How do you like the treadmill photo, kind of like an oxymoron, at least I think so. A chocolate bar sitting on a treadmill, do they go together, probably not if you are serious about losing weight but who is counting. Yes, you can have the best of both worlds by purchasing a chocolate bar with at least 75% cacao, that is the minimum amount to obtain the full health benefits. This is when chocolate turns into one hefty super food with heart healthy benefits, cholesterol and blood pressure lowering advantages, brain booster factors, faster muscle recovery from exercise, and the list goes on and on. I use my treadmill all the time and yes, on occasion, I am guilty to have paused my workouts in order to delve into a piece of chocolate, dark, milk or white, who cares. I need a chocolate fix as I am a chocolate addict. Yes, there you have it officially. I finally admitted it. He he he!!! Off to the review now! Overall, this is a very delicious chocolate, and the added marzipan is just delightful. My fiancé loves marzipan, and I am not stating that lightly. He is from Switzerland therefore, whenever we are travel abroad, he tends to purchase 100% pure marzipan from the supermarket, and just eats it in one go, regardless of the amount. The problem is finding a good quality marzipan in North America. It just does not exist. Most of them are filled with sugar, and all sorts of ingredients that you would not want to look at let alone ingest. As for the essence of the marzipan bar, at first bite, I can initially taste the dark chocolate but once it melts, I am left with this wonderful almond essence and nutty texture. There is nothing harsh or tart, just a nice and mellow zest. On the downside, the sugar factor is overwhelming as I think that there is definitely too much. It is super sweet. The ingredients are good to some extent. There is 44% marzipan filling and 16% almonds, awesome but there are a few other items added that must definitely be questioned. Invert Sugar – a mixture of glucose and fructose. This is possible by splitting the sucrose into these two components. The reason for its use: it is much sweeter than regular sugar, excellent at retaining moisture, and is less prone to crystallization. That is a double plus for bakers although not health addicts. Invert sugar is very similar to high-fructose corn syrup, and you all know how I feel about corn syrup or hydrogenated c__p. Disguising and rubbish!!! However, that is the only ingredient that really concerns me. There is also the invertase in the ingredient list but that falls within the same guidelines as the invert sugar. All of this information is available on Wikipedia for anyone out there who is interested. Besides this negative aspect, my overall impression of the Ritter Sport Dark Chocolate with Marzipan is fairly positive. It pairs well with a Lemon Iced Tea without the sugar for a refreshing summer treat.
Ingredients: Dark Chocolate with Marzipan Filling (44%), Sugar, Cocoa Mass, Almonds (16%), Cocoa Butter, