Chocoholics Central

Product Review: Chuao Potato Chip Chocolate Bar - 3 STARS

2016-05-26T18:51:00.000-07:00

I've been curious for a while about trying a chocolate bar made with potato chips and recently, thanks to a much-appreciated gift, I was able to explore some new chocoholic territory. Chuao is an award-winning, premium chocolatier that uses all natural ingredients, free of hydrogenated fats and artificial preservatives, colors, flavors or sweeteners.

This particular bar is made with 41% cacao milk chocolate so it has the richness and very slight bitterness of a mild dark chocolate bar. The potato chips are crushed into fine granules so they really don't taste like potato chips but I really like the salty aftertaste left behind on my tongue as the mildly sweet chocolate melts away.

However, when it comes to "stuff" in my chocolate, I prefer a chunkier texture--I like my nuts almost whole rather than in tiny pieces--and I'm not a fan of chocolate "crisps" with crispy rice. So the gravelly crunch between my teeth was a little off-putting. I would not buy this again myself, but if you like crisps, you'll most likely enjoy this. Nevertheless, my house was devoid of chocolate when this gift arrived and despite not being my favorite, it kept my chocolate withdrawals at bay and it is made with premium chocolate which in itself invokes a sense of luxury and indulgence.

Product Reviews: Chocolate & Raspberry Flavor Combo

2016-05-26T18:26:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite flavor profiles is chocolate with berries and I recently tasted two products that feature this delectable combo of fruit and cocoa.

Magnum Double Raspberry Ice Cream Bar - 5 STARS

Can an ice cream bar really be so exceptional that it merits five whole stars? I assure you, this one can! In fact, if you don't live in isolation, this frozen treat has the potential to endanger your relationship with anyone who also develops a taste for it because it will make you greedy about sharing. Ever since Magnum's products filled supermarket freezers, they have set a new standard for individual ice cream novelties but this particular variety has to be their most extraordinary creation yet.

The filling is a mellow, raspberry-flavored ice cream. It's encircled by two layers of mild dark chocolate and sandwiched between those two chocolate layers is a thin coating of raspberry sauce with a more intense berry flavor. The double chocolate layers crack and splinter as you bite into the bar and then as they melt on your tongue, your taste buds get a shock of the raspberry syrup oozing out from between the chocolate chunks. The berry flavor in the ice cream is very mild, so it not only creates a base on which the more intense sauce builds--it also continually refreshes your palate after each bite of the rich chocolate and berry coating. I really can't imagine any way to make this better, and hence the five stars. The double layers do seem to make it a little messier to eat, but seriously, it's worth it.

Pepperidge Farm Raspberry-Flavored Chocolate Milano Cookies - 4 STARS

Pepperidge Farm's curvy Milano cookies have a smooth exterior that caresses your tongue, a texture which is an unexpected contrast to the crispness your teeth are met with as they penetrate that exterior. In between two layers of this outer crisp is a thin layer of chocolate. Pepperidge Farm has expanded the Milano line to include multiple flavor varieties, one of which is raspberry. The berry flavor is actually infused into the chocolate but it is very mild so your buds first perceive the chocolate flavor and then the berry aftertaste comes a second later and lingers only briefly on the tongue. The diversity of textures and layers of flavor provide lots of stimulation for your palate so it's a memorable tasting experience. My only beef is that I would like to taste more of the raspberry-flavored chocolate filling, but that's only because I want a little more of a good thing. Otherwise, this has become a household favorite and is a cookie that I'm keeping regularly stocked in my snack drawer.

Spring 2014 Chocolate Salons and Festivals

2014-03-13T03:59:00.002-07:00

Spring is here again with oodles of chocolate events in exotic locations. Try something new this year and travel abroad (or at least out of your county!) and get your chocolate groove in an unfamiliar place!

REHOBOTH BEACH CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL

March 1, 2014

Rehoboth, Beach, DE

OREGON CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL

March 7-9, 2014

Ashland, OR

NANTES SALON DU CHOCOLAT

March 14-16, 2014

Nantes, France

Obidos Festival Internacional de Chocolate

OBIDOS FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE CHOCOLATE

March 14-April 6, 2013