Lily's - Peanut Butter Cups Milk Chocolate Style - Apr. 7, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Lily's Sweets LLC

Peanut Butter Cups Milk Chocolate Style

Good +

Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 8.7 oz. (245 g.) in total package

Calories: 140 calories in 2 cups

Cost: $9.99 for 1 package of 15 individually-wrapped cups

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

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Peanut Butter Theme Week.

Today's Milk Chocolate Style Peanut Butter Cups were manufactured for Lily's Sweets LLC (Boulder, CO). The company offers a variety of stevia and erythritol sweetened chocolates.

These individually-wrapped peanut butter cups had an aroma with tart green-lemon herb (oxalis) and cocoa that evolved into cookie and vanilla notes.

The milk chocolate cup coating was creamy and smooth in texture.

Flavor traits included: faint roasted coffee, a very faint, slightly odd perfume-y sweetness, milk chocolate, graham cracker and nutty notes.

The sweetness level was satisfying and balanced, and did not taste artificial. The sweeteners used (erythritol and stevia) "felt" different than sugar, which may have been due to the lack of small sugar "buzz" one gets from most cane sugar-sweetened chocolates.

As with many sugar-free chocolates, I suggest eating a small quantity (single serving of two cups) first if you have digestive sensitivities. (These chocolates also contained chicory fiber.)

Ingredients: Milk chocolate style coating (unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, Non-GMO erythritol, chicory root fiber, Non-GMO dextrin, whole milk powder (rBST free), milk fat (rBST free), sunflower lecithin, stevia extract, vanilla extract); peanut butter (peanuts, sustainably sourced palm kernel oil, Non-GMO erythritol, peanut flour, chicory root fiber, coconut oil, sustainably sourced palm oil, salt, sunflower lecithin, stevia extract).

Allergen-related information: Contains milk and peanuts."Produced on equipment that also processes product containing soy and tree nuts."

Shekoh Confections - Peanut Butter (filled chocolate) - April 6, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Shekoh Confections

Peanut Butter (filled chocolate)

Good ++

Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.) (estimate) for 1 piece

Calories: 62 calories (estimate) in 1 piece

Cost: $4.86 for 1 piece (part of a 5-piece box)

Purchased from: Shekoh Confections, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Peanuts Theme Week. 

Today's Peanut Butter filled chocolate was from Shekoh Confections (Palo Alto, CA).

The aroma for this confection was relatively complex and sophisticated with faint green, lemon herb (oxalis), spice, nut/seed and cocoa notes.

The smooth dark chocolate, domed shell surrounded a filling with tiny, crunchy sparkles (of sugar I'm assuming) amidst the ground peanuts, creating textural interest. However, this confection was not overly sweet (thank you!). Sometimes tiny bits of sugar and/or salt can create more (layered) flavors than fully incorporated/more processed ingredients. I tend to like and appreciate these choices, as I like tasting individual ingredients even if they're blended together.

Authentic dark chocolate/cacao and peanut flavors lightly lingered into the finish along with a faint flickering earth note at the very end.

Shekoh chocolates sampled thus far have been high-end, skillfully made confections with complex and fresh-tasting, authentic flavors, made without preservatives.

Ingredients: (no information)

Allergen-related information: (contained peanuts)

Happy Cow - 55% Cacao - Dairy-Digesting Chocolate - Apr. 5, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Happy Cow
55% Cacao - Dairy-Digesting Chocolate
Good - Good +
Weight: .2 oz. (6 g.) in one piece
Calories: 28 calories in 1 piece
Cost: $ N/A - gift from family member
Purchased from:  N/A - gift from family member (thank you David!)

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate Snacks Theme Week. 

Today's 55% Cacao Dairy-Digesting Chocolate was from Happy Cow (Mar Vista, CA). It was a snack with a purpose; it contained lactase enzyme--that can help those sensitive to dairy digest milk sugar (lactose).

The small square of chocolate had a pleasant, smooth dark chocolate flavor with a bit of vanilla. 

Happily I can eat dairy products; so I wasn't able to evaluate the effectiveness of this chocolate enzymatic supplement. (I had cheese as part of a spring picnic outdoors this afternoon, and I likely would have had no ill effects either way.)

Ingredients: Dark chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin and natural vanilla flavor) and lactase enzyme.

Allergy-related information: (None listed on small, individual serving size packet.) 

Base Culture - Chocolate Chip Brookie - Apr. 4, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Base Culture
Chocolate Chip Brookie
Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 250 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $0.99 (sale) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate Snacks Theme Week. 

Today's "Chocolate Chip Brookie" was manufactured by Base Culture, LLC (Clearwater, FL). The company offers a variety of gluten-free, grain-free and "pure paleo" products.

This refrigerated, gluten-free, snack (with 5 g. of protein and made with paleo ingredients) was part cookie and part brownie bar--thus the name "brookie".

