Chocofin Chocolatier - Dark Almond Bark 66% Couverture Chocolate - Mar. 11, 2026

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Chocofin Chocolatier
Dark Almond Bark 66% Couverture Chocolate
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (99.05 g.) in total bar
Calories: 265 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.75 for 1 bar
Purchased from: AJ's Fine Foods market, Scottsdale, AZ

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate, Pistachio, Hazelnut and Almond Theme Week.

Today's second chocolate for today was found while on a trip to Arizona: a Dark Chocolate Almond Bark bar--with 66% couverture chocolate blended with fresh roasted almonds--was from Chocofin Chocolatier (Fountain Hills, AZ).

Aroma and flavor notes included: relatively smooth dark chocolate with a slight, balanced bitterness and nut (almonds) from a generous helping of roasted almonds.

Texture: Smooth textured dark chocolate with softly crunchy almonds.

Ingredients: dark chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, natural vanilla, soy lecithin), whole natural almonds.

Allergen-related information: "Contains: nuts & soy; made in a facility that Handles peanuts"

Scharffen Berger - Breaks - Oat Milk Chocolate with Coconut Sugar Salted Sunflower Seed Bark - Sept. 7, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Scharffen Berger 
Breaks - Oat Milk Chocolate with Coconut Sugar Salted Sunflower Seed Bark
Good +
Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 g.) / 4.5 oz. (128 g.) in total package
Calories: 294.5 calories (estimate) in 1 serving
Cost: Missing information
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's "Breaks" Oat Milk Chocolate with Coconut Sugar Salted Sunflower Seed Bark was created by Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker (Ashland, OR). 

This 43% cacao craft chocolate snack was part of the company's plant-based, oat milk chocolate ("Breaks") series.

Aroma notes included: sweet dark chocolate, oats, oat grass, maple toffee, oatmeal and seed vanilla cookie, and very faint nut. 

The relatively hearty dark chocolate bark pieces were satisfying with a pleasant soft crunchy, seedy texture.

This was a well-balanced treat. The 43% cacao bark was sweet (the coconut sugar gave it a nice toffee-like flavor) without being overly and unnaturally so. The sunflower seeds, salt, oats and vanilla mellowed the sweetness and chocolate flavor without eclipsing the latter. And, while the oat flavors were certainly present, they didn't make this bark taste like a cereal/granola bar.

I also appreciated the thoughtful and relatively short list of authentic ingredients (and the gluten free oats).

Ingredients: Cacao Beans, Oat Powder (Oat Flour), Coconut Sugar, Roasted Sunflower Seeds (Sunflower Kernels, Canola Oil, Salt), Cocoa Butter, Sunflower Lecithin, Sea Salt, Vanilla Bean. 

Allergen-related information: Contains Coconut. Processed in a Facility That Processes Tree Nuts and Dairy. (Plant Based; Vegan; Gluten Free Certified; Non GMO Project Verified; Kosher (no dairy ingredients; but dairy equipment (DE)).

Ragged Coast Chocolates - Almond Sea Salt - Bittersweet Chocolate, Roasted Almonds, Maine Sea Salt bark - Aug. 30, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Ragged Coast Chocolates
Almond Sea Salt - Bittersweet Chocolate, Roasted Almonds & Maine Sea Salt Bark
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (58 g.) in total package
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 package
Cost: $5.95 for 1 package
Purchased from: Ragged Coast Chocolates, online order

Ahoy, and welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and The Sea Theme Week.

Today's Almond Sea Salt - Bittersweet* Chocolate, Roasted Almonds & Maine Sea Salt Bark was from Ragged Coast Chocolates (Westbrook, ME).

Aroma notes included: bittersweet dark chocolate; faint sweet shortbread nut cookie; roasted nut; and very faint (barely detectable) tart (lemon-green oxalis).

