{"title":"Bruntz Chocolate Shop","description":"\u003ch2\u003eChocolaterie Bruntz – Cocoa Confections from Kingersheim\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChocolaterie Bruntz has been operating in southern Alsace, a few kilometers north of Mulhouse, since 1960. Three brothers founded the business, which has been located on Rue de l'Industrie since 1978. Today, Quentin Ricou and Laurent Kalis run the company with a good ten employees. They produce Truffes Fantaisie: soft cocoa truffles without cocoa butter, rolled in dark cocoa powder. In Germany, they are called \"Kakaokonfekt\" (cocoa confections) because they lack cocoa butter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eTruffes Fantaisie in Kougelhopf Shape\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBruntz became known in the 1980s with its own idea: truffles in the ribbed silhouette of the Alsatian Kougelhopf. This shape remains the house's signature to this day. In addition, dragées and hand-poured chocolate figures are produced. As a partner of Marque Alsace, the company is officially allowed to state its origin on the packaging.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"bruntz-kakaokonfekt-haselnuss-knusper","title":"Cocoa Confection with Hazelnut Crunch","description":"\u003ch2\u003eCocoa Confectionery with Hazelnut Crunch. Powdery Cocoa Truffle from Alsace with Caramelized Nut.\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCocoa Confectionery with Hazelnut Crunch\u003c\/strong\u003e is a French cocoa truffle from Chocolaterie Bruntz, 16 pieces per box, rolled in dark cocoa powder on the outside. Not a filled praline, no bar, no nougat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCocoa Confectionery with Hazelnut Crunch\u003c\/strong\u003e is a Truffes Fantaisie from Chocolaterie Bruntz in Kingersheim, Alsace. When you open the box, you initially expect a solid chocolate shell. Instead, you'll find matte, irregularly shaped truffles in dark cocoa powder. The mass yields slightly even between your fingers. It crumbles in your mouth, then the caramelized hazelnut crunches. This sequence is the whole character of the product.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy this truffle tastes dry at first\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first impression is tart and bone-dry, as there's pure cocoa powder without sugar on the outside. Only then does the core open up. It tastes of dark cocoa, cooked cream, and milk sugar. Finally, roasted caramel from the hazelnut splinters emerges. These splinters make up six percent of the mass and remain crunchy until the last bite. They are coarse enough to be noticeable, and fine enough not to get stuck between your teeth. The texture is significantly softer than what you're used to from classic pralines. The core works without cocoa butter, instead binding vegetable fat from copra and palm kernel. This fat melts at around 24 degrees Celsius, well below body temperature. This is precisely why it crumbles on the tongue without sticking to the palate. If you expect a strict, bitter cocoa tone like a single-origin bar with 70 percent, you'll find the truffle too milky. Truffes Fantaisie are sweet, creamy, and soft. They are closer to confectionery than to dark chocolate bars, and that's precisely their appeal. The aftertaste is short and clean, making a second truffle easier than planned.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe hazelnut never takes the lead. It adds accents, while the cocoa and milk notes maintain the framework. If you're looking for a dominant nut filling like in a Gianduja praline, you'll find less nut here than the name suggests. Six percent is a deliberate dosage: enough for texture, too little for a pure nut product.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eTwo pieces with espresso, that's all it takes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA strong espresso is the most obvious partner because the bitterness reduces the sweetness of the core. Two truffles are enough for a coffee break, so the box lasts well over a week. For dessert, serve three pieces per person on a small plate, along with a glass of dry Crémant. The fine perlage removes the fat film and frees the palate for the next bite. For a hazelnut tasting, place the \u003ca href=\"\/en\/products\/dbarbero-giandujotto-fondente-100g\"\u003eGiandujotto from Piedmont\u003c\/a\u003e next to it: one firm and sliceable, the other powdery and soft. Two countries, one nut, two completely different textures. If you're looking for the French classic in a direct comparison, grab the \u003ca href=\"\/en\/products\/mathez-trueffel-fantaisie-250g\"\u003eTruffes Fantaisie in a ballotin\u003c\/a\u003e. Crumble two truffles over a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and the cocoa powder will spread like coarse sprinkles. This confectionery has no place on a cheese board, however; it's too sweet for that. It's also not suitable for baking, as the mass simply runs out in the oven.