The square-shaped snack had a baked brownie and chocolate chip cookie aroma when opened, and featured the textures and flavors of both treats. 

The texture of this brookie was satisfying/substantial and relatively soft and moist (given it was bought in the freezer section). 

Overall, this combination snack was clever, tasty and relatively complex--with layered flavors. Some bites had more brownie flavor, and other bites tasted more like chocolate chip (cookie). I also could pick out some cacao flavors (faint earthiness in the dark chocolate, from either the brownie batter portion and/or the chocolate chips). 

And, last but not least, this honey-sweetened snack was not overly sweet (thank you!).

Ingredients: Honey, eggs, cashew butter, unsweetened chocolate, coconut flour, coconut oil, soluble tapioca fiber, coconut sugar, almond butter, tapioca flour, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, sea salt, baking soda.

Allergen-related information: "Contains egg, almond, cashew, coconut. Manufactured in a facility that also processes: pecans. May contain nut shells, pieces or bits."

The Healthy Energy Bar - Mexican Coffee House bar (cookie) - Apr. 3, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

The Healthy Energy Bars

Mexican Coffee - Coffee House bar

Good - Good +

Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) in 1 bar

Calories: 220 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $1.75 (sale) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate Snacks Theme Week.

Today's Mexican Coffee - Coffee House bar was from The Healthy Energy Bars/The Healthy Baking Co. (Lafayette, CA). 

The aroma of this heart-shaped, bar/cookie was oat-forward, with some plant (botanical, seed, hemp seed), sweet, and warm vanilla spice notes.

This wholesome snack had a thick, oaty chew with faint hints of sweet coconut, seed(s), chocolate (chips), and very faint (almost undetectable, perhaps imagined) almost fruity, coffee notes. 

I appreciated the sweetness level, which is to say it wasn't too sweet (thank you!).

Ingredients: Brown rice syrup, organic unsweetened, unsulfured coconut, organic whole oats, 

organic hemp seed, rice bran, semi sweet chocolate (sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, dextrose), sunflower lecithin, freshly ground local artisan coffee, vanilla, cinnamon.

Allergen-related information: Contained tree nuts (coconut). No preservatives.

Mami's Crunch - Power Ball - Apr. 2, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Mami's Crunch
Power Ball
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .61 oz. (17.2 g.) (estimate) for 1 ball
Calories: 62 calories (estimate) for 1 ball
Cost: $2.00 for 1 ball
Purchased from: Mami's Crunch, Thursday Marin Farmers' Market, San Rafael, CA

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate Snacks Theme Week.

Today's Power Ball snack was mindfully created with organic ingredients by Naomi Tomoda and Mami of Mami's Crunch (Novato, CA). 

The colorfully-wrapped ball (seated in an inner, green paper cup) had subtle chocolate, coconut and mild nut aroma notes.

The first bite revealed a satisfying and substantial soft chew, and smooth, authentic cacao and (finely shredded) coconut taste and texture. While you can finish this ball in one bite, I suggest taking a few bites slowing down to enjoy the pure, light, well-integrated flavors. 

Unlike many snacks, this health-conscious Power Ball was not too sweet (thank you!). Date, fig, maca and coconut ingredients provided natural sweetness and/or moistness. 

Ingredients: "Dried date, dried fig, almond better, raw cacao powder, maca, coconut cream, coconut oil, coconut flake."

Allergen-related information: Contained tree nuts (almond, coconut).

 

NibMor - Organic Dark Chocolate Tart Cherry pieces - Apr. 1, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

NibMor

Organic Dark Chocolate Tart Cherry pieces

Good ++

Weight: .92 oz. (26 g.) / 3.26 oz. (92 g.) in total package

Calories: 120 calories in 3 pieces

Cost: $ missing information

Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate Snacks Theme Week.

Today's Organic Dark Chocolate Tart Cherry snack-sized pieces were manufactured (made in Canada) for NibMor, Inc. (Kennebunk, ME). The company offers a line of packaged "snackable chocolates."

These organic, gluten-free dark chocolate pieces were two-bite sized snacks, with aroma notes that included: cherry fruit and almond (almond paste, blossom) and cherry chocolate chip ice cream.

Each tiny bar-shaped, smooth, 72% cacao dark chocolate piece was accented with small bits of chewy, dried sweet-tart cherry.

The chocolate had a pleasing warm (vanilla and) chocolate (dark chocolate cake) flavor and finish with "clean"/authentic tart cherry and light floral notes. 

Throw a handful of these pieces into a bag with almonds and/or other nuts and seeds and you'd have a tasty hiking/trail mix. I could also see chopping up these versatile snacks and incorporating them into other desserts (brownies, cakes, puddings, ice creams, etc.).

Ingredients: Organic chocolate liquor, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, tart cherries (rice flour, sunflower oil), organic soy lecithin (an emulsifier), organic vanilla, natural cherry flavor.

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that also processes peanuts, tree nuts, milk and soy."