the sweet scrapbook

About a month after trying those three Starbucks muffins I decided to go see what else there was to try. I knew they had lots of sweet temptations on display, but I couldn't remember what they were. So I didn't know what my pick was going to be.

Funny, they didn't have so many things on display at that hour. That meant I took my decision almost instantly. I had to try the Caramel Chocolate Brownie with Walnuts! And that little Velvet Choc-Caramel Cake looked so pretty!

About a month after trying those three Starbucks muffins I decided to go see what else there was to try. I knew they had lots of sweet temptations on display, but I couldn't remember what they were. So I didn't know what my pick was going to be.

Funny, they didn't have so many things on display at that hour. That meant I took my decision almost instantly. I had to try the Caramel Chocolate Brownie with Walnuts! And that little Velvet Choc-Caramel Cake looked so pretty!

Not long ago, I happened to come across one of the prettiest boxes of chocolates I have ever seen. They were called Vobro Choco Party Best Wishes. Vobro is a Polish confectionery producer from Brodnica.

They have three designs for the Vobro Choco Party Best Wishes box and it took me a while to decide which I liked best. I eventually picked the one with the tulip. I also saw their Cherry Roses boxes, but the Vobro Choco Party Best Wishes promised Cointreau chocolates so, given that I have a weak spot for orange in chocolate, it was easy for me to decide which one I wanted to try first.

Not long ago, I happened to come across one of the prettiest boxes of chocolates I have ever seen. They were called Vobro Choco Party Best Wishes. Vobro is a Polish confectionery producer from Brodnica.

They have three designs for the Vobro Choco Party Best Wishes box and it took me a while to decide which I liked best. I eventually picked the one with the tulip. I also saw their Cherry Roses boxes, but the Vobro Choco Party Best Wishes promised Cointreau chocolates so, given that I have a weak spot for orange in chocolate, it was easy for me to decide which one I wanted to try first.

I've been seeing the Halloren Balls (German original: Halloren Kugeln) in a couple of supermarkets for years, but I had only bought one box before the beginning of this month, when, not only did I buy three such boxes, but also two boxes from another Halloren range, Pralines de Maitre Paul: Creme Brulee and Kir Royal. I was not able to find this range (which also includes another variety, called English Toffee, I'm thinking about trying that one as well) on their website. However, looking through their products, I found out that they also make Laroshell (a liqueur filled chocolate range that I've discovered seven years ago) and Bohme (I didn't even know they had dark chocolate coated jellies, I'd wish they sold them here as well). And that they also own Movenpick Chocolates (link, image 1, image 2). I want Movenpick back! I first discovered them seven and a half years ago. But about two years later they were gone. And I haven't seen them since. Also, from their website I've learned that their history goes back to more than 200 years ago (thus being the oldest chocolate factory in Germany), that the Original Halloren Kugeln (the Whipped Cream & Cocoa) is 60 years old and that in 2005, they have produced the largest chocolate cat tongue in the world.

I've been seeing the Halloren Balls (German original: Halloren Kugeln) in a couple of supermarkets for years, but I had only bought one box before the beginning of this month, when, not only did I buy three such boxes, but also two boxes from another Halloren range, Pralines de Maitre Paul: Creme Brulee and Kir Royal. I was not able to find this range (which also includes another variety, called English Toffee, I'm thinking about trying that one as well) on their website. However, looking through their products, I found out that they also make Laroshell (a liqueur filled chocolate range that I've discovered seven years ago) and Bohme (I didn't even know they had dark chocolate coated jellies, I'd wish they sold them here as well). And that they also own Movenpick Chocolates (link, image 1, image 2). I want Movenpick back! I first discovered them seven and a half years ago. But about two years later they were gone. And I haven't seen them since. Also, from their website I've learned that their history goes back to more than 200 years ago (thus being the oldest chocolate factory in Germany), that the Original Halloren Kugeln (the Whipped Cream & Cocoa) is 60 years old and that in 2005, they have produced the largest chocolate cat tongue in the world.

I seem to have gone a little muffin-crazy lately. I've tried... let me think... ten muffins in about three weeks. The last ones I've tried were from Princess. Unfortunately, they don't have a website that I can link to (or at least I haven't been able to find one), so I'll try my best to explain a few things about them. Princess are a chain of pastry shops that first appeared in 1996 in Hungary, in the centre of Budapest. Over the course of the next seven years, the business expanded all over Hungary. And then they went international - they can now also be found in the underground stations in Prague and Bucharest. I remember first seeing them in Bucharest about five years ago. They were present only in two underground stations back then - now they are present in five underground stations (photo). Most of their products are mini-strudel-like and strudel-like products. I remember also seeing croissants and miniature croissants, spirals and miniature spirals. And maybe they have more pastry products that I simply haven't noticed. They also sell sandwiches, soft drinks, chewing gum. And, at the end of this September, I noticed for the very first time that they had...

