Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Dick Taylor - Brown Butter Nibs and Sea Salt bar - Oct. 31, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Dick Taylor 
Brown Butter Nibs and Sea Salt bar
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.50 (plus shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Dick Taylor, online order
Happy Halloween to all, and welcome to Day #10 of South American Chocolate Week.

Trick or treat...Today's Brown Butter Nibs and Sea Salt bar, made by Dick Taylor (Eureka, CA), was definitely a decadent Treat.

The makers described their handsomely-dressed bar as follows: "Browned butter from Humboldt Creamery paired with our 73% Northerner blend* (and) hand-sprinkled with roasted cacao nibs and sea salt."

The works: rich butter, crunchy cocoa nibs, a touch of sea salt, all in one bar. And best of all, it was based on the company's very well-executed Northerner blend of cacao, grown in Madagascar and Brazil.

See also last week's review of the Dick Taylor Northerner Blend bar without flavor inclusions. I'd prefer the plain version of this bar for my morning dose of dark; but this Brown Butter and Nibs bar would be great for special occasions.




Monday, October 30, 2017

Chocolat Bonnat - Kaori Bresil 75% bar - Oct. 30, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

Chocolat Bonnat
Kaori Bresil Chocolat Noir 75% bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 301 calories (estimate per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #9 of South American Chocolate Theme Weeks.

Today's Kaori* Bresil Chocolat Noir (Dark Chocolate) 75% bar was from Chocolat Bonnat (Voiron, France).

Bonnat bars featured in the past have all had a creamy, buttery melt and texture, and this three ingredient bar (cocoa, cocoa butter and sugar) was no exception.

The chocolate had a hint of slightly green (light/bright green foliage, green tea), almost floral aroma; and it had uniform, "soft and sunny" smooth authentic chocolate flavor.

*Kaori is the name of a Japanese family that cultivates cacao in Brazil. In Japanese the name means scent or fragrance, and can also refer to fabric weaving. This definition may not be directly related to today's bar, but it fits.


Sunday, October 29, 2017

L'Amourette - Trinitario Venezuela Carenero 80% bar - Oct. 29, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

L'Amourette Chocolat LLC
L'Amourette Gold - Trinitario Single Origin Venezuela Carenero Superior 80% bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 206 calories in 2/5 bar
Cost: $8.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #8 of South American Chocolate Theme Weeks.

Today's two ingredient bar was from L'Amourette Chocolat LLC in San Francisco, CA. It contained Venezuelan Trinitario cocoa beans (Carenero Superior) and cane sugar. Nothing else.

This high-percentage 80% cacao bar was part of the company's single origin L'Amourette Gold series that also included other Venezuelan and Colombian bars.

The bar had a coy dark sweet and buttery aroma, and was refreshingly mild. It did possess a bittersweet note in the first seconds of tasting, but was very smooth, slightly fudgey, and low in fruit acid for an 80% cacao bar. It left only a faint, innocent dark chocolate aftertaste.

This pure dark chocolate would be a good "daily dose" bar for those who regularly indulge yet don't want the jaw tingling acidity, bitterness, funkiness or sugar.


Saturday, October 28, 2017

Arete - Brasil 64% Organic Dark Milk bar - Oct. 28, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Arete Fine Chocolate
Brasil - Fazenda Camboa 64% Organic Dark Milk Chocolate bar
Good +
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 173 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA


Welcome to Day #7 of South American Chocolate Theme Weeks.

Today's Brasil Dark Milk Chocolate bar from Arete Fine Chocolate (Milpitas, CA) was made with just three ingredients: organic cacao, organic cane sugar and organic whole milk powder.

The artful crafting of these three, high-quality ingredients resulted in a chocolate that maintained a clear tart sweet, fruity, dark chocolate complexity. At the same time the milk tamed the flavor profile enough to satisfy those who prefer a mellower chocolate.

The list of truly fine dark milk chocolate bars is short. One hopes Arete and other bean-to-bar chocolate makers will continue to offer single origin bars like this in the future.

The organic cacao for this bar was grown in Brazil, at Fazenda Camboa, a family-owned farm in Bahia, Brazil.


