Value for Money Christmas Special

SPECIALLY SELECTED PETIT FOURS (ALDI) €2.49


Aldi has more than one type of chocolate on its shelves but these are dainty. As the name will suggest, they are not for stuffing your face with while watching Downton Abbey but for genteelly nibbling on when the dessert plates are cleared – although who serves petit fours with their Christmas dinner anyway? This little box will give you six different types of chocolate in a foil bag. The chocolates are okay, without being stunning – at this price you can't really expect stunning – and there might be too much white chocolate there for some.

Verdict: Cheap but not so special.
Star rating: ***

CHOCOLATES BY ÁINE €11.50

The quality in this box of hand-made Irish chocolates is commendably high. The solid dark chocolate and the honeycomb praline stand out. The vanilla creme fraiche is great too. In fact, all of these chocolates are great, which is part of the problem. They are selling in Avoca for just under €1 a chocolate and half the box would likely be gone before the credits stopped rolling on Die Hard. While the presentation box is nice, having to tip it upside down to see the flavours after opening it is a real nuisance.

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Marks & Spencer Fabulous Personalities

Verdict: Lovely, Irish, dear.
Star rating: ***

M&S FABULOUS PERSONALITIES €22.50

Chocolates are for eating, not for naming, you might think. Before you open the box. They look amazing and there are loads of bright colours and shapes in display. The first chocolate tested was Señor Raphael, "a wonderfully zesty Valencia orange oil set in milk chocolate and encased in crisp dark chocolate", which was nice. Next up is the "fruity raspberry compote set on a rich dark chocolate ganache", also lovely, but not as nice as the Maldon Sea Salt chocolate or the "delicate chocolate coulis". Yes, this is a very posh box of chocolates.

Verdict: Looks gorgeous, tastes lovely.
Star rating: ***

TESCO DESSERT CHOCOLATE ASSORTMENT €12.99

Wait until you see these. Forget the chocolates – at least for now – the amazing presentation is what makes this stand out. The reddish-pink barrel opens to allow access to all three layers at once – so no more guilt-ridden raiding of the bottom layers before the top ones are finished. Not that eating them a layer at a time would be much of a hardship: all 10 chocolate choices in the barrel are great. There are about 30 chocolates here. The salt and pepper pecan has a wonderful spicy kick, and the raspberry caramel a freshness that is hard to find.

Verdict: Roll out the barrel.
Star rating: *****