Tuesday, September 30, 2014

MarieBelle - Caramelized Almond Bark bar - Sept. 30, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

MarieBelle New York
Caramelized Almond Bark bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 207 calories for 1/2 bar
Cost: $ N/A - present
Purchased from: N/A - present (from NYC)

Today was the last day (Day #7) of Chocolate, Brittle and Bark Theme Week.

Thank you to Elana for this gift -- a Caramelized Almond Bar chocolate bar from MarieBelle New York (NYC, NY). This bar conjured up very fond memories of the cozy and beautiful MarieBelle retail space in SoHo.

I spent at least one hour there during a trip to Manhattan a few years ago. Bought some chocolate tea too as I recall. It was equal parts creative, relaxing and invigorating.

Once again, food, place and time has colored my food (and chocolate) memories.

Fair trade chocolate enveloped bits of caramelized Spanish almonds to make a smooth, sweet chocolate bark bar. 

Monday, September 29, 2014

Divine Organics - Hawaiian Mac Nut Brittle - Sept. 29, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Divine Organics Raw Chocolate
(Transition Nutrition)
Hawaiian Macadamia Nut Brittle
Good
Weight: 1.6 oz. (45.3 g.) in total package
Calories: 300 calories in 1 package
Cost: $7.95 for 1 package
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate, Brittle and Bark Theme Week.

This organic and raw Divine Organic Hawaiian Macadamia Nut Brittle (Novato, CA) made for a great snack during a hike today at Point Reyes (next to the Pacific Ocean, where there was a herd of elk to admire from a distance).


Like other members of the Divine Organics brittle family, I enjoyed the slight maple flavor note from organic maple sugar used as a sweetener, and the inclusions -- in this case raw, Hawaiian macadamia nut pieces. 

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Divine Organics - Crunchy Cashew Brittle - Sept. 27, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Divine Organics
(Distributed by Transition Nutrition)
Crunchy Cashew Brittle
Good
Weight: .8 oz. (22.65 g.) /.6 oz. (45.3 g. ) in total package
Calories: 125 calories in 1/2 package
Cost: $7.95 for 1 package
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Brittle Theme Week.

This Crunchy Cashew Brittle from Divine Organics (Transition Nutrition) (Novato, CA) hit the spot today while on a bus ride -- to visit two organic farms in Northern California. In between bites of organic, raw fruits and vegetables, we nibbled on pieces of organic raw chocolate brittle with raw cashews.

Maple sugar proved to be a very pleasing sweetener. And raw cashew bits provided some pleasant crunchy texture, but were easily overwhelmed by the dark chocolate.

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Divine Organics - Gojiberry Brittle - Sept. 27, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Divine Organics Raw Chocolate
Original Gojiberry Brittle
Good
Weight: 1.6 oz. (45.3 g.) in total package
Calories: 234 calories (estimate) in 1 package
Cost: $7.95 for 1 package
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

Chocolate covered brittles from Divine Organics Raw Chocolate (Marin County, CA) are made with certified organic, fair trade, raw chocolate (from Ecuador, Venezuela and Indonesia).

Today's original gojiberry brittle had just 5 ingredients: organic raw cacao, organic maple sugar, organic raw goji berries, organic raw vanilla, and Royal Himalayan pink crystal salt.

The maple sugar and plump, flavorful gojiberries gave this chocolate a pleasing aroma and flavor. The texture of this brittle was less crackly crisp and more a smooth chocolate bark with a soft, satisfying crunch. Sweet, but not overly so -- like many sugar brittles.

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate, Brittle and Bark Theme Week.

Friday, September 26, 2014

Marco Paolo - Coconut Brittle - Sept. 26, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Marco Paolo Chocolates
Coconut Nectar Brittle Bark
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) /3.65 oz. (103.5 g.) in total package
Calories: 140 calories (estimate) for 1 oz. (28.3 g.) serving
Cost: $10.00 (estimate) for 1 package
Purchased from: Marco Paolo Chocolates

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate, Brittle and Bark Theme Week.

Coconut Nectar makes a delicious syrup base -- and a great brittle as well, as evidenced by this Coconut Nectar Brittle Bark from Marco Paolo Chocolates (Van Nuys, CA/Los Angeles, CA).

