Foods from Truffle Treasures
Comments
2010 Jul 11
I am right there with Diamondsintherough on the Skor/Nutella combo at Truffle Treasures! If you like that one, check out the Mr. Nico at Sugar Mountain, it's equally fantastic!
Back to TT though - although selection is not as vast as Pur Gelato or Piccolo, the flavours are always interesting and delicious, and excellent quality. Nice atmosphere too!
Back to TT though - although selection is not as vast as Pur Gelato or Piccolo, the flavours are always interesting and delicious, and excellent quality. Nice atmosphere too!
2010 Jul 11
I have been a frequent visitor to the Glebe location of Truffle Treasures almost every day last week during the heat wave. Best gelato I have had in Ottawa for sure and among the most memorable gelatos I have had overall.
Their flavours are always innovative without being weird, like spicy chai or golden pear for example. The gelato tastes fresh and chock full of whatever goodies it claims to have - Nutella Skor filled with pieces of skor. Oreo cookie filled with big chunks of cookie rather than specks that hint at what used to be a cookie. My latest favourite is Caramel Brownie. Absolutely to die for. For $4.75 you get a generous waffle cone filled with two flavours of your choice.
Their flavours are always innovative without being weird, like spicy chai or golden pear for example. The gelato tastes fresh and chock full of whatever goodies it claims to have - Nutella Skor filled with pieces of skor. Oreo cookie filled with big chunks of cookie rather than specks that hint at what used to be a cookie. My latest favourite is Caramel Brownie. Absolutely to die for. For $4.75 you get a generous waffle cone filled with two flavours of your choice.
2009 Dec 18
i had my first TT hot chocolate! decided to try something I couldn't really make at home easily, so I chose the Aztec (flavour?) with milk chocolate, chilli, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom. I don't know how else to explain but this drink just hit the spot. The spices weren't overpowering, and complimented the chocolate so well. I'll be coming back soon for more!
2009 Sep 15
Truffle Treasures is such an innovative little shop. I first heard of it a couple years back and decided to stop by (westboro). Not only is the store soo soo cute the products are delicious. I have never had such amazing chocolate gelato or ice cream in my life! The owner definitely only sells the best! My favourite truffle is the tiramisu and I love the nutpaws. This shop is a great small business with alot to offer. Plus the owner and chocolatier is so knowledgeable and friendly. Definitely a place to check out!
2009 Aug 18
My friend from Finland, who has been staying with us for the past ten days, has been eating Reese's Peanut Butter Cups non-stop. So, of course, when she left for Montreal, I had to get her some of the ones from Truffle Treasures.
They are downright massive, and as everyone else attested, very, very tasty.
I also picked up a little truffle for myself, Earl Grey Tea. They are indeed small, but tasty. The earl grey tea filling was a bit sweeter than I would have expected, but reminded me of the dessert I had had at Play a few months earlier.
They are downright massive, and as everyone else attested, very, very tasty.
I also picked up a little truffle for myself, Earl Grey Tea. They are indeed small, but tasty. The earl grey tea filling was a bit sweeter than I would have expected, but reminded me of the dessert I had had at Play a few months earlier.
2009 Jul 26
This was my guilty pleasure all through winter (ok...and summer too...)
I have yet to try a hot chocolate that could top what Truffle Treasures has to offer. The raspberry hot chocolate was to die for! With real hunks of raspberry! And the hazelnut hot chocolate? I may as well have been drinking Nutella - my chocoholic heart be still.
The gelato is also wonderfully done here with some interesting flavour options. For example, the spicy chili chocolate is an interesting trip for your palette...icy cool but spicy hot at the same time!
Westboro and Glebe locations are both well kept and clean with excellent servers.
I have yet to try a hot chocolate that could top what Truffle Treasures has to offer. The raspberry hot chocolate was to die for! With real hunks of raspberry! And the hazelnut hot chocolate? I may as well have been drinking Nutella - my chocoholic heart be still.
The gelato is also wonderfully done here with some interesting flavour options. For example, the spicy chili chocolate is an interesting trip for your palette...icy cool but spicy hot at the same time!
Westboro and Glebe locations are both well kept and clean with excellent servers.
2009 Feb 10
I've sampled truffles from here a few times over the last few years. They certainly have a different approach to truffles than usual.
