My Knoshy Box has Arrived – and Guess What? It’s Tea Time!!!

Yay!

OK, so I’m really behind on my posts.  I’ve got a few posts hanging out in the draft section of my dashboard, just waiting for me to put the finishing touches on them.  But, I had to put this post ahead of the rest, because … IT’S TEA TIME!

I don’t know if the great minds at Knoshy actually read my blog.  I hope they do.  But, I’ve been mentioning in several box announcement posts about my desire for a tea time box.  They’ve finally given me my heart’s desire!  The theme for this month’s box is Tea Time!

So, the first thing that needs to be in a Tea Time box is tea, right?  And what better company to select a tea from for this box than Steven Smith Teamaker?  There’s a full box of Lord Bergamot (one of my very favorite Earl Grey teas – in the top three – of all time!) and even though they’re sachets – tea tastes better when it’s loose leaf! – I won’t ding ’em for going with the sachets.  I understand … I get it … not a lot of people know what to do with loose leaf tea.

They also included a package of Amsterdam Wafel cookies from Rip Van Wafels.  I’ve had these before, and they’re totally yum.  I’m glad they’re in this box.  There is also a package of my favorite shortbread cookie baker – Lark Fine Foods!  These are Sweet and Savory Olive cookies.  Interesting.

Finally, there’s a jar of You’re My Boy BLUE-berry Bourbon Jam from the Jam Stand.  This sounds like a seriously yummy jam … it would be spectacular on scones.  I might have to make some scones soon to try it out.

I’m thrilled with this month’s box!  Thank you, Knoshy!

Organic Dark 70% Chocolate from Green & Black’s

Learn more about Green & Black’s here.

Buy Green & Black’s chocolate on Amazon.

Tea Suggestion:

Chocolate is one of my favorite tea time treats because … well, I’m a chocoholic!  This is an exquisite dark chocolate bar, and I chose to drink this Black Tea from Shan Valley with the chocolate.  The roasty flavor as well as the other notes (hints of smoke, caramel, nut, earth and toast) of the tea complemented the deep, rich flavor of the chocolate in these mini-bars.

What I Think:

These tiny bars that were in my November Love with Food box are so cute!  They are .53 ounces, and when you open the wrapper, it looks like a miniature chocolate bar, complete with the “break lines” that you’d find on a larger bar.

Put simply, this is rich and delicious.  One of the better dark chocolate bars I’ve encountered.  There is a good snap to this.  The chocolate tastes rich, sweet with just the right amount of bitterness to keep things interesting.  There is a deep fruity character to the chocolate.

My Final Thoughts: 

This is definitely a chocolate bar that I’d pick up again when I’m craving dark chocolate.  I’m glad that I have seen this chocolate in my local Whole Foods.  I’ll be grabbing a bar next time I shop there!

Whole Grain Espresso Chip Shortbread Cookies from Lark Fine Foods

The Holiday Trio box has three different cookies in it: to the left is the burnt sugar and fennel cookies, the middle is the salted rosemary, and the right is the espresso chip.

Product Information:

100% whole wheat shortbread with espresso and chocolate chips

I received the Lark Holiday Trio box which included these cookies in my December Knoshy Box!

Tea Suggestion:

When I have shortbread cookies, I like to have a rich black tea to go along with … perfect for dipping!  I chose This English Breakfast Tea from Tea of Life to drink with these cookies.  Yum!

What I Think:

OK, I am not a fan of coffee.  No, that’s not completely accurate.  I used to be a big fan of coffee, but, I realized at some point that it was that morning cup of java that was making me feel ill around 11 am every day.  And what I’m not a big fan of is feeling ill.

So, I stopped drinking coffee and started drinking more tea.  At the time that I was drinking coffee, I was also drinking tea but I was more of an occasional tea drinker.  I fell in love with tea and the rest is history.

So, whenever I’m encountered with stuff that … has coffee or coffee products in it (and espresso is coffee) I tend to be a bit … leery of it.  And so I was leery of these shortbread cookies.  But, I do love the other cookies I’ve tried from Lark so I  was hopeful.

And these are tasty.  A strong coffee taste to them and notes of chocolate.  I wish there was more chocolate but every once in a while, I get a bite with big chocolate flavor and I like that.  I love the texture of these cookies.  Lark manages to nail the shortbread texture perfectly in their cookies.  It’s sort of flaky and layer-y and buttery and crumbly … and just plain WOW!

