Milk chocolate with caramelized macadamia nuts by Dolfin. Crunchy nuts in creamy chocolate.
The milk chocolate with caramelized macadamia nuts is a 70-g bar from Dolfin's Vintage Summer Collection. It contains at least 37 percent cocoa, plus 6 percent macadamia nuts with a caramel coating. A pinch of Guérande salt rounds off the bar.
Under a palm tree on the wrapper stand four surfers with their boards on the beach, and a dog sits next to them. In the background, waves roll in. The French name is "Noix de macadamia caramélisées". The scene suits a bar that tastes like vacation, sunshine, and the scent of coconut on the beach.
Buttery nuts, crispy caramel
Macadamia nuts have a mild, buttery aroma and a high fat content. In chocolate, they feel softer than almonds or hazelnuts, but retain a slight bite.
Caramelizing gives the nuts a thin, crispy sugar coating. They crackle when chewed and bring a note of burnt sugar. The milk chocolate around them is mild and creamy.
The Guérande salt stays in the background. It makes the sweetness slightly less overpowering and highlights the nut aroma.
Those who prefer dark, bitter chocolate should opt for the dark chocolate with Guérande salt. This bar is not suitable for people with allergies to macadamia nuts, milk, or soy. Traces of other tree nuts, egg, gluten, and sesame are possible.
Where macadamia nuts come from
The macadamia originally comes from the rainforests in eastern Australia. Today, it is also grown in South Africa, Kenya, and Hawaii.
The nuts have a very hard shell and are considered difficult to crack. This makes them one of the more expensive nut varieties. In confectionery, they are appreciated for their mild, almost creamy taste.
According to the ingredients list, the caramelized nuts consist only of macadamia nuts, sugar, and caramel made from sugar and water. The chocolate also contains Guérande salt, soy lecithin, and natural vanilla flavoring.
At 554 kcal per 100 g, the bar is slightly richer than many pure milk chocolates. This is due to the high fat content of the macadamia nuts.
A side note: The macadamia was named after the Scottish-Australian chemist John Macadam. It was first cultivated commercially on a larger scale in Hawaii.
Suitable companions
For afternoon coffee, the bar pairs well with a cappuccino or a latte macchiato. It is also a good choice with a cold chai latte in summer.
For a quick dessert, roughly chop the chocolate and sprinkle it over coconut yogurt with fresh mango. This suits the beach motif of the packaging well.
Chopped, the bar also works well in cookies made according to an American recipe. Macadamia and white chocolate are a classic, while milk chocolate makes the baked goods slightly bolder.
For beginners: Break the bar along the ridges and let a piece melt slowly. Chew only when the chocolate is soft. This way, you can taste the caramel and nut separately.
Store the bar cool and away from light. Nuts go rancid more quickly in heat, while they stay fresh for a long time in a cool cupboard.
If you want to share the bar with others, place it on a board and break it along the ridges. This makes it easy to see how the nut pieces are distributed in the chocolate.
As a gift, the bar is suitable for anyone who likes to travel. The surfer motif evokes memories of summer holidays by the sea and long evenings on the beach.
If you share the bar with children, you should keep the whole nut pieces in mind. Hard nuts are not suitable for small children due to the choking hazard.
Dolfin, a Belgian brand
Dolfin was founded in 1989 and produces in Baulers near Nivelles. For all bars, the chocolatier uses pure cocoa butter. Under the motto "The Art of Blending", it incorporates nuts, fruits, and spices directly into the chocolate.
As the second mild variety in the summer range, we recommend the milk chocolate with salted butter caramel. You can see all the brand's bars in our Dolfin category.
A mild summer bar with crunchy macadamia nuts for afternoon coffee.