This confectionary pleasure consisted of thin sheets of buttery toffee made with coconut cream, organic coconut palm sugar, butter, glucose* syrup, flaked coconut, and a 70% dark chocolate coating.

Despite three coconut ingredients, the coconut flavor is very subtle and well balanced, as are the textures and other flavors. So, even if you think you're not a coconut fan, I recommend trying this coconut nectar brittle bark.

The well-sealed pouch enabled this brittle to stay crisp and fresh; and it also refrigerated well. (This Coconut Nectar brittle was available online in a 1-pound box when I checked this week.)

*Note: For those watching their gluten intake, glucose syrup may or may not be gluten free.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Her Coconess - Nibby Peanut Brittle - Sept. 25, 2014

Chocolate of the Day:

Her Coconess Confections
Nibby Peanut Brittle
Good +
Weight: 6 oz. (169.8 g.) in total package
Calories: 138 calories (estimate) in 1 oz. piece
Cost: $10.00 for one package
Purchased from: Her Coconess (herself)

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate, Brittle and Bark Theme Week.

Perhaps the most well-known brittle in the U.S. is peanut brittle. Shelley Seward, Her Coconess Confections (Belmont, CA), has added her own twist to this perennial favorite -- a sprinkling of cocoa nibs on her Nibby Peanut Brittle.

These dark bits carry the essence of chocolate flavor, without the sugar. This is fine, as there is plenty of sweetness already in this rich, golden brittle. A dab of butter, vanilla bean and sea salt added to this peanuty, crunchy confection make for a great offering.




Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Pretzel Perfection - Sept. 24, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pretzel Perfection
Good - Good +
Weight: 3 oz. (85 g.) in total package
Calories: 420 calories in 1 package
Cost: $1.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Today was the first day of Chocolate, Brittle and Bark Theme Week.

While not technically a brittle, today's crunchy, gluten-free amalgam of chocolate, pretzels, toffee peanuts and chocolate and peanut butter chips from Pretzel Perfection (Vancouver, WA) contained a sprinkling of toffee bits as well -- making each one of these clusters similar to a fully loaded shard of chocolate brittle or bark.

The jumble of layered flavored and textures was fun and satisfying; and this made me want to try more of the company's sweet and savory gluten-free pretzel offerings.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Jimmy Bar - Super Hip Chocolate Chip - Sept. 23, 2014

Chocolate of the Day

Jimmy Bar!

1.) Super Hip Chocolate Chip
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.6 oz. (45 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $4.00 + tax
Purchased from: The Beach Hut, San Francisco, CA

2.) Peanut Butter Clutter
Good
Weight: 1.6 oz. (45 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $2.00 + tax
Purchased from: The Beach Hut, San Francisco, CA

Today was the last day (Day #7) of Chocolate and Peanut Butter Theme Week.

These two "clean snack bars" from JimmyBar! (founded by a brother and sister team in Chicago, IL) were very similar. In fact, if you'd held both up side-by-side, you might have trouble telling which was the chocolate and which was the peanut butter flavor.

In terms of taste, the Super Hip Chocolate Chip bar was clearly the one with chocolate; chocolate chips were the second ingredient, listed, after dates. And peanuts, almonds, almond butter and walnuts gave this bar a satisfying, fresh nutty flavor and texture. In fact there were so many nuts, the bar was slightly crumbly, although I didn't find this too problematic.

Dates were also the first ingredient listed in the second, Peanut Butter Clutter, bar; its dark look was similar to chocolate. I tasted the dates, nuts (peanuts, almonds) and honey (no sugar was added). However, the peanut butter was more muted -- perhaps mellowed by the addition of crisp brown rice.

Both JimmyBars were gluten free and dairy free, and were made without preservatives. The Super Hip Chocolate Chip bar was also vegan. I also liked that these bars were flavorful but not overly sweet.




Monday, September 22, 2014

McConnell's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Ice Cream - Sept. 22, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

McConnell's Fine Ice Creams
Double Peanut Butter Chip Ice Cream
Good - Good +
Weight: 1/2 cup (106 g.) / 1 Pint (473 mL) total container
Calories: 160 calories in 1/4 cup serving
Cost: $6.99 (sale) for 1 Pint
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, Los Altos, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Peanut Butter Theme Week.

