O.K. I’m scaring myself now. I must have licked 1/2 a cup’s worth of olive oil ganache out of the bowl. I’ve been meaning to try this recipe for ages and I’m happy I finally did. It’s SO good! Basically you replace the cream for olive oil to make the ganache so it’s super rich but firmer than a normal ganache. I used my friend’s olive oil that his family makes in California and cut it with regular olive oil. Because it uses so much of his super high end olive oil, it would be an expensive little bon bon. I may put it in the display for special occasions only.

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I’ve been doing some tests with meringues to create an ice cream sandwich for the summer. I want to make something light and that’s why I chose a meringue based cookie as opposed to a chocolate chip cookie or an oatmeal cookie. In the first test I used pure melted chocolate which I folded into the meringue at the stiff peak stage. The taste was delicious but it looked bad and with all that expensive chocolate, the cost would be too high. I tried another one the other day and used cocoa powder this time but the meringue collapsed and it tasted super sweet. The search for the perfect meringue recipe continues.

In the meantime, Leva made a batch of gelato for us using the Valrhona Guanaja 80% we gave them. So good! The chocolate really added a certain depth that I’ve never tasted before in chocolate ice cream. Super chocolatey with a nice acidity and a long finish. Who would have thought that ice cream could have a long finish!

And now some heavy hitters:

1. Maison du Chocolat: I loved the experience of visiting this shop. The salesclerk was really sweet and each time we bought a chocolate she gave us the same one to sample on the spot. For the six we bought, we got four for free. You could tell that she was proud to work at La Maison and that she was passionate about the chocolate she sold.

The street scene at Maison du Chocolat

Window display at Maison du Chocolat

2. Patrick Roger: I could tell that this place was special as soon as I walked in. Perhaps it was the care with which the chocolate was presented or the dedication of the salesclerk. Maybe it was the chocolate itself calling me from inside its gorgeous packaging. In any case, I bought a lot of chocolate here without sampling any first, which was a rule that Angie and I established after being disappointed several times. Somehow I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed.

The front window, with the big title!

A close up of the titillating window display!

Inside the Patrick Roger store.

On the airplane ride home, Angie and I did a taste test of the two chocolatiers. Here are our impressions:

Taste: Robert Linxe, the founder of La Maison du Chocolat says that ” A successful ganache subtly unveils the flavor of the cacao” and his chocolate did just that! We tried first the dark chocolate ganache, which the salesclerk had recommended. It was perfectly smooth, perfectly fresh and absolutely transcendent in its simplicity. It was so very, very good. What they say about La Maison du Chocolat is true: It is the holy grail of chocolate.

Patrick Roger is quite different in his approach. Whereas la Maison du Chocolat is classical, and subtle, P.R. is bold and adventurous. First we tried the lime and basil ganache. The little square literally erupted in my mouth with tangy flavor. Outrageous and outrageously good. We also tried a chocolate dipped marzipan, which had a great, chewy texture to it. The delicate flavor of orange blossom stayed in my mouth for at least 15 minutes afterwards. Patrick Roger really opened my eyes to what you can do with flavours in chocolate. He manages to concentrate flavours of fruit or nut or spices in order to heighten your taste experience. Brilliant.

I can’t really chose which one I liked better of the two. I guess I would chose La Maison for the classic ganaches and if I am looking for a real burst of flavor, I would chose Patrick Roger.

Our adventure in Paris continues! Here were today’s stops:

Angelinas; On Sunday Angie and I decided to visit Angelina’s on Rue Rivoli. The guidebooks say they have the best hot chocolate in Paris. The locals and tourists seemed to agree because we waited 45 min. to get in. Angelinas is located in an incredibly gorgeous buildings with beautifully painted walls and guilded mirrors, columns and plush furniture, in turn of the century style. The smell of hot chocolate enveloped us as we took our first sip. Sweet, unctious and delicious, the hot chocolate was worth waiting every minute for. So yummy, but is it the best? Can’t know yet.

