Wild West Chocolate - Bear Claws Organic Oatmilk Chocolate Nut Clusters Raspberry & Hazelnut - June 8, 2026

Chocolate of The Day 

Wild West Chocolate
Bear Claws - Raspberry & Hazelnut Organic Oatmilk Chocolate Nut Clusters
Weight: 2.46 oz. (70 g.) / 2.96 oz. (84 g.) in total bar
Calories: 400 calories in 5 pieces
Cost: $8.99 for 1 package of 6 pieces
Purchased from: Wild West Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate & Bears Week. 

Today's Bear Claws - Raspberry & Hazelnut Organic Oatmilk Chocolate Nut Clusters were from Wild West Chocolate, LLC (Missoula, MT)--and featured an image of a mother bear and two cubs.

Aroma and flavor notes for these individually-wrapped bear claws included: chocolate, (red) raspberry, faint vanilla and very faint nut. 

Texture: These bear claws broke with a well-tempered snap. The base chocolate was smooth, with barely detectable oat/fruit astringency. The small hazelnut chunks added a satisfying crunch.

I liked the raspberry flavor (powder and extract) as well as the subtle and authentic fruit blend (date, mulberry, peach and mango powders)--used to sweeten this chocolate, and the small nutty chunks of hazelnut. Also the individually-wrapped pieces made them practical for hiking snacks and sharing with others.

Interesting side note: I liked these bear claws better than the similarly flavored Raspberry & Hazelnut bar earlier this week. Not sure why. Both were good. I'm pretty sure both people and bears would/will approve of these bear claw shaped chocolate nut clusters.

One last big plus with all the chocolates from Wild West Chocolate: they're made with Organic and Regenerative Organic Certified ingredients.

Ingredients: Organic Oatmilk Chocolate (Organic Fruit Blend [Powdered Date++, Powdered Mulberry+, Powdered Peach+, Powdered Mango+], Organic Cocoa Liquor++, Organic Cocoa Butter++, Oatmilk+, Vanilla Extract+), Hazelnuts+, Freeze-Dried Raspberry+, Raspberry Extract+. (+ = Organic; ++ = Regenerative Organic Certified; Cocoa Liquor and Cocoa Butter: Fair Trade Certified 37% of Product.)

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

West West Chocolate - "Grizzly" Raspberry & Hazelnut 50% Cacao Oatmilk Chocolate (bar) - June 5, 2026

Chocolate of The Day 

Wild West Chocolate
"Grizzly" Raspberry & Hazelnut 50% Cacao Oatmilk Chocolate (bar)
Weight: .77 oz. (22 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65.2 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $21.25 for 3-bar pack (Approx. $7.08 for 1 bar)
Purchased from: Piazzas, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate & Wild West Theme Week; and Day #1 of Chocolate & Bears* Week. (Bears were heavily represented in the Wild West/wilderness chocolate category, and have taken over for their own theme week.)

Today's "Grizzly" Raspberry and Hazelnut 50% Cacao Oatmilk Chocolate (bar) was from  Wild West Chocolate, LLC (Missoula, MT)--and featured an image of a grizzly bear.

Aroma and flavor notes for this bar included: chocolate, strong berry (raspberry) flavoring, faint vanilla and very faint nut. 

Texture: The base chocolate was smooth, with a touch of oat/fruit astringency (dryness). Hazelnut pieces added some crunch.  

I liked how the relatively dominant raspberry fruit flavor (powder and extract) flowed into the gentler, authentic fruit blend (date, mulberry, peach and mango powders)--that Wild West uses to sweeten all their chocolates and provides balanced and attractive background fruit complexity.

Bears do love berries; and this berry-forward bar might attract one if left unguarded in a picnic basket, or on a front porch.*

I also appreciated the use of Organic and Regenerative Organic Certified ingredients.

Ingredients: Organic Oatmilk Chocolate (Organic Fruit Blend [Powdered Date++, Powdered Mulberry+, Powdered Peach+, Powdered Mango+], Organic Cocoa Liquor++, Organic Cocoa Butter++, Oatmilk+, Vanilla Extract+), Hazelnuts+, Freeze-Dried Raspberry+, Raspberry Extract+. (+ = Organic; ++ = Regenerative Organic Certified; Cocoa Liquor and Cocoa Butter: Fair Trade Certified 61% of Product.)

