Top Pick Of The Week

June 21, 2005

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Satchel
Our prescription for a great chocolate experience: eat one of every bar Coco makes. We guarantee you’ll have great chocolate dreams. Shown above: Get Well Gift Package. Large $65.00, Small $25.00.

Chocolate Wishes,
Coco’s Chocolate Dreams


Each year when we attend the Chocolate Show, a 4-day event in New York City (also in Paris and Tokyo) showcasing leading chocolatiers from the U.S. and around the world, we know we will make some exciting discoveries. One of those at the most recent show was Coco’s Chocolate Dreams—the most delectable and fun chocolate bars we could dream of. 

Chocolatier Jeanne Marie Miller is a Paris-trained chef who knows how to cook up a great recipe. She also knows how to create a cute concept. Coco—a bit of a grown-up Eloise—came to her one day in a vision.

Coco’s vivid dreams are the inspiration for more than 2 dozen chocolate bar creations—mixtures of the finest chocolate plus various blends of cookies, nuts fruits, caramel and surprises like granola, and pretzels.  To those whose chocolate bar universe consists of “with nuts or without,” Coco will take you where no bar has gone before. Examples:

  • The Tsunami Bar (Disaster Survival Collection) is unusually marbled white and milk chocolate—while blended together, both flavors remain distinct—textured with almonds, apricots, chocolate sandwich cookies and cinnamon graham crackers.  Don’t question it—buy it and savor it. 
  • Want something simpler? Martha’s Mount Vernons Bar is milk chocolate, dried cherries and pecans.  We don’t generally prefer milk chocolate, but we couldn’t stop eating this little masterpiece. It sounds so matter-of-fact, but is matter-of-wow.
  Tsunami Bar
Tsunami Bar: marbled white and milk chocolate, almonds, apricots, chocolate sandwich cookies and cinnamon graham crackers.

While we initially faced down our task of eating 26 bars with a wee bit of skepticism, each bar truly is special. Even the differences between dark, milk, and white versions with the same ingredients are fascinating to compare and contrast, for how the different kinds of chocolates bring out different nuances in the ingredients.

Mint Chocolate Bar
Dreamy Dark Bar: dark chocolate, fudge mint shortbread and mint butter cookies.
 

Everyone will have a favorite based on his or her particular flavor passions.

We love dark chocolate with fudge mint shortbread and mint butter cookies (Mint Symphony Collection, Dreamy Dark Bar). Our art director prefers milk chocolate, macadamias and caramel with a touch of sea salt (Great Rivers of the World Collection, Wailua River Barand by the way, we love that one too).  If you have dreamed of jumping into a thick slab of white chocolate, the Monsoon Bar could be it; with a lovely crunch provided by chopped macadamias and crackers, plus subtle notes of dried tropical fruit, candied ginger and coconut (Disaster Survival Collectionand we will jump in with you)

But even if you never envisioned eating any particular set of ingredients you find on Coco’s menu, let us assure you: There are no wrong choices. Things we normally don’t like and rarely eat elsewhere (like milk chocolate) are magic in Coco’s hands. There is not one bar in this wonderful collection that we would kick off our plate; and far too many we are now addicted to.

So here’s what we recommend:  Order one of everything, and invite a friend or 2 or 3  to join you in a Coco-thon. Rent or buy the excellent film, Chocolat and watch Juliette Binoche make wonderful chocolate as you enjoy yours. You can divide each of Coco’s bars into up to four tastes—grudgingly, because you won’t want to give up any of it.  (We ate each bar all by ourselves.)

Take notes on your favorites: You’ll be ordering them again and again. Because a kiss is just a kiss, but chocolate bars from Coco’s Chocolate Dreams are a kiss to build a dream on.

—Karen Hochman

Chocolat
Rent or buy the DVD of Chocolat to enjoy along with your Coco’s Chocolate Dreams.

FORWARD THIS NIBBLE to your chocolate-loving friends.

COCO’S CHOCOLATE DREAMS

Premium European Chocolate Bars

More than 26 different combinations of
candy, nut, and cookie combinations:

  • 3-Ounce Chocolate Bars
    $3.50 Each
  • Disaster Survival Kit: 6 Bars
    $20.00
  • Assorted Festively-Boxed Gift Sets
    $25.00-$65.00

Purchase online at
CocosChocolateDreams.com

Shipping additional. Prices and flavor availability
are verified at publication but are subject to
change.

Disaster Survival Kit
In case of chocolate emergency, break plastic—and
consume the six incredible bars inside. Coco’s Disaster
Survival Kit includes the Avalanche Bar, Earthquake Bar, Hurricane Bar, Monsoon Bar, Mudslide Bar, and Tsunami Bar. $20.00. Photo by Matt Chun.

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