My Final Thoughts:

These were tasty.  Of the different Lark cookies that I’ve tried, I’d have to say that these were my least favorite, but that’s because of the espresso.  I would have much rather had the spiced chocolate krinkles cookies from Lark … they sound amazing!  However, these cookies do get bonus points for being made with whole wheat.  It makes me think I’m eating healthy when I know that I’m not.  But, the illusion helps me feel less guilty … somehow.  So, I liked them … but didn’t love them as much as I’ve loved the other Lark cookies.  Still real good though.

Natural Crisps from 34 Degrees

Product Information:

Using a handful of natural ingredients, 34 Degrees carefully bakes their wafer-thin crackers until they are subtly toasty and overtly tasty.

These flavorful crisps pair well with mild to sharp cheeses, blue cheese, spicy spreads, and orange honey butter. They are great for parties and holiday celebrations!

I received a sample pouch of these crisps in my December Love with Food box.

Tea Suggestion:

I don’t often drink a jasmine tea with the foods that I review, because I find that the jasmine often interferes with the flavor of the foods and I don’t get to explore the foods properly.  But that wasn’t the case with these crisps!  I thought that this Organic Jasmine Tea from Kally Tea was a perfect complement to these crackers – the savory of the crisps contrasted nicely with the sweet, exotic notes of the jasmine.  A really nice way to enjoy these crisps!

What  I Think:

I didn’t pair these with cheese or any type of dip.  Instead, I ate them right out of the package with a cup of jasmine tea, and I found it to be a delightful tea time, indeed!

I love the texture of these!  They’re so light and crisp.

Really tasty.  There’s not a lot to them, they’re SUPER thin and crispy and really … that’s it.  Just a crispy bit of a cracker.  Not overly salty, no extraneous flavor additions … these are kind of like an extra super thin saltine cracker with a little less salt.

But I think that’s what I dig about them.  They are just simple little crackers with a really enjoyable, crispy, crackly texture.

My Final Thoughts:

I am definitely going to be buying these again.  I found them in my local grocery store, and they have a variety of flavors, so I think I’m going to do a little exploration of these crisps, and next time, I’ll try them out with cheese and dips too.

Sweet Corn Crunch Dried Snack from Sensible Foods

Product Information:

Little crunch dried kernels of corn never tasted so good! The crunch dried process removes water while maintaining the natural flavor of the product. There are no preservatives in the product, and there’s only 2 ingredients! The bag is easy to store and makes for a great salad topping!

I received this snack in my November Love with Food box!

Tea Suggestion:

I chose to sip some iced tea while munching on this Sweet Corn Crunch, and the iced tea that I had chilling in the fridge when I opened this bag was this Vanilla Cola Iced Tea from Southern Boy Teas.  I don’t know how “ideal” a pairing this was, but the iced tea was delicious, and the snack was tasty, so I enjoyed it.

What I Think:

Wow!  These are very different from what I was expecting.  I guess I was kind of expecting something more along the lines of HalfPops or CornNuts, but this snack is like neither one.  It’s more like the cut corn you’d serve at dinner, only instead of tender and juicy, this is light and crisp.

It doesn’t have that very toothsome crunch of a CornNut.  This is a very delicate kind of crunch.  Light and crispy, like a chip, only not like a dense corn chip … more like a light potato chip but with the flavor of corn and in the size of a corn kernel.

It’s sweet and has a really enjoyable texture.  It is a very satisfying snack.  It’s deliciously different, but familiar enough that it doesn’t taste “weird.”  A really good snack!

My Final Thoughts:

I’d definitely buy this again if I saw it at the store.  I really liked the texture, and I liked the flavor.  It was a fun and tasty snack.

Molasses Spice Cookies from Grey Ghost Bakery

Picture from Love with Food.
Click on the pic to go there.

Product Information:

Old-fashioned flavor with a modern kick. Molasses, ginger, and vanilla combine to create a year-round chewy molasses treat reminiscent of crisp fall days, perfect with a glass of ice-cold milk.

I received a packet of these cookies in my December Love with Food box.

Tea Suggestion:

Because these cookies had a sweet and spicy taste to them, I wanted to go with a pure black tea that would allow me to experience the flavors within the cookies.  I chose this Golden Yunnan from In Pursuit of Tea, and together the cookies and tea made for a really delicious tea time treat.

What I Think:

These soft, delicious molasses cookies are the perfect cookie for this time of year.  It just tastes like Christmastime … it tastes like the holidays.  They are sweet and spicy, not quite as spicy as gingerbread cookies, but there are notes of ginger in these that provide a nice little kick.

