centered on what we are grateful for we will always be moving toward balance.

NEW! Malbec Juice Truffle – The Malbec grape comes from the Bordeaux region of France, but now is grown all over the world, including Washington. In this truffle the juice of the Malbec grape comes through with hints of blackberry and cherry. While Malbec grapes are most commonly used to produce wine, we like its fruitier flavor here as a simple juice.  Thanks to Jeff and Sheila at Davenport Cellars setting it aside for us!

NEW! Madras Curry Truffle – Curry is a word that covers a lot of territory.  It stems from the South Indian word ‘kari’, meaning sauce. However, the name ‘Madras Curry’ was concocted by restaurants in the UK, and that term isn’t used at all in India. Similar blends are found near the ancient city of Madras (now called Chennai). Our Madras blend has this long list of spices: Coriander, Peppercorns, Ginger, Turmeric, Chilli Peppers, Green Cardamom, Cassia Cinnamon, and Fenugreek. Are you curious to find out what all those spices will do in a chocolate truffle?

NEW! Garam Masala Truffle – Garam Masala is another kind of curry-related term, loosely translating as “intense mixture”. Curries vary by continents, countries, and households. Aaron’s Garam Masala includes: Peppercorns, Cloves, Green Cardamom, Black Cardamom, Cumin, Black Cumin, Cassia Cinnamon, Ginger, Bay Leaves, and Mace. This type of spice blend comes out of the Punjabi region of North India.

Cranberry Truffle – This truffle is flavored with cranberry juice. Cranberries grow in acidic bogs across the northern hemisphere, and The Cranberries are an awesome band from Ireland where there are lots of bogs! First called Crane-berries by white settlers because of the shape of the plant’s flower, the same fruit was called sassamanash by the Native Americans who used it in pemmican, and purportedly served the fruit to settlers in what was to eventually be called The First Thanksgiving.

Hot Toddy Truffle – An off-shoot of the original Scottish recipe, our hot toddy serves up a touch of whiskey, honey, fresh lemon zest, and cloves. Its said that a hot toddy used to be considered a viable treatment for the common cold, or to warm up a chilled traveler. We still think its a heck of a comforting gesture, and that warms the cockles of our hearts!

Pie are Round Truffle – These are the spices that will remind you of luscious pumpkin pie: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. No pumpkin to be found here, just lots of awesome spicy flavor, swirled around in dark chocolate. This brings to mind nurturing bakers, and their welcoming kitchens that we love to visit.

Honeybush Truffle – The South African shrub (Heuningbos [Cyclopia spp]) infused into this truffle has an amazingly honey-like flavor with pronounced floral and herbal character.  It is one of our favorite herbal tea ingredients and a great way to get honey flavor if you need to cook for someone with a severe bee allergy.

Orange-Fennel Truffle – Using fresh orange zest and fennel “seed”, this truffle will make an impression that you will not soon forget. Commonly referred to as “seeds”, these are actually the fruit of the fennel plant which gives these light anise flavoring. Naturally sweet all on it’s own, fennel fruit has many known medicinal values, including calming the stomach and aiding in digestion. Paired here with orange, the combination will give you pause as your taste buds work to decipher its complexity. Recognized as a noble plant in many cultures, it was said to be the fennel plant that Prometheus used as a torch to “borrow” a bit of fire from the gods!

Fortunato No. 4 Truffle – Thought to be extinct for 100 years, this single origin chocolate comes from Peru and is organically grown and fairly traded. Named for the Peruvian farmer, one Senor Fortunato, who was caring for the re-discovered cacao trees at the high altitudes of the Maranon Canyon.

Zoka Moka Latte Truffle – Made with organic direct-trade coffee from Los Placeres Farm in Nicaragua. This bean is roasted by Zoka Coffe Roasters & Tea Company, an award winning Seattle-based operation.

Saint Basil Truffle – The “King of Herbs”, fresh, organic basil will surprise you with how wonderful it tastes in dark chocolate. One of the most popular herbs throughout history, our Saint Basil Truffle remains on the top of the popularity list with our customers. Rich in phyto-nutrients and iron, basil has many health benefits.

