Exquisito Chocolates - Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups - Apr. 14, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Exquisito Chocolates
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .85 oz. (25.5 g.) / 1.7 oz. (51 g.) in total box/package
Calories: 131 calories (estimate) for 2 peanut butter cups
Cost: $10.00 (estimate) for 1 box/package of 4 peanut butter cups
Purchased from: Exquisito Chocolates, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Peanut Butter Theme Week.

Today's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups were from Exquisito Chocolates, LLC (Little Havana, Miami, FL). 

These filled peanut butter cup confections had a smooth, and relatively complex, dark chocolate-forward aroma and flavor, that blended well with the sweeter, slow-roasted peanut (smooth peanut butter) flavors in the filling.

Unlike many other chocolatiers, Exquisito does make bean-to-bar chocolate and offers some single origin bars. The cacao used for the outer (73% cacao) dark chocolate cup "shell" may have been made using Tumaco (Colombia) cacao (according to information, as of 4/14/22, on the Exquisito Chocolates website).

Maker's tasting notes: "A handcrafted version of the candy classic, but now made with real ingredients and sustainably sourced cacao. Picture if your favorite childhood treat went off and got its PhD."

Ingredients: Cacao, unrefined cane sugar, peanuts, cacao butter, powdered sugar (sugar, corn starch), sea salt.

Allergen-related information: (Contained peanuts.) For more information, contact company.

Niagara Chocolates - Peanut Butter Cups - Apr. 13, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Niagara Chocolates
Peanut Butter Cups
Good +
Weight: .89 oz. (25 g.) / 4.5 oz. (128 g.) in total package
Calories: 140 calories in 2 cups
Cost: $3.99 for 1 package 
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Peanut Butter Theme Week.

Today's Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups were manufactured by Niagara Chocolates (Cheektowaga, New York). The company was founded in Buffalo, New York in 1956 and offers a variety of chocolate bars, cups and confections.

Aroma notes for these peanut butter cups included: chocolate green, nut (peanut), and warm floral spice (vanilla).

Texture: Creamy, buttery milk chocolate with a smooth peanut butter filling. 

The milk chocolate cup/shell had a confection level sweetness, while the smooth, uniform peanut butter filling was not overly sweet--the opposite of a dark (less sweet) chocolate shell with a sugary peanut butter interior. The nutty, peanut butter core helped balance the sweeter chocolate exterior to create a tasty overall treat.

Ingredients: Milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter*, skim milk powder, chocolate*, butterfat (milk), soy lecithin, natural flavor), peanut butter (dry roasted peanuts, sucrose, palm oil and sea salt), sugar, palm kernel oil, cocoa powder*, whey powder (milk), nonfat milk powder, soy lecithin, vanilla.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk, soy, peanut. May contain: egg, wheat, tree nuts.

*Rainforest Alliance Certified

Oregon Bark - Tom Bumble Smooth Peanut Butter Flake Candy with Chocolate - Apr. 12, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Oregon Bark 
Tom Bumble Smooth Peanut Butter Flake Candy with Chocolate 
Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 g.) in 1 small bar
Calories: 186 calories (estimate) in 1 small bar
Cost: $2.75 for 1 small bar
Purchased from: East West Bookstore, Mountain View, CA

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

Today's Tom Bumble Smooth Peanut Butter Flake Candy with Chocolate (small bar) was from Oregon Bark (Portland, OR), and was made with chocolate from Ranger Chocolate (Portland, OR).

This bar had an appealing candy bar aroma (think high-end Butterfinger* bar).

A thin creamy layer of dark chocolate covered a thick, crunchy peanut candy interior that was sweet (almost honey-ed) and fine flaked.

The classic peanut and chocolate flavors were satisfying, and the smooth dark chocolate had a few more subtle flickers of authentic cacao flavor than you'd find in a retail candy bar.

Ingredients: Organic peanuts, organic cane sugar, salt, vanilla, organic bittersweet chocolate (organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic cacao butter, organic vanilla beans). 

Allergen-related information: Contains peanuts. Made on equipment that also processes tree nuts.

*(The) Butterfinger is a popular chocolate-covered peanut butter candy bar in the U.S. It was created by Otto Schnering in the 1920s and was owned by Curtiss Candy Company (1923 - 1964), then became owned by Nabisco. After a few more ownership changes it joined the Nestle portfolio; and in 2018 was bought by Ferraro).

Core Bar - Peanut Butter Chocolate bar - Apr. 11, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Core Foods
Core Bar - Peanut Butter Chocolate 
Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 220 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $3.99 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: FarmFresh to You, online order

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

Today's Peanut Butter Chocolate Core Bar distributed by Core Foods (Brooklyn, NY) had a satisfying chew and authentic flavors.  

This refrigerated, plant-based nutrition bar had a pleasant nut (peanut and cashew) baked good (cookie) aroma, and a natural date sweetness balanced by nutty flavors, unsweetened chocolate and salt. (The bar contained 31 Total Carbohydrates, and some of that was fiber.)

