Puttin' on the Ritz: Godiva Bakery Dessert Truffles

I adore this image from
http://www.entertainingindallas.com/photos/sweets_chocolate_bundt.jpg.

I am a proud member of the Godiva Chocolate Rewards Club. So once a month, I can walk up to the register in a Godiva boutique and choose a free truffle. Since I usually don't have my membership card on me, the nice cashier looks me up using my email address--that way, she can also check that I'm not double-dipping on my monthly freebie.


Godiva Bakery Dessert Truffles

Price*: Box of 12 [8.3 oz.], $25. Box of 6 [4.1 oz], $15.

Looks: As you know by now, I am a chocolate snob. So Godiva is not, for me, on the level with boutique brands like Vosges, Pure Dark, MarieBelle, Lillie Belle Farms, Li-Lac Chocolates or La Maison du Chocolat. Nor does it aspire to be. This is Godiva, not a pretender to the throne--it's the brand we know for its gold ballotins with fancy ribbons and trim. This is the one we want for Valentine's Day [I will always remember the February that H. got me a Godiva red velvet heart box.] But the chocolate is pretty good, too. This truffle packaging is not really special, like the company's shiny gold ballotins. The box is rather ordinary. [Unlike Vosges, which even sells little purple libraries of its bars. Here's the link to a Mini Dark Exotic Candy Bar Library: http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/product/mini_dark_chocolate_bar_gift_set/exotic_candy_bars. But those bars are really small. Sorry, I digress].

Company's website copy: Chocolate lovers will swoon at our newest creations, inspired by favorite bakery treats. The Limited Edition collection includes rich, dark, Chocolate Lava Cake with a spectacular molten fondant center; spicy Carrot Cake "frosted" in milk chocolate and rolled in chopped pecans; Southern-style Red Velvet Cake in white chocolate with a heart of sweet chocolate ganache; all American Cheesecake ganache in milk chocolate, topped with crust-like crumbs; white chocolate Tiramisu, an ethereal blend of mascarpone and espresso ganache; and Strawberry Tarte swirling sweet berries and tart rhubarb through vanilla mousse, enrobed in milk chocolate. When it's time for dessert, forego the cake and go straight to the truffles. 


Intriguing ingredients: Please see above.


My vote: Well.....I'm on the fence. When I got my Red Velvet Cake truffle freebie for October at the Godiva boutique in the Time Warner Center, it was really good. Fresh and delicious. But part of me wants to say that if you have about $15 to spend on nice chocolate for someone, buy two Vosges bars at Whole Foods and tie some lovely purple satin ribbon around them. On the other hand, I would never turn down Godiva and would always consider it an indulgent gift for any occasion. I served these Saturday night along with my homemade cake when we had friends over for dinner, and it felt very special. Everyone seemed to love them [except the first grader; the dark rich truffle she chose was not to her liking]. The teenage girl and the man in my household were big fans. In fact, I had to wrap the unopened box in foil and hide it in the fridge to save it for the dinner party, because they both wanted to taste them pronto. That's what I mean about the Godiva name.


Link: http://www.godiva.com/subcategory/chocolate-collections-treats/chocolate-assortments/id/221.gdv.

Other things I love @ Godiva shop: The blended cold drinks, especially the raspberry-dark chocolate one. I haven't tried the Chocolate Cupcakes, Caramel Pecan Brownies, Chocolate-Dipped Madelines or Flourless Chocolate Belgian Cake that I've seen on the website, but they're on my list for the near or distant future.


*Full disclosure: I have a contact at the PR firm that represents Godiva, and I requested a sample so I could blog about these. Also, I've written often about online shopping for Good Housekeeping Magazine and others, and like to keep on top of these things. :) And that's the truth.