Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Interesting Accent Piece, But Not Enough To Stock Up On: Lindt Citrus Lindor Truffles!


The Good: Good bulk options, Generally decent ingredients
The Bad: Citrus flavor is overwhelmed by the white chocolate medium.
The Basics: Tasting more strongly of the white chocolate that enrobes the lemony ganache, the Citrus Lindor Truffles underwhelm, but are not unpleasant.


The day has finally come; the last of my chocolates from the Lindt store at the Mall Of America (reviewed here!) has come up in my reviewing queue! That chocolate is the Lindt Citrus Lindor Truffle, a flavor my wife loved, but as an objective reviewer, I find is far from flawless. That said, there are plenty of chocolates that do not land; the main issue I have with the Citrus Lindor Truffle is that the white chocolate overwhelms the flavor that the Lindor truffle is supposed to be.

Basics

Lindt Lindor Citrus truffles are one of the newer chocolate truffles from the Swiss chocolatiers Lindt & Sprungli and their U.S.-based subsidiary. Each truffle is a one inch sphere of white chocolate with a shell about an eighth of an inch thick. This shell covers a thick off-white chocolate ganache ball inside and that center ball is a softer substance than the outer coating. Each of the truffles comes individually wrapped in a light yellow-green foil wrapper, which is very easy to distinguish from other Lindt Lindor truffles. While I usually rail against the environmental impact of individually-wrapped candies, it is hard to imagine Lindt Lindor truffles not wrapped. This keeps each one clean, unmelted and intact.

Each Lindor Truffle is a sphere with a seam at the hemisphere that is essentially a smooth white chocolate globe sealing in a soft creamy ball inside. Currently sold individually (at approximately $.75/ea), by the pound or in various-sized packs outside the Lindt retail stores, Citrus Lindor truffles are priced on par with the rest of their non-exclusive truffle flavors.

Ease of Preparation

These are candy, so preparing them is as simple as unwrapping the foil wrapper around the actual chocolate truffles. There is no special way to unwrap or eat Lindt Lindor Citrus truffles; it's not picking and peeling one’s own lemons!

Taste

Opening the wrapper from the Citrus truffle, there is instantly a burst of lemon scent that explodes forth. The aroma is distinct and inviting and opens the nose right up!

On the tongue, the Citrus truffle has the smooth flavor of white chocolate. That chocolate flavor is accented by a dry sourness that is distinctive of citrus fruits. Interestingly, the sourness never pops; the muted flavor of the white chocolate keeps the fruity flavor in check, preventing the candy from ever developing to its true flavor potential. The result is a vaguely fruity white chocolate that is sweet and milky, as opposed to delightfully lemony.

The Citrus flavor has a slightly sour, (very) mildly dry aftertaste that lingers on the tongue for about two minutes after the truffle is consumed!

Nutrition

The Citrus Lindt Lindor truffles are candy, so they are not actually replacing fruit in one’s diet! Lindt Lindor truffles are made of good ingredients, which is probably why they are so expensive. The primary ingredients are white chocolate, vegetable oil and sugar. There is nothing unpronounable in these candies, which is something I have come to expect from Lindt.

A serving of the Lindt Lindor Citrus truffles is one truffle. From a single truffle, one consumes 80 calories and 6 grams of fat. There are ten milligrams of Sodium, but no cholesterol in these truffles. This flavor is also devoid of any vitamins. There is, however, one gram of protein and 2% of the RDA of Calcium in each truffle.

Honestly, these are candy and anyone looking to them for actual nutrition has unrealistic expectations for them. These are not Vegan-compliant, nor are they recommended for anyone with a nut allergy as they are produced on the same equipment that peanuts (and tree nuts) pass over. They are not marked as kosher nor are they labeled as gluten-free.

Storage/Clean-up

The Lindt Lindor Citrus truffles remain fresh for quite some time. However, they ought to be kept in a cool environment between 60 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Kept in such an environment, the truffles we bought a month ago would easily have lasted until next year, but with holiday snacking these will not.

As for cleanup, throw the wrappers in the garbage. Outside that, there is no real cleanup needed, unless one is eating them in a hot environment. In that case, it is likely one would need to wash their hands. If these truffles melt into most fabrics, they will stain darker fabrics. For that style of clean-up, be sure to consult a fabric guide for whatever you stained.

Overall

The Lindt Citrus Lindor Truffles do not taste bad, but the generic “citrus” name does not excuse the flavor’s lack of zest. Any flavor overwhelmed by white chocolate is not strong enough in my book and Citrus Lindor Truffles certainly apply.

For other Lindt treats, please check out my reviews of:
Sea Salt Lindt Lindor Truffles
Lindt Strawberries & Cream Lindor Truffles
Lindt Coconut Lindor Truffles

4/10

For other chocolate reviews, please check out my Chocolate Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2014 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

No comments:

Post a Comment