Advent calendars are a fun way of counting down the days to Christmas, especially when the chocolates inside are of gourmet quality rather than the supermarket variety aimed at the festive mass market.
Hotel Chocolat Has Advent Calendars for Adults and Children
Hotel Chocolat has made edible calendars designed for all members of the family. Their Truffles to Share Advent Calendar is a clever combination of chocolates with a Christmas theme, including mulled wine and gingerbread truffles, as well as more traditional pralines. What is really smart is that there are 48 of them. Two chocolates hide behind each window to stop "bickering".
Hotel Chocolat's Milk Advent Calendar
Hotel Chocolat's Ultimate Milk Advent Calendar may have only 24 chocolates, but they are lovingly sculpted into Christmas bells, Christmas trees and other festive designs. Those who enjoy their chocolate with 70 per cent cocoa will prefer the Ultimate Dark Chocolate Advent Calendar while the children are not forgotten either. Hotel Chocolat not only produce high quality luxury chocolate that is beautifully presented, but they do it with a great degree of style and fun.
Divine Chocolate, the Nativity and Christmas Around the World
Fair Trade luxury chocolate maker Divine Chocolate has also produced a very creative Milk Chocolate Advent Calendar which reflects the story of the nativity and in addition, an illustrated globe which shows the journey from cocoa bean to chocolate bar and how Christmas is celebrated around the world. It is very reasonably priced too with smooth milk chocolate hearts behind each door. The size is only 85 grams but the design and thought that goes into the global Christmas message is worthy.
Neuhaus Advent Calendar Full of Luxury Pralines
For the top end of gourmet Advent Calendars, Neuhaus, the name synonymous with the making of the first praline, has produced 25 chocolates with twenty different types of praline, including finely ground almonds cradled in a creamy shell, a sumptuous red chocolate heart filled with hazelnut and almond praline and a white chocolate gianduja with a crisped rice centre. The Neuhaus Advent Calendar works out at over pound a chocolate but the sophistication of the flavours makes it worth every penny.
Artisan Du Chocolat Alternative Christmas Calendar
Perhaps the most interesting Advent Calendar comes from Artisan Du Chocolat. Their box has a decoupage cover commissioned by Julene Harrison, a British paper cut-out artist who has worked with brands like O2, The Telegraph, Nivea and Scholastic. The box is filled with a selection of panned nuts, fruits, pearls, liquid caramels and mini bars all warpped up in small parcel boxes.
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