Chocolove - Milk Chocolate Honey Roasted Peanuts - Nov. 15, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolove
Milk Chocolate Covered Honey Roasted Peanuts
Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total package/box
Calories: 225 calories in 1/2 package/box
Cost: $2.99 for 1 package/box
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Chocolove (Boulder, CO) includes love poems inside their line of chocolate bars.

The company also offers bar-sized boxes of chocolate coated nuts, such as today's Milk Chocolate Covered Honey Roasted Peanuts. There was no love poem with these nuts, but there was the company's trademark "xoxox" on the packaging.

Each honey-roasted peanut had a sweet-crunchy texture and nutty flavor, which complemented the smooth (33% Cocoa) milk chocolate coating.

Made in Boulder, CO, with Belgian chocolate, the Chocolove package indicated that the cocoa had been certified "For Life" by the Institute for Marketecology (IMO)*.

*About Certifications
There are many certifications that claim to have examined whether cocoa was grown and paid for in a manner that supports ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable criteria. Generally these certifications are to help better the lives of farmers or their communities, and to encourage practices that produce better cacao beans.

I applaud anyone who is trying to genuinely move in these directions; the challenges are often more complex than originally envisioned. 

22 Days Nutrition - PB and Chocolate Chip Nirvana bar - Nov. 14, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

22 Days Nutrition
PB and Chocolate Chip Nirvana bar
Good
Weight: 2.6 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 280 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $2.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sprouts Farmers Markets, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Peanuts Theme Week(s).

Today's 22 Days* Nutrition, PB and Chocolate Chip Nirvana, organic protein bar was created by Exercise Physiologist Marco Borges (and manufactured for Co.Exist, Corp. Nutrition of Miami, FL).

The 22 Days bar had a faint aroma of cinnamon and peanut butter cookie. And, it did have a cookie sweetness from the first bite. The texture was dense and chewy; and the bar had the same, very slight graininess that I've found in many protein bars.

The bar contained 20 g. of protein (from organic brown rice protein, peanuts, sesame seeds and flaxseeds). It was made with Non-GMO ingredients and was also gluten-free and soy-free.

*The name 22 Days refers to the practice of breaking an old habit or creating a new habit by making a desired change for 21 days—with the belief that doing this will create a better result (or put one closer to a desired goal) on the 22nd day.

West Thomas Partners - The GFB Gluten Free bar - chocolate peanut butter - Nov. 13, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

West Thomas Partners LLC
The GFB Gluten Free Bar - chocolate peanut butter
Good
Weight: 2.05 oz. (58 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 240 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $1.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sprouts Farmers Markets, Mountain View, CA

Today was Day #9 of Chocolate and Peanuts Theme Week.

I avoid gluten, so I'm always happy to find chocolate items like today's "The GFB Gluten Free Bar."  This line of gluten-free bars from West Thomas Partners LLC (Grand Rapids, MI), includes different flavors. Today's flavor was chocolate peanut butter.

It's fair to call this (vegan, non-GMO, and soy and dairy-free) bar a snack or protein bar. (It contained 12 grams of protein, primarily from brown rice and pea proteins, and from "virginia peanuts"—the number one ingredient.)

The bar had a slightly odd, smoky aroma. It had a pleasant chewiness (not to gooey and not too stiff). The flavor was similar to other protein bars with a very mild nutty taste from the peanuts and a hint of cocoa richness (from cocoa butter, cocoa mass (liquor) and cocoa powder). The texture was slightly smoother (less gritty and less dry) than many other protein bars. You might detect a golden flaxseed or two, but nothing unpleasant. And it had a relatively clean finish.

Charm School Chocolate - Coconut Milk with Peanut Butter Toffee bar - Nov. 12, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Charm School Chocolate
Coconut Milk Chocolate bar with Peanut Butter Toffee
Good ++
Weight: 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 315 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar (member price)
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #8 of Chocolate and Peanuts Theme Week.

If you're a vegan who loves milk chocolate, you might be disappointed there are not more options. Not, however, if you've discovered Charm School Chocolate (Reisterstown, MD).

Charm School bars have the velvety smoothness that can be achieved with coconut milk, and the flavor of carefully and slowly roasted and processed cocoa beans. I'm partial to their "darker" bars, but today's 49% cacao bar is sure to charm those with a sweet tooth.

This bar, made from Maya Mountain Cacao,* had a faint green coconut aroma; and it was (like its siblings), nice and smooth with a clean finish. It had a generous sprinkle of carefully crafted peanut butter toffee flakes on one side, tempered with a barely discernible hint of French sea salt.

For vegans who love milk chocolate, you're in luck. But, you don't have to be a vegan to enjoy Charm School bars. Thank you to The Chocolate Garage (Palo Alto, CA) for stocking these, and many other great bars.

*Cocoa beans used for to make this chocolate were from Maya Mountain Cacao, located in southern Belize.

Whittaker's - Peanut Slab - Nov. 11, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

J.H. Whittaker and Sons Ltd
Peanut Slab
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 264 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $N/A - gift from a friend
Purchased from: N/A - gift

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Peanuts Theme Week.

This Peanut Slab was made in New Zealand by J.H. Whittaker and Sons Ltd.

The milk chocolate bar was thick and firm, but not so hard that you had to struggle to enjoy taking a bite. Roasted peanuts embedded throughout the bar added satisfying nutty texture and taste.

John Kelly - Peanut Butter Truffle Fudge Bites with Salt - Nov. 10, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

John Kelly Chocolates
Truffle Fudge Bites
Peanut Butter with Himalayan Pink Salt
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total box
Calories: 140 calories in 1 bar (1/2 box)
Cost: $9.75 in total box
Purchased from: Studio 41, Benicia, CA

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

Today's box of 2 Peanut Butter Truffle Fudge Bites with Himalayan Pink Salt were made by John Kelly Chocolates (Hollywood, CA), a company specializing in truffle fudge chocolates.

A generous, solid layer of peanut butter fudge was enrobed in velvety milk chocolate and was topped with a diagonal sprinkle of salt crystals.

Protein and fats (nuts, butters) and salt help balance what for some might be an overly sweet taste in a fudge-style chocolate. As with any chocolate fudge, make sure to buy these when they're fresh.

John Kelly - Chocolate and Peanut Butter Truffle Fudge - Nov. 9, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

John Kelly Chocolates
Semi-Sweet Chocolate and Peanut Butter Truffle Fudge Bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.7 oz. (48 g.) in total bar
Calories: 250 calories (estimate) in 1 piece/bar
Cost: $4.25 in total bar
Purchased from: Studio 41, Benicia, CA

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Peanuts Theme Week.

John Kelly (actually two people) started producing their fudge truffle chocolates in Hollywood back in 2004.

I "discovered" a whole trove of John Kelly Chocolates at Studio 41 (Benicia, CA), a store full of interesting gifts and chocolates. Benicia's  historic downtown area is full of creative independent businesses—a refreshing change from the chain stores that now inhabit most Bay Area cities—making a stroll through downtown and by the water a very pleasant experience.

Today's Semi-Sweet Chocolate and Peanut Butter Truffle Fudge Bar was diminutive but dense. A pleasant chocolate fudge aroma escaped as I peeled back the gold foil wrapper.

As with most fudge, this was sweet; but it was more balanced than most. The thick peanut butter layer helped. Nuts are a great way to dial back and complement sugary sweetness.