The puzzling marriage of mint and choc

Mint and chocolate are a curious pairing. One seems so pure and medicinal, the other hedonistic and dissolute. It is a coupling that instantly makes me think of Christmas (69 days to go).

If you fancy it, there’s a very easy recipe for a giant after dinner mint on my blog

Summerdown (behind whom is Sir Michael Colman, formerly of mustard fame) is no stranger to the marriage of mint and chocolate, it does a great range; I particularly love its peppermint fondants. But new to the party are three bars, £3.25/100g, all containing single-origin Colombian cocoa and peppermint oil. There are two 70% bars, one with sugar crystals for a nice minty crunch, and a milk.

I confess I really went for the 37% milk mint bar. Gorgeously creamy and minty. All the Summerdown mint, Black Mitcham peppermint to be precise, is grown in Hampshire and its peppermint tea is a favourite in this house.

If you haven’t already and you do fancy it, there’s a very easy recipe for a giant after dinner mint on my blog which I urge you to try, and perfect for that is Summerdown’s peppermint oil, £5.30.

In Hotel Chocolat’s Inventing Room subscription box (£25) this month was 85% chocolate and Himalayan salt popcorn. I’ve never been fond of chocolate-covered popcorn, but not only was the corn popped into perfect, preternatural spheres, it was then lightly coated with a superb toffee crunch.

I can pretend the 85% chocolate made everything OK, because it balanced out the sweetness, but in effect I went at this like a horse into a nose bag.

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