I like the texture of these cookies.  The cookie itself is soft, but the sugar crystals on top of the cookie (they appear to have been “rolled” in raw sugar) give a little bit of crackly crunch to each bite.  There is a bit of a zesty, peppery bite to the cookies, but, the spice is countered by the sweetness of the molasses.

My Final Thoughts:

Like I said before:  these cookies taste like the holidays.  They were a delicious addition to my Love with Food box for December.  These cookies are definitely something I’d consider purchasing again!

Gingerbread Spice Chocolate Bar from Theo

Photo from Knoshy.
Click on the pic to go there.

Product Information:

This organic, fair trade chocolate is crafted by Theo Chocolate in Seattle, Washington. Gingerbread spices are mixed with creamy milk chocolate that’s sweet, spicy and warming! Makes a perfect fireside treat to enjoy with a mug of hot cocoa. Limited seasonal release.

I received this chocolate bar in my December box from Knoshy!

Tea Suggestion:

Because I’m loving the notes of spice in this chocolate bar, especially the nutmeg, I decided to brew a cup of this Nutmeg Cream Tea from Butiki Teas!  I love the way the creamy notes of the tea marry with the creamy taste of the chocolate on my palate, and the the spice notes of the tea were in perfect harmony with the zesty spices of the confection.  Delicious!

What I Think:

Chocolate!

This is the first of two chocolate bars that I received in December’s box from Knoshy.  And I’m loving it.

There is a good amount of spice to this candy bar.  It’s a really delightful balance between rich, creamy milk chocolate and warm spices, and I like that they aren’t competing with one another.

When I shop for chocolate, I generally select a darker chocolate, but, I really like milk chocolate too, and I think that milk chocolate is the right choice for these particular flavors because it makes it taste almost like a chocolate “chai” but without the tea.  (Don’t worry, that can be easily remedied by simply enjoying the chocolate bar alongside a cup of hot tea!)

In fact, the spices here are very chai-like.  It’s got ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and nutmeg, as well as vanilla.  Most of these (and often all of these) are found in a masala chai.

My Final Thoughts:

I love this chocolate bar.  I am so glad that Knoshy included it in this month’s box.  It is rich, spicy, and chocolate-y … and absolutely delicious.

Alehouse Cheddar Crackers from Castleton Crackers

Product Information:

Castleton Crackers of Vermont never ceases to amaze us with their delicious new crackers. The latest out of Vermont is their Alehouse Cheddar made with local craft ale, cheddar cheese and very mild horseradish mustard. All natural, and hand-made in Vermont.

I received a full sized box of these crackers in my November Knoshbox.

Tea Suggestion:

I chose a mild white tea go to with these crackers.  I wanted something mild because I didn’t want anything to interfere with some of the more nuanced flavors of the cracker and I wanted something cooling to soften the effect of the horseradish mustard.  The horseradish is mild, as the description above states, but, it does build a little bit and the white tea helped to cleanse the palate in between crackers.  I chose this China Mutan White Tea from Mark T. Wendell – and the crackers and tea made for a lovely tea time!

What I Think:

I’ve tried a few different Castleton Crackers since I’ve started this blog.  The first package that I tried were the Windham Wheat crackers, and then I tried the Rutland Rye and the Sesame Graham crackers.  Now we have the Alehouse Cheddar Crackers and these are reaffirming for me why I love this company’s crackers so much.

Not only are they a handcrafted cracker that are made in small batches and obviously broken by hand rather than crafted in an assembly line in a factory somewhere, but the flavor of these crackers just cannot be beat!  You just can’t get this kind of taste in a commercially manufactured cracker.  The crackers not only look like they were made in someone’s home kitchen, but they taste like it too!  You can taste the love in them.

As much as I loved the salty and sweet contrasts of the aforementioned Graham Crackers that I tried most recently from this company, I think that these Alehouse Cheddar might be my new favorite.  It’s surprising to me, really, because I’m not a big fan of alcohol, as I’ve mentioned before, but, I love the way the flavors are represented in these crackers.

I taste the cheddar, but it doesn’t hit me over the head with cheesy flavor.  I taste notes of the ale, but the most intriguing note that captures my interest is the horseradish.  It’s not an overwhelming flavor … it’s in balance with the other notes in the cracker.  But, it is a flavor that builds and after I’ve eaten a couple of crackers my mouth is pleasantly warm and I can feel that enjoyable “burn” in the top of my throat and even that hint of a sting near my eyes and nasal passages that one gets from horseradish.  I love horseradish, so these notes were certainly a welcome surprise to this cracker.  I like that it starts out subtle but the heat builds.

