The Good Crisp Company - Limited Edition Creepy Crisps - Oct. 31, 2023

Chocolate(s) of the Day 

The Good Crisp Company 
Limited Edition - Creepy Crisps
Good - Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.)/ 5.6 oz. (160 g.) in total container
Calories: 140 calories in 1 serving (14 crisps)
Cost: $3.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: FarmFresh, produce box add-on 

Happy Halloween to all who celebrate this day filled with orange pumpkins, ghosts and other spooky apparitions. And yes, there are chocolates for that. This entry and the next two, feature some Halloween entries.

We're interrupting Chocolate and Bolivia Theme Week for 24 hours to share some spooky treats--two of these items will include cocoa and potato. (Potatoes originated in Peru and Bolivia; more on that later.)

The Limited Edition cocoa-colored Creepy Crisps were manufactured in Malaysia for The Good Crisp Company, Inc. (Boulder, CO). These crisps contained certified sustainable palm oil in their crisps, and were gluten free and halal. 

Aroma notes were potato-forward and included: potato chips/crisps, salted fried potatoes, shoestring potato snacks.

The texture for these curved oval-shaped snacks was: light, almost airy, crispy and crunchy.

Flavor notes: Salted potato crisps/chips.

The alkalized cocoa (and vegetable and flower juices) used to color these chips added an inky Halloween night color and the tiniest ghost of cocoa flavor.

Ingredients: Dried Potato Flakes, Palm Oil (Vitamin E), Tapioca Starch, Alkalized Cocoa, Salt, Fruit and Vegetable Juice for Color (Maltodextrin, Carrot Concentrate, Hibiscus Concentrate, Citric Acid), Sugar, White Pepper Powder. 

Zotter - Peanut Crunch (bar) - Oct. 31, 2022

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Zotter
Peanut Crunch (bar) 

Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Happy Halloween to all who celebrate. And, welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Umami Theme Week.

Today's Zotter Peanut Crunch (bar)--made in Austria and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Fort Myers, FL)--was a big step up from chocolate and peanut Halloween candy bars that I grew up with. 

This filled bar had an authentic peanut aroma--the nutty, slightly bittersweet smell of roasted whole peanuts in their shells.

A velvety layer of 70% dark chocolate covering surrounded a milky, nougat-like peanut filling with softly crunchy peanut pieces. This bar was sweet, but not candy bar sweet. A subtle dose of sea salt and dark chocolate helped to balance the sugar.

Moon over umami 

Yes, peanuts (like many nuts and legumes that contain glutamate*) are considered to be an umami food. But, why stop there? I enjoyed today's Austrian peanut and dark chocolate bar--along with three scary, umami mushroom jerky goblins dipped in a tiny black cauldron of dark, nutty chocolate. 

Clouds skated across the moon on this cool, spooky Halloween night. You want your mommy? No, I said "Oh, yum it's umami!"

Zotter's description: "Dark chocolate filled with peanut praline and whole peanuts."

Ingredients: Organic peanuts; organic, fair trade cane sugar; organic, fair trade cocoa mass; organic, fair trade cocoa butter; organic peanut oil; dry sweet whey; organic, fair trade dark brown cane sugar; dry whole milk; dry skim milk; organic soy lecithin; salt; organic vanilla powder; organic, fair trade cinnamon; organic chilli (sic) "bird's eye." 

Allergen-related information: Contains peanuts, milk, soy. "Manufactured on equipment that processes tree nuts, eggs and sesame."

*Glutamate (glutamic acid) is an amino acid found in many foods (e.g., meats, cheeses, seafood, vegetables and nuts). Umami foods generally have higher glutamate levels, and the glutatmate may be interacting with nucleotides such as inosinate and guanylate and forming combinations with sodium and/or potassium.

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.

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).