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn an etagere next to pastries, however, the box makes a good impression. Place the truffles individually there, not in a heap, otherwise they will rub off their cocoa powder on each other. For afternoon tea, a strong Assam is better suited than a delicate Darjeeling, as it picks up the milk note in the core.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOur tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Take the box out of the cool room half an hour before serving. At 18 degrees Celsius, the core reveals its full melt. Directly from the refrigerator, it appears dull, and the powder draws moisture from the air.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eKingersheim, 1960, and a truffle in Kougelhopf shape\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThree brothers named Bruntz founded a Chocolaterie in Kingersheim, north of Mulhouse, in 1960. Since 1978, the company has been operating on Rue de l'Industrie, now with about ten employees. In 2005, the Ricou family took over, and in 2024, the parents passed it on to Quentin Ricou and Laurent Kalis. The business became famous in the 1980s with an unusual idea: Truffes Fantaisie in the ribbed shape of the Alsatian Kougelhopf. These Kougelhopf truffles are still the house's signature and the reason why Bruntz is known far beyond Alsace. The genre itself is older. Since the 1930s, France has been stirring vegetable fat, sugar, low-fat cocoa powder, and whey powder into a mass, shaping it, and rolling it in cocoa. The renunciation of cocoa butter was originally a matter of price, but became a characteristic of its own confectionery genre. Because cocoa butter is absent, the result cannot be called chocolate in Germany, but rather cocoa confectionery. The name sounds sober and accurately describes what is in the box. Bruntz adds caramelized hazelnut splinters, which have been previously coated with sugar, to this basic mass. As a partner of the Marque Alsace, the company is officially allowed to state its origin on the packaging.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe manufacturing process itself remains manageable. The mass is tempered, portioned, shaped, and then rolled in cocoa powder before being hand-packed into boxes. Ten employees mean short distances between cauldron and carton. In addition to truffles, dragées and hand-poured chocolate figures are produced in Kingersheim, which determine the company's annual cycle. The cocoa confectionery, however, runs all year round and is the constant of the house.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eA box that is already wrapped\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe green box has a printed black and white ribbon with a bow and doesn't need gift wrapping. 100 grams, 16 truffles, a format between a small gift and a supply. It works just as well as a small gesture for dinner as it does as a reserve in a desk drawer. Three varieties stand side by side, and if you take all three, you have an assortment from a single house in your bag. For large gatherings, however, one box will not go far. Plan for three to four pieces per guest; then you'll need a second pack for five people or more. The confectionery is not suitable for shipping on a hot summer day, as the core melts too early.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a guest gift, the box has a practical advantage: it stands upright, can be stacked, and survives a handbag without damage. To conclude a meal, simply place the open box on the table instead of setting individual plates. This takes away the formality of dessert and invites people to help themselves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOne last note on quantity: 16 truffles seem like a lot, but they disappear quickly. If you're trying the variety for the first time, it makes sense to get two boxes right away.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA truffle for those who value melt higher than cocoa content.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Chocolaterie Bruntz","offers":[{"title":"100 g","offer_id":57197159088454,"sku":"031DAN103140","price":5.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0998\/4960\/1350\/files\/bruntz-kakaokonfekt-haselnuss-knusper.png?v=1787667819"},{"product_id":"bruntz-kakaokonfekt-gesalzenes-karamell","title":"Cocoa Confection with Salted Caramel","description":"\u003ch2\u003eCocoa Confectionery with Salted Caramel. Soft Cocoa Truffles from Alsace with Guérande Salt.\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cblockquote\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCocoa Confectionery with Salted Caramel\u003c\/strong\u003e is a French cocoa truffle from Chocolaterie Bruntz, 16 pieces per box, with pieces of salted butter caramel. Not a hard praline, not a bar, not a candy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCocoa Confectionery with Salted Caramel\u003c\/strong\u003e is a Truffes Fantaisie from Chocolaterie Bruntz in Kingersheim, Alsace. Many sweets become cloyingly sweet after the third piece, and the palate is overwhelmed. This variety solves precisely this problem in its own way. The core is sweet and creamy, but at the end, sea salt provides a clear finish. The mouth remains refreshed, and the next piece tastes as good as the first.