Mother's Day Chocolate Gifts from Hotel Chocolat

Don't forget Mother's Day this Sunday 10th March!

If you're looking for something delicious for your mum, then Hotel Chocolat have some extra special chocolates in their wide range of Mother's Day Gifts. They have something to suit every budget and you can order by 6pm for next working day delivery so it's not too late!

The All About Mum Selection is a beautifully presented collection of creamy truffles with sparkling champagne, zingy blueberries and lemon, warm and comforting caramel, chocolate mousse and melt-away pralines.

The chocolates were extremely well packaged so there's no need to fear about them being damaged in the post.  A personalised gift message is also included. 

The All About Mum Selection box is suitable for vegetarians, alcohol free.  Contains soya, milk, nuts.

Thank you to Beth and Hotel Chocolat for sending me these to review.

All opinions and thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review. I only ever post reviews on products I like the look of and would buy myself.

Thorntons Chocolates – Gifts for Every Occasion

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, the ideal gift for your Valentine has to be a nice box of chocolates.  Thorntons sell chocolate truffles either on their own, or in various gift combinations.  Personally, I love the Champagne truffle hearts, oh but then again, the Prosecco and Viennese truffles hamper makes for a really special gift that I wouldn’t mind receiving either!

  Of course Thorntons have many other chocolate related gifts to suit almost every occasion and price range. From delicious chocolate bars, to a Chilli Hot Chocolate Gift Collection – a gorgeous collection that comes pre-wrapped in organza, making it look a lot more expensive than it actually is.  

Relax on the sofa whilst sipping a big mug of chilli hot chocolate. Now all you have to do is decide which block of chocolate to nibble on.  Choose from Ginger, Chilli, French Dark or 85% Cocoa – which one would you unwrap first I wonder?

If you’re getting married, then did you know that Thorntons also have Wedding favours too?  They can be personalised just by giving their team a ring and since you can choose from next or named day delivery, you can be sure your chocolate gifts will arrive safely in time for your big day.

Cocoa Boutique Chocolate Club - A Review

Cocoa Boutique is a new online chocolate club and like other chocolate clubs, the idea is you receive a regular box of assorted chocolates through the post. 

  All the chocolates are hand made by award winning Master Chocolatiers such as, Barry Colenso, Pierre Ledent and Claire Hicklin to name but a few.  Plus you'll find a few hidden gems in each box from up and coming British chocolatiers to get your taste buds going and give you a truly artisan experience.

Giveaway - A Luxury Box of Chocolates by Genevie

Fancy winning a box of Luxury Handmade Chocolates? 

Chocolate by Genevie is a new, family run independent chocolatier with an online shop full of amazing looking handmade chocolates.
 They are giving away a Luxury Box of Chocolates worth £36.99 to one lucky reader of A Glug of Oil.

 A stunning silk covered chocolate heart box with mouth watering mixed chocolates that really redefine luxury chocolates. The chocolate box is has a hand made silk ribbon and is packaged in traditional wood wool leaving no detail to chance.  Contains 32 handmade chocolates. You can see full details of each individual chocolate here. 

 About Chocolates by Genevie:

They use only the finest ingredients in their chocolates which are packaged exquisitely and delivered FREE post to the UK mainland. Everything from making the chocolates to finishing the boxes is done by hand making sure you receive a product which is both unique and special. 'We are a small family business dedicated to making chocolate that is second to none.  Everyone of our chocolate products is exclusive to the website ChocolatesByGenevie.co.uk

You will never see any of our products in shops or sold on other sites'.

So lets help spread the word and for a chance to win, just follow the Rafflecopter instructions.  If you leave a comment on this post it will not show up straight away as all comments are moderated.

Please note: The chocolates can be sent to a UK mainland address only.

Good luck everyone and all the very best to Chocolate by Genevie!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Forman and Field Tasting Hamper - Review

I was recently sent a lovely 'Tasting Hamper' to review from Forman and Field.
The hamper arrived around early in the morning, was perfectly packed and full of loads of yummy food.....

