Chocolate(s) of the Day
Hu
Vanilla Crunch - Organic 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $2.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA
Built Brands, LLC
Puff Coconut with Dark Chocolaty Coating (protein bar)
Good +
Weight: 3.25 oz. (92 g.) / 1.23 lbs. (560 g.) in total package/box
Calories: 140 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $19.99 for a box of 14 bars (2 different flavors)
Purchased from: Costco, Mountain View, CA
Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate, Movies and Entertainment Theme Week, featuring two bars--used to re-create a "Charlie Chaplin" chocolate (chocolate, marshmallow, coconut and cashews) made popular in Buffalo, New York, over a century ago.
Buffalo was a candy hot spot in the late 1800s to early 1900s. Confectioners created promotions around their products, including an event when they invited Charlie Chaplin to open his film "The Adventurer" (1917) there.
Chaplin was said to like marshmallow, chocolate, coconut and cashews. Buffalo responded with chocolates containing these ingredients for the occasion.
I was born in upstate New York and watched Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton films as a child. I felt moved to create a version of this confection with these four flavors. I did. And I enjoyed the results very much while watching Chaplin's "The Adventurer" (1917) and "The Circus" (1928).
Today's two bars were:
- Vanilla Crunch - Organic 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) with coconut sugar from Hu Products LLC (Austin, TX).
- Built Puff Coconut with Dark Chocolaty Coating (protein bar) from Built Brands, LLC (American Fork, UT).
Hu Vanilla Crunch 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
This bar provided satisfying dark chocolate flavor (flavorful but smooth). Organic vanilla beans (fully ground into the cacao) provided sunny baked goods warmth--perfect for long, snowy winters in Buffalo--and anywhere else.
This Vanilla Crunch bar was sweetened with just the right amount of organic, unrefined coconut sugar. Tiny crunchy bits of quinoa added a little texture. And the small dose of sea salt was very satisfying.
I appreciate the makers' thoughtful sourcing and the short list of quality, organic ingredients.
Ingredients: "organic cacao*, organic unrefined coconut sugar*, organic cocoa butter*, organic quinoa*, organic vanilla bean*, sea salt" (* = Certified Fairtrade ingredients)
Allergen-related ingredients: "Contains coconut. May contain almond, cashew, hazelnut, pistachio, & dairy. Allergen cleans made prior to production, but beware that product is produced using equipment that also processes tree nuts, soy, dairy & wheat."
Built Puff Coconut Bar
This protein bar provided the marshmallow-like (and coconut flavored) filling (with a thin dark coating) that paired well with the Hu Vanilla Crunch bar and the roasted cashews in olive oil and sea salt.
The pillowy, chewy "puff" (marshmallow-like) center was infused with a gentle coconut aroma and flavor.
Texture: fairly light and fluffy, slightly whipped, gelatin with a thin coating of smooth dark chocolate ("chocolatey coating").
I appreciated the 17 grams of protein. But, I prefer a bit more dark chocolate and less sweetness. But, as one of three ingredients in the Charlie Chaplin chocolate, this flavored protein bar complemented the Hu dark chocolate bar and the cashews very nicely
I also appreciated that this bar was gluten free, and despite the fairly long list of ingredients, there were no potentially gut-disrupting vegetable gums, or artificial sweeteners. (Not wild about Natural Flavors or cultured dextrose; but there are trade-offs in life.)
Ingredients: Premium Collagen Protein Blend (Partially Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Isolate, Collagen), Glycerin, Sugar, Water, Palm and Palm Kernel Oil, Cocoa Processed with Alkali, Gelatin, Natural Flavors, Cultured Dextrose, Nonfat Milk Powder, Soy Lecithin.
Allergen-related information: Contains Milk, Soy. May Contain: Peanuts and Tree Nuts