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSweetness that ends on a salty note\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe truffle starts dry and slightly bitter due to the dark cocoa powder on the outside. Then the core yields, releasing cooked cream and butter caramel. It contains five percent salted caramel pieces, firmly cooked from sugar, glucose syrup, cream, and salted butter. They remain palpable in the soft core, similar to brittle, but more yielding. The salt comes from the salt marshes of Guérande on the Atlantic coast. There, it is harvested by hand from shallow basins, gray, coarse, and comparatively mild in tone. It doesn't push itself forward but cleanses the palate after the sweetness. What remains is a clean, slightly mineral finish. The texture is softer than any filled praline because the core works without cocoa butter. Vegetable fat from copra and palm kernel already melts at around 24 degrees Celsius. Anyone expecting a crunchy caramel candy with a bite will find this variety too soft. Here, everything melts, and only the caramel pieces offer brief resistance.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe ratio of salt to sugar is deliberately understated. Those looking for the intense saltiness of a fleur-de-sel caramel cream will find less salt here than expected. This variety aims for balance, not contrast at all costs. With the second piece, the salt becomes more noticeable because the palate is already attuned to sweetness. This build-up over several truffles is characteristic and makes the box pleasantly consistent.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFrom the coffee table to the scoop of ice cream\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eA glass of dry cider is the most French partner, as its acidity and carbonation balance the sweetness. Two truffles per person are sufficient to conclude a meal; three are a clear statement. When serving with coffee, choose a mild filter coffee rather than an acidic espresso. If you want to extend the Breton theme, place the \u003ca href=\"\/en\/products\/karamellbonbons-caramels-au-beurre-sale\"\u003eCaramels au beurre salé\u003c\/a\u003e alongside and compare firm against powdery. For a quick dessert, crush two truffles over warm rice pudding, allowing the core and salt to meld. The same trick works on a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but only if the truffles are at room temperature. The confectionery is not suitable for baking or melting, as it doesn't temper cleanly without cocoa butter.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis variety has no place on a cheese board; the core is too sweet. Next to a aged Comté, it simply seems out of place. However, it pairs surprisingly well with a glass of Sauternes or an aged Rivesaltes, as both wines tolerate salt. A rum with a distinct vanilla note also complements the butter caramel well.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGood to know:\u003c\/strong\u003e Serve the truffles at around 18 degrees Celsius. Straight from the refrigerator, the caramel remains hard, and the salt emerges too late. Half an hour on the table is enough to taste the significant difference.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAn Alsatian house with a Breton quote\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eCaramel au beurre salé originated in Brittany. Since the 1970s, it has been a staple in patisseries there. It's no coincidence that a chocolatier in Alsace picked up on this theme. Bruntz has been operating in Kingersheim, north of Mulhouse, since 1960, founded by three brothers of the same name. Since 1978, the business has been located on Rue de l'Industrie and employs about ten people. In 2005, the Ricou family took over, and in 2024, the parents handed the reins to Quentin Ricou and Laurent Kalis. One is the son of a chocolatier, the other comes from two decades in fine food retail. The house became famous in the 1980s with Truffes Fantaisie in the shape of the Alsatian Kougelhopf. This ridged silhouette is still the company's signature today. The basic mixture follows a French recipe from the 1930s: vegetable fat, sugar, low-fat cocoa powder, and whey powder. Because cocoa butter is absent, the product is called cocoa confectionery in Germany and not chocolate. As a partner of the Marque Alsace, Bruntz officially carries its origin on the packaging.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe caramel pieces are cooked separately and then stirred into the cold mixture. If the caramel were added warm, it would melt into the fat, and the bite would be lost. This intermediate step is precisely what distinguishes caramel flavor from real caramel pieces.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe cocoa powder on the outside is also a craft step, not just decoration. It binds residual moisture on the surface and keeps the truffles separated. Without this layer, the balls would stick together in the box. At the same time, the powder provides the tart note that makes the sweet core palatable. In Kingersheim, dragées and hand-poured chocolate figures for Easter and Christmas are also made. The cocoa confectionery is produced year-round and sustains the business through the quieter months.