Jamaican HOT Chocolate Truffle – Dark rum, nutmeg, honey, vanilla, and habenero peppers influence this favorite truffle. The character of rum can vary profoundly depending on how it is aged. Barrel aging and burnt sugar give this drink its characteristic natural brown color. Habanero peppers can be unpredictable, but they are all hot. The familiar orange tropical fruit originated in the Yucatan pennisula, but habaneros come out of the Caribbean, too. Rum and habaneros are old island mates, finally found together again in this exciting truffle.

What are we thankful for? Chocolate. You, our customers and family. Chocolate.

How to Make a Tipsy Truffle

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“How do you make a truffle tipsy?”

Just ask our friend, Barbie, at findingchocolate. Oh, the fun things she dreams up to do with chocolate!

For this truffle-tastic activity you will need to assemble the following:

  • Intrigue truffles, flavors of your choosing
  • Creme de Cacao
  • Vodka, Rum, or Brandy
  • Grand Marnier
  • Long toothpicks

We think this would be a smash-hit at a gathering of friends, or as an after-dinner drink and dessert combo!

Cheers!

September flavors

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NEW! Sake Truffle – Our 110th flavor is made with Dewanoyuki (“yuki”) sake. “Yuki” means snow and this sake comes from the Yamagata prefecture (prefectures are governmental bodies encompassing cities, towns, and villages) on the island of Nippon (Japan). This sake is made in one of the oldest Japanese breweries (established in 1620)and adds an interesting element to our dark chocolate truffle.

California Bay Truffle – Much stronger than the typical bay leaf of our mother’s beef stew, the California Bay leaf flavor develops weeks after it is picked and dries. With a history as a medicine, it is said that the pungent smell can relieve headaches by tucking a leaf into your hatband.

Chipotle Truffle – Spanish for “smoked chili pepper”, chipotle (or chilpoptle) derives from the ancient Nahuatl word chilpoktli. Jalapenos dried slowly through a traditional process give this truffle a smoky heat.

Tequila-Lime Truffle – Salt, tequila, lime, or tequila, salt, lime? It’s entirely up to you, there is no official governing body for tequila shots. However, Mexico does maintain the exclusive international rights to the word “tequila”, upon pain of legal prosecution. Agave, the plants from whence all tequila comes, tastes differently depending on where it is grown, In the highlands agave takes on a sweeter character, from the lowland agave there is a more herb-like flavor.

Utah Basin Salt Truffle – Ancient seas left behind a rich salt deposit in the basin area of Utah. With commercial saltworks and mining there since 1848, Utah salt has been reknowned for its mineral laden salt. With a unique pinkish appearns and over 60 trace minerals, this salt has a sweet flavor that really brings out the true chocolate flavor of the truffle.

Peaches ‘n Cream Truffle – Someone tell Harry; ancient Chinese emperors sent sorcerers ahead of them when traveling, bearing peach-branch wands to ward off harm. Peaches are still served at birthday parties in China as a symbol of long life. We want peaches with cream at our party.

Orange Truffle – Orange, a noun and an adjective, But what came first, the fruit or the colour? Before this word was introduced to the English-speaking world, the colour was referred to as geoluhread (yellow-red in Old English). There were no oranges for eating in England then, but eventually the fruit bore the name and the English word for it became synonymous with the colour after about 1512. Any way you slice the etymology, orange and chocolate flavors are one of the best combos in the modern world.

Anise Truffle – Anise is the plant that gives real licorice its true flavor. It was so prized in 1305 England that King Edward I taxed it as an imported medicine at its profits helped rebuild the London Bridge. Your mouth will be marveling at what anise does in our dark chocolate.

Zoka Moka Latte Truffle – Sourced from Zoka coffee roasters in Seattle this direct trade bean, works wonders with chocolate and cream. Mocha is how we Americans order chocolate in our coffee, but the name was first a place in Yemen, a major coffee exporter in ancient Arabia. The Italians call it Moka, and that rhymes with Zoka!

Fortunato No. 4 Truffle – Maranon Valley in Peru produces a rare cacao plant that has a mixture of purple and white seeds. Back up, did you know that most cacao beans are purple? Both colored beans turn brown when roasted, but the white beans are lower in bitter anthocynanins. Thereby giving a more mellow tasting chocolate.

Saint Basil Truffle – Basil now grows wild in the Mediterranean areas Such a glorious thought to imagine basil growing as a “weed” (a completely subjective judgement, right? Weed, indeed.) How cool would it be it plunk yourself right down in the thick of it and breathe in the perfume? One fantasy made better only by adding Intrigue truffles to it. Ahhh…a truffle picnic in a Mediterranean field of wild basil. Gorgeous.