 What was inside?!

Choccywoccydoodah - New Series

Choccywoccydoodah - yes you read right!  
For anyone that hasn't seen it before there's a new series about to start:
World-class chocolatiers at Choccywoccydoodah are back exclusively on the Good Food channel, weeknights at 9pm from Monday 2nd July for a new series
of chocolate mischief and mayhem with even more glitz, glamour, celebrities and of course spectacular cake designs.

Hotel Chocolat Extra Thick Chocolate Egg - Review

Hotel Chocolat very kindly delivered us one of their Extra Thick Easter Eggs to try.  Named 'Serious Dark Fix,' it certainly lives up to its name!

 

The egg arrived well packaged and in perfect condition.  The actual egg packaging looks expensive too with a lovely black bow finishing it off.  Priced at £26 - I'd say it is certainly worth the money.

 The 'Serious Dark Fix' egg is made of 70% dark chocolate which really is very nice and thick.  As the name suggests it's a real chocolate fix for any chocolate lover!  

Two egg halves - one studded with crunchy cocoa nibs.  Inside the shells there are 14 chocolates with the most amazing fillings from rum, chilli praline, raspberry liqueur and salted caramel and more.

 Of course there are more Extra Thick Chocolate Eggs in the Easter egg collection including milk chocolate too if dark chocolate isn't your thing. 

Thank you to Beth and Hotel Chocolat for sending us one to try.

  

No Bake - White Chocolate and Raspberry Cheesecake

Easy no bake mini cheesecakes.  After the success of my Tiny Toblerone Cheesecakes, I had a go at white chocolate and raspberry as I love the combo and besides, raspberries always look nice in any dessert. 

Of course this recipe can be adapted to make one big cheesecake - see the different print options below.

You can use fresh or defrosted frozen raspberries for this.

I love the swirly pattern the raspberries make.

Weight Watchers Milk Chocolate Digestive Biscuits - Review

New from Weight Watchers  - Milk Chocolate Digestive Biscuits at just 1 ProPoint® per biscuit.

 Readers of this blog will know I'm not much of a chocolate person.  However, when your talking biscuits that's a different matter - I do like a nice chocolate digestive with my cuppa!

Philadelphia with Cadbury Chocolate - Review

Philadelphia with Cadbury or ‘Choccy Philly’ is now available in the UK.

I must admit the idea of Philadelphia and Cadbury chocolate blended together sounded strange.  However, having now tried it I thought it tasted just like Cadbury Dairy Milk but in a spread which is actually rather nice indeed!

 Paul (the husband and official taster of all things chocolate) loves it! 

It has a light and creamy texture and spreads easily.  As you spread it on hot toast the smell of chocolate wafts up at you!
It's also ideal for bread, bagels, biscuits, and even as a dip for fruit.
 A 30 serving contains 86 calories and contains half the fat and less sugar than many other chocolate spreads on a like for like basis.

You can find lots of recipe ideas over at the Philadelphia website.

Thank you to Mel for sending me some to try.
 

Lovely Valentine's Day Gifts Delivered from Hotel Chocolat

Valentine's Day is just around the corner (Tuesday February 14th) and Hotel Chocolat have a fantastic range of  Valentines Day Gifts that can be ordered online and delivered to your Valentine's door!

The Sleekster Love Selection Box not only looks good but it tastes good too.  Paul (the husband and official taster of all things chocolate) says once again Hotel Chocolat chocolates are the best!
So far he's tasted one of each flavour and can't fault any of them.

Priced at just £22 and contains 26 chocolates and truffles all with amazing fillings:

  Champagne and cherry, fruity blackcurrant and strawberry, liquid caramels, stunning hearts, luscious lips and much more.

Personally, I think the 'Sleekster' boxes are a great idea to send as a gift because you don't have to worry about the person being home for the delivery - the long slim box will fit through most letterboxes!
Every gift from Hotel Chocolat is delivered with a gift card including your personal message.
Thank you to Beth and of course Hotel Chocolat for sending me these to try.