The biggest difference is size - the truffles are two dollars because they're _big_. Coupled with the thin chocolate shell (instead of the "traditional" truffle's cocoa powder coating), it radically changes the in-mouth taste balance of the sweetness of the ganache (primarily cream and butter) and the bitterness of the dark chocolate coating. With more ganache and less coating, it makes the whole rather sweeter than can be expected at first.
Like most anglophone chocolatiers that I've seen, it also gives a large place to alcohol-content preparations; the non-alcoholic ones are mostly in the sugar-free small moulded chocolates - and those are quite nice; they're usually what I've bought when I had major chocolate parties.
I haven't been in over a year, so I'll sample the Glebe one soon to reacquaint myself with their creations.
The biggest difference is size - the truffles are two dollars because they're _big_. Coupled with the thin chocolate shell (instead of the "traditional" truffle's cocoa powder coating), it radically changes the in-mouth taste balance of the sweetness of the ganache (primarily cream and butter) and the bitterness of the dark chocolate coating. With more ganache and less coating, it makes the whole rather sweeter than can be expected at first.
Like most anglophone chocolatiers that I've seen, it also gives a large place to alcohol-content preparations; the non-alcoholic ones are mostly in the sugar-free small moulded chocolates - and those are quite nice; they're usually what I've bought when I had major chocolate parties.
I haven't been in over a year, so I'll sample the Glebe one soon to reacquaint myself with their creations.
2009 Feb 8
I have to agree with Martie. I've tried Truffle Treasures a couple of times and have been disappointed each time. Not a fan.
I would highly recommend a new chocolatier in Ottawa. She doesn't have a store front, but you can easy order from her. Her name is Lori Sword and you can find her at www.kokochocolates.ca
You will not be disappointed.
I would highly recommend a new chocolatier in Ottawa. She doesn't have a store front, but you can easy order from her. Her name is Lori Sword and you can find her at www.kokochocolates.ca
You will not be disappointed.
Older
2008 Jan 23
Yep, it's the same company as the one in Westboro: www.truffletreasures.com
There are reviews already of the chocolate they make here. Personally I enjoy it, although I agree it can be a tad too sweet. I tend to stick to the dark chocolate stuff, which cuts back on the sweetness.
There are reviews already of the chocolate they make here. Personally I enjoy it, although I agree it can be a tad too sweet. I tend to stick to the dark chocolate stuff, which cuts back on the sweetness.
2009 Sep 9
Despite their overly sweet ganache, I do enjoy these truffles. Unfortunately for them however, you can find much better in Ottawa for a fraction of the cost. Definitely NOT worth almost $2 a piece.
If you're still wanting to take the plunge I would suggest the Raspberry or Milk Chocolate truffle.
If you're still wanting to take the plunge I would suggest the Raspberry or Milk Chocolate truffle.
2008 Mar 28
I can't comment with the same conviction as FreshFoodie, but I have tried truffles from this place. I agree with FreshFoodie that even when they 'should' be chocolatey, the flavour was very sweet, and not very chocolatey. Actually my favourite one was the Cranberry Cardamom, as it seemed to have the most punch. In my box, I'm sure that I had soem liqueur based ones, but I cannot remember a single one that had the zing of alcohol content. Perhaps I need to try more, but I would be very happy if Truffle Treasures offered some truffles that were more on the savoury, versus sweet side of the taste spectrum.
As for New User 907, in case you don't know, the person you are arguing with is the owner of this website, and beloved of 99.9% of the people here. You might be better off not arguing, or trying to cast aspersions, but rather offering to treat him to a tasting at Truffle Treasures where his observations can be measured, and if needed refuted in a civilized manner. Who knows... maybe, just maybe, his observations (whether factual regarding corn syrop, which can be called by the way a natural product) are shared by others. Fixing the problem in this case is not necessarily about the ingredients, it's about the experience, and the perception.
Also, it would be better if you gave yourself a name, because everyone here will just assume that an anonymous user complaining about a review is really just the owner of the establishment.
As for New User 907, in case you don't know, the person you are arguing with is the owner of this website, and beloved of 99.9% of the people here. You might be better off not arguing, or trying to cast aspersions, but rather offering to treat him to a tasting at Truffle Treasures where his observations can be measured, and if needed refuted in a civilized manner. Who knows... maybe, just maybe, his observations (whether factual regarding corn syrop, which can be called by the way a natural product) are shared by others. Fixing the problem in this case is not necessarily about the ingredients, it's about the experience, and the perception.