You want peanut butter? Here's a "Double Whammy" -- Double Peanut Butter Chip ice cream from McConnell's Fine Ice Creams (Santa Barbara, CA). The peanut butter in peanut butter ice cream dominated the chocolate pieces here; but it was fun to relish in layers of peanut flavor.

This flavor was described as: "creamy peanut butter folded into peanut butter ice cream... (with)... our signature, Guittard bittersweet, melted chocolate chip..."  

Sunday, September 21, 2014

MacroBar - Chocolate Peanut Butter - Sept. 21, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

GoMacro Inc.
MacroBar - Protein Pleasure Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 2.5 oz. (71 g.) in total bar
Calories: 290 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $3.59 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Protein and health bars seem to use very long names to connect with their customers. Today's chocolate item was an organic, vegan, macrobiotic*, Non-GMO, gluten free and pareve, MacroBar Protein Pleasure Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip bar (whew, there, I've said it) from GoMacro Inc. (Viola, WI).

The company operates off several guiding principles including "No Sacrifices." That is, don't give up taste for nutrition, and don't give up nutrition for taste. I'd say they've succeeded here.

This Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip protein (12 g.) bar was fresh and chewy, with an authentic peanut butter taste, and a generous sprinkle of large chocolate chips -- that helped concentrate the chocolate flavor. A better tasting protein bar in this category than most.

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Peanut Butter Theme Week.

*Macrobiotic(s), a term first coined in 1797 by a German physician, became popular in the 1900s in the U.S., and refers to a diet of whole foods, often whole grains and vegetables, that are balanced -- with occasional reference to yin and yang forces.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

InovoBiologic - PGX Chocolate Peanut Butter bar - Sept. 20, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

InovoBiologic Inc.
PGX Organic 15g Protein Bar - Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter
Weight: 2.2 oz. (61 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 260 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $3.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

InovoBiologic (Monroe, WA; and BC Canada) has done an admirable job of serving a market niche for an organic, vegan, non-GMO and gluten-free protein bar with their PBX Satisfast 15g Protein Bar line.

There was a dark chocolate coating around this bar, and a subtle peanut butter flavor throughout, but I was conscious that I was eating a protein bar first and foremost.

Despite a slight chemical or alcohol* aroma when I opened this wrapper, the bar itself contained no "off" taste. It had the texture that most protein bars do, which is to say, not quite the wonderful creamy smoothness of a pure dark chocolate bar, but this one was not bad as protein bars go. And it left no scratchy feeling in my throat -- a temporary sensation I've felt with other bars in this category.

And I did appreciate a morning chocolate "meal" that was not too sweet, and was relatively satisfying and filling.

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Peanut Butter Theme Week.

*Total Carbohydrate listing for this bar was 27 grams, broken out as follows: Dietary fibre - 4 grams; Sugars - 11 grams; and Sugar Alcohols - 8 grams. Protein was supplied largely by Organic Brown Rice Protein, Peanut Butter, and Pea Protein.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Dove - Peanut Butter promises - Sept. 19, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Dove
Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate promises
Good
Weight: 1.1024 oz. (31.2 g.) / 8.5 oz. (241 g.) in total bag/package
Calories: 176 calories in 4-piece serving
Cost: $2.99 (sale) for 1 bag/package
Purchased from: CVS/pharmacy, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Peanut Butter Theme Week.

This week began with three classic peanut-butter themed candy bars. Today I'm moving on to a product brand (Dove) that dates back to the 1950s.

It was a warm day, and when I carefully unwrapped these individually foil-clad Preanut Butter Milk Chocolate "silky smooth promises" from Mars (the company in Hackettstown, NJ, not the planet), they were almost spreadably smooth. Dove milk chocolate was paired with a smooth peanut butter creme strata.


Thursday, September 18, 2014

Brown and Haley - Peanut Butter Mountain bar - Sept. 18, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Brown and Haley
Peanut Butter Mountain bar
Good
Weight: 1.6 oz. (45 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 230 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $1.79 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Shop, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Peanut Butter Theme Week.

This chunky Peanut Butter Mountain bar was from Brown and Haley (Tacoma, WA) -- the company most famous for Almond Roca buttercrunch confections.

