Keto Foods - Keto Pint Sea Salt Caramel Ice Cream Bars - Feb. 24, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Keto Foods
Keto Pint Sea Salt Caramel Ice Cream Bars
Good ++
Weight: 3 fl. oz. (65 g.) / 12 fl. oz. oz. (356 mL) in total box of 4 bars
Calories: 160 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 box of 4 bars
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Golden Sugars Theme Week--a week that has included chocolates with caramel, toffee...and at least one item with real gold (leaf).

Today's Keto Pint Sea Salt Caramel ice cream bars were "manufactured for UpStar Nutrition Inc." (Clackamas, OR)* and are part of a line of Keto Certified low-sugar offerings from Keto Foods (Scottsdale, AZ).*

Keto Pint* took the (thick and gooey sweet) caramel concept in a different direction, offering a Sea Salt Caramel ice cream bar with "no added sugars" (2 G. Net Carbs). Is it possible to create satisfying caramel flavor with erythritol, stevia and monk fruit? 

Aroma notes for this Keto Certified, Kosher ice cream bar included: dark chocolate, vanilla (cookie), faint caramel/butterscotch, and very faint mellow nut and wood. 

A thin, crispy keto dark chocolate shell enclosed a relatively light, flavorful ice cream center. The texture and melt were appealing. Like many chocolate coated ice cream bars, you may want to eat this one over a plate to prevent an errant shard of chocolate from dropping in your lap.

The dark chocolate tasted like real chocolate. And the authentic, creamy center had surprisingly good vanilla and caramel and rich ice cream flavor. (Real cream being the number one ingredient didn't hurt.) 

The flavors were well balanced; and this ice cream bar wasn't too sweet. (Thank you!) I would definitely buy these again in the future. The overall taste was far better than most "diet" or sugar free chocolate items. 

There was no sense of compromise in terms of flavor and texture. And yes it is possible to enjoy caramel flavor without a lot of gooey, sweet caramel (sugar).

Ingredients: Cream, water, chocolate coating (unsweetened chocolate, coconut oil, erythritol, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin, MCT oil, steviol glycosides, vanilla extract), egg yolk, erythritol, chicory root fiber, milk protein concentrate, tapioca fiber, natural flavor, vegetable glycerin, sea salt, guar gum, steviol glycosides, annatto extract, monkfruit extract, xanthan gum, gum acacia.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk, egg (and coconut (oil)). "This product has been processed on equipment that processes milk, peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat."

*The Keto Pint ice cream brand was "created (in 2018) by two brothers with a vision to help accelerate the transition to lower sugar foods." (Keto Pint Ice Cream was formerly known as UpStar Ice Cream.) In 2021 Keto Pint transitioned to Keto Foods. The company's main office is based in Scottsdale, AZ.

Lake Champlain Chocolates - Filled Maple Caramel 57% Cocoa - Dark (bar) - Feb. 23, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Lake Champlain Chocolates
Filled Maple Caramel 57% Cocoa - Dark (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 3.25 oz. (92 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 3 squares of bar
Cost: $6.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Nugget Markets, Tiburon, CA

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Golden Sugars Theme Week.

Today's Organic Filled Maple Caramel 57% Cocoa Dark bar was from Lake Champlain Chocolates (Burlington, VT).

Aroma notes for this chocolate included faint caramel and bold, dark chocolate.

The 57% cacao dark chocolate tasted significantly darker than this...more like a 75% Forastero-like (deep, dense) dark with faint green-lemon herb (oxalis) and fleeting (loamy) earth notes. 

Inside the dark chocolate was a soft, flavorful, sweet caramel filling with faint maple sugar notes. The darkness of the cacao/chocolate helped balance the sweetness of the caramel.

Ingredients: Organic dark chocolate (organic sugar, organic chocolate liquor, organic cocoa butter, organic cocoa powder [processed with alkali], and organic vanilla powder, organic heavy cream, organic Vermont maple syrup, organic rice syrup, water, organic invert sugar, sea salt and organic soybean lecithin.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk and soybean. May contain traces of peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat.

Endangered Species - Caramel Spiced Apple Natural Flavor + Dark Chocolate 60% (bar) - Feb. 22, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Endangered Species Chocolate
Caramel Spiced Apple Natural Flavor + Dark Chocolate 60% Cocoa (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/3 bar 
Cost: $1.48 (sale) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Cost Plus World Market, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Golden Sugars Theme Week, including several chocolates with caramel and/or toffee. 