Friday, October 27, 2017

Dick Taylor - Northerner Blend bar - Oct. 27, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate
Northerner Blend 73% Dark Chocolate bar
Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.50 (+ shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Dick Taylor (online order)

Welcome to Day #6 of South American Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's Northerner* Blend bar from Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate (Eureka, CA) was created by the eponymous (Adam) Dick and (Justin) Taylor using cacao grown in Madagascar and Brazil.

This very tasty, flavorful 73% cacao dark bar contained just two ingredients: organic cacao and organic cane sugar.

The bar had bright, perfectly-balanced dried apricot and red plum fruit notes with a light touch of honey. (Madagascar cacao is known for its bright fruit, red berry flavor.) The slightly tart-sweet fruit profile was sitting atop a high-quality chocolate treasure chest of cacao pulp and bean flavor.

*Dick and Taylor have a boat-building background. Today's Northerner Blend was named after The SS Northerner, a hard-working wooden ship that plied the waters between San Francisco and the Columbia River, until it struck a reef in the rugged waters of the Humboldt coast in 1860.






Thursday, October 26, 2017

Nibble Chocolate - Brazil 72% bar - Oct. 26, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Nibble Chocolate
Brazil 72% Cocoa Organic Dark bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56.7 g.) in total bar
Calories: 142 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Cafe Mingei, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA

Bem vinda (welcome) to Day #5 of South American Theme Weeks. Today we sampled another chocolate bar made from Brazilian-grown cacao.

The Brazil 72% Cocoa Organic Dark bar from Nibble Chocolate (San Diego, CA) had two ingredients: organic (Trinitario) cocoa beans and organic cane sugar.

The company founders are on a mission to provide quality bean-to-bar chocolate with few ingredients. They offer Brazil, Peru, Dominican Republic and other single origin bars with different percentages of cacao—an opportunity for educational side-by-side tastings.

This organic Brazil dark bar had uniform, bold, relatively acidic, sweet and sour (grapefruit, pineapple) flavor notes.

Nibble bars were obtained on a recent trip to San Diego's Balboa Park, filled with California architecture, museums and statues from the early 1900s.





Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Fresh Coast Chocolate - Brazil 70% Dark bar - Oct. 25, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

Fresh Coast Chocolate Co.
Brazil 70% Dark bar
Good +
Weight: 1.2 oz. (35 g.) / 2.4 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of South American Chocolate Weeks. This week we're visiting Brazil.

Today's Brazil 70% Dark bar was hand-crafted by Fresh Coast Chocolate Co. (Traverse City, MI).

The cocoa beans used to make this bar were sourced from Fazenda Camboa, Bahia, Brazil.

The aroma was a blend of tropical fruit bubble gum and raisin. The tasting notes for this bar read: Tropical fruit, jasmine, espresso brownie—a truly accurate description. It was also a wild, somewhat improbable, but ultimately successful ride. I happily went back for more. Tart dried fruit (cherry) and jasmine floral notes lingered.





Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Blanxart - Organic Dark 76% Brazil bar - Oct. 24, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

Blanxart
Organic Dark Chocolate 76% Brazil bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31.25 g.) / 4.4 oz. (125 g.) in total bar
Calories: 178 calories in 1/4 bar
Cost: $8.95 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Village Market store, Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of South American Chocolate Theme Weeks.

Today's Blanxart (BB Chocolate Grup, S.A) Organic Dark Chocolate Brazil bar was made in Spain.

The cacao used to make this 76% cacao dark bar came from a plantation in the Amazon rainforest in the Brazilian state of Para.

Most will find this bar quite agreeable, with even, smooth true chocolate flavor and a hint of vanilla.

The chocolate was described as having "a flavor of roasted hazelnuts, with hints of licorice, vanilla and lemon." The vanilla and sugar mellowed the citrus note into a light lemon chiffon. The roasted hazelnut* flavor wasn't readily apparent; but, oddly, I did detect a very faint hint of roasted licorice.

*Ingredients: This single origin, organic 76% dark chocolate bar was made with four ingredients: cocoa, sugar, cocoa butter and vanilla. There were no hazelnuts or nut ingredients listed.



Monday, October 23, 2017

SOMA - Black Science Vigia, Porcelana 70% Venezuela bars - Oct. 23, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

SOMA Chocolatemaker

Black Science Vigia Criollo 70% bar
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.145 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.29 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 171 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ missing information

Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Porcelana Venezuela Criollo 70% bar
Very Good
Weight: 1.145 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.29 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 171 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of South American Chocolate Theme Week. One can't talk about origin chocolates of South America without mentioning Venezuela.

