Chocolate Notes: Grandma's Favorites Always Delight, Says Annalisa Barbieri

Two small but delicious bars I tasted this week are from Luisa. The first was the Chocolate Latte, £2.80/25g. The cashew provides creaminess and the ground coffee adds a nice kick. I'm very partial, but also picky, about coffee infused chocolate and this was awesome. I wanted to taste it then send it to my vegan testers (all of Luisa's chocolate is vegan) but it didn't quite make it out of my office.

Second , it was his Whole Hazelnuts in a Solomon Islands 75% Cocoa Bar, £4/50g. An excellent and hearty chocolate with roasted Piedmont hazelnuts.

A few years ago I wrote that my aunt Dina gave me my very first box of chocolates everything for me - an inspirational gift for a teenager. It was a mix of truffles and pralines (my favorites). But I've always been fascinated by the most English of boxes - the rose and violet creams. They seem to have cult status among my English friends who all go "oooh" when offered one (memories of beloved grannies?) yet are undeniably old fashioned. If chocolates were to have their own show, it would surely be the rose and violet creams.

The Chocolate Detective, behind which hides the legend of chocolate Chantal Coady , makes such a wonderful offering. Richly draped in dark chocolate, there's no mistaking their sweetness (glucose syrup is the second ingredient), but they're delicious. These aren't cheap at £25/200g but the flavor is delicate and lovely. And if it reminds you of sitting next to a favorite member of the family, watching a movie on Saturday, then this is a great deal.

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