Today's Caramel Spiced Apple Natural Flavor + Dark Chocolate 60% Cocoa (bar) was from Endangered Species Chocolate, LLC (Indianapolis, IN).

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate (dark chocolate torte), vanilla, light caramel and faint fruit (apple) and warm spice (cinnamon, apple pie spices).

Creamy dark chocolate contained a soft apple-infused caramel filling. 

The dark chocolate tasted darker than 60% (more like 70%) cacao. This richer, darker cacao flavor helped balance the sweetness of the caramel filling. 

Maker's description: "Dark chocolate with organic caramel and spiced apple to evoke a warm fireside."

Ingredients: Bittersweet chocolate, chocolate liquor, cane sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla, organic caramel, organic tapioca syrup, organic cane sugar, organic nonfat milk, organic heavy cream, organic buttermilk, salt, pectin, sodium citrate, organic vanilla extract, 2 fold organic soy lecithin, Vitamin E mixed tocopherols to preserve freshness, natural apple flavor, cinnamon.

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

Gnaw Handcrafted Chocolate - Bee Happy Milk Chocolate with Honeycomb & Crunchy Caramel (bar) - Feb. 21, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Gnaw Handcrafted Chocolate
Bee Happy - Milk Chocolate with Honeycomb and Crunchy Caramel (bar)
Good + 
Weight: 1.725 oz. (49 g.) / 3.45 oz. (98 g.) in total bar
Calories: 270 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $N/A - gift (Thank you Megan!)
Purchased from: N/A - gift (Cost Plus/World Market store)

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Golden Sugars Theme Week.

Today's Bee Happy 34% Milk Chocolate with Honeycomb and Crunchy Caramel (bar) was from Gnaw Handcrafted Chocolate (Norwich, U.K.).

Aroma notes for this bar included: sweet milk chocolate (chocolate candy bar), caramel and faint nuts (faint peanut caramel, very faint toffee almond nougat). Note: there were no peanuts or nut ingredients in this bar.

The texture was a blend of smooth, sweet milk chocolate and softly crunchy caramel (honeycomb toffee) bits and sweet caramelized sugars.

This 34% cacao (candy bar sweet) milk chocolate had prominent caramelized sugar flavors, consistent with the aroma notes mentioned above, including sweet milk chocolate, crunchy and smooth caramel and toffee bit(s) flavor; very faint/implied hints of honey-ed nuts; and very faint sweetened breakfast cereal. (Again there were no nut ingredients listed.)

Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, cocoa liquor, honeycomb (sugar, glucose syrup, baking soda, rice flour), caramel pieces (glucose syrup, sugar, sweetened condensed milk (milk, sugar), salted butter (milk, water, salt), soy lecithin, natural vanilla flavoring.

Allergen-related information:  Contains dairy/milk (milk powder, butter). (No other printed information found on label.)

Fu Wan Chocolate - Taiwan #3 Ping Tung Black Sugar Chocolate 70% Dark (bar) - Feb. ??, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Fu Wan Chocolate
Taiwan #3 Ping Tung Black Sugar Chocolate 70% Dark (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 248 calories in 1 bar 
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Golden Sugars Theme Week.

Today's Taiwan #3 Ping Tung Black Sugar Chocolate 70% Dark (bar) was from Fu Wan Chocolate (Taiwan, R.O.C.).

The cacao (harvested in 2019) used to make this "tree to bar" chocolate was grown in (southern) Taiwan.

The rich aroma notes for this 70% dark chocolate included: flavorful deep dark sugars (molasses), thoroughly toasted marshmallow (well done, slightly beyond golden to charred territory), dark chocolate, subtle sweet, almost marshy green, dried fruit (dates), brown sugar, and faint, freshly baked yeast bread, and very faint, fleeting red wine. and savory Japanese rice cracker.

The texture of this well-tempered bar was pleasing. The melt and mouthfeel were close to being pillowy and velvety, while at the same time having a very low level of light granular astringency.

Flavor notes mirrored the rich variety of aroma notes mentioned above with dark brown sugar, date, and raisin notes. There was something almost sweet and savory about this chocolate (like small, golden brown, sweet and salty, Japanese rice crackers), and almost herbal (dark, sweet black licorice).

I loved the complexity of this chocolate and the dark, almost smoky-sweet "black sugar" flavor. This would make a great ganache, and would pair well with coffee--adding flavor depth as well as sweetness. 

