Roni-Sue
Impact
Wednesdays at work, trying to get over the hump. A box that brings out the knuckle-dragging mutants.
Presentation 2.1 / 5
either this stuff will blow socks off or be church bake-sale quality; evidently spends on ingredients rather than packaging: low-cost craft-store u-fold-em box w/ matching white cushion & sectioned holder; nice, cleanly enrobed pieces of good physique (& a clue of what’s to come Texturally); applause for a truffler who remembers & celebrates a proper/petite-sized bonbon... 2 small bites or 1 pop-in-the-mouth (Godiva… hello… paging Godiva).... it’s about flavor, balance & size… part of the beauty of a bonbon… no knife ‘n fork size chocolate steaks… just a saltimbocca please ("jumps-in-the-mouth")
Aromas 2.5 / 5
Whitman Sampler™ synthetics waft from the exposed pieces rolling around in their quadrants like pachinko balls; sugar, Lemon Pledge™, post-dated Easter candy, dried floor wax, artificial cherry dust, grey cardboard, stale old ‘n dry oregano & nutmeg
Textures/Melt 8 / 10
| Shells: | unremarkable; sweetly industrial; no ‘come hither’ collapse into the mouth of the shell but technically superlative & very even gossamer-thin enrobing w/ loving double-thick footing |
| Centers: | yields cleanly & evenly to the teeth; smooth ganaches (e.g., crunch-free pecan), granular fruits/vegetable |
Flavor 26.7 / 50
break out the insulin: hyper-sweet, foot-forward / aggressive fruits; the rest quite mottled as Flavors do too much battle w/ themselves; overall balance askew w/ complexities of low… re, me, fa, so, la, te, do
Quality 14.9 / 30
Interesting crossection; a good bonbonaria reflects the seasons. Just as passions change over time… truffles should mirror that. Bravo Roni-Sue.
Otherwise, desperate to make a mark but still in search of the requisites that time, practice & patience confer.
This box lashes out, mixing odd ingredients & technique with a high failure rate. Some skills shine (enrobing, technical ganache, etc.); some just fudged in hopes it'll pass.
Chocolatiers, like all craftspersons & artists need to know the rules before bending or rewriting them.
Let’s look forward to sampling Roni-Sue’s craft in 3 years.
Otherwise, desperate to make a mark but still in search of the requisites that time, practice & patience confer.
This box lashes out, mixing odd ingredients & technique with a high failure rate. Some skills shine (enrobing, technical ganache, etc.); some just fudged in hopes it'll pass.
Chocolatiers, like all craftspersons & artists need to know the rules before bending or rewriting them.
Let’s look forward to sampling Roni-Sue’s craft in 3 years.
Selections
| Couverture: | Callebaut |
Pumpkin Spice – chemically suspended as a psychotropic plastic marzipan: odd, off, synthetic, granular & nutmegged to w/in an inch of a massive asthma attack & w/ saccharin finish to book… eeeek; such passionate chefs may be better off going w/ a more classic pure pumpkin/spice mousseline w/ egg yolk for the suspension
Caramel Apple - tastes of neither: reminiscent of some frozen TV dinner applesauce; don’t waste the calories
Pomegranate – aggressive bangover-the-head fruit (very pure though) helps to quell overtly sugared chocolate couverture
Cranberry – similar to Pomegranate: assertive ‘real deal’ cranberry (desiccating / sandy / granular); well-crafted textured ganache base
Pecan Pie - good juxtaposition twixt Choc & old school American pecan pie (if somewhat flat & dry); nut a bit too reserved & “pie” just too fine for balance; matches up w/ autumn pears &/or apples though
Portly Fig – a sheer knockout... hard to believe after all the other misfires; crunch filling w/ tart back to cut thru shell: clean, thoughtful, well-enrobed; on the mark in balance, texture, flavor & “nibble-ability” (huh??? yeah, well it’s a word now); pair w/ a great goat’s milk Camembert or autumn roasted duck w/o missing a breath… outstanding; bravo R-S
Reviewed November 2009
Caramel Apple - tastes of neither: reminiscent of some frozen TV dinner applesauce; don’t waste the calories
Pomegranate – aggressive bangover-the-head fruit (very pure though) helps to quell overtly sugared chocolate couverture
Cranberry – similar to Pomegranate: assertive ‘real deal’ cranberry (desiccating / sandy / granular); well-crafted textured ganache base
Pecan Pie - good juxtaposition twixt Choc & old school American pecan pie (if somewhat flat & dry); nut a bit too reserved & “pie” just too fine for balance; matches up w/ autumn pears &/or apples though
Portly Fig – a sheer knockout... hard to believe after all the other misfires; crunch filling w/ tart back to cut thru shell: clean, thoughtful, well-enrobed; on the mark in balance, texture, flavor & “nibble-ability” (huh??? yeah, well it’s a word now); pair w/ a great goat’s milk Camembert or autumn roasted duck w/o missing a breath… outstanding; bravo R-S
Reviewed November 2009