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

Balance - Chocolate Caramel Peanut Nougat Nutrition Bar - Oct. 10, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

The Balance Bar Company
Chocolate Caramel Peanut Nougat Nutrition Bar
Good
Weight: .78 oz. (22 g.) for 1 small bar
Calories: 100 calories in 1 small bar
Cost: N/A - free samples being handed out
Purchased from: N/A - free samples being distributed to passer-bys

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Halloween wEEKs.

Many people are looking for healthier, more balanced alternatives to traditional Halloween candy. As a child, I remember a dentist handing out sample containers of dental floss instead of candy. Not really appreciated by children at the time. But, times change and balance means different things to different people.

Today's Chocolate Caramel Peanut Nougat Nutrition Bar was from The Balance Bar Company (Bohemia, NY). The company has aimed for a 40-30-30 blend of carbohydrates, protein and fat respectively in their bars. Today's bar looked like a traditional chocolate candy bar, but had added protein.

This Balance bar did have a slight soy protein taste, but overall the flavors were balanced, and the soy wasn't objectionable.

Trader Joe's - Boffo! Bar - Oct. 9, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Trader Joe's
Boffo! Bar
Good
Weight: 1.8 oz. (51 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 240 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $0.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Trader Joes, Alameda, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Halloween wEEK.

Adults who grew up in the U.S. in the mid- to late-1900s celebrating Halloween by dressing up in ill-fitting costumes and going door-to-door for treats often ended up with a fat sackful of candy after a run through the neighborhood.

And they often ended up suffering from sugar overload after downing several (sometimes full-size) candy bars and sweets if they managed to avoid adult vigilance. (It was easier to do the latter if you grew up in a large, chaotic family. Parents were busy doing triage and picking their battles.)

Most parents now monitor candy intake more closely, but individually-wrapped chocolate candy bars are still a thing, even in petite form.

This week begins with featuring more traditional candy bars and then veers into possible chocolate alternatives.

Today's Boffo! Bar from Trader Joe's (Monrovia, CA) possessed all the traits and flavors of a classic candy bar. At its core, it contained white, fluffy nougat, covered by a layer of caramel and peanuts. And it was coated in milk chocolate. I do love the name "Boffo!"* It makes me wonder why this name hadn't been used before.

*And speaking of the 1900s, Boffo is a term linked with a successful production (movie, play, event) and/or satisfying, deep laughter. Make sure to work this term into your comings and goings this week. People may look puzzled, but you'll all be the better for it.

Note: In my haste, I missed that this bar does contain malted barley, and possible traces of wheat. So, gluten-freers should probably avoid this bar.

Hershey's Snack Bites; Mars Crisper bar - Oct. 8, 2017

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Mars Chocolate North America, LLC
Snickers Crisper bar
Good
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $2.00 for 2 bars
Purchased from: Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA

Hershey's
Snack Bites
Good
Weight: 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total package of 6 pieces
Calories: 370 calories in 1 package
Cost: $1.99 for 1 package of 6 pieces
Purchased from: Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Halloween wEEK.

Halloween is a big chocolate holiday in the U.S.; and two of the largest chocolate suppliers of Halloween chocolate treats have been Mars Chocolate (Hackettstown, NJ) and The Hershey Company (Hershey, PA)—corporations that continue to dominate the market with brands like Snickers and Reese's, respectively.

And just when you think you've tried every variation on a Snickers bar or a Reese's chocolate and peanut butter offering, new ones materialize on store shelves.

Today's twist on the traditional Snickers bar (called the Crisper bar) contained puffed rice, caramel peanuts and chocolate. The rice added some crispy crunchy texture and bulk to the bar, and it was well balanced and integrated.

Hershey's Snack Bites
Today's chocolate Snack Bites treat from Hershey's consisted of "Snackable Milk Chocolate and Almond Clusters." These roundish, chocolate bites, contained embedded pieces of toasted almond.

These packages were a bit larger than the average snack-sized Halloween bar; but if you want to upsize, there are plenty of traditional treats like this available.

