From the outside, the Buckeye Rocher doesn’t look much like a buckeye. In fact, it doesn’t look much like a buckeye from the inside, either. That is, assuming a buckeye should look like a) a poisonous tree nut or b) some sort of person in scarlet and grey.
Nope, the Buckeye Rocher is small and brown and lumpy, through and through. Of course, it still looks fancy in a little brown ramekin wrapped in cellophane and a bow. And chocolate in any shape or form is generally a good thing.
In spite of their unconventional looks, it turns out that the little brown lumps from Patisserie Lallier do the buckeye moniker proud. A thin coating of milk chocolate encases a mixture of Krema peanut butter, peanuts, and more chocolate. With the exception of the chunky peanuts, the entire concoction is one singular, homogenous shade of chocolate brown. The flavors in the center are paired with a mysterious crunch akin to a Nestle’s Crunch bar.
The price tag on a Buckeye Rocher is steep: it’s two dollars per hit. Still, each bite-sized treat packs pure premium ingredients. It’s not just milk chocolate (or worse, chocolate confectionary coating), it’s Valrhona fair trade, organic milk chocolate and Valrhona fair trade organic dark chocolate. There’s also the aforementioned contribution from Krema and something French called feuilletine that provides the crunchies.
And because the Patisserie Lallier people are the sort who will list every ingredient in every part of their confections, it’s fun to know that the feuilletine has paprika in it somehow. Curious.
Patisserie Lallier is a local operation. You’ll find treats ranging from gingerbread madelaines to croissants at stops such as Luck Brother’s Coffee House and Global Gallery. The Buckeye Rochers were found at Worthington Farmers Market, now in the Worthington Mall on Saturdays.
For more information, visit www.patisserielallier.com.