The mound-shaped bar contained, as advertised, "a mountain of chocolate flavor with crunchy peanuts over a creamy peanut butter center." The layering of flavors and textures was effective and tasty.

I didn't care for the hydrogenated oil, corn syrup, gum, soy lecithin, etc. in this (and most other) traditional candy bars, but sometimes these bars are fun to eat.

To paraphrase theater critic Walter Kerr (circa 1954): Of course, (some of the ingredients were) terrible. But apart from that it's not so bad. I enjoyed this bar that was in one generous bite -- creamy, chocolatey, nutty and crunchy.




Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Hershey Zagnut, NECCO Clark bars - September 17, 2014

Chocolate of the Day:

The Hershey Company
Zagnut bar
Good
Weight: 1.75 oz. (49 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 220 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $2.00 (estimate)
Purchased from: Orchard Supply Hardware, Mountain View, CA

New England Confectionery Company, Inc.
Clark bar
Good
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $2.00 (estimate)
Purchased from: Orchard Supply Hardware, Mountain View, CA


Today was Day #1 of Chocolate and Peanut Butter Theme Week.

In the mid-1900s, a neurosurgeon named Dr. Wilder Penfield did pioneering work on the brain and memory. He found that when a patient's brain was stimulated, memories of conversations or events could be evoked -- including not only factual information, but also sounds and feelings associated with a conversation or event being recalled.

If my brain were similarly probed for cocoa-related recollections, I'm sure these evocations would be tied to many happy childhood chocolate memories -- days spent in movie theaters, ice cream shops, and local markets, on backyard lawns having picnics, at birthday parties -- all places where there was bound to be chocolate.

In 2006 and 2007, when I started this site, ChocolateBanquet.com, I featured many U.S.-made chocolate bars. However, for some strange reason, I missed several peanut butter-related candy bars.

I'll try to make up for that this week, starting with two red-wrappered candy bars: 1.) the Zagnut bar from The Hershey Company (Hershey, PA) -- originally introduced in 1930 by the D. L. Clark Company, and 2.) the Clark bar from the New England Confectionery Company, Inc. (NECCO) (Revere, MA).

Zagnut bar
I unwrapped the Zagnut bar to find a crunchy peanut butter and coconut "shell" -- think of eating the crunchy, crispy sweet peanut butter center of a Butterfinger bar. The cocoa incorporated into this bar takes a back seat to the other ingredients. Unlike most chocolate-coated candy bars, you can nibble on this without chocolate meltage on your hands. To ensure I met my recommended daily allowance for chocolate, I followed this up with the Clark bar.

Clark bar
The Clark bar had a similar crispy, crunchy peanut butter core, and was coated with a layer of "real" milk chocolate. Like the Zagnut bar, there was also a hint of molasses and coconut. NECCO offers an upbeat stable of mid-century retro confections, including Squirrel Nut Zippers, colorful Candy Dots, NECCO wafers, Mary Janes, and Sweethearts.



Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Gratify - Milk Chocolate Pretzel Twists - Sept. 16, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

(Distributed by) Osem USA, Inc.
Gratify - Gluten Free Pretzels - Milk Chocolate Covered Twists
Good
Weight: 9 pretzels (31 g.) (estimate) serving / 5.5 oz. (156 g.) in total package
Calories: 150 calories 1.095 oz. (31 g.) serving
Cost: $1.99 in 1 bag/package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

There are all sorts of sweet and savory ice cream flavors now -- including some with crunchy pretzels and/or salted nuts.

Today I made my own pistachio nut ice cream sundae, by crumbling some Gratify* Gluten Free Pretzels (milk chocolate covered twists) pistachios and mixed salted nuts into some vanilla ice cream, for my own pistachio sundae.

The pretzels in the ice cream stayed crunchy even after sitting in the freezer overnight, and they added a touch of chocolate flavor. They were good by themselves, and with nuts as well.

Today was the last day of Chocolate and Pistachio Theme Week.

*Gratify pretzels were distributed by Osem USA, Inc. (Englewood Cliffs, NJ).


Monday, September 15, 2014

Her Coconess - Apricots with salted caramel, chocolate - Sept. 15, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Her Coconess Confections
Apricots with caramel, chocolate
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 g.) (estimate) in 1 package of 2 pieces
Calories: 220 calories (estimate) for 1 package of 2 pieces
Cost: $7.00 for package of 2 pieces
Purchased from: Her Coconess (herself), Palo Alto Farmers Market, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Pistachio Theme Week.