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe orange box as a gift\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe orange box features a printed black and white ribbon with a bow and requires no gift wrap. 100 grams, 16 truffles, a format between a token of appreciation and a supply. It stands upright, can be stacked, and survives a journey in a bag without pressure marks. Along with the house's two other varieties, it creates a small assortment from one manufacturer. For a larger group, one pack is not enough: calculate three to four pieces per guest. The confectionery is not suitable for shipping on hot summer days, as the core melts too early. However, as a gift for dinner, it works reliably, because sweet and salty almost always goes down well.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the office, the box has a side effect: it's empty after two days. If you want to keep it to yourself, don't leave it openly on the table. For a dessert buffet, place the truffles individually in small paper cups to keep the cocoa powder in place.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSalted caramel is now found in almost every patisserie and supermarket aisle, mostly as a flavor and rarely as a substance. The difference lies in the pieces that actually remain palpable between the teeth. Flavor can be added, but texture must be cooked.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBring the salt of the Atlantic coast into a truffle from Alsace.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chocolaterie Bruntz","offers":[{"title":"100 g","offer_id":57197159186758,"sku":"031DAN103142","price":5.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0998\/4960\/1350\/files\/bruntz-kakaokonfekt-mit-gesalzenem-karamell.png?v=1787667822"},{"product_id":"bruntz-kakaokonfekt-crepes-dentelles","title":"Chocolate confections with Crêpes Dentelles","description":"\u003ch2\u003eCocoa Confectionery with Crêpes Dentelles. Alsatian Cocoa Truffle with Breton Wafer Splinters.\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCocoa Confectionery with Crêpes Dentelles\u003c\/strong\u003e is a French cocoa truffle from Chocolaterie Bruntz, 16 pieces per box, interspersed with splinters of wafer-thin sheets. Not a filled praline, no bar, no chocolate bar.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCocoa Confectionery with Crêpes Dentelles\u003c\/strong\u003e is a Truffes Fantaisie from Chocolaterie Bruntz in Kingersheim, Alsace. Compared to a praline with brittle, this variety seems almost reserved. The crunch here is not hard, but flaky and subtle. The wafer splinters briefly crackle between the teeth before the soft cocoa core encloses them again. Those who like texture but are not looking for resistance will find the more refined version here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFlaky instead of Cracking\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe truffle opens dry and tart, because there is dark cocoa powder on the outside. Beneath it follows a soft core of dark cocoa and cooked cream. Five percent Crêpes Dentelles pieces bring butter, roasted aroma, and a hint of barley malt. The malt provides the golden-brown color of the wafer and the subtle toasted note in the aftertaste. The splinters are so thin that they do not disturb, but only briefly crack. This is more comparable to puff pastry than to brittle or nut crunch. It is precisely this fineness that keeps the truffle light, even though it starts sweet. The core works without cocoa butter and binds vegetable fat from copra and palm kernel. This fat already melts at around 24 degrees and therefore disintegrates on the tongue. Those who expect a clearly audible crack, like with brittle or cantuccini, will find this variety too reserved. The wafer content also remains an accessory and never takes the lead.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter swallowing, a buttery note remains on the palate, reminiscent of freshly baked goods. This aftertaste clearly distinguishes this variety from the other two from the same house. Nuttiness and salt recede here, making way for a bakery-like quality. For guests who otherwise find chocolate too intense, this is the most accessible of the three varieties.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sweetness is in the medium range and is curbed by the cocoa powder. A sugar shock is avoided, even after the third piece. However, those accustomed to distinctly dark chocolate with a high cocoa content will still perceive the core as milky. Truffes Fantaisie are confectionery and not couverture, and they do not pretend to be anything else.