Today's two 70% cacao dark bars from SOMA Chocolatemaker (Toronto, ON, Canada) were both made with Venezuelan grown cacao bean, organic cane sugar, and cocoa butter. That's it. Nothing else. The unadulterated full bean experience.

Black Science Vigia 
The SOMA Black Science Vigia 70% bar (Batch VigL1) is also perfect title for Halloween week, no? Deep, dark and a little mysterious, the cacao for this bar was produced in an area southeast of Lake Maracaibo* in Venezuela known for excellent Criollo beans (Criollo Merida, Guasare, Porcelana and as well as experimental Criollo hybrids). These Criollo heritage beans are known for their subtle, beautiful full flavor.

Today's Black Science Vigia 70% bar had subtle green, dried fruit (light raisin), very mild nuttiness (cashew) and light, creamy cafe latte aroma and flavor notes. I enjoyed a similar Vigia 70% bar from SOMA back in 2013 (Batch EV2). Both were very good.

Porcelana bar
The SOMA Porcelana 70% bar (Batch PorL3) tasting notes read as follows: "cream, cashews, coconut, molasses." This bar was also made with Venezuelan cacao grown near (south of) Lake Maracaibo* in NW Venezuela. It was a great bar. Naturally sweet, well balanced, subtle and full of flavors that harmonized incredibly well together. There was no sharpness or bitterness to be found.

This bar was a World Gold International Chocolate Awards 2015 winner.

Both SOMA bars were worth searching out and trying. I love the pattern stamped on their bars. Look closely and you'll see, amidst leaves, cacao pods and flowers, a bird with a tennis shoe and a maple leaf (Canadian reference in the jungle).

*Lake Maracaibo has always fascinated me. It is a large teardrop-shaped brackish tidal bay/estuary (that once was the largest lake in South America), surrounded by jungle forests, villages, rain and lightning—lots and lots of lightning.


Sunday, October 22, 2017

L'Amourette Chocolat LLC - Trinitario Colombia Arauca 80% bar - Oct.

Chocolate of the Day: 

L'Amourette Chocolat LLC
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 258 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $N/A - part of a gift basket (thank you GTLA!)
Purchased from: N/A - was part of a gift basket

Bienvenidos (welcome) to the first day of South American Chocolate Weeks.

We're kicking off this series with a single origin Trinitario Colombia (Arauca*) 80% bar. Hats off to the chocolate maker (Andre V.) at L'Amourette Chocolat LLC (San Francisco, CA) for showcasing the complex flavors of these Colombian cocoa beans.

Today's bar was a very multi-layered chocolate. Almost every segment of the chocolate tasting wheel was represented in this 80% dark bar.

The first (aroma) impression was: dark chocolatey chocolate with citrus and light dried fruit (pear). The second impression: a dark chocolate aroma with hints of fresh almost floral green (green plants, green tea, fresh green fronds) and light spice. The tasting arc also included chocolatey, nutty and a faint hint of jungle funk earthiness.

The only "missing" artisanal flavor traits were red berries and coffee; but we haven't finished re-tasting this bar yet. Clearly chocolate tastes different, depending on what else you might be eating or drinking; however even adjusted for this factor, this was a relatively smooth blend of interesting elements, particularly for an 80% bar.

*The Province of Arauca shares a border with Venezuela, and the Arauca River is located on the border between Colombia and Venezuela. The cacao beans for this bar may be a mix of Criollo and Trinitario and were grown on a small farm on the banks of the Arauca River. 


The Xocolate Bar - Extra Dark Chocolate 90% Cacao bar - Oct. 21, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

The Xocolate Bar
Extra Dark Chocolate 90% Cacao bar
Good+
Weight: 1 oz. (oz. g.) /2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $N/A - gift from friends (Thank you Norm and Rhoda!)
Purchased from: N/A - gift (The Xocolate Bar, Berkeley, CA)

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate and Halloween wEEKs.

For the last few weeks we've explored many different chocolate bars that could be enjoyed during that hallowed and most frightening of chocolate holidays: Halloween. (Cue the sounds of thunder bolts and shrieks of laughter.)

