Breyers - CarbSmart Vanilla Bars - Aug. 9, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Breyers 
CarbSmart Vanilla Bars 
Good +
Weight: 3.96 fl. oz. (56 g.) / 18 fl. oz. (532 mL) in total box of 6 bars
Calories: 140 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $5.99 for 1 box of 6 bars
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week.

Today's CarbSmart Vanilla Frozen Dairy Dessert (bars) were from Breyers* (Englewood Cliffs, NJ). The company's frozen "CarbSmart (tm)" line has relatively low net carbs (5 grams) and added fiber.

As with most frozen treats, the aroma for this frozen treat was very faint: a barely detectable whiff of chocolate. 

The bar's thin dark chocolate shell broke with a slight crackle and had an even, creamy melt. It was made with dutched (alkalized) cocoa--resulting in a smooth, uniform chocolate that was lower in acidity and bitterness.

The frozen dairy center had a light ice cream texture and a pleasant, sweet vanilla flavor. It was sweet, but not overly so.

I appreciated the smooth chocolate and vanilla textures and flavors. I didn't care for the long ingredient list with additives and sucralose (artificial) sweetener. But, for others who need to limit sugars and carbs, this might be a good-tasting, relatively low carbohydrate option.

Ingredients: Milk, coconut oil, water, maltitol syrup, sugar, polydextrose, less than 2% of: soybean oil, dutched cocoa (processed with alkali), sodium caseinate, whey, glycerin, calcium carbonate, cream, soluble corn fiber, natural flavor, vegetable gums (guar, carob bean), salt, soy lecithin, sucralose, mono and diglycerides, acesulfame potassium.

Allergen-related information: Contains dairy, soy. "Contains a bioengineered food ingredient." 

*Breyers ice cream was started by William A. Breyer in Philadelphia, PA, in 1866. In 1993, Unilever (Englewood Cliffs, NJ) bought Breyers Ice Cream from Kraft.

 

Haagen-Dazs - Coffee Almond Toffee Crunch Ice Cream bar + Double Belgian Chocolate Chip and Coffee Ice Creams - July 19, 2022

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Haagen-Dazs

1.) Coffee Almond Toffee Crunch ice cream bar 
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 3 fl. oz. (78 g.) / 9 fl. oz. (266 mL) in 1 box of 3 bars
Calories: 270 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $4.75 (estimate) for 1 box of 3 bars 
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

2.) Double Belgian Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2/3 cup (133 g.) / 14 fl. oz. (414 mL.) in total container
Calories: 420 calories in 1 serving 
Cost: $2.50 (sale) for 1 container (2 for $5.00 USD)
Purchased from: Safeway, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #18 of Chocolate and Coffee Theme Week(s) -- a series that has included a lot of coffee + coffee/mocha ice cream-related items, just in time for summer weather. 

Today's three Haagen-Dazs frozen offerings: 1.) Coffee Almond Toffee Crunch ice cream bar and 2.) Double Belgian Chocolate Chip and 3.) Coffee ice creams were distributed by Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, Inc. (Oakland, CA).

Coffee Almond Toffee Crunch (ice cream bar)

As with many frozen items, today's Haagen-Dazs Coffee Almond Toffee ice cream bar had a subtle aroma (compared to room temperature bars and confections), but with identifiable notes of chocolate, nuts and caramel/toffee.

The texture was a blend of a smooth ice cream interior and a crunchy chocolate outer shell and a thin shards of toffee candy and tiny bits of almond. The ice cream center had a creamy texture with vanilla and faint coffee flavor.

Ingredients: Coffee ice cream: cream, skim milk, sugar, egg yolks, coffee; milk chocolate and vegetable oil coating with almonds and toffee: milk chocolate (sugar, whole milk powder, chocolate, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla extract), coconut oil, almonds roasted in vegetable oil (almonds, safflower oil), toffee (corn syrup, sugar, butter (cream, salt), brown sugar, almonds, baking soda, soy lecithin, salt). 

Allergen-related information: Contains: milk, almond, egg and soy ingredients. 

Double Belgian Chocolate Chip + Coffee ice creams

The Haagen-Dazs Belgian chocolate (and Coffee) ice cream flavors were relatively smooth and mild; however, I was pleasantly surprised that the Double Belgian Chocolate ice cream had maintained very faint, diffuse fruit, nut, floral and light earth (authentic cacao) notes. 

Most chocolate ice creams are made using cocoa processed with alkali (a process that neutralizes acidic and/or bitter flavors in cacao. Today's Double Belgian Chocolate ice cream did contain some alkalized cocoa, but also a healthy dose of Belgian dark chocolate.

The chocolate ice cream paired nicely with Haagen-Dazs Coffee ice cream. Both the Double Belgian Chocolate Chip and Coffee flavors had a satisfying and filling, authentic creamy texture, mouthfeel and taste.

Ingredients: Chocolate ice cream: Cream, skim milk, dark chocolate (Belgian chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla extract), sugar, egg yolks, cocoa processed with alkali, vanilla extract. Chocolate chunks with vegetable oil: Belgian chocolate (sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, natural flavor), cottonseed oil, coconut oil.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk, egg and soy ingredients. 

Mighty Leaf Tea - Chocolate Mint Truffle - Oct. 21, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mighty Leaf Tea Company
Chocolate Mint Truffle
Good
Weight: .106 oz. in 1 pouch (tea bag)
Calories: 0 calories (estimate) in 1 bag
Cost: $2.75 (estimate) for 1 cup of hot tea
Purchased from: Shoreline Lake American Bistro, Mountain View, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and The Great Outdoors Theme Week.

Early this morning, I drove across town to The Great Outdoors. I visited Shoreline Park (in Mountain View, CA) that had hiking trails and a lakeside bistro*.

Dew glistened on the pumpkins that were set up for Halloween. I sipped a cup of steaming hot tea, and the sun levitated upward in the blue sky.

The Chocolate Mint Truffle tea was from Mighty Leaf Tea Company (San Rafael, CA); and each "pouch" or tea bag contained cacao nibs, mint leaves and rooibos tea.

Absorbing warm autumn sunshine and scenery was a beautiful way to start the day. And after the sun warmed things up, it was time for chocolate-covered ice cream bars. That's the thing about The Great Outdoors, you have to adjust to the weather.

*The Shoreline Lake American Bistro will pack picnic baskets for customers to enjoy in the park, or paddleboating, too. What a great idea. Lunch and chocolate al fresco.

The content and images on this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

ChocolateBet: September 7, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Magnum (Unilever Ice Cream)
Mint ice cream bars
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 3.38 oz. (100 mL/77 g.) / 10.14 fl. oz. (300 mL) in total box of 3 bars
Calories: 250 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $
Purchased from: Safeway, in Palo Alto, CA

Magnum (Unilever Ice Cream) has created a line of higher end ice cream bars. Mint is the second flavor I tried. (The first was the company's Double Caramel flavor.) The small sparkles of crunchy sugar in this Mint bar were a unique addition; I thought these bits might be flecks of peppermint candy in the ice cream at first; but they were part of the Belgian milk chocolate coating and not part of the mint ice cream.

Thank you to the Magnum team for not using pink or green artificial coloring, to denote mint. I like simple and elegant chocolates with fewer additives and high-quality ingredients.

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