The front counter at Angelina's

A very delicious snack at Angelina's

Angie enjoys a macron at Angelina's.

Christian Constant: There are a few pastry shops that are open on Sundays and Christian Constant is one of them. We arrived to a nearly full house and decided to check next door because that is where the cafe is located and we heard that the hot chocolate is incredible. Sadly it wasn’t open so we headed back to sample some of the yummy things in the shop. Christian Constant is famous for his great chocolate and pastry so we ordered a small box of bon bons or ganaches as they call them here, some of his chocolate bars and a chocolate tart. We waited until after brunch to try the ganaches and discovered that some of them were dry and the shell fell off the centers when you bit into them. We also felt that the flavors weren’t as pronounced as we had hoped. The tea ganaches were so subtle that we couldn’t taste the differences at all. This may be an individual style since many chocolate shops here are quite classic in their interpretation which may not suit the N. America penchant for more powerful flavors. In any case, I returned the box and explained that we thought the chocolate wasn’t fresh. The very kind shopkeeper didn’t agree but gave us another box that he filled up with new stock. Later that night after a couple of glasses of wine, I tried the chocolate tart and fell in love with C.C.

A Chocolate Bear at Christian Constant.

Guilty pleasures back at the hotel.

The Tower at night!

We arrived in Paris, and went to three of top chocolate shop choices right away.

First stop: Jean Charles Rochoux. A nice shopkeeper let us sample the Paves, which are cubes of chocolate ganache. Yummy and soft and they reminded me of chocolate in Japan. I think that they were meant for Japanese tourists because a whole group came in to the shop while we were there. Haven’t tried the bon bons yet so I can’t comment on the taste.

Our first stop!

Next: Patrice Chapon. This shop has a nice vintage vibe going. The entire back wall is lined with antique chocolate molds and the packaging is very retro also. The sales clerk served us speaking perfect English and offered her recommendations. I bought a box of bon bons, an eiffel tower made of chocolate for my daughter, a fleur de sel bar and their specialty truffles filled with gianduja. I liked that some chocolate were displayed open air, so the shop keeper came out from behind the counter to package items for you. You’re basically surrounded by chocolate. Sorry we forgot our camera attachement so pictures are to follow. Here are some pictures.

Shop window at Chapon

The product display at Chapon.

Last stop: Michel Chaudun. Another old fashioned chocolate shop. I expected a lot of the shops to be super modern and sleek but they are quite classic both in design and in presentation. This one had lots of artifacts on display. Inside there was a statue of an aztec warrior, cocoa pods, maps of cocoa growing regions and on display in one of the windows; notes and textbooks of the chocolatier’s school days! The chocolate shop was tiny. There were 2 shopkeepers(who also spoke English) and the chocolatier himself popped in briefly. His specialty are the same ganache cubes or paves, which I bought. I also purchsed a dark chocolate bar with roasted almonds and a small bag of bon bons. I was tempted to buy the chocolate sausage but it was 30 euros.

The window at Michel Chaudun

Tasting Impressions. Overall, I liked Chaudun’s ganaches. I thought they tasted very fresh with good, flavorful centers. Angie and I both agreed that Chapon’s ganaches were ultra smooth and the ratio of shell to fillilng was perfect, there was a slight aftertaste not totally pleasant. Not as fresh, perhaps. Later we tried his gianduja and praline truffles that the shop clerk recommended and they were amazing! One of the best things I’ve tried thus far.

They are all delicious!

What should you give the chocolate lover in your life for Valentine’s Day? How about a selection of our sensual line of Valentine’s Chocolates? This beautiful box contains 25 chocolates, 5 each of the following flavors:

1. Passionate Passionfruit
2. Sweet Roses
3. Popping Champagne
4. Venus de Milo
5. Sultry Chili Caramel

This box will be available from Feb 4th onwards at Kerstin’s Chocolates and online on our web shop.

Our new shop hours are posted here. If you have any thoughts about the hours, please comment below!