My Final Thoughts:

I really like these crackers.  Then again, I’ve really enjoyed all the different crackers I’ve tried from this company … but I think that the unique layers of flavor in this cracker might just make it my favorite!  They have the cheese, they’ve got some ale flavor, and some horseradish mustard … all that you need is a cup of tea!

Rosemary & Pink Sea Salt Shortbread Cookies from Dancing Deer Baking Co.

Sorry that I’ve not been posting over the last few days … I had a bad ’bout with food poisoning, of all things!  UGH!  It wasn’t fun.  I’m feeling much better now, so I thought I’d go through some of my drafts and finish up a couple of them to keep the reviews coming.  

Product Information:

Without even opening the bag, you can already smell the sweet Rosemary seeping through the wrapper. The playful balance of aromas makes this savory shortbread a perfect companion with an array of cheese and meat plates, or for a quick sweet snack, try adding a thin layer of strawberry jam.

I received one of these cookies in my November Love with Food Box.

Tea Suggestion:

Because of the sweet and savory flavors already present within these cookies, I wanted to choose a tea that would complement that.  Something that was neither too sweet nor too savory, and nothing that was too polarizing a flavor that might rob my palate of the joy of the flavors of this cookie.  I chose this amazing black tea from Joseph Wesley:  No. 03 Classic Chinese Black.  This tea is more sweet than savory, certainly, but, the sweetness of the tea helped to enhance the sweet, buttery notes of the cookie in a delightful way.  A delectable pairing.

What I Think:

Yum!  When I opened the package, I took a sniff and the rosemary is strong!

These shortbread cookies are a delicious balance of sweet and savory.  The shortbread is sweet and buttery tasting, with a delectable, delicate shortbread texture that I really like.  I’ve tried other cookies from this company before, and I can’t recall ever being disappointed by what I’ve tried from them, but this one might be the best one I’ve tried.  I love the contrast between the sweet and savory!

The rosemary and sea salt cut through the sweetness to keep the savory tones lingering into the aftertaste … these are just slightly more savory than sweet, but I like the way it works.

My Final Thoughts:  

A really delicious cookie and a nice alternative to the usual sweet shortbread cookie that one might enjoy during tea time.  I like the savory elements of this cookie.  If I must offer one complaint, then it would be that as I ate this cookie,  I did come across one single abrasive rosemary leaf that had not been crushed and obliterated, and while I do love the flavor of rosemary, I don’t love the prickly feel of the leaves when they get between my teeth.  But really, this is such a small issue for me and I enjoyed the cookie way too much to let that stop me from enjoying these in the future.

Maple Fudge from Laura Secord

Photo from Love With Food.
Click on the pic to go there.

Product Information:

If Willie Wonka had a Canadian Cousin who was not only obsessed with making delicious candy, but luxurious and premium chocolate as well then Laura Secord would be her name. This delicious fudge is made with authentic maple syrup from the spacious Canadian hillside. Enjoy!

I received a chunk of this Maple Fudge in my November Love with Food box!

Tea Suggestion:

I wanted a deep, rich black tea to enjoy with this maple fudge, so I chose this Kaporet Kenya Black Tea from Single Origin Teas to drink while enjoying this amazing confection.  The combination of the robust tea with the decadent fudge was sublime!  The sweet fudge brought out some of the fruit-y nuances of the tea and made this tea taste even better (and it was pretty amazing to begin with!)

What I Think:

YUM!  Maple is definitely one of my favorite fall flavors.  One of the things that I look forward to when fall comes is the maple sugar candy that I find in Whole Foods.  However, I think I may have found a new favorite fall candy.  This Maple Fudge is outstanding.  It’s so maple-y sweet and decadent.  The texture is soft and smooth.

But here’s the thing when it comes to candy like fudge:  it becomes cloying very quickly.  Yes, I have a sweet tooth, but, even when my sweet tooth is in overdrive, I can only handle so much fudge until I start to feel that sickly feeling like I’ve had too much.  And let’s face it … fudge is so tasty that it’s sometimes hard to find that fine line from I’ve had just enough to I’ve had too much!

So I like that these individually wrapped pieces of fudge are just the right size.  One piece of fudge (or even a half a piece!) is enough to satisfy the sweet tooth.  I don’t have to “cut myself off” because there is a limit in the packaging.  And because each piece is individually wrapped, I don’t have to worry about the fudge going stale.  I like that!

My Final Thoughts:

A really delicious candy.  I like that they are individually wrapped, and the size is just right.  The taste and texture is fresh and soft and very enjoyable – much more so than the typical chunk of fudge.  This is so good!  So decadent!