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

*Bear Stories

Living in the West, I have bear stories. But, none so timely as today's. As I was writing this post--to kick off Chocolate & Bears Theme Week--I received a text from a friend. A bear had shown up at her front door in Tehachapi, almost 300 miles away in Southern California. I enjoyed both the Grizzly bar and my friend's photo of a porch bear (a brown/cinnamon-colored Black Bear) simultaneously. Thank you Internet.

Hijita Chocolateria - Canela & Hazelnut Crunch 70% Agua Escondido (bar) - Mar. 18, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Hijita Chocolateria
Canela & Hazelnut Crunch 70% Agua Escondida Dark Chocolate 
Good ++
Weight: 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 326 calories (estimate) in 1 bar 
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Online order from Hijita

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate, Pistachio, Hazelnut and Almond Theme Week, and Day #2 of Chocolate & Mexico Theme Week.

Today's Canela & Hazelnut Crunch 70% Agua Escondida Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Hijita, LLC (Austin, TX).

Cacao origin: Comalcalco, Tabasco, Mexico, from the producer Agua Escondida.* 

Aroma and flavor notes included: balanced and nuanced dark chocolate (faint diffuse fruit - dark, ripe berry, mild citrus (orange/tangerine)); nut (hazelnut); faint, authentic vanilla bean and warm spice (cinnamon); very faint brown sugar-molasses (piloncillo); and very faint sea salt.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate; and crunchy, hazelnut bits.

I enjoyed this balanced, well-executed dark chocolate, made possible by the use of carefully sourced single origin/single region, quality and organic ingredients including: the Mexican cacao; the unrefined cane sugar; and the Mexican cinnamon and Mexican vanilla bean. 

Maker's Tasting Notes: Blueberry, Molasses, Citrus

Ingredients: Cacao*, Unrefined Cane Sugar*, Organic Hazelnut, Cinnamon*, Vanilla Bean*, Organic Cacao Butter, Sea Salt* (* = sourced direct from small family-owned agroforestry farms in Mexico)

Allergen-related information: Contains Hazelnuts. Made in a facility that processes Peanuts & Tree Nuts

* Note: the Canela & Hazelnut bar currently on the Hijita website indicates Mexican cacao region (origin) may change/include Soconusco, Chiapas as well for this bar. 

 

Rawmio - Hazelnut Quinoa Crunch Dairy Free Oat Milk Chocolate with Puffed Quinoa, Salt (bar) - Mar. 11, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Rawmio 
Hazelnut Quinoa Crunch - Dairy Free Oat Milk chocolate with Puffed Quinoa, Sea Salt (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ Missing information
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate, Pistachios, Hazelnuts & Almonds Theme Week.

Today's Rawmio Hazelnut Quinoa Crunch - Dairy Free Oat Milk chocolate with Puffed Quinoa, Sea Salt (bar) was made by Windy City Organics, LLC (Northbrook, IL). 

This family-owned company got its start back in 2003 with an interest in raw/minimally processed cacao chocolate and healthy ingredients in mind, and offers several small-batch bars made with stoneground cacao chocolate. They source much of their fairly traded cacao from farmers in Peru.

Aroma and flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate, nut, coconut/brown sugar, faint toffee, vanilla and malt. I like salt with nuts and chocolate, so I enjoyed the relatively generous dose of sea salt.

Texture: smooth dark milk chocolate, crunchy quinoa, with soft crunchy whole hazelnuts

I liked that I couldn't taste the oats (oat milk).* balance? sweetness level? use of organic ingredients/organic certified? 

I enjoyed the blend of textures and the tiny crunchy quinoa bits in every bite. And I appreciated the choice of organic and fairly traded ingredients and the lack of emulsifiers.

Ingredients: Oat Milk Chocolate* (Raw Cacao Butter*, Coconut Sugar*, Raw Cacao Nibs*, Oat Milk Powder*, Lucuma Powder*, Vanilla Bean Powder*, Sea Salt), Toasted Hazelnuts*, Puffed Quinoa*, Celtic Sea Salt (* Certified Organic)

Allergen-related information: Contains hazelnuts. Crafted in a facility that also handles Tree Nuts and Sesame but does not process any soy, dairy, or gluten. May contain naturally occurring shell and pit fragments.

*Nothing personal about oat milk; but I'm not always a fan of oat-y texture or flavor in chocolates. Happily there are now several good oat milk chocolates. That wasn't always the case a decade ago.

