Calling all sweet tooths, white chocolate just got a whole lot richer
The crinkling of foil, the snap of the chocolate, the unmistakable sound of an Easter egg being broken into – this can only mean one thing; Spring has arrived. As the shelves become full of easter wonders, it’s only appropriate that chocolate is in the spotlight; but what new excitement is on the shelves this year?
The Easter market has previously been dominated by milk chocolate, but over the last few years the market has diversified as dark and white chocolate options have appeared – satisfying alternative needs, such as health benefits, lifestyle, or just pure, rich indulgence. Not only do consumers want to see a variety of chocolate types, but there has also been a rise in the popularity of flavours and textures such as adding biscuit or nuts. This year it’s of no surprise to us that blonde chocolate is creeping into the shelves, following Cadbury’s recent UK launch of Caramilk.
Blonde chocolate is an elevation of white chocolate, not only providing those distinct vanilla notes but also imparting rich butterscotch and biscuity flavour, contributing new depths to every bite – no wonder it’s long been a patisserie favourite. This sweet chocolate can also be retailored into salted caramel with just a sprinkle of salt – a pairing the market still cannot get enough of.
The plant-based market is not missing out either – to replace the key ingredient of milk solids in blonde chocolate, the market continues to adapt and innovate new products. The environmental impact of the dairy industry remains influential, and as the demand rises, the plant-based market has replicated that desired creamy flavour through alternative ingredients such as rice or almonds. Aldi are amongst the first to release their Moser Roth version of blonde chocolate – no one needs to lose out on this incredible flavour.
Blonde chocolate’s key flavour notes are butterscotch, vanilla and biscuit which are formed during the caramelisation of white chocolate, giving the product layers of flavour. For our concepts, we used our caramelised white chocolate 085/22608 producing all the required flavour depth and providing an economic solution – ideal for bakery and dairy applications.
This roulade inspired sponge, is a chocolate-based cake flavoured with coffee 085/22917 to complement and enhance the rich chocolate notes from the cocoa powder, balanced with caramelised white chocolate 085/22608 and miso buttercream – creating a sweet and salty explosion. This cake relies on the rich flavour from the caramelised white chocolate 085/22608 to cut through the dark, bitter notes of the sponge, transforming the bitter cocoa and coffee notes into a deeper roasted flavour – finished with miso to provide a salted umami aspect.
Alternatively embracing all the sweetness of the blonde chocolate; this enriched dough was intricacy plated and wrapped around layers of crème pat flavoured with caramelised white chocolate 085/22608 – creating the perfect bread-based treat. The dough is then finished with chunks of blonde chocolate which melt into the sponge upon baking, enhancing those sweet biscuity flavour notes. Fresh out of the oven, the aroma alone was enough for us to forget all about other chocolate.