Also, it would be better if you gave yourself a name, because everyone here will just assume that an anonymous user complaining about a review is really just the owner of the establishment.
2008 Mar 27
i would not say that you would have ahd a fluke batch, the only person who prepares the truffles, is lara herself, and they are all made with a ganache center, and yes the creme brulee does in fact have more to it that caramelized sugar, but the "syrupyness" you encountered would be cause by that caramelized sugar, all the truffles are made with a ganache in the center, all of which are made with all natural ingredients and NO corn/glucose syrup. i do not believe stating that they must be made with a corn syrup center, is strictly an opinion, it was stated as a fact which you did not truely know.
2008 Mar 23
Thanks for the interesting information. I don't believe I've ever claimed to be a qualified food critic and of course like everyone else I am simply sharing my own impressions of the foods I encounter.
You mention traditional truffles but the ones I sampled were not traditional in the strict sense. To my knowledge, any filling other than a simple ganache is non-traditional. The ones I tried had more of a caramel filling and that is not to my taste. There's more to creme brulee than caramelized sugar. I guess it's possible that I just had a fluke bad batch, perhaps prepared by an inexperienced employee. This seems even more likely given your statement that Truffle Treasures fillings are more like traditional ganache and less like corn syrup.
Anyway, it's nice to know that the ingredients are usually good quality!
You mention traditional truffles but the ones I sampled were not traditional in the strict sense. To my knowledge, any filling other than a simple ganache is non-traditional. The ones I tried had more of a caramel filling and that is not to my taste. There's more to creme brulee than caramelized sugar. I guess it's possible that I just had a fluke bad batch, perhaps prepared by an inexperienced employee. This seems even more likely given your statement that Truffle Treasures fillings are more like traditional ganache and less like corn syrup.
Anyway, it's nice to know that the ingredients are usually good quality!
2008 Mar 23
i happen to have worked at truffle treasures in the past, and i would just like to explain that there is NO corn syrup or glucose syrup in any of the truffles, they are made with the same respects as any traditional truffles, they do include fat, in the form of butter. so i would take another look into your own food critic ability, seeing as how you clearly do not know the difference between a traditional ganache, and somethig filled with corn syup. oh and the reason the creme brulee would have resembled syrupy sweetness, is because it containes caramelizes sugar(kinda like a real creme brulee)
2007 Feb 17
Being a lover of fine chocolates I was excited to try these. I started with the hazelnut one but found it to be too sweet, not chocolately enough, and with an almost syrupy center. Disappointed, I bit into the creme brulee and was again overwhelmed by syrupy sweetness. I jammed the green tea truffle into my mouth and chewed it. More of the same! Then I picked up the last truffle in the box. Coconut, one of my favourite flavours -- maybe this one would redeem the whole batch! I bit down and found my tongue once more enveloped in cloying, syrupy sweetness. At two bucks a pop I expected these cute little morsels to appeal to my palate more than Pot of Gold.
Now, even though these weren't at all my style, I can tell they are well made. The chocolate layer is super thin and delicate, which makes them so tender (yet unfortunately means less chocolate). The filling was new to me, in that it seemed to contain no cocoa and little or no fat. In fact I'd guess it was made with a base of corn syrup. If you like those Cadbury Easter Creme Eggs (I can't stand them), you'd find these truffles amazing!
They were packaged up really beautifully. Very careful presentation!
Now, even though these weren't at all my style, I can tell they are well made. The chocolate layer is super thin and delicate, which makes them so tender (yet unfortunately means less chocolate). The filling was new to me, in that it seemed to contain no cocoa and little or no fat. In fact I'd guess it was made with a base of corn syrup. If you like those Cadbury Easter Creme Eggs (I can't stand them), you'd find these truffles amazing!
They were packaged up really beautifully. Very careful presentation!