Today we've ratcheted up the cacao percentage scale to the extra dark level; and we sampled a 90% Cacao Extra Dark Chocolate bar from The Xocolate Bar (Berkeley, CA).

The organic, fair trade dark chocolate contained a touch of added cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin and vanilla; but otherwise was without other flavor inclusions.

For those who like dark chocolate, but who are a bit frightened of ultra-dark bars, this would be a good one to try. It had a creamy, buttery melt and texture and a very smooth, balanced flavor for a 90% Cacao bar. Not so scary after all.

May you all have a Happy Halloween next week. By then we'll be covering chocolate made from South American origins.





Friday, October 20, 2017

Nibble Chocolate - Organic Dark Chocolate Madagascar 72% bar - Oct. 20, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Nibble Chocolate, LLC
Organic Dark Chocolate Madagascar 72% Cocoa bar
Good - Good+
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56.69 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Cafe Mingei, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Halloween wEEKs.

Today's Madagascar Single Origin Trinitario bar was created by Nibble Chocolate, LLC (San Diego, CA) founders and bean-to-bar chocolate makers, David and Sandra.

The company offers single origin bars from at least five different countries, at three different percentage levels. They promote the 72% bars as offering a milder dark chocolate flavor than it's 77% and 85% cocoa siblings. Makes sense.

Today's 72% dark bar had an aroma and flavor with brown/coconut sugar, raisin, and sightly earthy notes. It did not have the often characteristic berry flavor that some Madagascar bars have, but it did have a hint of dried plum.

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Parliament Chocolate - Guatelmala Q'Eqchi 70% bar - Oct. 19, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

Parliament Chocolate
Guatemala Q'Eqchi 70% bar
Good ++
Weight: .85 oz. (24 g.) / 1.7 oz. (48.1 g.) in total bar
Calories: 128 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.50 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Miette, Oakland, CA

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Halloween wEEKs.

Today's Guatemala Q'Eqchi 70% Cacao bar (Batch #000131) was crafted by Parliament Chocolate, a bean-to-bar maker in Redlands, CA.

The two-ingredient (cacao and cane sugar) bar had a relatively fruity dark chocolate aroma (cherry yogurt, plum/prune with a faint spice and brown sugar note).

The bar had a smooth texture and balanced, complex flavor—with red fruit/berries and light roasted coffee/earth notes.

These bars would be perfect for an up-scale Halloween party. If money were no object, I'd hand out these bars to trick-or-treaters. Contrary to what many adults think, children exposed to great, dark chocolate early on often seem to love it. (Limiting young ones to 1 oz. (28 g.), however, is advisable.)

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Lake Champlain - Organic Almonds and Sea Salt 72% Cocoa - Oct. 18, 2017

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Lake Champlain Chocolates
Organic Almonds and Sea Salt 72% Cocoa squares
Good
Weight: 1.2 oz. (33 g.) in three squares
Calories: 180 calories (estimate) in 3 squares
Cost: $2.37 for 3 squares ($0.79 each)
Purchased from: Monterey Market, Berkeley, CA


Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Halloween wEEKs. My own Halloween chocolate plate would be made up of mostly high-end, mostly dark chocolate miniatures.

Today's Organic Almonds and Sea Salt 72% Cocoa squares from Lake Champlain Chocolates (Burlingame, VT) serve as an example of dark chocolates now available in individual or smaller sized pieces.

These squares had an earthy dark chocolate aroma and flavor; with a bit of extra umami* in the form of almond bits and sea salt.
The chocolate had a smooth texture and melt and was relatively creamy/buttery.

If you're willing to pay more, these individually wrapped Organic Almonds and Sea Salt 72% Cocoa squares—and other bean-to-bar and single origin mini bars—also make great Halloween treats.

*Umami flavors come from savory edibles high in glutamate, such as cheeses, meats, mushrooms, tomatoes, soy.






Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Good Day Chocolate - Chocolate with Calm - Oct. 17, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Good Day Chocolate
Chocolate with Calm
Good
Weight: .99 oz. (28 g.) in 1 container
Calories: 140 calories in 1 container
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Halloween wEEKs.
Today we're featuring a chocolate for older children and adults.

Chocolate with Calm from Good Day Chocolate (Boulder, CO) offers a line of chocolate dietary supplements, geared for different situations.  

