Looking for something a little bit different to spread on your seeded loaf? Our Kelly raises a toast to the Coeur de Xocolat collection; a luxury twist on Britain’s best loved jams.
As someone who faces the existential dilemma of what to put on toast on a Sunday morning, when the prospect of sampling spreads that combined my love of chocolate with my appreciation of a good pot of jam, I was quick to volunteer.
What is it?
Coeur de Xocolat was created by veteran chocolatier, David Greenwood-Haigh, who has committed his career to converting chocolaholics into chocolate connoisseurs. These three marvellous jams contain hints of cocoa: forget Nutella, the emphasis here is on high quality ingredients and a homemade taste.
How much is it?
RRP £3.95 per pot
Pros
Tastes homemade: With delicious ‘bits’ and just the right consistency, you’d be forgiven for thinking the WI had made these spreads if they came in simpler packaging. In fact, David did create the first batch of jam with raspberries from his own garden.
It’s unique: There’s no denying that these jams stand out on the shelves. Great for weekends when you’ve got guests over to stay and want to bring out the ‘best’ breakfast treats to impress.
Cons
Chocolate-jam ratio: If you’re buying this jam to fulfil an insatiable chocolate craving, you might be disappointed. The cocoa hints are somewhat subtle.
Other things to bear in mind
Choose your base carefully. Whilst I’m sure these jams will taste just as delicious on any type of bread, you can’t beat the crunch that comes with a slice of granary toast fresh from the bakery.
Dark Chocolate and Raspberry Jam
Drawn in by the regal, purple-red colour, I decided to sample the raspberry jam first. Made from premium 70% Aruca dark chocolate, it was clear that the raspberries were of equal quality to the Colombian cocoa. Tasting alone, you could definitely detect the dark chocolate hints; it had a deeper flavour than your average raspberry jam. And yet, with bits in, it still had that fruity burst of goodness in every mouthful.
The gooey consistency was reassuringly runny, whilst being just thick enough to make the journey from pot to plate drip-free. I have to admit, the chocolate tones weren’t as easy to pick out when toast was thrown into the equation. Nevertheless, you can’t argue that this is a quality jam for the breakfast table.
Milk Chocolate and Orange Marmalade
Marmalade, in my opinion, is nothing without the thick orange rind that gives it such as citrusy zing. So I was pleased to find that this preserve lacked none of the peel that makes a quality marmalade taste marvellous. Made with 40% Noche milk chocolate, the flavour here came as an aftertaste – a subtle surprise that lingered at the end.
This spread was set with a much thicker consistency, for those of you who like a real layer of topping on your toast. Based on the powerful orange alone I would choose this marmalade for my fridge; again, whether you’d spot the chocolate twist straight away tasting blind I’m yet to decide. I need a guinea pig.
White Chocolate and Strawberry Jam
However, my confidence in the concept of a chocolate jam was quickly restored after tasting the final addition to the Coeur de Xocolat collection. A strawberry jam with Nevado white chocolate, this had a much paler appearance than your standard strawberry spread. I also imagine it would be the best choice for white toast lovers, although it went beautifully with my brown loaf.
With a similar consistency to the raspberry jam, the spoon test gave me an instant burst of chocolate. Whereas the others put fruitiness first, there was no mistaking the white chocolate in this flavour combination. And yet, based on its natural taste and quality ingredients, I felt far less guilty after a few slices of toast lathered in this than Nutella!
Verdict:
If sitting round the breakfast table on a weekend is something of a family tradition, these jams are worth a purchase just to give you a talking point on a lazy Sunday morning. Unlike pure chocolate spreads, Coeur de Xocolat strikes the balance between quality and flavour, offering something that is sure to have widespread approval, if only for its irresistibly homemade taste.
Find out more: http://www.coeurdexocolat.com