2007 Aug 8
I've always loved this store. I simply can't get enough of the peanut butter cups or the truffles and am always impressed by the owner's commitment to using quality ingredients and making everything by hand. My favorite are the milk chocolate peanut butter cups. I think they're superb because when you're eating them, it's obvious that she uses the finest ingredients. The peanut butter tastes like peanut butter, the caramel - like real caramel and same for the chocolate. perfectly sweet. She obviously has incredibly high standards - they even make their own waffle cones. Super cool store. I buy my 12 year old these peanut butter cups for any special occasion - valentines, etc.. and he always insists on buying some for his friends. he thinks they are the best of the best.
2007 Feb 17
I'm a sucker for peanut butter cups. Wifey had read a glowing review of these so we tried them. They were pretty good although, like the truffles from the same store, they were just too sweet. The peanut butter was smooth and tasty but the layer of caramel above it ruined the experience. The sweet peanut butter and the even sweeter Rolo-like caramel was almost sickly and made a dark chocolate shell mandatory. Too bad it was made with milk chocolate!
2012 Jul 26
I find TT gelato the best in town - consistently extremely fresh and delicious. The fruit-based flavours are intense and well-balanced in terms of sweetness and acidity (the citrus flavours are particularly excellent).
My personal favourite is their "peanut butter and chocolate" flavour - it is an atypical gelato flavour but addictive like no other gelato I've had. Chocolate, baci are also great.
The only flavours that have slightly disappointed me are the mixtures of additions in a white-coloured gelato (e.g. vanilla skor or something like that) - those flavours tend to not have a sufficiently strong taste IMHO. A bit boring.
I'd love to try a ginger-flavoured gelato or an almond-flavoured gelato from TT - I bet they'd do a great job!
My personal favourite is their "peanut butter and chocolate" flavour - it is an atypical gelato flavour but addictive like no other gelato I've had. Chocolate, baci are also great.
The only flavours that have slightly disappointed me are the mixtures of additions in a white-coloured gelato (e.g. vanilla skor or something like that) - those flavours tend to not have a sufficiently strong taste IMHO. A bit boring.
I'd love to try a ginger-flavoured gelato or an almond-flavoured gelato from TT - I bet they'd do a great job!
2011 Jan 22
I've had gelato from Truffle Treasures a couple times.
Not my favorite, but it is good and the store has good hours and a convenient location.
I guess if I wanted Gelato and was on that part of Bank st I'd go there.
Their sorbet though is a bit to "whipped" and airy and I was told they use fruit concentrates (sure they are all natural..but still).
So you don't get small bits of fruit in the sorbet.
The other store I go to on Bank st- they use real fruits in the sorbet. So if you get actual raspberry in the raspberry sorbet, if you order kiwi sorbet...it has actual kiwi and the seeds in it...not just frozen green kiwi juice or flavors.
Truffle treasures does have interesting sorbet flavors though and it is nice that they change.
I also tried the pistachio gelato and was a bit disappointed. TT seems to use a lot of almond extract in it and I could not really taste pistachio in it that much.
If you blindfolded me I would have thought it was almond ice cream.
Also there was no actual nuts in the gelato.
I have gone to another store where they use roasted pistachio in their gelato and no almond extract and you could really taste the nuts in that.
I guess not everyone can like the same frozen desserts :)
Truffle Treasures does have some neat flavors, and I will go back to try those sometime.
The Oreo gelato sounds very good.
Also tried their Turkish delight candy and it was ok, but a but disappointing that it has artificial flavor and color- the candy was fresh though..so that was a plus.
Tried the giant peanut butter caramel cup and that was good, but a bit too large sized for my appetite.
I did manage to save half for another time..but that was kind of messy to do.
If they had a smaller version of there I might get them more often!
Prices for gelato seemed ok-not the highest price and not the lowest either.
The price for the 500ml take home container is good though!
Not my favorite, but it is good and the store has good hours and a convenient location.
I guess if I wanted Gelato and was on that part of Bank st I'd go there.
Their sorbet though is a bit to "whipped" and airy and I was told they use fruit concentrates (sure they are all natural..but still).
So you don't get small bits of fruit in the sorbet.
The other store I go to on Bank st- they use real fruits in the sorbet. So if you get actual raspberry in the raspberry sorbet, if you order kiwi sorbet...it has actual kiwi and the seeds in it...not just frozen green kiwi juice or flavors.
Truffle treasures does have interesting sorbet flavors though and it is nice that they change.
I also tried the pistachio gelato and was a bit disappointed. TT seems to use a lot of almond extract in it and I could not really taste pistachio in it that much.
