A box from Recchiuti Confections landed on my desk this morning. You know when it's Recchiuti—who I'd deem one of the best chocolatiers in the country—it's going to be something exciting, something refined, something special. But before I even opened the box, I did a little envisioning: Please don't be truffles! Please don't be some fancy chocolate Easter egg!
These days, I'm in the mood for chocolates that go crunch (nuts!). Chocolates with a chew (caramel!). These are not the times for truffles as with a ganache as soft as butter and as refined as cashmere. I want food that's familiar. My mind is preoccupied with the weight of the world—there's no time to ponder a delicate truffle with bittersweet chocolate, bergamot oil and ceylon tea. I want a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Maybe a bag of them.
Michael Recchiuti must have heard me. Because inside the box was his new Dragée line, which he's touting as "chocolate-covered comfort food." The "Asphalt Jungle Mix" is a mix of everything they offer (even though you can buy it all separately): Burnt caramel hazelnuts, burnt caramel almonds, peanut butter pearls with a crispy center and chocolate-dipped cherries—all done perfectly of course. For $12 per 6 ounce box, it's like haute trail mix. And I'm addicted.