Christmas Gifts from Hotel Chocolat

Christmas is just around the corner and Hotel Chocolat have a great range of Christmas Gifts.  They also have a Stocking Fillers starting at just £5 

I was recently sent the Sleekster Classic Christmas Selection, what an amazing box of chocolates!    

Don't you just love the look of them?!

The Sleekster Christmas Selection sells for £22 which is excellent considering the quality.  These chocolates really are different and a cut above any other brand out there.

With a range of fillings from Simple Milk Truffle and Rum Truffle to Champagne Truffle.  There's also Mulled Wine, Christmas Mess, Cinnamon Praline, and Gingerbread Truffle too!

The Zesty Marzipan Star is even dabbed with edible gold!

Other interesting fillings include Star Anise and Salted Caramel, Chilli Truffle and Ginger Cheesecake and more.  In case you are wondering, it is suitable for vegetarians.

Another thing I personally like about the 'Sleekster' range of boxes, is that the box is just the right shape to fit through most standard sized letterboxes.  So, you can surprise someone with your gift without the worry of them being out when it arrives.   After all, if you have to ask them if they'll be in, it kinda gives the game away!

 Pop over to Hotel Chocolat and have a look for yourself.

 Thank you to Beth and Hotel Chocolat.

  

Toblerone Snowballs

At the time of writing it's a little bit early for Christmas stuff, but I made these the other week - they were the result of an experiment that went wrong!

Toblerone snowballs, truffles, sweets, whatever you want to call them, here they are.

I discovered that when you add runny honey to melted Toblerone it  immediately goes like stiff sticky goo, but fear not - this is how my Toblerone snowballs are made!

Tiny Toblerone Cheesecakes - Three Ways

Calling all Chocolate Lovers - There's a great competition with a fantastic prize to be won over at the Toblerone FaceBook Page.
 

It's so easy to enter, all you have to do is upload a recipe to My Toblerone that you've made using Toblerone - simple!

Of course, I'm not entering the competition myself, but to get you all inspired I made these individual no bake Toblerone Cheesecakes each using a different filling of White, Dark and Milk Toblerone Tinys. 
So with that said - what will you make?

Chocolate Delight have agreed to give away the following prize:

A one-on-one chocolate workshop, where the winner will learn how to make truffles using Toblerone chocolate including one nights stay at the Chocolate Boutique Hotel

Get thinking, come up with a great recipe and you could be the winner of this fantastic prize.
Continue reading for my cheesecake recipe.

Vanilla Poached Pears with Chocolate Sauce - Tesco Real Food Challenge

Just in case you haven't heard - Tesco are running a competition to find the best Real Food Cook out there in a competition called the Tesco Real Food Challenge!

   There are eight mood categories in the competition, each of which is backed by a Celebrity and a Food Blogger.  

 Do you have a recipe that could be a winner?   

If you do, then pop over to Tesco Real Food and enter it now.  There are some fantastic prizes to be won and you could even appear on TV in a show if your recipe gets though.

 

I'm teamed up with TV celebrity Tim Lovejoy in the category 

'Date Night Dinners'.

Tim's recipe for a date night dinner is Vanilla Poached Pears with Chocolate Sauce - and so of course, I had to make it myself - just to make sure it tasted good of course!

Tim's recipe can be found over at the Tesco Real Food Challenge website. 

As they say you've got to be in it to win it, so, what food best matches your mood?

  My 'Date Night Dinner' recipe for Prawn and Chorizo with Linguine and Chilli can also be found there, although of course, I'm not entered into the competition, it's just my suggestion for a Date Night Dinner.

Hotel Chocolat Competition and a Caramel Egg Sandwich!

With Easter just around the corner, how nice would it be to win a luxury Chocolate Hamper from Hotel Chocolat?!

