Recipes

Comté and Roquefort warming to room temperature on a wooden board, sliced pears, a pot of honey, walnut bread: scattered among them, Domaine de Béquignol’s Chocolate Covered Walnuts, caramelized walnuts in dark chocolate from the Périgord Noir, add crunch and a bittersweet surprise.

The freezer does most of the work: honeyed Greek yogurt, fresh blueberries and pieces of pink chocolate set into a bark that snaps into shards. Comptoir du Cacao’s Wild Blueberry Ruby Chocolate Bar, fresh and lightly tart, needs no artificial colorings to look this striking.

Like a market stall in a glass, honeyed yogurt, kiwi, mango and strawberries rise in bright layers under a handful of chopped chocolate: Comptoir du Cacao’s Tutti-Frutti Chocolate Bar, dark or milk, is generously studded with candied and dried fruits.

Nothing here is tidy, and that is the charm: crushed meringue, soft cream and sugared strawberries tumble together in the glass, shot through with shards of dark chocolate. Comptoir du Cacao’s Strawberry Dark Chocolate Bar, studded with dried strawberry, brings the bittersweet contrast.

Thin apple slices folded into a rustic crust bake over a layer of chopped chocolate, and more goes on while the tart is warm: Comptoir du Cacao’s Salted Butter Caramel Blond Chocolate Bar ends on a delicate touch of salt, lovely with a Calvados.

One plate for two: strawberries, soft whipped cream and chocolate broken into pieces, hearts facing up, ready for coffee or tea. Comptoir du Cacao’s Red Hearts Chocolate Bar says what words sometimes fail to.

The mousse settles, airy and pink, over fresh raspberries before a few lychees crown it: Comptoir du Cacao’s Raspberry Ruby Chocolate Bar pairs naturally pink Ruby chocolate with freeze-dried raspberry, without any added colorings, for a vivid, fruity dessert.

Eight golden wedges come out of the oven, and each one, broken open, shows melting chocolate and tart flecks of raspberry: Comptoir du Cacao’s Raspberry Dark Chocolate Bar, 72% cocoa, lets the bright berry lift the deep, bittersweet chocolate.

Not a drop of coloring, yet the frothy hot chocolate blushes soft pink, thanks to the cacao alone: Comptoir du Cacao’s Plain Ruby Chocolate Bar, made from rare Ruby beans, brings a vivid, berry-like flavor and a fresh acidity to each cup.

Very ripe bananas, brown sugar and melted butter fill the kitchen with warmth as the loaf bakes: Comptoir du Cacao’s Plain Blond Chocolate Bar, white chocolate slowly caramelized to gold, folds in notes of buttery biscuit, toffee and caramel.

A slice of yogurt cake, tender and plain, hides pockets of chocolate and pistachios in their golden coat: Comptoir du Cacao’s Pistachio Chocolate Bar, coarsely chopped into the batter, turns an everyday loaf into something to share.

Caramelized pineapple straight off the grill pan, a drizzle of warm chocolate sauce, a little lime zest, then the heat arrives, late and lingering: Comptoir du Cacao’s Pepper Dark Chocolate Bar is infused with PDO Piment d’Espelette from the Basque Country.