Sjaak's - Roasted Almond Dark Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 8, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Sjaak's Organic Chocolates

Roasted Almond Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good + 

Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar

Calories: 320 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $4.25 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Presidio Visitors Center, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Roasted Almond Dark Chocolate 60% cacao (bar) was from Sjaak's Organic Chocolates (Petaluma, CA). 

Aroma notes included: subtle dark chocolate and nuts, and faint honey cookie.

This relatively thick bar had smooth dark chocolate texture with small flecks of almonds.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (brownie), fleeting earth, mild and mellow nutty and faint wood notes.

This bar had bold, yet smooth dense dark flavor (walk through an old-growth forest) mellowed by subtle almond. 

And speaking of forests...today's bar (packaging) was adorned with illustrations of a person near in a redwood tree forest, and was being sold at the Presidio (National Park) in San Francisco. A suitable tribute to an iconic Northern California legacy.

Ingredients: Organic 60% chocolate (organic cane sugar; organic, Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa liquor; Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa butter), organic almonds, organic sunflower lecithin.

Allergen-related information: Contains nuts (almonds). "Vegan, Kosher and Non-GMO"

 

Hu - Almond Crunch Dark Chocolate Organic 70% (bar) - Sept. 7, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Hu Products LLC

Almond Crunch Dark Chocolate Organic 70% Cacao (bar)

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar

Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $6.59 for 1 bar

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

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week.

Today's Almond Crunch Dark Chocolate Organic 70% Cacao (bar) was distributed by Hu Products LLC (Austin, TX). The company got its start with Hu Kitchen in New York City; and they now offer a variety of chocolates and snacks (gems, hunks, grain-free cookies, other) made with organic and paleo-friendly ingredients.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (dark ganache) and subtle nut (almond) notes. 

This Organic, Fairtrade 70% cacao dark bar had rich, relatively well-preserved smooth cacao, nut (almond bits) and sea salt flavors with slightly crunchy texture (from almonds and sea salt) and a very faint, fleeting earth note. 

The company uses its organic, house-ground cacao as a base for its bars. Coconut palm sugar added a little flavor warmth and (being lower on the glycemic index) slowed down the sugar rush. This was a simple, five-ingredient bar with enough flavor complexity to extend a bit beyond the basics.

Ingredients: Organic and fairtrade certified cacao, organic unrefined coconut sugar, organic fairtrade cocoa butter, organic almonds, sea salt. 

Allergen-related information: "Contains almond and coconut. May contain traces of cashew and hazelnut. Allergen cleans made prior to production, but beware that product is produced using equipment that also processes tree nuts, soy, peanuts, milk, and wheat."

Hu Kitchen - Hazelnut Coffee Dark Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 6, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Hu Kitchen

Hazelnut Coffee Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good ++

Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar

Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $6.59 for 1 bar

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

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week.

Today's Hazelnut Coffee Dark Chocolate (bar) was distributed by Hu Products LLC (Austin, TX). The company got its start with Hu Kitchen in New York City; and they now offer a variety of chocolates and snacks (gems, hunks, grain-free cookies, other) made with organic and paleo-friendly ingredients.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (dark ganache with tart green citrus (oxalis/oxalic acid)); nut cookie (hazelnut, coconut sugar and vanilla); and coffee (slightly tart fruit (berry, citrus) with a balanced acidity and the sharp (wake-up) fresh aroma that coffee provides.

This Organic, Fairtrade 70% cacao dark bar had a slightly stoneground texture with rich, relatively well-preserved cacao, coffee and nut flavors that included notes of fruit (berry, citrus), vanilla nut, and coffee, with fleeting faint earth.

The tiny bits of hazelnut contributed crunchy texture and diffuse nutty flavor. 

The only potential down-side for nut lovers, the sweet nuances of the hazelnut were a bit overwhelmed by its (bolder) fellow ingredients. But, if you like flavor layering--and want an organic, lightly infused hazelnut and vanilla coffee blended with smooth, 70% dark drinking chocolate--you may enjoy this relatively complex bar.

Ingredients: Organic cacao, organic unrefined coconut sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic hazelnuts, organic coffee, organic vanilla bean. (Fairtrade cocoa and cocoa butter and coffee: mass balance is used to match Fairtrade sourcing, total 65%.) Visit info.fairtrade.net/sourcing

Allergen-related information: Contains hazelnut and coconut. "May contain traces of almond and cashew. Allergen cleans made prior to production, but beware that product is produced using equipment that also processes tree nuts, soy, peanuts, milk and wheat."

Ritter Sport - Marhaba - Yogurt Honey Hazelnuts bar - Sept. 5, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Ritter Sport
Marhaba - Yogurt Honey Hazelnuts bar
Good +
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 288 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing store information

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

Today's Ritter Sport Marhaba Yogurt Honey Hazelnuts Bar was from Alfred Ritter GmbH and Co. KG (Waldenbuch, Germany).

Aroma notes for this fun confection of a bar included sweet hazelnut nougat and milk chocolate. 

Flavor notes included: upticks of milk chocolate, honey sweetened plain yogurt and hazelnut. I really enjoyed the well-orchestrated complexity of this filled bar. Texturally, it was also a multi-layered blend of creamy milk chocolate "shell" with a light, sweet creamy yogurt filling that incorporated small, crunchy, honey-ed and hazelnut bits.

