Mmmm...Caramel: Callebaut Belgian Caramel Flavoured Chocolate from Bulk Barn

I was shopping at Bulk Barn last week and noticed a new bin in the chocolate section. I was pleased to see that it was filled with a caramel-flavoured milk chocolate.  This is great for all sorts of delicious molded confections, but it is also great for easy caramel truffles, caramel-flavoured ganache and caramel-chocolate cake.

I was not excited that there were artificial flavours in the ingredients list (I try not buy anything with artificial flavour), but there was also some natural vanilla flavour and caramelized sugar, which I knew was the reason for the caramel flavour. I bought about 15 ounces anyway, just to taste the product, and try them in a recipe.

With 31.2% cocoa solids and 27% milk solids, the taste was certainly a sweet caramel flavour, with a bit of a sugary taste and smooth milky mouthfeel. It was similar to Valrhona's Caramelia chocolate, but sweeter and less creamy.


I knew that it would be fun to experiment with and in the end, I decided to make a flourless milk chocolate cake: Sea Salted Butter Pecan & Caramel Milk Chocolate. The cake truly was delicious, and because of the caramel flavour, I topped it with sea salt, fresh roasted pecans and some swirls of milk chocolate ganache and dulce de leche caramel sauce. The result was buttery smooth with a lovely light caramel taste. You can find the recipe on my cake blog here: (http://ultimatelychocolatecakes.blogspot.ca/2015/04/sea-salted-butter-pecan-caramel.html).

Another great way to use this would be in a chocolate fountain or a chocolate fondue! Just think of that rich caramel flavour paired with pieces of banana or apple slices. Oh yum! One thing to remember though: a little oil needs to be added to the chocolate to make it run through the fountain properly.

These caramel flavoured milk chocolate callets (i.e. pieces) are not only available at Bulk Barn (in bulk bins only), but you can find them pre-packaged at a Callebaut or Cacao Barry supplier near you.  Although not available right now, check back at Vanilla Food Company for them in future (they ship from Toronto to both U.S. and Canadian locations). They are also out of stock at McCalls, but again, just check back frequently to see if you can buy online. And you can always buy them at Bulk Barn while you wait!

Here are the details from the chocolate that I tasted and wrote about today:

Callebaut Premium Belgian Caramel Flavoured Callets
Made by: Callebaut (www.callebaut.com)
Sold at: Bulk Barn (www.bulkbarn.ca)
Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, unsweetened chocolate, skim milk powder, caramelized sugar, soy lecithin (emulsifier), artificial flavours, spices, natural vanilla flavour. Contains milk and soy.