In my quest for bacon food pairings this week, I found that Vosges Haut-Chocolat has a lot of bacon paired foods. So I went right to founder Katrina Markoff to get the inside scoop on this bacon frenzy. Katrina first paired bacon with chocolate back in 2007 with ‘Mo’s Milk Chocolate Bacon Bar’, followed by ‘Mo’s Dark Chocolate Bacon Bar’ in 2008, then followed the Bacon Toffee… and the line has grown based on popularity and customer demand. Vosges line now includes bacon baking mixes, caramels and truffles. And the website also offers unique recipes like a Maple Chocolate Pudding with Bacon Spoon (OMG!).
Katrina explained, “I began experimenting with bacon and chocolate at the age of 6, while eating chocolate chip pancakes drenched in Aunt Jemima syrup, as children often do. Beside my chocolate-laden cakes laid three strips of sizzlin’ bacon, just barely touching a sweet pool of maple syrup. And then, the magic- just a bite of the bacon was too salty and I yearned for the sweet kiss of chocolate and syrup, so I combined the two. In retrospect, perhaps this was a turning point; for on that plate something magical happened, the beginnings of a combination so ethereal and delicious that it would haunt my thoughts until I found the medium to express it- chocolate. From there, it was just a matter of time…and what began as a love of salt and sweet quickly unraveled into an obsession. No sooner could I wait to unveil the royal coupling in solid bar form, a deep milk chocolate with bits and pieces of hickory smoked uncured bacon and just a sprinkling of Alderwood smoked salt. Really, what doesn’t taste better with bacon?” (My thoughts exactly Katrina.)
Vosges offers something for everyone, including the Beer & Bacon Gift Box, $48, perfect for the guy who has everything. And can’t decide whether you’d like the dark chocolate or the milk chocolate? Try the Mini Bacon Chocolate Bar Library, $25. Or you want to try everything? Order the Bacon and Chocolate Gift Box, $69. Other gift boxes include the Toffee Trifecta with Bacon in an exquisite purple box, $58 or perect for Easter, The Goose’s Golden Eggs, $22. This box is filled with 5, 1/2 dark chocolate eggs filled with bacon caramel.
Speaking of Easter- it’s right around the corner! Please shop around Vosges beautiful Holiday offerings. I’m loving the gorgeous Easter Birdcage full of treats, the Wandering Rabbit Truffles in a pale blue box (how adorable & chic!), and the Crispy Carrot Regal Rabbit. (also shown below) But these just touch the surface- there are so many pretty things I just can’t show them all! -Lynn Butler Beling