All you have to do its, come up with a name for the new ‘Easter Baby’ and the winner will receive a luxury chocolate hamper worth £75.

 Well, you have to be in it to win it as they say - so pop over to Hotel Chocolat FaceBook Competition and enter it now!

All entries to be received by midnight Sunday 24th April and UK residents.

On the subject of chocolate, I was very kindly sent this lovely looking Caramel Chocolate, Easter Egg Sandwich!

  As you know not being a great lover of things chocolaty, once again Paul (the husband) was only too keen to give it a try!  His verdict: Totally Delicious!

Seriously creamy, rich caramel and white chocolate, sprinkled with caramel pieces and sandwiched between caramel chocolate shells. 

Thank you to Hotel Chocolat and Beth.

Ps: Don't forget to enter that competition!

Dark Chocolate and Orange Cheesecake with Grand Marnier Liqueur

Rich, smooth, dark chocolate cheesecake with orangey bits and a hint of Grand Marnier liqueur - I should imagine this is a chocolate lovers dream.

  The orangey bits in the Lindt 'Orange Intense' chocolate used in this recipe really sets it apart from other orange cheesecake recipes.

MyIce - Collect and Spend Ice Credits Online

I was contacted by MyIce a fantastic new website where consumers can collect and spend Ice credits online either by visiting MyIce.com or over telephone or in-store with an Ice card. 

It's all very 'ice' and easy too.....sorry I couldn't help myself! 

So, start shopping and start collecting your credits now.

The people at MyIce very kindly credited my account with enough Ice points to buy some yummy chocolate.  All I had to do was click 'Spend Ice' at the top of the screen and carry on with my order as you normally would with any online ordering. If I had wanted anything more expensive I could of course, have simply paid the balance.

How did I find the shopping experience?
    * It took me just 2 minutes to register and a few minutes to place an order.
    * I ordered Green and Black's 'Chocolate Lovers Collection' which can be found under the Food and Drink on the MyIce website.
    * I found the MyIce website was very easy to navigate and very easy to use.
    * It was simple to know how many points I had as they were shown at the top of the screen.
    * The whole process was so easy and you easily can join MyIce here.

The Chocolates from Green and Black's arrived and were rather very nice indeed!  As you can see, there was a selection of chocolate bars packaged really nicely too.

Read more from MyIce:
Ice credits are available for buying sustainable products and services from British businesses across multiple sectors, including food & drink, travel, home & garden, home energy, fashion & clothing, pets and gifts & treats.
With no catches, Ice rewards customers with Ice credits that can be spent as soon as they appear in the customer’s MyIce Account and can be mixed freely with cash or card payment.

Chocolate Boutique - Chocolate and Love

Now, how do you like the sound of an online Chocolate Boutique?! 

Chocolate and Love have a collection of the finest chocolates created by award-winning brands and chocolatiers from around the
world.  Selling chocolate of the highest quality and also a range of hard to find chocolate.
Some are organic, some fairly traded, some gluten free, some sugar free, some raw, some handmade.

All are yummy!

You can buy your chocolate online and have it delivered to your doorstep, surprise your loved-one with a
Chocolate Club Membership, send delightful chocolates to a business partner as a ’thank you’,
offer clients customised chocolates with your logo at meetings, treat your employees or colleagues to a chocolate tasting.

I was very kindly sent some of their chocolate to try:

'Crushed Diamonds' with Cocoa Nibs has to be the best I say - 

Dark Fair Trade, Organic and Delicious. 
Paul (the husband) has got quite addicted to 'The Coffee Affair' a Dark Organic Fair Trade Chocolate with the Aroma of Espresso.  You have to love coffee for this one as the coffee flavour (to me anyway) was very strong.

Sounds good? Then pop over to Chocolate and Love now and have a look for yourself.

Thank you to Eliza for sending the chocolate to me.

Individual Banoffee Pies

Now, I'm not a one for desserts, but every now and then I have a fit in my head and make one!

You can of course pipe the cream to make them look more fancy.