Flavor notes for this relatively thick, smooth dark chocolate made with Latin American cacao included: bittersweet dark chocolate (sweet but earthy--loamy soil with sour milk/yogurt); crunchy (whole and pieces of) roasted almonds that helped balance and mellow the dark chocolate--along with the faint sparkles of sea salt. 

I liked the almonds and the sea salt. In fact I wouldn't have minded tasting a version with even a bit more Maine sea salt. I also enjoyed looking at the tiny twinkles of salt that could be seen against the field of dark brown. 

It's hard to not wax poetic about the sea. Coming from another salt-making, coastal region (the San Francisco Bay in Northern California), I imagined the Maine sea salt crystallizing in the summer sun in the Gulf of Maine as I was eating this chocolate--3,000 miles away. Chocolate is a form of virtual travel.

Maker's description: "The endless ocean drifts through every moment of life on Maine's ragged Coast. It's only natural that we'd harvest its spirit to share with you. This rich, almond-studded bar sparkles with Maine sea salt and the sweet taste that comes from the sun-kissed coast."

Ingredients: Single Origin Latin American Bittersweet Chocolate (cocoa liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, natural vanilla), Organic Almonds and Maine Sea Salt.

Allergen-related information: "Allergens: Soy, Nuts, Milk, and Coconut. Contains: Almonds" 

*While no cacao percentage was listed, bittersweet chocolate is typically around 70% cacao; but it can be as high as 80%. (Semisweet chocolate is typically around 60% cacao. Both are used for chocolate bars, confections, and baked goods.)

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. 

 

Mama Ganache - Cherry Almond Bark - May 27, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Mama Ganache
Cherry Almond Bark
Good ++

Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 oz.) / 4 oz. (113 g.) in total package
Calories: 310 calories in 1/2 package 
Cost: N/A - gift from a friend
Purchased from: N/A - gift from a friend (Thank you Eric!)

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

Today's Cherry Almond Bark was from Mama Ganache, a Stafford's Chocolates Company (San Luis Obispo, CA).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (chocolate-y with very subtle loamy earth and oxalis*), and faint fruit (cherry) and nut.

Texture: smooth, relatively thick and creamy, chocolate bark with embedded pieces of dried cherries and almonds.

Dark chocolate and authentic Bing cherries are a reliably tasty blend. And roasted almonds are an excellent complement to chocolate and cherries. I enjoyed this combination.

Ingredients: Organic Dark Chocolate (Organic Fairtrade Chocolate, Chocolate Liquor, Organic Fairtrade Cane Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Fairtrade Vanilla Extract), Bing Cherries, Almonds

Allergen-related information: Contains nuts (almonds). "Manufactured in a factory that handles tree nuts."

*Oxalis is a slightly tart green plant (also known as common yellow wood sorrel, and sour grass) that contains oxalic acid (aka Oxalates)--naturally occurring compounds in many plants such as leafy greens and seeds (including cacao). These compounds also can impart a faint lemon-green herb and/or citrus note(s) to greens, and to chocolate.

Castronovo Chocolate - Sacha Inchi Bark - Feb. 13, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Castronovo Chocolate
Sacha Inchi Bark
Good ++ 
Weight: 3 oz. (85 g.) / 4 oz. (113 g.) in total bar
Calories: 455 calories (estimate) in 3 oz. (85 g.) serving
Cost: $12.00 for 1 package
Purchased from: Castronovo Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's dark chocolate covered Sacha Inchi Bark was from Castronovo Chocolate (Stuart, FL). 

Thank you to chocolate maker Denise Castronovo, who is currently offering bars and confections made with cacaos from at least three different growing locations in Peru. She has also been developing chocolate offerings with today's indigenous Amazonian flavor inclusion--sacha inchi--to help introduce these tasty South American seeds to U.S. consumers.

Aroma notes included: roasted nuts/seeds (similar to roasted pumpkin seeds + roasted peanuts); faint dark chocolate.

These thick mini slabs of flavorful dark chocolate bark were chock full of whole, roasted sacha inchi* seeds. The seeds contributed a "roasty", nutty flavor and texture that complemented the dark chocolate nicely.

