Taste test: Easter chocolate

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/mar/16/taste-test-easter-chocolate

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Small, filled eggs

OcadoMontezuma’s Milk Chocolate Mini Eggs with Salted Peanut Butter150g, £5.49, ocado.comThe salt is a good balance with the sweet chocolate.★★★★

RococoSalted Caramel Superior Seagull Eggs200g, £9.95, rococochocolates.comMany layers and plenty of taste… interesting. A lot of work has gone into this, but it’s a bit too complicated.★★★

WaitrosePraline Quail Eggs175g, £5, waitrose.comPerfect for children: it’s colourful, sweet, crunchy and has a little taste of hazelnuts. Praline could be better.★★★

LidlFavorina Easter Egg Mix180g, £1.29, lidl.co.ukVery, very sweet. I can’t taste the different flavours. Nice for kids, but not for the connoisseur...★

Children’s eggs

The Co-operativeLoved by Us Popcorn Egg160g, £5, co-operativefood.co.ukAh... popcorn! It gives the chocolate a slightly crunchy consistency, which is a good idea for kids. Well executed.★★★

ChococoRobot Egg175g, £9.50, chococo.co.ukThe robots are a good surprise. A successful balance of bitterness and sweet. Sweet enough for a child.★★★

Marks & SpencerBeehive Honeycomb Egg215g, £8, marksandspencer.comNot really very imaginative, it’s too simple. And there is a lot of sugar. The chocolate is not well worked.★★

WaitroseMilk Egg with Fried Eggs150g, £4, waitrose.comThe egg is nice and the chocolate not too sweet. The gummy sweets are so tough… that is a shame.★★

Bunnies

The Co-operativeLoved by Us Hollow Easter Bunny120g, £1, co-operativefood.co.ukIt’s creamy. Not too sweet with some bitterness . I like the shape - it’s not the classic.★★★★

OcadoLindt Gold Milk Chocolate Bunny100g, £2.50, ocado.comA thick shell, and there’s a little fruity flavour at the end. I like it because of the taste of acidity.★★★

ThorntonsMilk Chocolate Harry Hopalot60g, £3.50, thorntons.co.ukNice presentation but it’s overly sweet. . It should be very popular with kids.★★

LidlFavorina Chocolate Bunny145g, £1.29, lidl.co.ukVery, very, very sweet. This has a caramel side which is too powerful. Not exactly creamy… more heavy.★

Plain, dark chocolate eggs

BettysSingle Origin Grenada Chocolate Egg180g, £22.50, bettys.co.ukFine form and a golden colour. Not too bitter, with coffee flavours… well roasted. The chocolate is really good quality.★★★★

OcadoStas Chocolatier Single Origin Plain Chocolate Easter Egg175g, £7.99, ocado.comSweet with no acidity or bitterness - that’s surprising. But it’s not wow... just average.★★

Green & Black’sDark Chocolate Egg165g, £6.59, greenandblacks.co.ukIt has a good smell of chocolate, but it’s very bitter.I don’t like it at all. It is nothing special.★★

SelfridgesLa Molina Dark Chocolate Egg140g, £24.99, selfridges.comThis has no smell except of some faint chemical. I’m not surprised - there’s no taste... not good.★

Under £20

TescoFinest Belgian Milk Chocolate Egg with Chocolates350g, £10, tesco.comThe chocolate is good. I’d have loved a more crisp feuilletine.★★★★

Marks & SpencerFeuilletine Milk Chocolate Egg345g, £15, marksandspencer.comI like the crunchy side - that is well executed. The egg is much better than the chocolates.★★★

Sainsbury’sTaste the Difference Belgian Milk Chocolate Egg with Perles450g, £10, sainsburys.co.ukA big one. It seems very industrial - unnaturally shiny. The taste is OK.★★

ThorntonsContinental Chocolate Easter Egg265g, £15, thorntons.co.ukA strong, sweet smell. It is so sweet. A diverse mix of chocolates, but nothing is good. I would not buy this.★

Over £20

SelfridgesPierre Marcolini Milk Easter Egg250g, £33, selfridges.comIt’s very elegant, covered in cocoa powder. Inside there is a variety of eggs, all interesting.★★★★

Marks & SpencerThe Giant Golden Lattice Egg1.5kg, £40, marksandspencer.comImpressive, glamorous… perhaps too much so. The crunchy things are a nice contrast, though, and I like the dentelle work.★★★

Hotel ChocolatMilk Egglet Extra Thick Easter Egg390g, £27, hotelchocolat.comA generous egg, but I’m disappointed by the bits inside - some aren’t to my taste.★★★

HarrodsLuxury Milk and Dark Egg500g, £29.95, harrods.comMessy - the gold is all over me. Terrible finish and very sweet. For the price, it’s rubbish.★