Ground oats and fiber gave it some heft. (The bar contained 7 g. of protein, 7 g. of fiber, probiotics, prebiotics, Vitamin D and C, zinc.)

Ingredients: Organic gluten free whole grain oats, organic peanuts, organic dates, organic prebiotic starch (IMO), organic unsweetened chocolate, organic fiber (inulin), water, organic natural flavors, organic chia seeds, sea salt, bacillus coagulans GBI-30 6086, organic almonds, organic cashews, organic coconut. 

Allergen-related information: Contains peanuts, cashews, almonds, coconut. Manufactured in a facility that also processes milk, tree nuts, soy, egg.

Jonesbar: Organic Chocolate Peanut Butter (bar) - Apr. 10, 2022

Chocolate of the Day 

Jonesbar
Organic Chocolate Peanut Butter (bar)
Good + 
Weight: 1.7 oz. (47 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $1.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Organic Chocolate Peanut Butter (bar) was from Jonesbar (Manasquan, NJ). The company offers a line or organic, snack bars with, typically, just 4-5 ingredients.

This compressed, chocolate brownie-toned bar had dried fruit (complex, layered, high-quality date), peanut, dark chocolate, fig, mocha, and very faint, balanced earth and warm spice) aroma and flavor notes. (Note: there were no actual fig or coffee ingredients, just authentic nuanced flavors.)

The hand-crafted bar had a soft, chewy, crunchy texture (thanks to moist date, crunchy peanut butter bits, skillfully incorporated chia seeds).

There were no added sugars (thank you). And a trace of sea salt helped temper the natural date sweetness.

Ingredients: Organic dates, organic peanuts, organic 100% cacao chips, organic chia seeds, Himalayan pink sea salt.

Allergen-related information: "gluten free, dairy free, vegan, no added flavors or colors, no added sugar, pareve

Erin Baker's - homestyle granola - Peanut Butter Chocolate - Apr. 9, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Erin Baker's 
homestyle granola - Peanut Butter Chocolate
Good +
Weight: 2.1 oz. (60 g.) / 12 oz. (340 g.) in total package
Calories: 270 calories in 1/2 cup (1 serving) (60 g.)
Cost: $2.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Peanut Butter Chocolate homestyle granola was baked and distributed by Erin Baker's Wholesome Baked Goods (Bellingham, WA).

Aroma and flavor notes for this granola were as expected and included: oats, peanut butter and very faint chocolate notes.

What I liked best about this granola: The baked oat cereal had a hearty, baked crunchy texture without being uncomfortably rough (jagged) on the palette. The peanut butter flavor was authentic and not overwhelming; and the judicious amounts of sea salt and molasses seemed just right. 

Lightly sweetened with brown rice syrup, molasses and small chunks of chocolate, these satisfying oats were not overly sugared (thank you). One 1/2 cup serving contained 36 grams of carbohydrate (5 grams were fiber), and 7 grams of protein. 

The small chunks of chocolate played a smaller, supporting role; however few people enjoy the amount of chocolate I normally consume (about 1 oz.) at breakfast time.

Ingredients: Whole grain oats, peanut butter, brown rice syrup, chocolate chunks (unsweetened chocolate, sugar, dextrose, soy lecithin, vanilla extract), molasses (sugar, sugarcane molasses), expeller pressed canola oil, oat bran, peanuts, flax seed, sea salt.

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

Dick Taylor - 55% Dark with Peanut Butter (bar) - Apr. 8, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate
55% Dark with Peanut Butter (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Good Food Awards Marketplace/Dick Taylor, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Peanuts Theme Week.

Today's 55% (Brazil) Dark Chocolate with Peanut Butter bar was from Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate (handcrafted in the Dick-Taylor, bean-to-bar chocolate factory in Eureka, CA).

"We combined nutty, Brazilian cacao and delicious peanut butter, made from freshly roasted peanuts. The result is a bar that that is silky smooth, both sweet and savory, and undeniably decadent!"

This bar had a complex aroma with roasted, faint diffuse fruit (red berry), faint tart green (oxalyis), mellow green (nut, seed), and very faint warm spice notes.

This (not-your-father's) peanut butter cup homage was smooth, sophisticated and creamy with a slightly thicker texture and melt.

The blend (Batch #21295) of roasted ground peanut flavors with complex, single origin (Brazil) cacao flavors resulted in a velvety smooth magic bus ride that included the aforementioned peanuts/roasted nut, as well as very faint, diffuse fruit (red raspberry jam), true dark chocolate (mocha), nutty seed, and faint earth notes. 

Most peanut butter chocolates (often milk chocolates) are highly sweetened, making it difficult to taste more nuanced cacao (or peanut) flavors. This dark bar did not contain milk or that much sugar (thank you). 

In fact, this chocolate tasted a few percentage points higher (darker) than 55% cacao. I enjoyed the intricate blend of layered, high-quality flavors that were allowed to shine through. 

Ingredients: Organic cacao, organic cane sugar, organic peanut powder (organic peanut flour, organic sugar, salt), organic cocoa butter. 

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