Flavor notes included: rich dark chocolate with faint tropical fruit (citrus, cacao fruit, berry) notes, and roasted sacha inchi seeds (similar to a blend of roasted large squash/pumpkin seeds + peanuts). 

Note: this bark may no longer be available; but chocolate-covered sacha inchi were on the website. I look forward to trying other sacha inchi and chocolate blends from Castronovo in the future.

Ingredients: "dark chocolate (cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter), Sacha inchi (roasted)"

Allergen-related information: Made in a nut-free facility.

*Sachi Inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) seeds come from six-pointed star-shaped seed pods (that look a bit like tiny green pumpkins--hanging off vines) in the Amazon rainforests of Peru and Northern Brazil. (Sacha Inchi are also found in Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador.) These seeds are also known as Inca peanuts, Peruvian peanuts, jungle peanuts and mountain peanuts. 

  

South Bay Chocolate Co. - Dark Chocolate Roasted Coffee Bark with Crunchy Toffee - Apr. 21, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

South Bay Chocolate Co.
Dark Chocolate Roasted Coffee Bark with Crunchy Toffee
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. square (28 g.) / 16 oz. (453 g.) in total package
Calories: 140 calories in 1 oz. square (piece)
Cost: $9.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Dark Chocolate Roasted Coffee Bark with Crunchy Toffee was from South Bay Chocolate Co. (produced by Clover Confection Co., Torrance, CA).

Aroma notes for this dark chocolate coffee bark included: freshly roasted coffee and dark chocolate.

Each piece (shard) was a blend of smooth and rich (dark chocolate) and crunchy, and almost crispy, textures (coffee, toffee flecks/"crumbles").

The sweetness level (not too sweet) and balanced flavors were a plus. The coffee's bold, rich flavor(s) helped balance the sweet sparkles of embedded crunchy toffee bits.

Ingredients: Dark chocolate (unsweetened chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, butterfat, soy lecithin, vanilla extract), toffee bits (sugar, vegetable oil (palm oil, sunflower oil), butter, almonds. Contains less than 2% of the following salt, soy lecithin, chocolate), coffee.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk, soy, and almonds. Made on shared equipment. May contain trace amounts peanuts, wheat, other tree nuts, eggs and sesame.

*South Bay Chocolate Co. is a registered trademark of Clover Confection Co., LLC (Torrance, CA).

Kuli Kuli - Mint Chip Super Bark Dark Chocolate Superfood Snack - Oct. 21, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Kuli Kuli
Mint Chip Super Bark Dark Chocolate Superfood Snack
Good +
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 4.2 oz. (119 g.) in total package
Calories: 170 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $4.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Mint Chip Super Bark Dark Chocolate Superfood Snack was distributed by Kuli Kuli, Inc. (Oakland, CA).

Aroma notes for these two-bite sized, roughly rectangular, dark chocolate pieces included relatively aromatic mint, chocolate and other faint botanical and light seed notes.

Dark chocolate was interspersed with tiny bits of coconut, chia seeds (as well as puffed quinoa and breadfruit flour), yielding very faint green/botanical (moringa powder*), very slightly malty dark chocolate and mint flavors, with a hint of sea salt. Not too sweet (thank you).

Ingredients: Chocolate liquor, Kuli Kuli Proprietary Blend (organic cacao nibs, organic moringa powder, organic moringa coated coconut [flaked coconut, organic moringa powder], organic black chia seeds, puffed quinoa, breadfruit flour), erythritol, inulin (extract of chicory root), cocoa butter, sea salt, soy lecithin, vanilla, Reb A (extract of stevia), peppermint oil 

Allergen-related information: Contains soy, coconut. "Processed in a facility that also processes dairy, eggs, peanuts, wheat and tree nuts."

*Kuli Kuli offers several moringa-containing products. Moringa oleifera is a nutrient-dense green plant native to southern Asia (India, Pakistan) and Africa. The plant is also known as the drumstick tree and/or the miracle tree.

