Divine Organics - Crunchy Cashew Brittle - Sept. 27, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Divine Organics
(Distributed by Transition Nutrition)
Crunchy Cashew Brittle
Good
Weight: .8 oz. (22.65 g.) /.6 oz. (45.3 g. ) in total package
Calories: 125 calories in 1/2 package
Cost: $7.95 for 1 package
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

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

This Crunchy Cashew Brittle from Divine Organics (Transition Nutrition) (Novato, CA) hit the spot today while on a bus ride -- to visit two organic farms in Northern California. In between bites of organic, raw fruits and vegetables, we nibbled on pieces of organic raw chocolate brittle with raw cashews.

Maple sugar proved to be a very pleasing sweetener. And raw cashew bits provided some pleasant crunchy texture, but were easily overwhelmed by the dark chocolate.

Divine Organics - Gojiberry Brittle - Sept. 27, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Divine Organics Raw Chocolate
Original Gojiberry Brittle
Good
Weight: 1.6 oz. (45.3 g.) in total package
Calories: 234 calories (estimate) in 1 package
Cost: $7.95 for 1 package
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

Chocolate covered brittles from Divine Organics Raw Chocolate (Marin County, CA) are made with certified organic, fair trade, raw chocolate (from Ecuador, Venezuela and Indonesia).

Today's original gojiberry brittle had just 5 ingredients: organic raw cacao, organic maple sugar, organic raw goji berries, organic raw vanilla, and Royal Himalayan pink crystal salt.

The maple sugar and plump, flavorful gojiberries gave this chocolate a pleasing aroma and flavor. The texture of this brittle was less crackly crisp and more a smooth chocolate bark with a soft, satisfying crunch. Sweet, but not overly so -- like many sugar brittles.

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate, Brittle and Bark Theme Week.

Marco Paolo - Coconut Brittle - Sept. 26, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Marco Paolo Chocolates
Coconut Nectar Brittle Bark
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) /3.65 oz. (103.5 g.) in total package
Calories: 140 calories (estimate) for 1 oz. (28.3 g.) serving
Cost: $10.00 (estimate) for 1 package
Purchased from: Marco Paolo Chocolates

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate, Brittle and Bark Theme Week.

Coconut Nectar makes a delicious syrup base -- and a great brittle as well, as evidenced by this Coconut Nectar Brittle Bark from Marco Paolo Chocolates (Van Nuys, CA/Los Angeles, CA).

This confectionary pleasure consisted of thin sheets of buttery toffee made with coconut cream, organic coconut palm sugar, butter, glucose* syrup, flaked coconut, and a 70% dark chocolate coating.

Despite three coconut ingredients, the coconut flavor is very subtle and well balanced, as are the textures and other flavors. So, even if you think you're not a coconut fan, I recommend trying this coconut nectar brittle bark.

The well-sealed pouch enabled this brittle to stay crisp and fresh; and it also refrigerated well. (This Coconut Nectar brittle was available online in a 1-pound box when I checked this week.)

*Note: For those watching their gluten intake, glucose syrup may or may not be gluten free.

Her Coconess - Nibby Peanut Brittle - Sept. 25, 2014

Chocolate of the Day:

Her Coconess Confections
Nibby Peanut Brittle
Good +
Weight: 6 oz. (169.8 g.) in total package
Calories: 138 calories (estimate) in 1 oz. piece
Cost: $10.00 for one package
Purchased from: Her Coconess (herself)

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate, Brittle and Bark Theme Week.

Perhaps the most well-known brittle in the U.S. is peanut brittle. Shelley Seward, Her Coconess Confections (Belmont, CA), has added her own twist to this perennial favorite -- a sprinkling of cocoa nibs on her Nibby Peanut Brittle.

These dark bits carry the essence of chocolate flavor, without the sugar. This is fine, as there is plenty of sweetness already in this rich, golden brittle. A dab of butter, vanilla bean and sea salt added to this peanuty, crunchy confection make for a great offering.

Pretzel Perfection - Sept. 24, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pretzel Perfection
Good - Good +
Weight: 3 oz. (85 g.) in total package
Calories: 420 calories in 1 package
Cost: $1.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Today was the first day of Chocolate, Brittle and Bark Theme Week.

While not technically a brittle, today's crunchy, gluten-free amalgam of chocolate, pretzels, toffee peanuts and chocolate and peanut butter chips from Pretzel Perfection (Vancouver, WA) contained a sprinkling of toffee bits as well -- making each one of these clusters similar to a fully loaded shard of chocolate brittle or bark.

The jumble of layered flavored and textures was fun and satisfying; and this made me want to try more of the company's sweet and savory gluten-free pretzel offerings.

Jimmy Bar - Super Hip Chocolate Chip - Sept. 23, 2014

Chocolate of the Day

Jimmy Bar!

1.) Super Hip Chocolate Chip
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.6 oz. (45 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $4.00 + tax
Purchased from: The Beach Hut, San Francisco, CA

2.) Peanut Butter Clutter
Good
Weight: 1.6 oz. (45 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $2.00 + tax
Purchased from: The Beach Hut, San Francisco, CA

Today was the last day (Day #7) of Chocolate and Peanut Butter Theme Week.

These two "clean snack bars" from JimmyBar! (founded by a brother and sister team in Chicago, IL) were very similar. In fact, if you'd held both up side-by-side, you might have trouble telling which was the chocolate and which was the peanut butter flavor.

In terms of taste, the Super Hip Chocolate Chip bar was clearly the one with chocolate; chocolate chips were the second ingredient, listed, after dates. And peanuts, almonds, almond butter and walnuts gave this bar a satisfying, fresh nutty flavor and texture. In fact there were so many nuts, the bar was slightly crumbly, although I didn't find this too problematic.

Dates were also the first ingredient listed in the second, Peanut Butter Clutter, bar; its dark look was similar to chocolate. I tasted the dates, nuts (peanuts, almonds) and honey (no sugar was added). However, the peanut butter was more muted -- perhaps mellowed by the addition of crisp brown rice.

Both JimmyBars were gluten free and dairy free, and were made without preservatives. The Super Hip Chocolate Chip bar was also vegan. I also liked that these bars were flavorful but not overly sweet.

McConnell's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Ice Cream - Sept. 22, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

McConnell's Fine Ice Creams
Double Peanut Butter Chip Ice Cream
Good - Good +
Weight: 1/2 cup (106 g.) / 1 Pint (473 mL) total container
Calories: 160 calories in 1/4 cup serving
Cost: $6.99 (sale) for 1 Pint
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, Los Altos, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Peanut Butter Theme Week.

You want peanut butter? Here's a "Double Whammy" -- Double Peanut Butter Chip ice cream from McConnell's Fine Ice Creams (Santa Barbara, CA). The peanut butter in peanut butter ice cream dominated the chocolate pieces here; but it was fun to relish in layers of peanut flavor.

This flavor was described as: "creamy peanut butter folded into peanut butter ice cream... (with)... our signature, Guittard bittersweet, melted chocolate chip..."