Hershey - Brookside Blueberry chocolates - Aug. 18, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

The Hershey Company

1.) Brookside - Blueberry Almond with Acai Flavor bar
OK + - Good
Weight: .79 oz. (22.5 g.) / 3.17 oz. (90 g.) in total bar
Calories: 110 calories in 1/4 bar
Cost: $3.59 for 1 bar
Purchased from: CVS Pharmacy, Palo Alto, CA

2.) Brookside - Whole Blueberries in Smooth Dark Chocolate
OK + - Good
Weight: .6 oz. (17 g.) / 1.8 oz. (51 g.)
Calories: 80 calories in 1/3 package
Cost: $2.19 for 1 package
Purchased from: Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate, Fruit and Botanicals Month.

These two dark chocolate and blueberry offerings were from The Hershey Company (Hershey, PA). The Brookside brand seemed designed to appeal to higher end buyers who might be more partial to dark chocolate.

Both the Brookside Blueberry Almond with Acai flavor bar and the Whole Blueberries in Dark Chocolate were too sweet for me; but they might appeal to those with a sweet tooth. The dark chocolate was even, and it was made with cocoa that had been alkalinized (a process that cuts acidity and smooths flavor).

The bar was attractively packaged, and I found myself looking around for a food pairing that might cut the sugar level a bit. This sounds terrible, but we dipped a small piece of the bar into some great salsa at lunch, and the salt and chilis (and perhaps the touch of acidity) seemed to improve the flavor and tone down the sweetness.

York (Hershey) - Minis Peppermint Patties - Aug. 24, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

York
(owned by The Hershey Company)
Minis - Dark Chocolate Covered Peppermint Patties
Good - Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in 1 package
Calories: 260 calories in 1 package
Cost: $1.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

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

People ask me if I review popular, mass-market chocolates, e.g. from Mars or The Hershey Company.

The answer is yes I do. These chocolates are part of our chocolate heritage in the U.S. And I somehow feel obliged to cover products that people remember from childhood.

I featured most Hershey chocolates in the early years of this blog; however, new flavors continue to be introduced, such as today's York* "Minis" (a brand owned and distributed by The Hershey Company, based in Hershey, PA).

Sold in a "King Size" 2.5 oz. (70 g.) bag -- with a traditional York shiny silver and navy blue colored wrapper -- these miniature Peppermint Patties were left loose to jostle about in the bag. Unlike their larger (original) counterpart patties, these Minis were a bit too small to be individually wrapped.

The taste, however, was similar to what I remember: quite sweet, with a generous white disc of peppermint-flavored filling. They were relatively low-calorie (106 calories for a 1 oz. serving). Sweet peppermint was the dominant flavor; however, the chocolate coating helped off-set the sweetness, and made them more tempting.

Note to those who eat gluten-free, most York Peppermint Pattie products are listed as gluten-free, "except York Minis and York Pieces candy." I didn't see any gluten-containing ingredients on today's Mini label, but wheat starch and flour can end up in a lot of places, and is sometimes used to prevent pieces from sticking together in manufacturing environments. These patties are also made with Polyglycerol poliricinoleate (PGPR), probably something you don't want to eat a lot of.

*York Peppermint Patties were, according to a wikipedia.org entry, originally introduced in York, Pennsylvania, by Henry C. Kessler. It was, apparently, a firmer, less gooey, version of other, similar mint patties in its day.

Heath Toffee Bits Sundae - September 8, 2014

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

McConnell's Fine Ice Creams
Dark Chocolate Paso Brittle Ice Cream
Good +
Weight: 1/3 cup (70.5 g.) / 1 Pint (473 mL) total container
Calories: 173 calories in 1/3 cup serving
Cost: $6.99 (sale)
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, Los Altos, CA

The Hershey Company
Heath Toffee Bits
Good
Weight: 1 Tablespoon (15 g.) / 8 oz. (226 g.) total package
Calories: 80 calories in 1 Tablespoon
Cost: $1.99 (estimate) for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

When I was growing up and I thought about toffee, one of the first items to come to mind was Heath Toffee bars from The Hershey Company (Hershey, PA). These were made with milk chocolate, sugar, dairy butter, lactose, and bits of roasted almonds. Crushed Heath and Skor (similar to Heath) bars were also popular as toppings over (or mixed in with) ice cream.

So, it was in that spirit today that I made a chocolate and toffee sundae, with Dark Chocolate Paso Brittle Ice Cream from McConnell's Fine Ice Creams (Santa Barbara, CA), sprinkled with Heath Toffee Bits (now sold by the bag for cooking and dessert toppings). Sweet, cold and crunchy, this ice cream treat hit the spot on a warm day, after a 7-mile hike up in the redwoods.

The McConnell's dark chocolate ice cream (made with Valrhona cocoa and Coeur de Guanaja*) was studded of bits of "Paso Brittle" -- roasted almond brittle with salt made by Paso Almonds (San Luis Obispo, CA). Note: This is rich ice cream, enough to coat your bowl and spoon with a thin-film of Central Coast grass-pastured milk and cream.

*A dark (80%) chocolate "concentrate" developed by Valrhona, made from non-GMO ingredients, suitable for ganaches, ice cream, mousses, drinks and sauces.

ChocolateBet: December 5, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1 package (2 cups)
Reese's (Hershey)
Reese's Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Lovers (cups)
Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 g.) in 1 package
Calories: 220 for 2 cups
Cost: $0.69 (sale)
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA

It was Day #2 of another Chocolate and Nut Theme Week.

Choosing a theme week to celebrate chocolate + nuts was predictable as I adore this combination. Reese's has made multiple versions of their classic peanut butter cups; and I have tried to stay up on the latest. A smooth peanut butter colored frosting tops these milk chocolate cups.