Taza Chocolate - Dark Bark 80% Dark Organic Chocolate Thins - Coconut Almond - Aug. 11, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Taza Chocolate

Dark Bark 80% Dark Organic Chocolate Thins - Coconut Almond

Good +

Weight: 1/4 package (29 g.) / 4.2 oz. (119 g.) in total package

Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 cup (1/4 package) serving 

Cost: $3.99 for 1 package

Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

Today's Organic Dark Bark Coconut Almond 80% Dark Chocolate Thins were from Taza Chocolate (Somerville, MA). The chocolate maker offers a variety of bars, discs and treats that are made with stone-ground, bean-to-bar chocolate. 

These Chocolate Thins (shards of bark topped with tiny coconut and almond bits) had an aroma with dark chocolate, green, maple (tree syrup) and fermentation notes.

The texture was a blend of thick, creamy dark (bold but smooth) stoneground dark chocolate and a slightly crispy and crunchy texture (from tiny bits of almond and puffed quinoa).

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes above, with a deeper, richer dark chocolate experience with faint, fleeting olive-earth notes and very faint coconut.

The 80% cacao Organic dark chocolate was bold, balanced and not too sweet, with balanced bitterness and acidity. The chocolate flavor was rich enough that it took center stage; other flavor inclusions played very minor bit parts.

If you're looking for a snack with a less processed, deep dark, dense but satisfying chocolate flavor--and with very little bright, buzzy sugar, and no preservatives, emulsifiers, vegetable gums or other unnecessary ingredients--this might be for you.

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic puffed quinoa, organic almonds, organic toasted coconut, organic cocoa butter.

Allergen-related information: "Contains almonds and coconut. May contain traces of other tree nuts and sesame seeds." Certified Organic and gluten free. Also: "dairy free, soy free, vegan" and Pareve (OU).)

Kuli Kuli - Raspberry Chia Super Bark, Dark Chocolate Snack - June 10, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Kuli Kuli, Inc.

Raspberry Chia Super Bark

Good +

Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 4.2 oz. (119 g.) in total package

Calories: 170 calories in 1/4 package

Cost: $4.99 for 1 package

Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #17 of Chocolate and Fruit Theme Week(s), and Day #1 of Chocolate and Tea Series. 

Today's dark chocolate Raspberry Chia Super Bark was from Kuli Kuli, Inc. (Oakland, CA). Company founder and CEO, Lisa Curtis, developed the idea for the moringa*-based products company after working with moringa in the Peace Corps in West Africa. The company offers a variety of products, including moringa leaf powder and teas.

The aroma for these (gluten free, vegan and keto-friendly) dark chocolate snacks included: dark chocolate, red raspberry, seed/grain (quinoa), and green botanical notes.

There was a lot packed into these snack squares including moringa, baobab fruit** and hibiscus powders. The latter (flower) contributed a faint, red-fruity tartness--as did dried and powdered red raspberry. Chia seeds and puffed quinoa added crunchy texture.

These squares were refreshingly un-sweet, with no refined sugars. (They were sweetened with erythritol, stevia and the above-mentioned fruit powders.)

I paired this with a chilled, iced hibiscus tea. Perfect refresher for a hot day and it meshed well with this snack.

Ingredients: Chocolate liquor, erythritol, inulin (extract of chicory root), cocoa butter, Kuli Kuli proprietary blend (organic black chia seeds, puffed quinoa, organic moringa powder, organic hibiscus flower powder, organic baobab fruit powder), dried raspberry pieces, dried raspberry powder (dried raspberries), Natural Flavor, soy lecithin, sea salt, vanilla, Reb A (extract of stevia).

Allergen-related information: "Contains soy." "Processed in a facility that also processes dairy, eggs, peanuts, wheat and tree nuts."

*Moringa (Moringa oleifera) is a leafy green plant--from Southeast Asia, India and Africa--that is relatively high in Vitamin C and anti-oxidants. The "green" flavor is often likened to matcha green tea and spirulina. 