Inside the creatively and cleverly designed small package were a handful disc-shaped, purple* coated pieces that contained milk chocolate and "a blend of amino acids and botanicals**" designed "to help you relax."

They tasted like chocolate candies and had no strong, herbal flavors that were objectionable.

Maybe I'll keep some on hand for the hectic holiday season.

*Natural purple coloring came from red cabbage juice

**Calm blend of amino acids and botanicals: Magnesium Oxide, L-theanine, Chamomile, Flower Extract, Oat Straw Powder





TCHO - Galactic Gelato bar - Oct. 16, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

TCHO
Galactic Gelato bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Halloween wEEKs, where we're transitioning back to the dark side.

Today's Galactic Gelato bar from TCHO (Berkeley, CA) came with the following description: "Mint astronaut gelato floating in spacy dark chocolate."

One could design a Halloween pageant around that theme. Or, one could just sit back and enjoy this dark chocolate mint bar, made with organic fair trade cocoa beans.

The Galactic Gelato bar was made in partnership with an artisan gelato maker—Gelateria Naia (San Francisco, CA). Influenced by high-end chocolate and gelato, the makers of this dark bar folded in bits of freeze-dried astronaut ice cream, yielding cosmic sparkles of creamy mint flavor.

Spooky. I'd almost forgotten what dark chocolate tasted like this month. Traditional Halloween chocolate bars aren't very high in cacao content. It was good to experience authentic dark flavor again. Certified organic and fair trade cacao beans were the first ingredient listed. Hurray.






Sunday, October 15, 2017

Chuao Chocolatier - Caramel Apple Crush bar - Oct. 15, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chuao Chocolatier
Caramel Apple Crush bar
Good
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.95 (estimate) for 1 bar 
Purchased from: CVS/pharmacy

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Halloween wEEKs.

Another option for Halloween chocolate is to pick an autumn-themed bar, like this Caramel Apple Crush bar from Chuao Chocolatier (Carlsbad, CA).

The inspiration for this bar came from the tangy green apple and buttery caramel in caramel apples. Tiny bits of dried apple and toffee were encased in 41% milk chocolate. The bar had a pleasant premium milk chocolate aroma, and while it was sweet (like a caramel apple might be), the flavor inclusions were balanced and authentic tasting.

This Caramel Apple bar was made with Fair Trade Certified Cocoa, gluten-free and Non-GMO ingredients, and without artificial preservatives, sweeteners, colors and flavors. The bar was also Kosher Certified.

This bar is also available for trick-or-treaters in mini bar size (along with the company's Baconluxious, Orange-A-Go-Go and Potato Chip bars).


Saturday, October 14, 2017

This Bar Saves Lives - Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Sea Salt bar - Oct. 14, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

The Bar Saves Lives
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter and Sea Salt bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Halloween wEEKs.

Candy bars and confections still rule Halloween. So this week we've been focusing on a range of traditional, healthy, updated and other versions of traditional chocolate candy bars.

Another variation is...the chocolate candy bar with a social purpose. Today's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter and Sea Salt bar was from This Bar Saves Lives (Culver City, CA).

It was gluten free, dairy free, non-GMO, and made with Fair Trade Cocoa; and it had a chewy, slightly crunchy satisfying texture and taste.

This bar also, as the name implied, had a social purpose: "Buy a Bar. Feed a Child. Healthy Snacking," read the taglines. The company uses proceeds from their bar sales to make and send food aid packets to children around the world (Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Mexico).


Friday, October 13, 2017

Amy's - Andy's Dandy Candy Dreamy bar - Oct. 13, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Amy's Kitchen Inc.
Andy's Dandy Candy - Dreamy bar
Good
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) in 1 package of 2 bars
Calories: 200 calories in 1 package
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Halloween wEEKs. And happy spooky* Friday the 13th to you.

We've been examining traditional candy bars and healthier alternatives this week. And, healthier means different things to different people.

Today's Andy's** Dandy Candy Dreamy bar was from Amy's Kitchen Inc. (Petaluma, CA). While similar to a traditional candy bar in appearance, it's been substantially improved (and I would say it was healthier too).

The vegan Dreamy bar contained no 1.) high fructose corn syrup, 2.) preservatives or 3.) GMOs. Several companies have made a move away from the first two, not so much with the third.

