German Chocolate

Only three days left until Erste Advent, which in Germany means that all Christmas preparations are in full swing. Depending on your family, you have either already baked a million cookies to be eaten starting the first weekend of Advent, or you will start a month long baking marathon beginning on the first Advent. The Christmas Markets are set up and almost ready to open, and the stores are fully stocked with the requisite decor, candles, Glühwein, cookies, and CHOCOLATE!

I kicked myself tonight because, as I walked out the door, I opted not to bring my camera. Who needs their camera to go grocery shopping? I went to the big grocery/everything store for the first time in months and as I stood looking at their entire aisle devoted to chocolate (candies and cookies are in another aisle) I soooooo wished I had my camera. THEN I turned the corner and found the giant display devoted to the specifically Christmas chocolates. There were Russian Mastroishka shaped chocolates, chocolates with gold strings to hang on your tree, cinnamon and apple chocolates, cardamon and almond chocolates, liquor-filled chocolates of many varieties, all sizes of chocolate Santas, chocolates specifically for kids, chocolates with toys inside, big bars, little truffles, nougat, white, dark, milk, and on and on. I may have to go back just to take a picture. Here's a bit of what I brought home. I still need to go to the little neighborhood store for my favorite chocolate covered cardamon and cinnamon almonds.



Clockwise from the left: Ritter Sport: delicious little squares packed with rich chocolate and a wonderful variety of not-too-exotic flavors; Lindt Nougat: this one's ready to hang on the tree (they also come shaped as moons, bells and pinecones); Sarotti "Schwartze Herren (black men):" you probably can't read the text at the bottom, but it says "pour Messieurs." I couldn't pass that up for the men on my Xmas list; and last, but not least, two varieties of chocolates filled with Asbach Uralt brandy -- do your Santas carry bottles?

The chocolate museum in Köln features a lot of Sarotti chocolate and I'm trying to figure out a day to get up there before our challenge is over. Sarotti's logo is two Moors, so I'm pretty sure the Schwartze Herren is a play on words refering to them.