Dick Taylor - Chocolate Coated Butter Toffee Hazelnuts - Mar. 9, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Dick Taylor
Chocolate Coated Butter Toffee Hazelnuts
Good++
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) / 6 oz. (171 g.) in total container
Calories: 330 calories for 1/3 container
Cost: $18.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate, Pistachios, Hazelnuts & Almonds Theme Week.

Today's Chocolate Coated Butter Toffee Hazelnuts were from Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate (Eureka, CA).

These whole roasted hazelnuts were covered in 65% Tanzania dark chocolate.

Aroma notes included: smooth, dark chocolate; browned sugar and butter toffee; very slight, pleasing warm spice (candied ginger); and nut (hazelnut, almond). (Note: there were no ginger or almond ingredients.)

Texture: Each round confection was a blend of lightly dusted, smooth dark chocolate surrounding a thin layer of buttery toffee, and at the heart was a softly crunchy, roasted hazelnut.

Flavor notes included: sophisticated, balanced and layered "just-right" flavors. The chocolate was smooth but flavorful, the butter toffee layer was nice and thin, and while these were sweet, they weren't too sugary-confection sweet. The vanilla was faint--just enough to add some warmth.

I liked that the first two ingredients were "hazelnuts" and "cacao" -- then sugar; and I appreciated the makers' choice of a short list of high-quality and organic ingredients, including single origin cacao.

Ingredients: Hazelnuts, Cacao*, Cane Sugar*, Sugar, Butter (Cream, Salt), Cocoa Butter*, Cocoa Powder, Sea Salt, Natural Vanilla Flavor (*Organic)

Allergen-related information: Contains Nuts and Milk. Processed on shared equipment with milk, tree nuts, wheat and peanuts. 

Eclat Chocolate - Caramelized Hazelnut 65% Dark Chocolate Bar - Mar. 6, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Eclat Chocolate
Caramelized Hazelnut 65% Dark Chocolate Bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total package
Calories: 250.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Dispensary, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate, Pistachio, Hazelnut & Almond Theme Week.

Today's Caramelized Hazelnut 65% Dark Chocolate Bar was from Eclat Chocolate (West Chester, PA).

Aroma notes included: roasted cacao and nut (hazelnuts) and faint vanilla and caramel/toffee.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate, punctuated by crisp, crunchy and sweet caramelized (toffee-d) nut bits.

Flavor notes: smooth, sweet, dark chocolate with a smooth, even melt; sweet caramelized, roasted hazelnut bits; and vanilla.

I enjoyed the Henry Miller quote* and the description of a "Destination Bar" -- complete with a map (on inner packaging) showing several destinations (airplane hops necessary to fully appreciate the diverse ingredients, experiences and cultures around the globe. 

Looking at this map, today's bar contained cacao nibs from Brussels, Belgium; caramelized hazelnuts from Tarragona, Spain; as well as inspiration for chocolates and flavors from these travels. Chocolate is indeed one of the best forms of virtual travel.

Ingredients: Dark chocolate couverture (Min. cocoa 65%, cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soya lecithin, natural vanilla), chopped and caramelized hazelnut (hazelnut, sugar).

Allergen-related information: "Product may have trace elements of nuts, soy and dairy." 

*One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things." -- Henry Miller

Charles Chocolates - Candied Lemon & Hazelnut 65% Bittersweet Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 1, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Charles Chocolates 
Candied Lemon & Hazelnut 65% Bittersweet Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 219 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $3.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate & Fruits Theme Week on Chocolate Banquet.

Today's Candied Lemon & Hazelnut 65% Bittersweet Chocolate (bar) was from Charles Chocolates (San Francisco, CA).

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark chocolate, toasted nuts (hazelnut) and tart, sweet citrus (lemon). 

Texture: thick dark chocolate with a slow, relatively creamy melt; crunchy toasted hazelnuts; and softly chewy, candied lemon peel pieces. 

I liked the nutty, chocolate flavors and aftertaste and the overall fruit, nut and chocolate flavor blend. The lemon peel added bright citrus sweetness.

"We deep roast Oregon hazelnuts, pistachios and pine nuts and combine them with candied lemon peel, sultanas and our rich bittersweet chocolate."