Cadbury - Halloween Screme Eggs - Oct. 7, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mondelez
Cadbury
Screme Eggs (Halloween)
Good - Good +
Weight: 2.4 oz. (67.9 g.) (estimate) for 2 eggs
Calories: 360 calories (estimate) in 2 eggs
Cost: $2.98 (estimate) for 2 eggs
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Cadbury Chocolate Theme Week.

The first Cadbury chocolate eggs debuted in 1875. They were Easter Eggs. Today's cream-filled milk chocolate eggs looked like Easter eggs. However, these "Screme" eggs were designed for another big chocolate holiday: Halloween.

The hollow chocolate eggs were swaddled in black, purple and green foil, and contained sweet, scary green-colored creme filling. Eeeek. Good fun and tasty sweetness.

*According to the Cadbury website: "The first Cadbury Easter egg was made in 1875. The earliest eggs were made with dark chocolate, and had a smooth, plain surface. They were filled with sugar-coated chocolate drops known as 'dragees'. Later Easter eggs were decorated and had their plain shells enhanced with chocolate piping and marzipan flowers."

Little Secrets - dark and milk chocolate candies - Nov. 2, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Little Secrets
Classic Dark - Dark Chocolate Candies
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) in one package
Calories: 200 calories in 1 package
Cost: $1.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, Cupertino, CA

Little Secrets
Milk Chocolate Smooth and Creamy Candies
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) in 1 package
Calories: 210 calories in 1 package
Cost: $1.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, Cupertino, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Trick or Treat Week.

With each passing Halloween, I've been able to include more organic, fair trade and preservative-free chocolate items—or at least ones without a lot of additives or artificial colors and flavors. It's great to have more choices.

Today's crunchy and chocolatey Classic Dark Chocolate Candies (55% fair trade cocoa) and Milk Chocolate Candies (40% cocoa content) distributed by Little Secrets, LLC (Boulder, CO) contained "no artificial anything." Instead of artificial flavors or colorings, natural food-based colors from plants such as beets and spirulina were used instead.

The purplish and orange yam-colored candies shown here contained an extra layer/coating of dark chocolate, and so were a bit larger than the red and blue milk chocolate pieces.

The Tea Room - Organic Milk Chocolate Skull Lollipop - Nov. 1, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

The Tea Room
Organic Milk Chocolate Skull Lollipop
Good +
Weight: 1.7 oz. (48 g.) in 1 skull
Calories: 255 calories (estimate) in 1 skull
Cost: $3.19 (estimate) for 1 skull
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Trick or Treat Theme Week. Halloween was yesterday; but I have plenty of treats leftover for the rest of this week.

Skeletons are always in fashion for Halloween. However, today's Organic Milk Chocolate Skull from The Tea Room (San Leandro, CA) might be just as fitting for the Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos*.

This celebration of the dead originated in Mexico and spans two days (today and tomorrow). The occasion conjures up images of skeletons and decorated sugar skulls and—increasingly as we've adopted some elements of this traditional holiday in the U.S.—chocolate skulls.

The Tea Room specializes in chocolates flavored with a variety of different teas.

At first bite, this milk chocolate skull on a stick with protruding jelly bean eyes tasted like conventional milk chocolate. However, the initial flavor gradually evolved into one with caramel overtones. This chocolate with infused with the company's "Caramel Blend" with organic honeybush tea and caramel oil which gave it an authentic caramel warmth and flavor.

*The origins of the Dia de Los Muertos celebration dates back to the Aztecs, as far back as 3,000 years ago. The original, longer, celebration took place during the 9th month of the Aztec calendar (closer to August-September) and honored a goddess, the "Lady of the Dead."

Snickers - Pumpkin - Oct. 31, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mars
Snickers - Pumpkin
Good
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31.2 g.) in 1 package
Calories: 160 calories in 1 package
Cost: $0.66 for 1 package /(3 for $2.00 - sale price)
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Trick or Treat Theme Week, and to one of the biggest candy and chocolate days of the year. Happy Halloween!