It made my mouth water to hear Her Coconess (Shelley Seward) describe these plump sweet Blenheim apricots, half-covered in dark chocolate with a layer of homemade caramel. I ran into her at the Palo Alto Farmers Market a few days ago, and picked up a few items from the Her Coconess Confections (Belmont, CA) table/booth.

And these generous apricot confections did not disappoint. Visually attractive, each piece was enveloped in purple foil and yielded tart, fresh apricot flavor. The vanilla salted caramel and bittersweet chocolate balanced the sweet apricot fruit flavor.

A handful of pistachios and salted mixed nuts provided complementary flavor (salt, protein) and crunchy texture. Pistachios (and most nuts) do pair well with fruits and chocolate.

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Nirvana - Pistachio, Almond, Walnut bar - Sept. 14, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Nirvana Belgian Chocolates
72% Dark Chocolate with Pistachios, Almonds and Walnuts bar
Good+
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 184 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $5.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Pistachio Theme Week.

Today's Nirvana Belgian Chocolates (Wellesley, MA) bar contained a long title: "72% Dark Chocolate with Pistachios, Almonds and Walnuts," and -- like most chocolates now -- many descriptors and adjectives.

This gluten-free, Non-GMO, organic, fair-trade chocolate bar also had an intriguing sweet nut flavor with a whisper of rice pudding spice (not quite cinnamon and not quite nutmeg, but something similar).

I've been commenting all week that the light, sweet pistachio flavor is all but lost when blended with chocolate. But, somehow this rice pudding flavor note seems to evoke a bit of the sweet nut flavor.

The primary ingredient -- organic cocoa mass -- originated from "fine flavor Trinitario cocoa beans" grown in the Dominican Republic. The cocoa was transported to Belgium to create a smooth, relatively mild but well executed final base chocolate for this bar.


Saturday, September 13, 2014

Gelataio - Pistachio, Chocolate Mini Pops - Sept. 13, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Gelataio
Pistachio Mini Pop, Chocolate Mini Pop
Good
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) (estimate) for 2 pieces
Calories: 290 calories (estimate) for 2 pieces
Cost: $5.70 total for 2 Mini Pops
Purchased from: Gelataio, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Pistachio Theme Week.

I'm in awe of entrepreneurs that jump through all the hoops necessary to open a business. So, it's always exciting to visit a new business. Gelataio, in downtown Palo Alto, CA, opened five weeks ago. I walked into a clean, modern, attractive interior and met co-founder Christianne Mares.

I was hoping to order a cup scoop of Pistachio gelato and a scoop of Chocolate gelato. Sadly, there was no freshly made Pistachio gelato on the menu today. Happily, there was one remaining Pistachio Mini Pop, and I sampled this with a Chocolate Mini Pop instead.

Both were slim white chocolate covered rectangles of gelato on a stick. The Pistachio Pop was a vision in white, and adorned with a single green nut. My favorite, was the Chocolate Pop, drizzled with chocolate. The dark chocolate gelato filling was smooth, creamy and flavorful.



Friday, September 12, 2014

Blue Mountain - Cacao Pistachio Brownie - Sept. 12, 2014

Chocolate of the Day:

Blue Mountain Organics
Cacao Pistachio Brownie
Good
Weight: 2.4 oz. (68 g.) in 1 package
Calories: 240 calories in 1 package
Cost: $5.39 for 1 package
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Pistachio Theme Week.

This Cacao Pistachio Brownie from Blue Mountain Organics (Floyd, VA) -- part of the company's line of raw, organic desserts and snacks -- was seriously dark.

The short list of ingredients: dates, agave, cacao, pistachios and golden flax. No funny business. Despite dates and agave being listed first, this was the opposite of birthday cake sweet. Weighing in at only 10 g. of sugars, it was a breakfast brownie built for a seriously busy day. No sugar spike, just raw, sustained energy for the morning.

The lovely green pistachio nut bits in this brownie were a bit overpowered (as in almost all chocolates with pistachio nuts), but the nuts added some crunch and color.

This brownie was non-GMO, kosher and vegan.







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