I seem to have gone a little muffin-crazy lately. I've tried... let me think... ten muffins in about three weeks. The last ones I've tried were from Princess. Unfortunately, they don't have a website that I can link to (or at least I haven't been able to find one), so I'll try my best to explain a few things about them. Princess are a chain of pastry shops that first appeared in 1996 in Hungary, in the centre of Budapest. Over the course of the next seven years, the business expanded all over Hungary. And then they went international - they can now also be found in the underground stations in Prague and Bucharest. I remember first seeing them in Bucharest about five years ago. They were present only in two underground stations back then - now they are present in five underground stations (photo). Most of their products are mini-strudel-like and strudel-like products. I remember also seeing croissants and miniature croissants, spirals and miniature spirals. And maybe they have more pastry products that I simply haven't noticed. They also sell sandwiches, soft drinks, chewing gum. And, at the end of this September, I noticed for the very first time that they had...

Primola is a brand of Supreme Group (yes, I'm finally starting to post pictures of Romanian sweets as well). I discovered it some seven- eight years ago. Back then, I really liked their Brandy (which they've taken out in the meanwhile and... damn! I cannot even find a picture of it on the internet) and Caramel (link, presentation photo) chocolate bars. A few years later, they introduced a Dark - Liqueur & Cherries (Romanian original: Amaruie - Lichior & Cirese) bar which I also really liked, unfortunately, didn't last long (but at least I could find a picture of it - low quality, but I guess it's better than nothing...). Last Christmas, they put out a box called Cherry in Liqueur (link, presentation photo) - I was really excited as I was hoping it would be something like the bar (even though the bar did not contain whole cherries). But I was going to be disappointed. They either changed the recipe or my taste buds have got pickier over the years.

It was not the first time I had got to that conclusion. About eight months before, I had tried the Caramel bar again. And I did not like it anymore. So, is there anything from their current range that I actually like? Well, they have decent cereal chocolates. A Cereal & Cocoa Cream bar (link, screenshot) and chocolate box (link, screenshot) and a Cereal & Whipped Cream bar (link, presentation picture) and chocolate box (link, presentation picture). And two or three years ago they've launched a premium range called Primola Supreme - I particularly like the Chocolate Mousse (link, screenshot).

Primola is a brand of Supreme Group (yes, I'm finally starting to post pictures of Romanian sweets as well). I discovered it some seven- eight years ago. Back then, I really liked their Brandy (which they've taken out in the meanwhile and... damn! I cannot even find a picture of it on the internet) and Caramel (link, presentation photo) chocolate bars. A few years later, they introduced a Dark - Liqueur & Cherries (Romanian original: Amaruie - Lichior & Cirese) bar which I also really liked, unfortunately, didn't last long (but at least I could find a picture of it - low quality, but I guess it's better than nothing...). Last Christmas, they put out a box called Cherry in Liqueur (link, presentation photo) - I was really excited as I was hoping it would be something like the bar (even though the bar did not contain whole cherries). But I was going to be disappointed. They either changed the recipe or my taste buds have got pickier over the years.

It was not the first time I had got to that conclusion. About eight months before, I had tried the Caramel bar again. And I did not like it anymore. So, is there anything from their current range that I actually like? Well, they have decent cereal chocolates. A Cereal & Cocoa Cream bar (link, screenshot) and chocolate box (link, screenshot) and a Cereal & Whipped Cream bar (link, presentation picture) and chocolate box (link, presentation picture). And two or three years ago they've launched a premium range called Primola Supreme - I particularly like the Chocolate Mousse (link, screenshot).

In the first post (Ice-Mastry Garden Party Chocolate with Cherries) I mentioned two other brands - G7 Gelati and Haagen-Dazs. So I thought I'd make this entry about G7 Gelati. I guess the origin is pretty obvious. I won't make a list of all the names and things I can think of that originate from the boot-shaped country - I'm afraid the list would get so long I'll finish linking everything... next year!

First of all, I must say I really like their website (see link above). It's simple, clean, elegant, informative and it also has an English version. I have no problem with understanding Italian, but maybe other people don't understand the language, so it's always good to have an international version as well.

In the first post (Ice-Mastry Garden Party Chocolate with Cherries) I mentioned two other brands - G7 Gelati and Haagen-Dazs. So I thought I'd make this entry about G7 Gelati. I guess the origin is pretty obvious. I won't make a list of all the names and things I can think of that originate from the boot-shaped country - I'm afraid the list would get so long I'll finish linking everything... next year!

First of all, I must say I really like their website (see link above). It's simple, clean, elegant, informative and it also has an English version. I have no problem with understanding Italian, but maybe other people don't understand the language, so it's always good to have an international version as well.