Ritter's product description: "Milk chocolate with a lowfat yogurt filling, hazelnut pieces and honey-crisp."

Ingredients: Sugar, (certified sustainable) palm fat, cocoa butter, hazelnuts, chocolate liquor, milk, lowfat yogurt powder (milk), lactose (milk), honey, skim milk, maltodextrin, butterfat (milk), cream (milk), soy lecithin, sodium alginate. 

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of peanuts, other tree nuts, wheat and egg."

 

Oregon Orchard - Milk Chocolate Hazelnuts - Sept. 4, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Oregon Orchard
Premium Milk Chocolate Hazelnuts
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 6 oz. (170 g.) in total package
Calories: 170 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $3.49 for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Oregon Orchard Premium Milk Chocolate Hazelnuts Theme Week were distributed by Hazelnut Growers of Oregon (HGO) (Donald, OR). HGO is an agricultural co-operative that offers "value-added products" using hazelnuts from 200+ local (Oregon) farmers, including chocolate covered and seasoned nuts. 

The aroma for these glossy rounds included sweet, nutty and milk chocolate notes

The texture: a blend of sweet, creamy (emulsified) and mild milk chocolate coating and softly crunchy hazelnuts at the center.

The sweetness level for these confections was a bit high for me. The flavors felt somewhat eclipsed by sugar. (I love complex cacao flavors and have an admitted bias for bean-to-bar dark chocolates.) Both the milk chocolate and the hazelnut flavor were very subtle with fleeting authentic hazelnut, as well as warm vanilla cocoa, notes. 

These chocolate covered, dry roasted hazelnuts were well executed and there were no off flavors; but I would have loved to have seen a bit more authentic cacao and hazelnut complexity shining through.

Ingredients: Milk Chocolate [(sugar, unsweetened chocolate, milk, cocoa butter), sunflower lecithin, vanillin], dry roasted hazelnuts, gum arabic, confectioners glaze.

Allergen-related information: Contains: Milk, tree nuts. "Processed in a facility that uses milk, soy, wheat and other tree nuts."

Creative Snacks Co. - Dark Chocolate Cashews - Sept. 3, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Creative Snacks Co.
Dark Chocolate Cashews
Good 
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 9.5 oz. (269 g.) in total container
Calories: 160 calories in 1 serving (5 pieces)
Cost: $5.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA 

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

Today's Dark Chocolate Cashews were packed by Creative Snacks Co. (High Point, NC).

The aroma for these dark chocolate covered nuts included: very subtle, sweet, slightly earthy, and dark berry jam notes.

The texture was a blend of a generously thick layer of smooth dark chocolate covering and softly crunchy cashew nut centers.

Flavor notes included: smooth, sweet and relatively mild dark chocolate; fruity (dark berry jam); light vanilla; nut; and faint, fleeting earth.

Ingredients: Dark chocolate coating (sugar, chocolate liquor processed with alkali, cocoa butter, butterfat [milk], soy lecithin, and vanilla), cashews (cashews, canola oil), corn syrup, modified starch (tapioca), confectioner's glaze. 

Allergen-related information: Contains tree nuts, (cashews), milk and soy. "May contain peanuts, tree nuts, milk, soy, egg, wheat and sesame seeds."

Russell Stover - Joy Bites Roasted Almonds in Dark Chocolate - Sept. 2, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Russell Stover 

Joy Bites Roasted Almonds in Dark Chocolate

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 2.8 oz. (79 g.) in total bar

Calories: 140 calories in 5 pieces of bar

Cost: $4.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week, featuring "new" and varied nut + chocolate items I've been able to collect.

Today's Joy Bites Roasted Almonds in Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Russell Stover Chocolates, LLC (Kansas City, MO). The Joy Bites no sugar added line (that also includes peanut butter and sea salt caramel flavors) are sweetened with stevia and are made using fair trade* cocoa.

Aroma notes for this bar included soft chocolate and nutty (sweet almond butter), sweet aromatic wood, and very, very faint sweet citrus green (oxalis, wood sorrel). 

This thin (53% cocoa) dark bar had creamy texture accented with crunchy almond bits, and smooth dark chocolate flavor.

The chocolate was sweetened with erythritol and stevia leaf extract.** It was less sweet than other comparable 53% cacao chocolate bars. (Thank you!) Nuts (almonds in this case) do help balance out sugars; but the less sweet flavor was largely due to the choice of sweetener(s).

A nice choice for those on sugar-restricted diets and who may not appreciate the less sweet realms of bolder, ultra-dark (80%+ cacao) chocolates.

Ingredients: Chocolate, Non-GMO erythritol, chicory root fiber, roasted almonds, cocoa butter, milk fat, Organic soy lecithin, natural flavor and stevia extract. 

Allergen-related information: Contains nuts (almonds) and milk. "May contain peanuts, tree nuts, eggs and wheat."

*Fairtrade cocoa and vanilla: mass balance is used to match fairtrade sourcing. Total 50%.  

**The leaves from the Stevia rebaudiana plant provide a less caloric alternative to cane and beet sugars. (Beet sugar is used less often in fine/artisan chocolate.) Native to South America, stevia (in the form of stevia extract) offers more concentrated sweetness than traditional sugars with very few calories.