Ingredients: 65% bittersweet chocolate (cacao beans, pure cane sugar, cocoa butter, soya lecithin, vanilla beans), hazelnuts, candied lemon peel (lemons, sugar), pistachios, sultanas, pine nuts.

Allergen-related information: Contains: tree nuts -- hazelnuts, pistachios, pine nuts. "Manufactured in a facility that also processes products containing tree nuts, peanuts, milk, eggs, wheat and soy."

The Organic House - Hazelnut Chocolate 55% Cacao (bar) - July 24, 2025

The Chocolate of the Day

The Organic House
Hazelnut Chocolate 55% Cacao (bar)

(Chocolat Aux Noisettes 55% Cacao)
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 3/5 bar (in 30 g. serving)
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Organic House, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week.

Today's Hazelnut Chocolate 55% Cacao (bar) was from The Organic House (Burlington, ON, Canada).

The cacao used to make this chocolate was from Maya Mountain Cacao in southern Belize.

Aroma and flavor notes included: chocolate; sweet green/botanical/brown coconut sugar/honey/date/; and smooth (hazelnut butter-like) nuttiness.

Balanced and flavorful, I enjoyed the rich, creamy hazelnut butter-like texture. This 55% bar was sweet, but the sweetness level was moderated a bit by the cacao, the hazelnuts and by the use of coconut flower nectar. 

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Buttery notes of chocolate, hazelnut, honey, raisins and pineapple."

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, Organic cacao butter, Organic hazelnuts, Organic coconut flower nectar. 

Allergen-related information: "Contains Hazelnuts. May contain: Almonds, Cashews, Oats, Pistaches"

Ragged Coast - Bittersweet Chocolate & Honeyed Caramel Hazelnuts bark - Aug. 11, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Ragged Coast
Honeyed Hazelnut - Bittersweet Chocolate & Honeyed Hazelnuts bark
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (56 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total package
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 package
Cost: $5.95 (estimate) for 1 package
Purchased from: Ragged Coast, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Honey Theme Week. 

Today's Honeyed Hazelnut - Bittersweet Chocolate & Honeyed Hazelnuts bark was from Ragged Coast Chocolates (Westbrook, ME). 

Aroma notes for this bar-shaped bark included: higher-end, single origin dark chocolate (chocolate tart, diffuse fruit), and faint honey-ed nuts.

Smooth, almost creamy, sweet chocolate was topped with a generous helping of honeyed hazelnut pieces. These hazelnuts had rich, nuanced, high-quality nut flavor(s) that lingered into the finish.

The chocolate was fairly sweet; but the tasty hazelnut pieces helped balance the sweetness. And the Latin American chocolate used, albeit sweet, seemed to offer more chocolate depth and flavor than most chocolate confections.

Ingredients: "Single Origin Latin American Bittersweet Chocolate (cocoa liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, natural vanilla), Roasted Hazelnuts, Honey."

Allergen-related information: Allergens: Soy, Nuts (Hazelnuts), Milk, and Coconut. 

 

Holm Made Toffee Co. - Marionberry - Oregon Hazelnut Toffee - May 28, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Holm Made Toffee Co.
Marionberry - Oregon Hazelnut Toffee
Good ++  
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) / 4 oz. (114 g.) in total package
Calories: 310 calories (estimate) in 1/2 package
Cost: $10.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Farm Fresh, online order/add-in

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Fruit Theme Week.

Today's Marionberry - Oregon Hazelnut Toffee was from Holm Made Toffee Co. (Bend, OR). 

Aroma notes included: sweet berry (fruit, jam), faint chocolate, and berry (somewhere between sweet black raspberry and ripe blackberry) jam shortbread cookie (with nuts, berries and vanilla). 

Texture: crunchy toffee core with creamy (dark and white chocolate)

Flavor notes included: sweet, crunchy, buttery toffee; nut and berry "cookie" with smooth/creamy rich chocolate and cocoa texture and flavor; and finely chopped hazelnuts that added a crunchy, nutty texture.

I liked that this rich toffee was made with real marionberries*, real butter, and no gluten, soy or corn syrup. Dark/flavor fans may prefer a version with more dark chocolate and less white chocolate, and more berry flavor. (Try the company's Vanilla and Cardamom toffee--my favorite Hold Made Toffee flavor--for a bit more chocolate flavor.)

This toffee confection was tasty, and it captured Oregon flavors like hazelnuts, marionberries and berry pie. 