**The Baobab (Andansonia) is a tree that is perhaps most closely associated with the African island nation of Madagascar. The brown-skinned baobab fruit has a tart, relatively dry, white fruit interior with a taste some have likened to a lightly grainy, lemony-pear yogurt. 

Baobab trees are also part of the very large malva (mallow) genus/family that includes cacao as well as hibiscus, okra, cotton and durian. Today's treat contained three members of this malva-lous group.

barkThins - Dark Chocolate Peanut - Jan. 29, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

barkThins
Dark Chocolate Peanut
Good +
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 4.7 oz. (133 g.) in total package
Calories: 220 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

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

Today's Dark Chocolate Peanut barkThins were manufactured for Ripple Brand Collective, LLC (New York, NY). These pieces of tasty, smooth dark chocolate bark were embedded with dry roasted peanuts and a trace of sea salt.

Joe Chocolate Co. - Roasted Cacao - Dark Chocolate Espresso Bark with Nibs - Nov. 9, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Joe Chocolate Co.
Roasted Cacao - Dark Chocolate Espresso Bark with Coffee and Roasted Cacao Nibs
Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14 g.) / 1 oz. (28 g.) in total package
Calories: 85 calories in 1/2 package
Cost: $ N/A - gift from a friend
Purchased from: N/A - gift from a friend

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Cacao Nibs Theme Week.

Today's Joe Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA) dark chocolate bark was a gift from a friend. Thank you Elise! She found this Roasted Cacao - Dark Chocolate Espresso Bark with Coffee and Roasted Cacao Nibs snack while traveling in Washington.

The long product name seemed appropriate to fully capture the big flavor from these small pieces of rich dark bark—flavorful "bits of buzz."

The team at Joe Chocolate turn out "functionally caffeinated" offerings at their combined chocolate factory and coffee bar. (Founders, Sam Tanner and Peter Keckemet,* opened the first Joe Chocolate Co. retail location at Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle on June 1st, 2019.)

As soon as this small package was opened, it yielded wafts of freshly roasted, bold coffee and cacao nibs—uplifting on a cool, misty morning. Each small shard of the bark broke with a snap and each bite offered a roasted espresso and cacao bean nib (heavy on the crunch) extravaganza. The roasted beans complemented the fairly smooth and steady dark chocolate bark base.

*Joe Chocolate Co. was founded in 2016. The founders started production with a trail snack initially aimed at (Pacific Crest Trail) thru-hikers and friends. They use fair labor chocolate and Latin American, co-op sourced coffee beans in their snacks.

Copyright 2019. Unauthorized use of the text and/or images from this site, www.ChocolateBanquet.com, is a copyright violation.

barkThins - Dark Chocolate Cherry with Granola Crunch - Apr. 27, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

barkTHINS
Dark Chocolate Cherry with Granola Crunch
Good+
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 4.7 oz. (133 g.) in total package
Calories: 180 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

Greetings and welcome to the first day of Chocolate and Cherries Theme Week.

Today's barkTHINS Dark Chocolate Cherry with Granola Crunch was manufactured for Ripple Brand Collective, LLC (New York, NY).

These pieces of bark were a great textural blend of smooth dark chocolate bark, chewy dried cherry pieces, and sweet, crunchy oat granola bits.

Cherry Love
As summer approaches, thoughts turn to cherry orchards that used to grow here in Silicon Valley in Northern California, and childhood memories of fresh cherries in the late spring and summer.

Fresh cherries may not be as locally grown anymore, but we can't wait until they're in stores and farmers markets starting next month (May).

In the meantime, let's enjoy chocolate offerings with cherries (be they Bing, Michigan or other varieties, and whether they're incorporated dried, fresh, frozen, or freeze-dried).

