Fabbri Cuor di Amarena Bombon (Chocolate Covered Cherries) Review
Author’s Note: As per usual, this is -not- a sponsored review. These are my own wild opinions. I have no affiliation with Fabbri or Costco or Amazon.
If Temu made a Cordial Cherry
Welp. These wild cherry bombons were “wildly” disappointing. Perhaps I’d hyped them up too much in my mind. I’m already a big fan of Fabbri products; I’ve previously reviewed their Ginger in Syrup and Strawberries in Syrup. AND I love Fabbri’s Amarena Cherries — so flavorful! Toe-curling flavor!
Unfortunately, these imported Italian “bombons” were not at all what I expected. The label says “soft chocolate filling.” But they are really just average-tasting preserved cherries in a very average-tasting dark chocolate shell. Unless you are really paying attention, they will just taste like uninspiring chocolate-covered dried cherries. This is a bummer.
Actually, it is a mega-bummer.
I am not sure what happened. It’s as though the inside is too dry and flavorless for what the product label suggested. Not the succulent, lush filling I had anticipated. I supposed I had imagined these as some sort of more sophisticated cordial cherry? But, look at them.
I honestly can’t find a “chocolate filling” at all. There’s the stiff chocolate exterior. And a dry cherry inside. There’s no filling, even though it is listed separately on the ingredients. More about that later.
Worse, my first “bombon” only had a fragment of a cherry inside, instead of a whole one. It was so small, I could hardly taste it. I sat in my car, trying not to cry. Because I had just spend $15 -and- an unnecessary Costco trip to get these. Yes, pity me, my friends! Food tragedies deserve pity.
One unusual feature is the white candy coating. It’s like the thin, white, crisp shell of an M&M candy. It doesn’t have any noticeable flavor, and it’s too thin to really add much texture on its own. The only thing it contributes is a tidier, melt-free handling. It looks like a gobstopper, but less colorful. Fortunately, not as hard as a gobstopper. Oi.
(Looking for a chocolate treat I adored? Check out my review of this Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Crunchy Caramel Bar.)
I will say this: I bought these in winter, when my Florida house was “cold” (in the 60’s). Eating them now when my house is 83 degrees is actually nicer — the chocolate is softer, although still shockingly firm. Any other chocolate would be starting to melt in my house (I have to keep my other goodies in the refrigerator), but these bonbons are just tender enough to bite into. Definitely the strangest chocolate I’ve encountered. Cruel, hard-hearted chocolate.
The “wild cherries” taste a bit nicer at the tropical temperature, too. But still not the rich, flavorful, moist cherries I expected.
Ingredients in Fabbri Amarena Bombons
Here is my best attempt at typing out the ingredients, from the label:
- Dark Sweet Chocolate (Chocolate Liquor, Sugar, Lowfat Cocoa, Soy Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavor)
- Chocolate Filling (Sweet Chocolate [Chocolate Liquor, Sugar, Cocoa Processed with Alkali, Dextrose, Milk Fat, Soy Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavor], Blend of Vegetable Fat [Palm Kernel, Palm, Sunflower, Rapeseed], Sugar, Dry Skim Milk)
- Sugar
- Candied Wild Cherries (Wild Cherries, Sugar, Glucose Syrup [Wheat], Water, Wild Cherry Juice, Citric Acid, Caramel Color, Concentrated Grape Juice, Natural Flavors)
- Rice Starch
- Maltodextrin
- Calcium Carbonate Color
- Carnauba Wax
- Beeswax
So, you see what I see, right? There’s supposed to be a separate “chocolate filling.” But, where?
More information from the label:
- Gluten Free
- Product of Italy
Nutrition Facts in Chocolate Covered Wild Cherries from Fabbri
A serving is 3 pieces and contains 170 calories. You get 8 grams of fat and one lonely gram of protein. There’s 21 grams of sugar, all of which is “added sugars.” Surprisingly, there are 2 grams of fiber and a whopping 15% of your daily value of iron.
Price and Servings
A 600 gram (1 pound, 5.2 ounce) bag cost $14.99 at my local Costco. Since there are 17 servings per bag, each serving is 88 cents. Assuming 51 “bombons” per bag, that is 29 cents per piece.
Because this is a seasonal item at my Costco, you may find this product at either Amazon or Fabbri’s own website.
Shelf Life
My bag had a “best by” date which allowed about a year and a half to consume.
Dramatic Conclusion
I did not like these chocolate cherry treats as much as I had hoped. I don’t think I would ever buy them again. In fact, I doubt I will eat the ones I have. Alas. This makes my frugal stomach sad. Don’t worry, Fabbri, I’m still a fan.
The End.
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