Best Chocolate This Side of Europe...in BASTROP!

ROSCAR Bonbons and Truffles in Bastrop

After the stress of our quick breads exam, Margaret and I decided to treat ourselves by taking a trip out to Lost Pines in Bastrop to experience fresh, handmade artisan chocolate at ROSCAR (www.roscar.com). I can't even begin to describe how amazing the chocolate is, I was truly blown away. And in Bastrop of all places!?! Seriously, Godiva doesn't even compare to the obviously fresh and high-quality Belgian chocolate delicacies created by European-trained master chef Frans Hendrik. They don't use oils or extracts to capture the flavor, instead they infuse it into the chocolate.


First, let's start with the scenery. The building is an adorable log cabin surrounded by pine trees. You kind of just want to sit on the porch, nibble at your amazing chocolates and stare out at the pine trees. Lovely! Then you step inside the building and you're completely enveloped by the coziness of the country-style woodsy interior and the heavenly (but not overwhelming) scent of chocolate.

The shelves are stocked with jars of ganache, specialty teas and gift ideas. There is also a video showing Frans Hendrik hand-making the chocolates that you see displayed in the glass counter. Artisan chocolate isn't something that you can easily find in Texas, or in the U.S. for that matter.

TASTINGS & PRICES

Now that you've taken in the scenery, you're ready for the tasting room. The kind ladies at the counter are happy to give you a small taste of either truffles or bonbons to help you find something you like. Well, you'll like them all but it certainly helps narrow down your choices since they aren't cheap. However, you can purchase a box of 4 truffles and 6 bonbons for less than $20 or just buy one or two for about $2 a piece. Not bad for chocolate of this caliber. Click on the last photo for price listings.

TRUFFLES

The flavors available at ROSCAR range from classic to truly unique. You can check out their website for a list of all the available flavors. Out of the truffles, the more unique offerings included Tequila-Lime Jalapeno (pretty good and I hate jalapeno, you don't really taste it but there is a little hot sensation), Spicy Thai Peanut (just a hint of spicy)  and Champagne (one of my faves).

BONBONS

Unique chocolate bonbons included Dark Chocolate Basil (I liked the odd pairing, but Ryan didn't care much for it), Cajeta (make with goat's milk), Green Tea, Ginger, New Orleans Punch (reminded me of eggnog a little bit) and Cabernet (GREAT pairing). The last photo on the right is high-resolution, so you should be able to click on it and read the prices/chocolate descriptions.

If you are a fan of chocolate or know someone who is, you owe it to yourself or your loved ones to experience this place. I would advise calling ahead of time to make sure the tasting room will be available and to get directions.