The following entry is a reprint (with the kind permission of the editors of the Green Man review) of the most fun review of our Halloween Skulls.  Enjoy!

Chocolats Passion Skulls

Skulls. I love them. Not only because it’s October, but because I dig their shape. Their mystery. The whole philosophy of existence thing. Yorick? Yeah, I didn’t know him, but I sure did peek at his skull at time or two. But sometimes I just want something to sink my teeth into, and Portland, Maine’s Chocolats Passion has got me covered. Two treats in one – skulls and dark chocolate? Yes please.

These individual pieces are perfectly rendered, and painted with tinted white chocolate. The attention to detail is staggering; I can barely draw a straight line, yet these beauties have red in their sockets, golden teeth, and a splash of gold on the “parietal” that could be the sun glinting on them…or the reason for their demise. Six of one, half dozen of the other, I say.

The chocolate itself is delicious. Smooth and creamy, belying the 75% cacao the covering is made of. The chocolate is substantial, but not so thick it’s impossible to bite into. And in biting, I was rewarded with a soft, almost-but-not-quite liquid caramel that’s full of buttery, creamy goodness. Like many high-quality molded chocolate, these pieces are made of two parts, bisected into the anterior/front with the teeth & eyes, and postirior/back with the “bulb” of the skull. (Who knew I’d be dipping into my ancient Anatomy & Phys knowledge for a candy review?) The Front Part is filled with that soft caramel, and the Back Part has a hint of caramel and lots of crispy, organic, rice puffs. These puffs are tiny, but lend a fun chew. Want brains? Well, in candy form they’re puffed. You’re welcome.

The box I received had four dark chocolate skulls, but a milk chocolate version was available for those more prone to milky goodness. The presentation is lovely, with the small USPS box filled with black crepe paper scattered with iridescent glitter, the small black box – and Nordic Ice block to keep things cold – nestled inside. I especially love the ribbon used to tie the chocolates box; stripes of purple, orange, black, and silver. I’ll be trying to figure out how to make that into a bracelet so I can enjoy it after the chocolates have gone. (I’ll try my best to keep the last two bites for later…but I make no promises. They’re here, they’ll have to understand my willpower is nonexistent. Their lives are forfeit.) 

Unfortunately, these Skulls – in fact their entire Halloween collection– are sold out. But Chocolats ability to deliciously craft these tiny pieces of heaven are worth taking a look around the site to see what strikes your fancy. And believe me, there’s plenty to drool over, and with the New Year gaining on us? Hey, Valentine’s Day. For you or yourself. I’m just saying.

About Denise Kitashima Dutton:

Denise Kitashima Dutton has been a reviewer since 2003, and hopes to get the hang of things any moment now. She believes that bluegrass is *not* hell in music form, and that beer is better when it's a nitro pour. Besides GMR, you can find her at Atomic Fangirl, Movie-Blogger.com, or at that end seat at the bar, multi-tasking with her Kindle.