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSunday Morning, Café au Lait, Two Truffles\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA café au lait is the most suitable accompaniment, as coffee and wafer speak the same roasting language. Two truffles are enough for breakfast; three are already a dessert. For afternoon tea, a malty Assam works better than a green tea, which is too grassy in contrast. If you want to get to know the wafer pure, place a \u003ca href=\"\/en\/products\/gavottes-crepe-dentelle\"\u003eCrêpe Dentelle from Brittany\u003c\/a\u003e next to it and compare the original product and the result. For a quick dessert, crumble two truffles over a chocolate mousse; the cocoa powder then provides the bitterness. The same trick works on a scoop of caramel ice cream, but only if the truffle is at room temperature. If you are looking for a comparison within the house, reach for the \u003ca href=\"\/en\/products\/bruntz-kakaokonfekt-gesalzenes-karamell\"\u003eCocoa Confectionery with Salted Caramel\u003c\/a\u003e. The confectionery is not suitable for baking, as the mixture would run out in the oven and the wafer would become soft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe variety has no place on a cheese platter; the core is too sweet for that. However, it pairs well with a glass of brut cider, as the acidity catches the buttery note. A matured Calvados also readily picks up the roasted note of the wafer. For children, this is the most uncomplicated of the three varieties, as neither nuts nor salt pose a hurdle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom experience:\u003c\/strong\u003e Serve the truffles at about 18 degrees and no colder. In the refrigerator, the powder draws moisture and the wafer splinters lose their crispness. Half an hour out of the cool room before serving is sufficient.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eA Wafer Sheet from Quimper in the Alsatian Truffle\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Crêpe Dentelle originated in 1893 in Quimper, Brittany. The baker Marie-Catherine Cornic left a crêpe on the griddle for too long. Instead of throwing it away, she rolled up the thin dough, and the wafer sheet was born. Since then, Brittany has baked these sheets from wheat flour, sugar, butter, skim milk, barley malt, and salt. Bruntz breaks them and stirs the splinters into a base mixture of vegetable fat, sugar, low-fat cocoa powder, and whey powder. Because cocoa butter is absent, the result is called cocoa confectionery in Germany and not chocolate. The chocolaterie itself has been operating in Kingersheim, north of Mulhouse, since 1960, founded by three brothers. Since 1978, it has been located on Rue de l'Industrie, now with about ten employees. In 2005, the Ricou family joined, and in 2024, Quentin Ricou and Laurent Kalis took over. In the 1980s, the company made a name for itself with Truffes Fantaisie in Kougelhopf form. This fluted silhouette is still the company's signature today. As a partner of Marque Alsace, Bruntz officially carries its origin on the packaging.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe wafer splinters are only added to the cooled mass. If they were in contact with warm fat beforehand, they would soak up and lose their crispness. This sequence is the reason why the crackle survives the journey from the box to the customer at all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe cocoa powder on the outside also serves a function beyond aesthetics. It binds residual moisture on the surface and prevents the truffles from sticking together. At the same time, it provides the tart counterpoint to the sweet core. In Kingersheim, dragées and hand-poured chocolate figures for Easter and Christmas are also produced. The cocoa confectionery runs year-round and is therefore the constant in the company's assortment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Blue Box as a Small Assortment\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe blue box has a printed black and white ribbon with a bow and does not require gift wrapping. 100 grams, 16 truffles, a format between a souvenir and a supply. Together with the green and orange varieties, it forms a trio from a single manufactory. As a gift for hosts, the combination works better than a single box. For a larger group, calculate three to four pieces per person. The confectionery is not suitable for shipping on hot summer days, as the core melts too quickly. On a dessert buffet, place the truffles individually in paper cups so that the powder remains intact.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe box stands upright, can be stacked, and withstands a bag without pressure marks. This makes it suitable for a short visit as well as for storage in the cupboard. Once opened, it will keep for several weeks if stored cool and dry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBreton wafer in an Alsatian truffle: This is less a contradiction than a French matter of course. Both regions work with butter, both with patience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA truffle that still has something to say as it melts.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Chocolaterie Bruntz","offers":[{"title":"100 g","offer_id":57197159252294,"sku":"031DAN103144","price":5.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0998\/4960\/1350\/files\/bruntz-kakaokonfekt-crepe-dentelle.png?v=1787667824"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0998\/4960\/1350\/collections\/chocolaterie-bruntz-logo.png?v=1787667897","url":"https:\/\/ginusslande.com\/en\/collections\/chocolaterie-bruntz.oembed","provider":"genussland","version":"1.0","type":"link"}