What I have been doing lately, in a fit of laziness, is fanning out an array of chocolate bars at the end of the meal as ‘pudding’ (although my ‘giant after-dinner mint’ – recipe on request – is my favourite after-meal chocolate-thing but takes production time).
What follow are a few suggestions, but with this first one do splash out if possible: Pralus Barre Infernale Orange. Other flavours are available, but this was sensational. If ever there was a successful marriage of chocolate and orange it’s here. A thick bar of praline, it’s nutty has candied orange and is a total chocolate wonder.
Selfridges does (or will do from 7 October) a wonderful selection of cheesy chocolate truffles by Diggle. They need to be kept refrigerated and have flavours like blue cheese and brown sugar, and brie and cranberry, which shouldn’t work but, largely, do. They’re also a great conversation point if you’ve run out of Brexit things to talk about by then.
Rózsavölgyi Csokoládé Dark Chocolate 73% with black sesame seeds is also a worthy after-dinner guest. Crisp, dark, fruity and, of course, seedy it’s something your guests likely won’t have sampled before.
There’s nothing to stop you throwing a grab-bag of peanut M&Ms into a glass bowl for a joyous jumble of colour. Or look out for Doisy and Dam Snaps: 70% single-origin Columbian chocolate shards in either maple, toasted rice and pink salt or coconut and lacuma. Just snip open the packets and let your guests dip in.