Ingredients: Butter [cream (milk) & salt], pure cane sugar, Oregon hazelnuts, dark chocolate [unsweetened chocolate, sugar, sunflower lecithin, and vanilla], white chocolate [palm kernel and palm oils, whey, nonfat milk], blackberry oil [oils of natural flavors], freeze-dried Oregon marionberries.

Allergen-related information: Contains tree nuts (hazelnuts) and dairy 

*The Marionberry was created at Oregon State University in 1948. Considered a type of blackberry (a cross between Chehalem and Olallie blackberries), it also has some Himalaya blackberry and red raspberry heritage.

The Conscious Bar - 75% Cacao Roasted Hazelnut (bar) - May 14, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

The Conscious Bar
75% Cacao - Roasted Hazelnut (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $81.90 for a 7-bar variety pack
Purchased from: online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Dates Theme Week.

Today's 75% Cacao Roasted Hazelnut (bar) was distributed by The Conscious Bar LLC (Miami, FL).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (roasted cacao, very faint fruit), and faint toasted nut and barely detectable roasted grain (popcorn). 

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with softly crunchy nuts (hazelnut bits). (No date particles detected; dates were fully integrated with chocolate; thank you!)

Flavor notes included: smooth, dark chocolate, permeated with a dark roast cacao and nut flavor and occasional fleeting flickers of fruit (dark, ripe, berry jam and date). 

The slight roastiness made this dark bar seem a little "darker" than its other Conscious Bar 75% cacao chocolate siblings (which tasted more like 68%-70% cacao chocolate. (Other factors that can make different chocolates taste "darker" include cacao origin(s), cacao variety(ies), and cacao bean roasting profiles; and these were not listed on the label.) All the bars were relatively smooth and well-executed. 

I enjoyed this balanced and gluten-free chocolate, made with a short list of Organic ingredients. And the flavors meshed well together. 

When both fruit and nut ingredients have been skillfully integrated into a dark chocolate, the end result can be particularly satisfying. Rather than popping out and competing with each other, a harmonious blend of these three ingredients can seem to (pleasingly) amplify naturally occurring notes found in cacao.  Thank you to the makers for their skillful integration of dates and chocolate in all their bars I've tasted so far.

Ingredients: Organic Cacao Beans, Organic Hazelnuts, Organic Dates, Organic Cacao Butter

Allergen-related information: Contains hazelnuts. "Made In A Facility That Handles Milk, Eggs, Peanuts, And Tree Nuts." 

Dude, Sweet Chocolate - "Crack in a Box" Chocolate Bark - Mar. 19, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Dude, Sweet Chocolate
Crack in a Box Chocolate Bark
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2.75 oz. (78 g.) / 5.5 oz. (156 g.) in total box
Calories: 426 calories (estimate) in 1/2 box/serving
Cost: $14.75 for 1 box
Purchased from: Dude, Sweet Chocolate (online order)

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Theme Week.

Today's Crack in a Box Chocolate Bark was from Dude, Sweet Chocolate (Dallas, TX). Thank you to Chef Katherine Clapner for producing so many delicious and fun chocolates to try.*

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate and roasted nuts (hazelnuts) and seeds. (There were no seeds, except for the cacao seeds (cocoa mass and nibs), aka cocoa beans.**

A neat stack of bark-squares fit nicely inside a simple, small box. But this offering had big texture and taste experience. Roasty, toasty hearty crunchy texture and rich yet smooth dark chocolate flavor.

The well-executed treatment of the candied, salted nuts (and the addition of Valrhona cocoa nibs) created texture and flavor depth. Roasted hazelnuts were joined by almonds and macadamia nuts. And a touch of vanilla and sea salt rounded out these square slabs very nicely.

Warning: addictive

Ingredients: Republica 70% guittard 72% (cocoa mass from Peru and Ecuador, sugar, cocoa butter, natural vanilla), candied nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, powdered sugar, egg whites, sea salt), Valrhona cocoa nibs.

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Eggs, Tree Nuts (Hazelnut, Almond, Macadamia)."

*Chocolate salami anyone? (It does look like a salami, but it's all chocolate.)

**Yep, that's right. We keep calling cacao seeds..."beans". Just like we call some foods "nuts" when they're really drupes (macadamia nuts), legumes (peanuts), seeds (pistachio nuts), or something else. You'll be happy to know that the hazelnuts that have appeared in all the chocolates this past week are considered true nuts. 