Also, the bar was made with organic dark chocolate and real cocoa butter. (Much of the chocolate used in traditional candy bars is milk chocolate and often contains vegetable oils in place of cocoa fat/dairy butter, and a very low percent of cocoa solids—barely qualifying as chocolate in some cases. Beware when you see the term "chocolately.")

Amy's updated take on candy bars shows how this market has evolved. Their bars are gluten free, vegan and 98% organic ingredients, and can still satisfy a sweet tooth (via organic cane sugar and tapioca syrup).

It was sweet; but the high sugar contain (found in almost all nougat-centered candy bars) was also balanced by the use of dark chocolate and the addition of soy protein. The two smaller bars in one package made sharing and portion control easier (100 calories in each bar).

There were no dairy, wheat, gluten, or nut ingredients listed; but the packaging did contain the: "May contain traces of tree nuts" statement.

*Scarier than Halloween or Friday the 13th this week are the real life wildfires that are burning around some of the Amy's facilities in Northern California. I called to convey good thoughts, and as of this writing the facilities were fine, although many employees were being affected. 

** The name Andy's Dandy Candy came from Andy and Rachel Berliner. who founded the original company in 1987 and named it after their daughter, Amy. The privately-held, family business has grown over the years and produces a line of frozen foods, entrees, soups, and chocolates that offer consumers organic, gluten free and low-sodium options.


Quest - Nutrition Bar - Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough - Oct. 12, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Quest Nutrition, LLC
Quest Bar - Protein Bar - Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Flavor
Good
Weight: 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total package
Calories: 190 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Halloween wEEKs. We're exploring health and nutrition bar alternatives these last few days. While the notion of health bars may offend some traditional Halloween candy fans, there are alternatives for all in the U.S.

Typically nutrition and health bars have contained added nutrients, vitamins and minerals, and/or added protein.

Today's (full-size) Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bar contained 21 grams of protein.* That's a lot of protein

Most popular, full-size chocolate candy bars contain about 4-8 grams of protein and lots of sugar/carbohydrates. This bar boosted the protein and reduced the sugar and fiber.

Despite the sweet-sounding cookie flavor name, the gluten free Quest bar contained only 1 gram of sugar (and 4 grams of net carbs); it was sweetened with Sucralose, Erythritol and Stevia. The bar also contained 14 grams of fiber.

This protein bar had a caramel color and flavor, with a dense/compressed, chewy texture. The embedded chocolate chips were more obvious after taking a bite and they contributed some chocolate flavor.

*This bar contained a protein blend: milk protein isolate, whey protein isolate





Wednesday, October 11, 2017

The Balance Bar Company - Chocolate Peppermint Patty - Oct. 11, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

The Balance Bar Company
Chocolate Peppermint Patty Nutrition Bar
Good
Weight: .78 oz. (20 g.) (per label) in 1 small bar
Calories: 80 calories in 1 small bar
Cost: $N/A - free sample
Purchased from: N/A - free samples being handed out on street

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Halloween wEEKs. After exploring some popular candy bar alternatives, we've moved on to some possible nutrition and/or health-bar alternatives for the scariest chocolate day of the year.

Today's Chocolate Peppermint Patty Nutrition Bar was distributed by the Balance Bar Company (Ronkonkoma/Bohemia, NY).

I happen to receive a few sample bars that were being handed out to the public. The sample-sized bar would also be great for trick or treaters looking for nutrition bars.*

This small bar-shaped patty had an intriguing mint and dark chocolate aroma.** The filling was a soft caramel nougat flavored with peppermint oil. (There were also some soft cookie crumbs rolled in - made with rice flour). So the bar had a little more textural heft than most peppermint patties with a cream filling.

As far as the balanced nutrition part...I did feel that the addition of a little protein and inulin fiber slowed down or helped balance the sugar rush a bit. So, take a bite, if you dare!! (Cue the sound of scary ghost laughter and lightning in the background.)

*Note: Balance Bars have some added protein (soy, dairy) to help balance out carbs. This bar did not contain wheat or gluten ingredients, but did contain soy and dairy and was made on shared equipment with peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, wheat and sesame.

** The dark chocolate flavored coating did contain cocoa and unsweetened chocolate; sugar and fractionated palm kernel oil were the first and second ingredients.




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