Gluten Free Chocolate: Recchiuti Winter Collection Chocolate - Product Review #42

Gluten Free Chocolate: Recchiuti Winter Collection Chocolate

PRODUCT NAME:                          Winter Collection

BRAND:                                         Recchiuti

COST:                                           $19.99

PIECES:                                         8 Piece

COST PER PIECE:                         $2.50/piece

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:             NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:              N/A

ORGANIC:                                      NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:              N/A

VEGAN:                                          NO

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:                Unknown

LOCATION OF FACILITY:                San Francisco, CA

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging.  We cannot verify the accuracy of this information.  For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.            

REVIEW:
I know I might be a little late with this one, but better late than never.  A few weeks ago, we purchased Recchiuti’s Winter Collection Chocolate gift box to try out.  If you haven’t heard of Recchiuti, they are a gourmet chocolate company based in San Francisco, which happens to be where we are from.  On a recent trip to the Ferry Building, we saw their store packed with customers and knew we had to try some of their chocolate.  Their store layout was something similar to a fancy jewelry store with the chocolate displayed in a glass counter.  The chocolate was priced like it was jewelry too.  $20 for a box of 8 chocolate squares totaling 3.5 ounces. 

Was the chocolate worth the price tag?  I would say it probably is.  I am not usually a big fan of dark chocolate, but this dark chocolate is like no other dark chocolate I have ever had.  Bite into it and it just melts.  It has great texture and very rich flavor.  You won’t need to eat several pieces to enjoy it although I can probably finish the entire box in one sitting.  This chocolate is something special and is meant for only those special occasions.  At $2.50 for a 0.4375oz piece, you can probably buy several Hershey’s chocolate bars that are triple its size.  These chocolates are special though, they have special designs painted on them and are meant to be gifts, they just so happen to be in chocolate form. 

If you’re in the mood to splurge a little on some delicious chocolate, look no further than a Recchiuti Chocolate gift box.  Their flavor is worth their weight in gold.  Despite the high price, I would probably still buy it just because it is that good.  This chocolate is not marked as gluten free, however checking the list of ingredients, it is gluten free.  If you are extra sensitive, you may want to check with the manufacturer for their manufacturing process to ensure that there is no cross contamination.  If you are allergic to nuts, you might want to stay away as it is manufactured on shared equipment.     

Taste:  This chocolate is probably the best I have ever had.  It has a firmer chocolate outer shell and the inside is soft and smooth like butter. 

Labeling:  There isn’t much labeling on this packaging…just a sticker on back with the name of the chocolate and a list of the ingredients.  It doesn’t need much labeling either because the quality of the chocolate speaks louder than words. 

Packaging:  The packaging is the nicest packaging I have ever seen for chocolate.  It comes in a box with a clear top that wrapped with a ribbon.  It is something that you would feel comfortable giving as is to just about anyone. 

Reader’s Reviews: Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product…

RATING:

Texture:                 5             

Taste:                     5             

Value:                    1

OVERALL:              3.7

Reviewed  1/3/11 by CC

Gluten Free Cookies: Ca' Momi Brutti Ma Buoni - Product Review #30

Gluten Free Cookies: Ca' Momi Brutti Ma Buoni

PRODUCT NAME:                      Brutti Ma Buoni (Ugly But Good)

BRAND:                                     Ca’ Momi

COST:                                       $9.85

SIZE:                                         15 pieces

COST PER PIECE:                     $0.65

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:        NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:         N/A

ORGANIC:                                 NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:         NO

VEGAN:                                     NO

WHEAT FREE FACILITY:            NO

LOCATION OF FACILITY:          California

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging. We cannot verify the accuracy of this information. For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.

REVIEW:
On a recent trip up to Napa, TD found a bakery called Ca’ Momi that had delicious gluten free cookies called Brutti Ma Buoni. If you were wondering, that means “ugly but good” in Italian. The name is the perfect description for these delicious cookies. I apologize that the photo above is just a photo of the packaging, but we ate all of them before we got a chance to photograph them. The cookies look like they were scooped up and balled then put in the oven to bake, but judging by its name, I don’t think a fancy looking cookie is the purpose of this cookie. It’s the taste! These things are delicious!

They are made of all organic egg whites, sugar, and hazelnuts. I don’t know about you, but I’m a big fan of hazelnuts and when I saw that on the list of ingredients, I already knew I would like these cookies. Bite into them and they are very crispy and sweet and you can definitely taste the distinct nutty flavor of the hazelnuts. It was hard to eat just one. I will say that although I’m pretty sure just about anyone would love these cookies, but people with sensitive teeth should probably stay away. These cookies take a bit of effort to bit into because they are so crunchy. They crumbs also find their way to lodge themselves in between your teeth.

The only real downside I can see for these cookies is that currently, you can only get them at their store in the Oxbow Public Market in Napa, CA. You might think that the price is a little high, but it is actually very reasonable for what you are actually getting, which is a gourmet handmade cookie that is delicious, not to mention GLUTEN FREE. Hopefully in the future they will sell them online for everyone to enjoy.

Taste: Sweet, crunchy, and delicious, are the three words that come to mind when I think about these gluten free Brutti Ma Buoni cookies from Ca’ Momi. It makes a great dessert by itself, but I actually think it would be great crumbled in some vanilla ice cream. No matter how you end up having them, I’m sure you will enjoy them.

Labeling: A 2.5”x1” label with the name of the cookie, the company logo and the ingredients is all is all that is on this packaging. No nutrition facts or anything to hold you back. Knowing that they taste so good, I’m actually a little scared to see the nutrition facts.

Packaging: The packaging is simple bakery fresh packaging. Just a cellophane bag tied at the top with a ribbon. These are made fresh from scratch so I don’t think they will keep too long, but I doubt that will be a big problem because I can almost guarantee that these will be go quickly.

Reader’s Reviews: Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product..

RATING:

Texture:                4             

Taste:                    5

Value:                   4

OVERALL:             4.5

Reviewed by CC 12/3/10