We call coffee seeds (coffee cherry pits) "beans" too, because they sort of look like beans. By that logic, I could come up with lots of creative names for items (and animals/people)--if I wasn't already busy hunting for new chocolates, and becoming fully theobromine-ated 365 days a year.

Beekman 1802 - Roasted Hazelnut chocolates - Mar. 17, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Beekman 1802
"Goat Poop" Roasted Hazelnuts chocolate
Good +
Weight: 1.6 oz. (45 g.) / 16 oz. (454 g.) in total container
Calories: 230 calories in 1 serving 
Cost: $28.00 for 1 container with assorted flavors
Purchased from: Beekman 1802 site, online order

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts.

Today's Belgian chocolate covered Roasted Hazelnuts chocolates (part of a Goat Poop assortment of chocolate covered rounds/ovals) were from Beekman 1802 (tm) (Sharon Springs, NY).

Where did the goat poop name come from? (Short answer: There are goats on Beekman 1802 Farm. The company also sells a variety of goat milk skin care products.)

Aroma notes included: sweet milk chocolate, faint caramel and nut. (Note: these hazelnut pieces were packed in with other dark and milk chocolate covered rounds, so all the sweet smells were co-mingling.

Flavor notes included: smooth creamy, sweet milk chocolate and crunchy whole hazelnuts.

Ingredients: Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Belgian Unsweetened Chocolate, Whole Milk Powder, Skim Milk Powder, Butterfat, Soya Lecithin, Vanilla Extract), Roasted Hazelnuts.

Allergen-related information: Contains: Milk, Soy, Wheat, Tree Nuts (Almonds, Hazelnuts), Tartrazine. May Contain: Sulphites, Eggs, Peanuts.

 

Zotter - Hazelnut Kiss (bar) - Mar. 16, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter
Zotter Classic - Hazelnut Kiss (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.99 for 1 bar 
Purchased from: zotterusa, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Theme Week.

Today's Zotter Classic Hazelnut Kiss bar was made by Zotter in Austria and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US, LLC (Fort Myers, FL).

Aroma notes included: rich roasted nut butter and subtle dark or dark milk chocolate.

This bar had a very appealing smooth, creamy melt and texture. The hazelnuts were completely incorporated into the dark milk chocolate (no nut bits).

Flavor notes included: sweet dark milk chocolate and faint chocolate nut (hazelnut) spread.

I enjoyed the rich, roasted hazelnut nut butter aroma; and the ground hazelnuts also balanced the relatively sweet chocolate.

Ingredients: Cane Sugar**, Cocoa Butter**, Cocoa Mass**, Hazelnuts**(13%), Dry Whole Milk, Dry Skim Milk, Dark Brown Cane Sugar**, Lecithin (Soy)*, Vanilla Bean Powder*, Salt, Cinnamon**, (*Organic - 87% Organic) (** = Organic, and Fair Trade/Fair Traded)

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

Holm Made Toffee Co. - Oregon Hazelnut Toffee - Cardamom & Vanilla - Mar. 15, 2024

 Chocolate of the Day

Holm Made Toffee Co.
Oregon Hazelnut Toffee - Cardamom + Vanilla
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 4 oz. (114 g.) in total package
Calories: 620 calories (estimate) in 1 package
Cost: $10.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: FarmFresh, online order 

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Theme Week.

Today's Hazelnut Toffee was from Holm Made Toffee Co. LLC (Bend, OR).

Aroma notes included: buttery toffee, nuts, and faint chocolate and warm spices (vanilla).

The texture for the toffee was perfect, i.e. in the Goldilocks* zone. It was crunchy toffee that wasn't too hard or too soft. It was just right.

Flavor notes included: rich buttery toffee, smooth dark chocolate, wonderful cardamom and warm vanilla.

I really enjoyed this flavorful confection. The green cardamom, hazelnut and brown sugar toffee flavors were especially good. (I love fresh cardamom.) I felt I was enjoying the best possible blend of authentic warm chai tea with smooth dark chocolate (a touch of rich cocoa) and high-quality hazelnuts. 

Warning: addictive. Don't eat when you're very hungry.

