Betty Lou's - Nuts about Chocolate Hazelnut - May 24, 2016

Chocolate of the Day:

Betty Lou's Inc.
Nuts about Chocolate and Hazelnut - Vegan Protein Balls
Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 g.) in one package/ball
Calories: 160 calories in 1 ball
Cost: $1.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Vista Point, OR

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

I recently made a trip up to Portland, OR, and picked up a few fruit and nut items. Many of them contained, as you might expect from the Pacific Northwest, berries and hazelnuts--such as today's Nuts about Chocolate and Hazelnut energy ball, from Betty Lou's Inc. (McMinnville, OR).

This round patty-shaped energy bar had a slightly fudgey center (with ground nuts, seeds and a vegan (brown rice and pea) protein blend, and a subtle fruity sweetness (from fruit juice and dates).

And the entire exterior was coated with chopped hazelnut pieces.

The result was an energy ball with slightly chewy and nutty flavor. The added protein helped cut the sweetness found in many energy bar offerings.

This energy ball was "Non-GMO, Gluten Free, (and contained) 4 G Fiber, 8 G Protein."

This Betty Lou's product was bought at the very scenic Vista Point, Oregon.

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

Mackenzies - Milk and Dark Caramel Apples - May 23, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mackenzies Chocolates
Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate Caramel Apples
Good - Good +
Weight: unknown in 2 caramel apples (1 dark, 1 milk)
Calories: unknown
Cost: unknown
Purchased from: Mackenzies, Santa Cruz, CA


Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Caramel Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate, Fruit and Nut Theme Week.

Each of these two diminutive caramel-filled chocolate apples—one milk chocolate and one dark chocolate, from Mackenzies Chocolates (Santa Cruz, CA)—was filled with generous, golden pockets of caramel.

These apples were a fitting tribute to the end of chocolate and caramel theme week.

And, being that these were (sort of) fruits, they also ushered in the first day of a chocolate, fruit and nut week. I paired these two caramel apples with a small handful of walnut halves, not shown here.

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

Perugina - Dark Chocolate with Caramelized Almonds bar - May 22, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Perugina
Dark Chocolate with Almonds bar
Good
Weight: 1.4 oz. (39.6 g.) / 3.5 oz. (99.2 g.) in total bar
Calories: 210 calories in 2/5 bar (4 squares)
Cost: $3.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Greedy Ant, Belmont, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate, Caramel and Toffee Theme Week.

Rather than flowing caramel, today's bar had flecks of caramelized nuts. This Dark Chocolate with Caramelized Almonds bar was from Perugina* (Perugia, Italy). The bar had a slightly nutty, malty candy aroma and flavor.

Previously, I'd tried Perugina's milk chocolate version of this bar. In both bars, bits of toasted, caramelized almond added mild flavor and a hint of crunchy texture.

*Perugina has been making Baci chocolates for more than 100 years in Italy. The company also produces a line of chocolate bars, and is now owned by Nestle.

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

IKEA - Chokladkrokant Bredbar spread - May 21, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

IKEA Food Services AB
Chokladkrokant Bredbar spread
Good
Weight: 1 TB oz. (17 g.) / Net Wt.: 14.1 oz. (400 g.) in total jar
Calories: 90 calories in 1 Tablespoon
Cost: $0.99 for 1 jar
Purchased from: Ikea, East Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate, Caramel and Toffee Theme Week.

What is Chokladkrokant Bredbar you might ask?

It's a spread from Ikea Food Services AB (Helsingborg, Sweden).

This "chocolate flavor spread with caramel candy pieces" tasted just like the description.

#1 ingredient: sugar
#2 ingredient: vegetable oil (rapeseed, palm)
#3 ingredient: caramel candy pieces

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

Neuhaus - Milk Caramel bar - May 20, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Neuhaus.
Milk Caramel bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 240 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $0.99 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate, Caramel and Toffee Theme Week.

Today's Milk Caramel bar was from Neuhaus. It was a bit sweet, but satisfying nonetheless.

Neuhaus is a Belgian chocolatier that exports milk and dark chocolate offerings to the U.S. The company was originally founded in 1857 by Jean Neuhaus (who was Swiss). Neuhaus opened his first shop in Brussels.

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

Divine - Milk Chocolate with Toffee and Espresso bar - May 19, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Divine Chocolate Inc.
Milk Chocolate with Toffee and Espresso bar
Good+ - Good++
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 184 calories in 8 blocks of bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate, Caramel and Toffee Theme Week. And, today we land back in toffee-land, with this Milk Chocolate with Toffee and Espresso bar from Divine Chocolate.

I liked the combination of sweet, but not too sweet, milk chocolate (38% cacao) tempered by crunchy bits of toffee and ground, espresso roast coffee beans (coffee nibs) in this well-balanced bar.

Divine Chocolate's cacao origin story is somewhat unique. Cacao beans for its line of bars comes from the Kuapa Kokoo Farmers co-operative in Ghana. (Co-op members voted to create their own farmer-owned Fairtrade chocolate company, and this became "the heart of Divine.")

The bar's brightly colored wrapper (packaging) was adorned with Adrinkra symbols—"traditional West African motifs, often used on hand-made crafts." Each symbol has its own meaning.

This bar was made in Germany and distributed by Divine Chocolate Inc. (Washington, D.C.).

Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa butter, skimmed milk powder, cocoa mass, toffee 10% (sugar, glucose syrup, butterfat (milk), salt), butterfat (milk), coffee nibs 3%, sunflower lecithin (emulsifier), vanilla.

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

Lovely Candy Co. - Chocolate Swirl Caramels - May 18, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

The Lovely Candy Company, LLC
Chocolate Swirl Caramels
Good
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 6 oz. (170 g.) in total package
Calories: 150 calories in 4 pieces
Cost: $2.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Marshalls (store), Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate, Caramel and Toffee Theme Week.

Today's Chocolate Swirl Caramels were from The Lovely Candy Company, LLC (Woodstock, IL).

These individually-wrapped, chewy chocolate and caramel candies were more similar to taffy than chocolate—good, if you're hankering for something sweet.

The first candy in the company's line-up resulted from the founders' (Jackie and her husband Mike) search for a "consciously crafted" gluten-free licorice. (Most licorice contains wheat or wheat flour.)

The company's gluten free and GMO free candy business now includes: several different caramels and fruit chews, as well as Chocolaty Fudgey Rolls (plain and raspberry), today's Chocolate Swirl Caramels*, Hula Chews (chocolate and coconut), and three flavors of gluten-free licorice.

*Chocolate Swirl Caramel ingredients included: brown rice syrup, sweetened condensed whole milk (rBST free milk, sugar), butter, dried cane syrup, palm oil, chocolate liquor, molasses, vanilla, sunflower lecithin.

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