Parfections, Cockeysville/Hunt Valley

 

There are a decent number of chocolatiers in the Timonium /Cockeysville /Hunt Valley York Road corridor.  It always surprises me, but I don't mind since they are all so close to my house!  Parfections is a new addition to the bunch, though I have a feeling they've been selling chocolates for a while and this is just their first store.  I do feel strange reviewing any other chocolatier in light of this review of my favorite, but I still think Parfections has a lot to offer.

First of all, they have some really interesting flavors to their truffles, as you will see below.   They also make beer-infused truffles with local Heavy Seas beers (12 for $21), seasonal flavor truffles, they sell chocolate bark (albeit for slightly outrageous prices: $9 for 1/2lb, given that bark is so easy to make) and lots of different kinds of chocolate dipped fruits (also $9 for 1/2lb) such as strawberries, mango, apricots, pears, peaches.

 

I ordered a box of 9 truffles ($16) and Dan and I selected the ones that caught our eye.  They have a LOT in stock - check here for a list of them. 

Here is what we got (the one missing is the white champagne truffle, but I forgot what else was in it, sorry!):

• Tropical Typhoon:
• Milk chocolate center combined with fresh mango and a hint of cayenne pepper rolled in toasted coconut.    
• This was a little too spicy for me.  
• Painkiller
•  Milk chocolate center with coconut milk, orange, pineapple, dark rum and nutmeg covered with milk chocolate and rolled in crushed banana chips.   
• Though a lot of the flavors were masked by the banana chips, I found this quite yummy! 
• Grand Marnier 
• Dark chocolate, Grand Marnier liqueur, orange juice and natural orange zest for the center, dipped into dark chocolate and dusted with cocoa powder.  
• Good, especially if you love Grand Marnier.
•  Mediterranean Madness 
• Dark chocolate combined with aged balsamic vinegar.  The center is dipped in dark chocolate. 
• Dan didn't taste the balsamic vinegar and I totally did, either way we both enjoyed it.
•  Port Wine & Cinnamon
•  Ruby port and cinnamon combination.   
• Liked this dark ganache, and I also liked it wasn't overwhelmingly cinnamon-y.  
• Chai Latte 
• Milk chocolate center combined with flavors of black tea, cloves, cardamom and vanilla bean, enrobed in milk chocolate.   
• I surprisingly didn't like this, which confuses me because normally it would have TOTALLY been right up my alley.  
• Chocolate Mousse 
• Dark chocolate inside and out with a hint of vanilla bean.   
• Great standard for dark chocolate lovers.

Cacao Lorenzo Chocolatier, Lutherville

Let's spend some time together to talk about my favorite chocolate in the history of the world - the chocolate from Cacao Lorenzo. 

It is straight up amazing and I am obsessed.  In fact, I've been obsessed for a while, which is a rarity for me.  Here's a review I wrote of the place back in 2005 on the review site "Judy's Book"  and it's actually quoted on Cacao Lorenzo's website as well!

Here it is:

October 23, 2005

Words cannot describe this chocolate.  To describe this chocolate would be an art. One cannot write what this chocolate is about without having music flow through the words.

Ahahahahah Ok I am done.  But in all honesty.  The bar has been raised.  This is by far the fanciest chocolate I have ever eaten, and I am not being facetious when I say I can picture the Mayans nodding approvingly.  The lovely owner makes all the chocolates himself and is very friendly and open about what he does.  The only drawback is that he doesn't sell individual chocolates so you must buy them in a box.  BUT YOU WILL LOVE THEM SO IT DOESN'T MATTER.

There is no need to sample here, this guy knows what he is doing.  He also makes a different special everyday.  On my birthday he made something called Frutti Fresco (or something like that) which was a small sliver of dark chocolate topped with some kind of milk chocolate paste, probably ganache, and then topped with two different berries.  INCREDIBLE.  I took the first bite and felt like I was transported to heavenly chocolate land where everything is good and delicious.  I would also like to mention that normally I don't like dark chocolate, but I loved his.  His regular box of chocolates has really unusual flavors that seem to work so wonderfully together.  One of the chocolates is called India which is made with a spice that we actually use in Indian cooking - and it's yummy!  Another is made with infused lavender and another is made with port soaked figs.  Who is this guy?  I think I need to be best friends with him because he amazes me.

Nakiya V.
Lutherville Timonium, MD

That’s right. I wrote that 5+ years ago and in that time I found out the guy was Larry McGlinchey, and he's the coolest and most awesome chocolatier ever, and yes, we're basically best friends :), I’ve discovered my love for dark chocolate, I’ve had the “India” chocolate as one of the favors for my wedding, and I am just as ridiculous hahahahahahaha.

And I still love these chocolates.

My favorite is definitely the Basque Square – port wine soaked figs, milk chocolate butter ganache, the Lavender Flower – lavender flower infused ganache, dark chocolate and the India - Spiced dark chocolate ganache.

If you want to impress a loved one this Valentine's Day (click here for specials), or literally ANY DAY - get them a box of these chocolates.