Ingredients: "Butter [cream (milk) & salt], pure cane sugar, Oregon hazelnuts, dark chocolate [unsweetened chocolate, sugar, sunflower lecithin and vanilla], green cardamom, pure vanilla extract"

Allergy-related information: Contains hazelnuts, dairy (cream/milk)

*Goldilocks zone refers to a character in a European fairy tale. In the modern version I grew up with (Goldilocks and the Three Bears) a girl named Goldilocks enters a bear family home and, finding them out, samples their three bowls of porridge, chairs and beds. She finds the porridge(s), in sequence, too hot, then too cold, and finally--just right! (Same sequence with the chairs and beds.) Today the term "Goldilocks zone" pops up in several contexts (including food, ecology and various sciences).

 

Zotter - Praline Variation - Dark Milk Chocolate 60% filled (almond, hazelnut praline) bar - Mar. 14, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter
Praline Variation - Dark Milk Chocolate 60% filled with almond, hazelnut praline (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 400 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: zotterusa.com, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Theme Week.

Today's "Praline Variation" (bar)--Dark Milk Chocolate 60% filled with almond and hazelnut praline-- was made in Austria, and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Fort Myers, FL).

Aroma notes included: sweet chocolate and nut butter (almonds, hazelnuts).

I liked the slim, flavorful layers in this "hand-scooped," filled bar. Melt-away, creamy dark milk chocolate encased a sweet almond and hazelnut praline center with occasional crunchy sweet crystals.

Flavor notes included: smooth dark milk chocolate and authentic nut praline (almond and hazelnut), with very faint warm spice, green, floral and citrus notes. 

The subtle notes were very thoughtfully cultivated by the maker. Very small quantities of vanilla, cinnamon, rose petal and lemon were added, and enhanced/mirrored naturally occurring cacao notes. Dark brown sugar (vs. refined cane sugar) also added some subtle flavor depth. 

Warning this bar might be slightly addictive. 

Ingredients: Cane Sugar**, Cocoa Mass**, Cocoa Butter**, Almonds (13%), Hazelnuts (12%), Dry Whole Milk, Butter (Cream), Dry Sweet Whey, Dry Skim Milk, Dark Brown Cane Sugar**, Lecithin (Soy)*, Salt, Vanilla Bean Powder**, Cinnamon**, Rose Petals*, Lemon Powder* (Lemon Juice Concentrate*, Corn Starch*, Sugar*) (* = Organic; 90% Organic) (**Organic, Fair Trade)

Allergen-related information: Contains: Almonds, Hazelnuts, Milk, Soy. Manufactured on Equipment That Processes Other Tree Nuts, Peanuts, Eggs, Sesame and Gluten.

TCHO - "Hazel Nuts!"- Oat Milk Chocolate - Mar. 13, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

TCHO
"Hazel Nuts!" Oat Milk Chocolate (bars)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .83 oz. (23 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total package of 3 bars
Calories: 130 calories in 1 bar (1/3 package)
Cost: $5.99+ (estimate) for 1 bar 
Purchased from: Piazza's, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Theme Week.

Today's "Hazel Nuts!" Oat Milk Chocolate bar was from TCHO (Berkeley, CA).

Aroma notes included: relatively sweet, milk chocolate and hazelnuts.

Texture: skillfully executed creamy oat milk, studded with crunchy nut bits. 

Flavor notes included: complex/flavorful "milk" chocolate, and authentic, nuanced and fresh hazelnut.

Both taste and textures were well balanced; and the sweetness was offset by high-quality hazelnuts and chocolate and a bit of sea salt. This chocolate had more pleasing complexity than other comparable oat and other alternative milk bars; and it was slightly addictive.

What I loved about this bar: 1.) expert blend of creamy and crunchy; 2.) high-quality hazelnut bits and flavor; 3.) sweet, but not overwhelmingly so--balanced by just the right amount of sea salt; 4.) a fairly tasty oat milk chocolate; and 5.) individually-wrapped small bars, making sharing easier.

Ingredients: Cane Sugar*, Cacao Beans**, Cacao Butter**, Gluten Free Oat Flour* (Oat Flour, Natural Vitamin E, Hazelnut Butter*, Dried Hazelnuts*, Sea Salt, Sunflower Lecithin*, Vanilla Beans* (*Organic, **Fair Trade Certified by Fair Trade USA)

Allergen-related information: Contains hazelnuts. May contain other tree nuts. Certified Kosher DE by Earth Kosher.