JoJo's Chocolate - Chocolate Bark 70% Dark Chocolate Pistachios, Dried Cranberries, Almonds - Dec. 20, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

JoJo's Chocolate LLC 

Chocolate Bark 70% Dark Chocolate Pistachios, Dried Cranberries, Almonds

Good +

Weight: 2.4 oz. (68 g.) / 8.4 oz. (238 g.) in total package of 7 bars

Calories: 320 calories in 2 bars

Cost: $10.99 for 1 package

Purchased from: Sprouts Farmers Market, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Fruit Theme Week.

Today's Chocolate Bark 70% Dark Chocolate Pistachios, Dried Cranberries, Almonds from JoJo's Chocolate LLC (Orem, UT).

JoJo's Chocolate was created by Jodie Jones (JoJo) after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012. The desire to eat and snack healthier led to experimenting with batches of chocolate barks and other treats with less sugar than conventional chocolates. 

These rectangular 70% dark bars had a pleasing dark chocolate aroma with a hint of fruit. Pressed on the back of each one were dried cranberries, pistachio and almond pieces. These bars were smooth yet flavorful. And, best of all, they weren't too sweet (thank you)!

barkthins - Dark Chocolate Almond with Sea Salt - Oct. 10, 2018

Chocolate of the Day:

(Made for Ripple Brand Collective, LLC)
barkthins snacking chocolate
Dark Chocolate Almond with Sea Salt
Good - Good+
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 4.7 oz. (133 g.) in total package
Calories: 220 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $4.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Almond Week.

Today's Dark Chocolate Almond with Sea Salt barkThins were manufactured for Ripple Brand Collective, LLC (New York, NY).

These snack-size dark chocolate pieces were embedded with pieces of dry roasted almonds and seasoned with sea salt, as advertised. They were just the right size to share with family and friends or to take to a staff meeting at work.

Brown-Haley - Mountain Thins - Dark Chocolate Wild Berry - Aug. 23, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Brown-Haley
Mountain Thins - Dark Chocolate Wild Berry
Good
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 5.3 oz. (150 g.) in total package
Calories: 190 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $3.45 (sale) for 1 package
Purchased from: Safeway, Alameda, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Berries Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Wild West Theme Week.

Today's package of Dark Chocolate Wild Berry Mountain Thins from Brown-Haley--also known as Brown and Haley* (Tacoma, WA)--were enjoyed in the mountains of the old West, in the Black Hills of South Dakota, at Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse (a very large statue emerging from a granite mountain) and Rapid City.

These bark-like squares of dark chocolate contained dried blueberries and "raspberry crunch," creating a sweet blend of bright red berry aroma and flavor.

Also enjoyed was a mountainous vanilla ice cream sundae with a Native American inspired berry topping.

*The company is perhaps best-known for Almond Roca, a tiny log-shaped, individually-wrapped confection wrapped in shiny foil with a butter-crunch toffee center, covered in chocolate and then in chopped nuts. The company also makes a Mountain Bar that may have been inspired by Mount Tacoma in Washington State.

Brownie Brittle - Sheila G's Thindulgent Organic Dark Chocolate Bark with almonds - Aug. 3, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

Brownie Brittle, LLC
Sheila G's - Thindulgent Dark Chocolate Bark
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 16 oz. (454 g.) in total package
Calories: 230 calories in 1 serving (1/11th pkg.)
Cost: $7.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Sheila G's Thindulgent Dark Chocolate Bark was from Brownie Brittle, LLC (West Palm Beach, FL)—a company founded by Sheila G. Mains.

This Organic dark bark had a rich, slightly earthy, fruity chocolate aroma. It contained bits of almond, dried cranberries, quinoa, and a hint of vanilla and sea salt. A generous scattering of pumpkin seeds added color and texture.

Organic, high-end trail mix enveloped in thin sheets of fair trade dark chocolate brittle. Not a bad idea for a snack.

The generously-sized, large package held enough bark pieces to satisfy more than a dozen people.

Note: This flavor may not currently be available, or may have been discontinued; it was not listed on the company website this week.