If you blindfolded me I would have thought it was almond ice cream.
Also there was no actual nuts in the gelato.
I have gone to another store where they use roasted pistachio in their gelato and no almond extract and you could really taste the nuts in that.
I guess not everyone can like the same frozen desserts :)
Truffle Treasures does have some neat flavors, and I will go back to try those sometime.
The Oreo gelato sounds very good.
Also tried their Turkish delight candy and it was ok, but a but disappointing that it has artificial flavor and color- the candy was fresh though..so that was a plus.
Tried the giant peanut butter caramel cup and that was good, but a bit too large sized for my appetite.
I did manage to save half for another time..but that was kind of messy to do.
If they had a smaller version of there I might get them more often!
Prices for gelato seemed ok-not the highest price and not the lowest either.
The price for the 500ml take home container is good though!
2009 Sep 15
I agree that Truffle Treasures offer very good gelato. While their truffles aren't to my taste at all (I prefer a ganache center to syrup) the gelato is top notch.
N, if you think Piccolo Grande is awful, you should try the guar gum laden stuff they sell in the freezer section of any grocery store. The difference between TT and PG gelato is miniscule in comparison. :-)
N, if you think Piccolo Grande is awful, you should try the guar gum laden stuff they sell in the freezer section of any grocery store. The difference between TT and PG gelato is miniscule in comparison. :-)
2009 Sep 15
Wow, I am quite shocked by how Gunt thinks Truffle Treasures gelato is expensive! Its quite the opposite. Anyone who knows ANYTHING about gelato or ice cream can taste that this stuff is REAL. I went to Piccilo Grande (spelling?) and it was just AWFUL, it was old, icy and just flavourless and the servers were rude. I know Truffle Treasures makes theirs fresh everyday (as the servers told me and you can taste it!) The prices are low compared to other gelato shops, so Gunt you obviously have not shopped around! And the pistachio gelato is delicious!
2009 Jul 16
Gunt,
I find your comments offensive
at that cost, you did not ask for a taste or a sample ?
well, buyer beware comes to mind first of all
but in the industry, I've heard nothing but good things about TT
and really, I've done lots of dishes with pistachios and they do not impart huge flavour
more textural and colour
flavour-wise, having made real pistachio gelato, ice cream and granita, the cost would be prohibitive
I find your comments offensive
at that cost, you did not ask for a taste or a sample ?
well, buyer beware comes to mind first of all
but in the industry, I've heard nothing but good things about TT
and really, I've done lots of dishes with pistachios and they do not impart huge flavour
more textural and colour
flavour-wise, having made real pistachio gelato, ice cream and granita, the cost would be prohibitive
2009 Jul 16
I bought for over $22.00 gelato today and had to throughout half of it! The Pistachio, as it was called, was anything but. I know that many businesses cut corners by using artificial tastes instead of natural ingredients. Nevermind the quality - most people don't know anymore what that means anyway. But this is supporting the Chemical Industry on a grand scale. Nothing to recommend here anymore.
2011 Feb 10
I completely agree with Sam the Hungry....this is THE BEST hot chocolate I’ve ever had. I went in this afternoon and had a mug of Belgian dark chocolate. It was difficult to choose from the many options but in the end decided to stick with something familiar. Helpful, friendly gal took our order and brought it over to us. Rich, hot, luscious, dark chocolate. Perfect warm-up for today’s chilly temps. It was so good I bought a package of the dark Belgian chocolate nibs to bring home so I can repeat the experience some cold night when I can’t sleep. Next time I go in I’m going to try something more exotic.
2010 Oct 2
These guys have about 8 different kinds of hot chocolate right now, all interesting flavours - Belgian chocolate (dark, milk or white), Aztec (spicy), ginger orange, banana, hazelnut, etc. I opted for the Aztec and thought it was the bees knees :) This was definitely the best hot chocolate I've ever had! Rich and dark with enough spice to blend well with the heat (which was also perfect for drinking on a cool wet day), this was truly an excellent hot chocolate. It was definitely on the pricey side - almost $5 for one - but the quality makes it worth it. If you're looking for a really fantastic ho-cho this autumn or winter, rather than getting a mediocre hot chocolate from Starbucks or Second Cup for $4, pony up the extra buck and go to Truffle Treasures instead!
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