BlakeMakes Dulce & Tcho Chocolate

Honestly, the possibilities were staggering. What would I DO with it?! Do I mix it in with something? Make a glaze or a sauce or something? Stick my finger straight into it as if my mother didn't raise me right and I was still eight years old?

I don't want to give it away, but perhaps the finger-size swirl in it is enough of a hint.

All I can say is that Blake got it right. It is delicious. And it has to come along with a short confessional disclaimer: I don't really like peanut butter.

There, I said it. I just don't. Reese's are okay. I throw down the occasional bag of peanut butter M&M's when they call out to me from a vending machine. I ate peanut butter sandwiches as a kid. But really, I can take it or leave it. Peanut butter sandwiches make my mouth feel all funny, which is why I dipped them in milk when I was little. (Toast the peanut butter sandwich, grab a cup of milk. Feel seven. Thank me later.) My husband LOVES peanut butter, and I LOVE chocolate. This means we don't compete for one another's desserts - which is for the best, because I'm bigger, but he's scrappy. It also means we don't like the same things, ever.

This dulce is different. It's just peanut butter-y enough, you know? It's not knocking you in the face with peanut butter. It is enough for those of you who love it, but it is also a perfect amount for people who are sort of apathetic. It is pleasing without being overly sweet, and it has this smooth texture with just a little bit of grit to let you know that it was handmade with love. It is amazing, and when he decides to start selling it, I'll be keeping a jar on hand at all times. It will make a fabulous addition to anything you want to eat, ever. I'm just saying, it's a good thing that Bridget already snatched him up, because the competition for a man who sends you jars of this would not be a pretty one.


The other contest I was lucky enough (again, obsessive) to win was for Tcho chocolate. People, I'm really serious about my chocolate. My former roommate turned me on to Scharffen Berger and I have never looked back. I made my mother drive me 25 miles to buy a bar when I was in Kansas City because I was making chocolate mousse and I COULD NOT make it with anything else. Do not. stand. between. me. and. chocolate.

Blake suggested eating it with a tall, cold glass of milk, so I did. Hey, when someone is responsible for getting you free chocolate, you do what they tell you to do. First of all, I'm a designer, so let's chat about the packaging. It's brilliant. I agree with Blake - I would buy anything that came in packaging like this. There were three cards with it describing the Tcho philosophy of chocolate, which you can read about at their website.

It is delightful. It is dark and if you can keep yourself from just shoving it in your mouth, it melts down to this creamy consistency that can only be described as "pure". I used to think I didn't like dark chocolate, but it turns out I'm just picky about GOOD dark chocolate. This isn't really bitter, but I wouldn't describe it as overly sweet. If I had to guess, I'd put it at 60% or so, but I've never been terribly good at guessing that sort of thing.

This is the perfect chocolate for my hot chocolate obsession of 2006. Tcho is definitely one to watch - they're "beta testing" their chocolate now to keep tweaking it, and I think that's a fascinating process. In a world where we're so concerned with carefully guarding recipes and formulas, Tcho wants to make the consumer a part of their product, and we're all the better for it. Go support them, buy a bar, and thank me later.

Thanks to Blake and the good folks at Tcho for the goodies! They deserve your support for making the food world a more fun place.