Jamaican HOT! Chocolate Truffle – You will find habanero chili peppers, white rum, vanilla and honey in this special truffle. Capsaicin (from the habaneros) is what puts the hot in this HOT! truffle. More evidence is being gathered that says this truffle should be an important part of your weight-loss plan. Capsaicin can curb appetite and increase energy expenditure by increasing heat production. Really! Plus it’s yummy.

Fall in Chocolate: It’s Good for You!

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Chocolate is good for your eyes. Do your eyes get tired from spending too much time staring at a computer screen? Lots of us do, and it’s tough to avoid. Here are some things you can do to deal with eye strain:

  • Take breaks from staring into your computer screen on a regular basis, focusing at something across the room.
  • Better yet, stand up and move around even for a few seconds while looking into the distance, double duty. Get the blood flowing to your arse and unclench your eyeballs.
  • Eat some dark chocolate!

Continue reading →

Taste of Summer: August Flavors

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August is still full-fledged summer, with all the heat, humidity, and brightness that drives us on to pack in as much summer flavor as possible. Undeniably summertime, for now we will try to put off sensible things like house work, early bedtimes, and regular schedules. Taste all that summer left in August’s flavors.


NEW! Blackberry Truffle – Yes, a fruit. No, not a berry. Gotta’ love that word ‘drupelet’ that describes the conglomeration of tiny fruitlets surrounding the seeds that cling together to make our dear blackberry. Brambles–or caneberries in places like the UK–they are tasty anywhere. Extra tasty in this truffle.

NEW! Mezcal Truffle – Made from the heart of the maguey plant, this distilled beverage hearkens back to the fascination of the conquistadors with the native drink, ‘pulque’. Aguardiente–fiery water–is said to come from a lightning bolt striking the ‘pina’ or heart of the agave.

NEW! Black Lemon Truffle – Known by the names black lemon, black lime, or loomi. Not really lemons at all, this Middle Eastern specialty is actually a dried lime. Strong sour-citrusy flavor that is slightly bitter comes from boiling fresh limes in salt water and drying in the sun.

Fortunato No. 4 Truffle – Thought to be extinct for 100 years, this single origin chocolate comes from Peru and is organically grown and fairly traded. Named for the Peruvian farmer, one Senor Fortunato, who was caring for the re-discovered cacao trees at the high altitudes of the Maranon Canyon.

Basmati Truffle – Rice flavor in chocolate might seem odd, but only if you don’t know basmati. In Sanskrit its name means “the fragrant one”, and in Arabic “my smile”. And for a very flavorful reason. This isn’t your mama’s white rice, folks. Nuanced fragrance is a lovely thing in a truffle. Compare the fresh lime zest in this truffle to the loomi in the other one to see how different a lime can be.

Good Thymes Truffle – Ancient Greeks loved to use the herb thyme in their baths, and for the penetrating fragrance it gave as incense. Believed to give courage and ward off nightmares if tucked under your pillow.

What’s the Buzzz? Truffle – Nectar of flowers, so romantic and so darn good for you, too. Honey is an amazing medicine; anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral. All that, and so yummy!

Lady Lavender Truffle – Aromatic as an evening walk through a summer garden. Lavender was sold in Roman times for 100 denari a pound, as much as a month’s wages for a farmer!

Peppercorn Truffle – The piperine compound is responsible for the “pep” in the peppercorn. It gives a distinct woody flavor and a haunting indescribable aroma to this delightful truffle.

Zoka Moka Latte Truffle – Made with organic direct-trade coffee from Los Placeres Farm in Nicaragua. This bean is roasted by Zoka Coffe Roasters & Tea Company, an award winning Seattle-based operation.

Saint Basil Truffle – Clean and clear as a fresh-mowed lawn, green and healthy as the organic day is long. Our basil truffle always pleases.

Jamaican HOT! Chocolate Truffle – The gentle heat of habanero chili peppers peaks through the dark rum, nutmeg, honey and vanilla of this very popular truffle.

This month’s novel flavors bring Intrigue Chocolates to a total count of 109 original truffle flavors. Catch a little taste of summer before it’s over!