I have fond memories of childhood Halloween nights skipping (as well as one could in a mask and bulky costume) along roads dimly lit by candle-filled, carved pumpkins, and coming home with sacks of tri-colored candy corn, tiny wax teeth and bottles filled with sweet syrup, and the occasional sucker or Tootsie Pop.

However, candy bars, such as today's Snickers bar from Mars (Hackettstown, NJ), were among the most prized treasures.

The joys of childhood don't always carry over into adulthood. And more's the pity for it, mostly. I'm more conscious of what I eat now; and I prefer simpler, more natural foods, including chocolates. Reading labels and finding lactose, hydrogenated oils, palm oil, artificial flavor, etc. can be off-putting.

However, tonight I made an exception and I enjoyed this gooey, crunchy sweet, nutty, chocolatey pumpkin-shaped candy, a variation on the classic Snickers bar. Childhood memories are powerful things.

Nestle - Butterfinger Peanut Butter Skull - Oct. 30, 2016

Chocolate of the Day:

Nestle
Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cups - Skull
Good
Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 g.) in 1 package
Calories: 190 calories in 1 package
Cost: 2 for $1.00 (sale)/ $0.50 for 1 package
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Trick or Treat Week. On this day before Halloween (and pre-Day of the Dead weekend), what better way to celebrate than a skull-shaped chocolate peanut butter cup. A "Smooth and Crunchy Skull" no less.

Wait, what is that apparition coming out of the candy mist? As it materialized, this spooky Butterfinger Halloween skull from Nestle seemed to say: "Arrgh. Dead men tell no tales." (Well, they don't after you bite off their jaws.) And, how kind this grinning skull was to let me feast on its chocolate bones and peanut butter and crunchy, peanut toffee brains.

The list of ingredients for this skull was long and included some items I'd rather not be haunted by (lactose, palm oil, hydrogenated oils, etc.). However, what a treat to see that Nestle has done away with artificial flavors and colors, and used natural colorings (paprika and annatto).

In February 2015, the company pledged to take this step with some popular candy offerings—including Butterfinger, Crunch and Baby Ruth bars—by the end of 2015.

*The Butterfinger candy bar was developed by the Curtis Candy Company in Chicago in the 1920s, and was eventually sold (in 1990) to Nestle. 

ChocolateBet: October 24, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

1 skull
Vosges Haut Chocolat
El Día de Los Muertos package of 3 caramel skulls
Dulce de Leche Caramel Skull
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .86 oz. (24 g.) 2.6 oz. (72 g.) total package of 3 skulls
Calories: 100 calories
Cost: $13.00 total - for set of 3 skulls
Purchased from: Vosges Haut Chocolat, Chicago, IL

Sometimes it's good to be a chocolate cannibal. Eating this Vosges Dulce de Leche caramel filled skull made me feel that way.

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Halloween and Day of the Dead Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: October 31, 2007

Chocolate of the day:

Recchiuti
Star Anise and Pink Peppercorn
Very Good
Weight: ~ .45 oz. (estim.)
Calories: 65? calories
Cost: $ ?
Bought at: Recchiuti, SF Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA

Recchiuti is a high-end supplier of carefully executed chocolate jewels that you can view at the company's attractive display case in the San Francisco Ferry Building. They're pricey, but good.

Trying today's Recchiuti chocolate with spices helped mask my frustration over not having more time to hunt down a more Halloween-specific chocolate to feature for today -- Halloween. One of the biggest chocolate holidays of the year.

I tried looking in Latino markets close to home for chocolate skulls or skull molds associated with El Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead, celebrated in Mexico), another late autumn holiday celebrated this week, but no luck.

Vosges chocolates' web site looked like they carried chocolate skulls, but I couldn't find them online (at least in time for this year). Next year!