In fact, one can already buy black sugar flavored (boba) teas, black sugar flavored coffee drinks, and frozen desserts with black sugar at Asian markets and other specialty markets/stores in the San Francisco Bay Area. However, these black sugar sweetened items are rarely paired with rich, single origin dark chocolate.

So why aren't we tasting more chocolates with more flavorful sugars? White cane sugar's relative blandness is why it is often selected by bean-to-bar chocolate makers--over golden (or black) sugars. More flavorful cooked sugars (or less processed sugars) can alter (or diminish) the inherent fruity, nutty, floral and other flavor present in fine, single origin cacao beans.

With today's Ping Tung Black Sugar chocolate, Fu Wan makers have shown us that some concerns about using darker sugars may have been overblown. That is, when skillfully crafted, chocolates can contain a complementary blend of flavorful sugars and flavorful cacao and can be fully enjoyed without the tastier sugars wiping out/distorting the fine cacao flavors and vice versa.

Maker's tasting notes: "Raisin, Licorice, Milk Tea, Brandy, Coffee"

Ingredients: Cacao bean, black sugar, cacao butter

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of nuts and peanuts."

Woodside Chocolate Company - Caramel chocolate (bar) - Feb. 19, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Woodside Chocolate Company
Caramel chocolate bar (with gold accents)
Good + 
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) (estimate) total bar 
Calories: 75 calories (estimate) in .5 oz. (14.1 g.) piece of bar
Cost: $ Missing information
Purchased from: The Village Bakery, Woodside, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Golden Sugars Week, featuring chocolates with caramel, toffee, honeycomb toffee and other forms cooked sugar(s). 

Today's caramel flavored chocolate (bar) from Woodside Chocolate Company (Woodside, CA) was also decorated with edible gold (pieces of gold leaf sheeting used to decorate high-end desserts). 

This elegant-looking chocolate bar was quite sweet and had small, softly crunchy bits (possibly caramel/toffee flecks and/or very thin flecks of almond) incorporated into what tasted like a sweet, dark milk chocolate base.* 

If one took inspiration from the flavor of a Cadbury's Caramello bar from one's childhood...and decided to make the most grown-up, upscale version possible of a caramel chocolate bar, this is what it look and taste like. 

It was a bit too much sugar for this dark fan, but this locally-made bar would make an attractive and impressively gilded chocolate gift for those with a sweet tooth.

*Ingredients: (None listed on package)

Allergen-related information: (None listed on packaging)

Godiva - Caramel Embrace ice cream - Feb. 18, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Godiva
Caramel Embrace Ice Cream
Good + 
Weight: 2/3 cup (114 g.) / 14 fl. oz. (414 mL) in total container
Calories: 280 calories in 1 (2/3 cup) serving 
Cost: $6.49 for 1 container
Purchased from: Safeway, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Golden Sugars Theme Week.

Today's Godiva Caramel Embrace ice cream was distributed by Boardwalk Frozen Treats, LLC (Lafayette, CA).*

Years ago, I wrote about Godiva's Caramel Embrace chocolate(s). This ice cream cousin was ensconced in a cheery golden and white colored container; and it was part of a line of ice creams inspired by Godiva confections.

Aroma notes for this ice cream included faint caramel, vanilla and cocoa. 

A creamy ice cream base with layered caramel, vanilla and chocolate flavors. Tiny chocolate caramel "cups" almost had a soft crunch in frozen form.

As one might expect, this rich ice cream studded with caramel and chocolate caramel confections was quite sweet. Layering of textures and flavors added enough appeal and unfolding differentiation that this Caramel Embrace didn't feel over-sugared.

Ingredients: Milk, cream, sugar, caramel cups (sugar, coconut oil, corn syrup, sweetened condensed milk (whole milk, sugar), nonfat dry milk, whole milk powder, alkalized cocoa, heavy cream, butter, soy lecithin, salt, natural flavors), caramel swirl (nonfat milk, sugar, unsalted butter, agar agar, baking soda, potassium sorbate (preservative)), skim milk, corn syrup, water, sweetened condensed skim milk, egg yolks, chocolate, butter (cream, salt), stabilizer (guar gum, tara gum, locust bean gum), natural flavor, carageenan, baking soda. 

Allergen-related information: Contains: milk, egg, soy.

*Under license from Godiva Chocolatier, Inc.