ChocolateBet: October 22, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1 package, 2 cups
Reese's (H.B. Reese Candy Co./The Hershey Company)
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Very Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 grams) in package of 2 cups
Calories: 210 calories
Cost: $0.69 (sale price)
Purchased from: Walgreens, in midtown Palo Alto, CA

Hershey's has gone over to the dark side with these new Reese's peanut butter cups. I have always liked the regular milk chocolate variety. I figured: I like dark chocolate better than milk chocolate, so it stands to reason that I would like the dark version of these peanut butter cups better than the originals. However, I think I liked these equally well. Odd to think how much of the taste of something can come from nostalgia.

ChocolateBet: December 3, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1.5 servings (3/4 cup)
Hershey's (branded)/Houston Harvest, Inc.
Hershey's Chocolate Drizzled Popcorn
Good +
Wt.: 3/4 cup (43.5 grams)/6 oz. (170 g.) in total pkg.
Calories: ~ 180 calories for 3/4 cup
Cost: $4.99 for total package
Purchased from: OfficeMax, in Mountain View, CA

I found this chocolate while shopping for office supplies.

ChocolateBet: March 18, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 egg
Reese's
Fudge Peanut Butter Egg
Very Good
Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 grams)
Calories: 180 calories in 1 egg
Cost: $0.41
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA

Continuing along the Easter theme this week....I ate an egg, Reese's style. And it was very good. I've never meet a Reese's peanut butter item I didn't like.

ChocolateBet: October 12, 2006

Chocolate of the Day: 

Hershey
H.B. Reese Candy Co. (a division of Hershey Foods)
Reese's Pieces
Weight: 1.53 oz. (43 g.) in 1 bag
Calories: 220 calories in 1 bag
Cost: $ I don't remember
Purchased from: office vending machine, Sunnyvale, CA

OK, I'm getting to the last of the chocolate candy offerings in the vending machine down the hall at work. Only a handful of choices left, before raiding the machines will be limited to "B5" aka Lay's potato chips.

Incidentally, don't get me started on potatoes as they are also a favorite of mine - and also quite possibly the subject of a future year of eating-themed focus. We once had a potato party at our house. It was great fun. I supplied BBQ chicken, green salad and drinks, and everyone brought something that had potato in it. Some very nice and exotic potato dishes arrived. One person brought their favorite take out french fries, and someone else brought a bottle of (potato-based) vodka. It's been too long since I had a party at my house. Note to self....get a life.

Today, the vending machine selection was...Reese's pieces. OK, they may not taste that great. But,
they remind me of the movie "ET" about a young boy and an alien he gets attached to. In a great, and I imagine profitable, move, Reese's Pieces were used as "alien bait" and this bit of product placement genius boosted sales. Perhaps somewhere in another galaxy, aliens are planning to visit our planet solely to check out these little chocolate and peanut-butter based gems for themselves. Of course, by the time they see the movie, and get here after many light years, we might not be around. But, it's fun to think about. Oh yes, as you probably guessed...movies are another passion of mine.

ChocolateBet: October 7, 2006

Chocolate of the Day: 

Hershey
5th Avenue candy bar

Another old time, venerable brand: the 5th Avenue candy bar with a crunchy peanut butter center. It was good.

Anything that sounds New York City-oriented, I can't help but think fond thoughts. I have roots there, and old family stories. I've enjoyed every trip back there, and every walk around Manhattan. I dragged my daughter back there, as an extension of a school-scouting trip, recently, and we had to visit the top of the Empire State building, and Grand Central Station (where, after failing to hail a cab during rush hour to take us back downtown, and we eventually escaped by catching a pedi-cab), and Central Park - where we rode around in a horse carriage.

And yes, we definitely spent time on Fifth Avenue, window shopping mostly. And I think we visited a Godiva store after that, later in the day.

ChocolateBet: October 6, 2006

Chocolate of the Day:

Hershey's
Extra Dark - Pure Dark Chocolate
Good
Weight: .6 oz.? (guess)

For anyone that even dabbles in the occasional chocolate, it probably has not escaped your notice that Hershey is a big name in chocolate.

Years ago, I took my young daughter on lot of factory and behind-the-scenes tours. One such trip involved a visit to the local sewage treatement plant, complete with a personally guided tour by a city employee, who warned us at one point to stand back from the metal railing -- not because we were in danger of falling into a tank, but perhaps because there was some possibility of sludge backsplash. I guess I was hoping to encourage her curiousity about life. Having a child also gave me a change to relive my own childhood, or parts of it I found fun at least. An excuse to go see animated movies. Hurray! Eventually my daughter figured out that the sewage plant, in retrospect, was only sort of interesting, and a little disgusting. And she rolled her eyes up into here head every time I suggested we go see a new movie. "It's animated, isn't it?" she would groan. However, one trip that I hope she remembers, is one we took to Oakdale, CA, to tour the Hershey plant.

I remember the two of us looking down into cavernous rooms with large conveyer belts - that carried a dizzying volume of little chocolate pieces, that eventually ended up (I think) in a little chocolate store at the end. By this time, we knew that my daughter was allergic to peanuts, so we were careful to steer clear of products that had nuts. Other than that cautionary note, it was great fun.

More recently, Hershey has diversified into higher-end dark chocolate. Today I had a small, individually wrapped, piece of Extra Dark, Pure Dark Chocolate (just to emphasize this wasn't the traditional milk chocolate bar I guess). It was good. I look forward to trying other items in their newer lines.

My fantasy is that I find some way to travel to the Hershey chocolate spa in Hershey, PA, before this whole chocolate-eating-year ends.