LOVO - Hazelnut Milk Chocolate (bar) - Mar. 12, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

LOVO
Hazelnut Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 220 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.79 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Theme Week.

Today's LOVO Hazelnut Milk Chocolate bar was manufactured (in Switzerland) for Radically Good Food Co. (Toronto, ON, Canada).

Aroma notes included: very subtle chocolate (cocoa), and almost undetectable nut/oat sweet cereal.

This oat milk chocolate was relatively smooth and creamy. (Zero oat particles/grit detected.) I liked the almost silken mouthfeel--not always easy to achieve with plant milks. (The Swiss know a thing or two about how to achieve smooth chocolates.) 

Flavor notes included: uniform, very sweet plant-milk chocolate, faint vanilla frosting, and very faint nut and oat. 

There were no "off" (or bold) flavors that stood out. However, the almost overwhelming sweetness of this chocolate also eclipsed subtle flavors. There was too much sugar for me; but candy fans and those looking for a non-dairy (alternative milk) chocolate confection with a nice smooth texture might like this.

Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa mass*, hazelnuts, cocoa butter*, sunflower lecithin, organic vanilla extract. (*Rainforest Alliance Certified. "Find out more at ra.org.") 

Allergen-related information: Contains hazelnuts. "Produced on equipment that also processes products containing milk, almonds, coconut and peanuts."

Monsoon Chocolate - Hazelnuts Covered in Dark Chocolate - Mar. 11, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Monsoon Chocolate
Hazelnuts Covered in Dark Chocolate
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 6 oz. (170 g.) in total package
Calories: 233 calories (estimate) in 1/4 package
Cost: $12.50 for 1 package
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Theme Week.

Today's Hazelnuts Covered in Dark Chocolate were hand-crafted by Monsoon Chocolate, LLC (Tucson, AZ), using hazelnuts from Oregon--the state that produces up to 99% of hazelnuts in the U.S.

Aroma notes included: sweet dark chocolate and authentic hazelnuts.

Texture: a generous coating of ebony-hued dark chocolate encased roasted hazelnuts--at the heart of each round piece.

Flavor notes included: sweet dark chocolate (chocolate-y, faint green (oxalis) and nut), and hazelnuts.

What I enjoyed about these dark chocolate and hazelnut confections: 1.) a generous coating of rich dark chocolate; 2.) the hazelnuts (flavor and texture); 3.) a relatively short list of ingredients and the lack of confectioners glaze(s).

Ingredients: Roasted Oregon Hazelnuts*, Gianduja (Dark Chocolate [Cocoa Beans, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter*), Hazelnuts*, Cane Sugar*], Dark Chocolate (Cocoa Beans, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter*), Maldon Salt, Maltodextrin, Acacia Gum. (* = Organic)

Allergen-related information: Contains tree nuts (hazelnuts).

Amedei - Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts (chocolate block) - Mar. 10, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Amedei 
Prendime - Cioccolato Al Latte Con Nocciole
(Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts)
Good ++
Weight: 2.65 oz. (75 g.) / 5.3 oz. (150 g.) in total chocolate block (bar)
Calories: 435 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week.

Today's Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts bar was from Amedei* S.R.L. (Pontedera, Pisa, Italy). 

Aroma notes for this Tuscan chocolate included: roasted nuts (hazelnuts, peanuts) and subtle milk chocolate. (Note: this bar did not contain peanuts.)

The large bar was packed with whole, crunchy, toasted Piedmont (IGP**) hazelnuts. There was just enough sweet, buttery milk chocolate to bind these round nuts together. 

Flavor notes included: authentic, high-quality hazelnuts with complex nutty notes; and sweet, smooth milk chocolate.

Ingredients: Cane Sugar, Piedmont Hazelnut (30%), Cocoa Butter, Whole Milk Powder, Cocoa Mass. (Cocoa min. 32%.)

Allergen-related information: Contains hazelnuts, milk. "May contain traces of almond, pistachio, walnut."

*The Amedei Tuscany "Italian chocolate brand was founded by Cecilia Tessieri," the "first female master chocolatier" in Europe.

***Indicazione Geografica Protetta (IGP) or "Indication of Geographic Protection" for Piedmont hazelnuts (nocciola Piemonte). A variety of foods (cheeses, meats, hazelnuts), wines, and other agricultural products from Italy carry this IGP designation.