A warm hello, dear friends!
I have a special treat for all of you to kick off the holiday season! I’ll give you a quick hint. It’s something sweet and festive. Any guesses? Well, if you guessed chocolate *ding ding ding* you are correct!
I love the holiday season, it’s my favourite time of the year. As I am sure many of you may have noticed, I’m quite keen on chocolate and have created quite a few chocolate treat recipes to date.
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, my favourite chocolate brand and one that I have used for years is Camino. They are a Canadian company owned by La Siembra Co-operative based in Ottawa (Canada’s National Capital) and the Gatineau area. I did not know they were Canadian when I first started using their products, but was delighted when I found out, as I love supporting local Canadian companies.
Their products are ones you can feel good about on many levels, from supporting and advocating fair trade practices to supporting small-scale farmers. They use only high-quality organic ingredients, which means you are getting top-grade products that are better for health and well-being. Their products are free of a slew of allergens and many of them are gluten-free, soy lecithin-free, dairy-free, and vegan-friendly. They also use cane sugar instead of regular white sugar and use minimal ingredients without additives and preservatives.
Camino has recently launched their new limited edition festive chocolate bars for the holiday season. I was excited to learn about their new, first-ever holiday line, as it was something I’d hoped for as a long-standing customer of their products. Needless to say, I was thrilled when they kindly gifted me these chocolate bars to try out and create this review to share with all of you. So, a big thank you to Camino for this amazing opportunity!
The beauty of these festive bars is that there is something for everyone! There is dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate! All 3 bars are gluten-free and also soy lecithin-free. They are all certified organic and kosher. One of the bars is vegan-friendly as well.
I will be breaking down this review into a few different categories with various aspects of the 3 chocolate bars.
• Packaging Design
• Description
• Taste & Flavour
• Texture
• Ways to use
So, let’s try out these lovely, festive treats, shall we?
REVIEW
PACKAGING DESIGN | ALL 3 BARS
As a Graphic Designer, I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention this aspect of these bars. Simply put, I love the designs! The winter forest wonderland theme gives a holiday feel without using traditional Christmas-themed graphics. The metallic finish on certain parts of the labels adds the razzle-dazzle feel of the holidays. As with all Camino chocolate bars, these too are packaged in environmentally conscious packaging. The wrappers are printed on acid-free paper using vegetable-based inks. The inner wrappers are biodegradable/compostable and made from wood pulp, and the outer wrappers are made of recyclable materials.
CRANBERRY, ORANGE, GINGER ZING | DARK CHOCOLATE
DESCRIPTION
This chocolate bar uses 65% dark chocolate with tiny pieces of tart cranberry and hints of bright orange, and a gentle hit of ginger.
TASTE & FLAVOUR
If you are a fan of dark chocolate, you will surely love this chocolate bar! The dark chocolate flavour is a beautiful balance between the bitter, earthy taste of the dark chocolate and the bright tart notes from the cranberry pieces and bright hint of citrus from the orange. Lastly, you get a little zing from the ginger, creating a harmonious blend of festive flavours.
• Gluten-free • Soy lecithin-free • Vegan-friendly • Dairy-free • Certified organic • Fairtrade certified • Certified kosher
TEXTURE
It has a smooth texture without being too chalky, which can sometimes be the case with dark chocolate. The cranberry pieces are a pleasant surprise in each bite that creates a nice balance with the flavour and texture.
WAYS TO USE
Camino recommends enjoying this bar with a hot cup of tea or at the end of a nice meal. I think it would also be a welcome addition to your holiday baking: cakes, cookies, cupcakes, and endless possibilities.
CRISPY GINGERBREAD SPICE | MILK CHOCOLATE
DESCRIPTION
This chocolate bar uses 37% milk chocolate with airy cocoa crisps, creating a lovely crunchy texture. Paired with flavourful warming spices, it’s perfect for the holiday season.
TASTE & FLAVOUR
Say hello to this bar, my milk chocolate-loving friends! It’s one you are sure to enjoy. Along with the creaminess of the milk chocolate, the gingerbread spices are upfront and centre. You also get a scattering of ground hazelnuts throughout the bar adding to the crunch factor. Your taste buds are greeted with warming spices—ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. I definitely felt the hit of the ginger and cardamom most prominently, but the blend of spices works so well together. It feels warm and comforting, like eating a gingerbread cookie fresh out of the oven.
• Gluten-free • Soy lecithin-free • Certified organic • Fairtrade certified • Certified kosher
TEXTURE
It has a lovely silky milk texture that melts in your mouth. It reminded me of hot chocolate, so luscious and creamy. Then you feel the contrast with the light cocoa crisps, and ground hazelnuts creating a delightful blend of creamy and crunchy.
WAYS TO USE
I think this bar would be a great addition for creating your holiday goodies like chocolate chip cookies, brownies, scones, cakes. There are so many other options.
WHITE COCOA CRUNCH | WHITE CHOCOLATE
DESCRIPTION
This white chocolate bar reimagines your childhood “Cookies & Cream” chocolate in a whole new way. The tiny whisps of cocoa and chocolate chips are enveloped in silky, white chocolate making for a delightful bite.
TASTE & FLAVOUR
Now for my white chocolate lovers, you are definitely in for a special treat with this bar. The white chocolate is not overly sweet (which I feel can often be the case with most white chocolate). It is just the right amount of sweetness and is wonderfully balanced with the cocoa bits and chocolate chips, creating a luscious white chocolate dream.
• Gluten-free • Soy lecithin-free • Certified organic • Fairtrade certified • Certified kosher
TEXTURE
The white chocolate is silky smooth with the little cocoa bits that create a nice crunch. The contrast makes for a tasty bite of white chocolatey goodness.
WAYS TO USE
This bar can be thoroughly enjoyed on its own or added to your favourite holiday-baked treats such as cookies, no bake cheesecakes, and cupcakes, and so much more.
FINAL VERDICT
I honestly loved all 3 of them. Each has its own unique taste and characteristics, but all encompassed the feel of the festive season with its flavour. The Cranberry Orange Ginger Zing is great for anyone who likes dark chocolate paired with bright, fruity undertones. The Crispy Gingerbread Spice is lovely for anyone who likes creamy milk chocolate paired with warming spices. Lastly, the White Cocoa Crunch is the perfect match for anyone who wants velvety white chocolate with little chocolate bits to create a beautiful balance. So no matter your preference, you are sure to find a bar that you will fancy!
Now if I had to pick a favourite which is certainly not easy, I would have to say the one that tugged my heartstrings just a little more is the White Cocoa Crunch.
I have a soft spot for white chocolate and have loved it since I was a child, particularly “Cookies & Cream”. This bar brought back all those lovely memories. So, kudos to Camino for recreating my childhood chocolate dream.
SWEET TREAT FOR THE HOLIDAYS
So, give them a try and see which one is your favourite. I am confident you are bound to find one (or all) that you’ll enjoy. They are also perfect as a gift topper, stocking stuffers and host gifts, or even a gift for yourself. So, go ahead, have some chocolate and kick off the holidays in a sweet way :).
Enjoy!
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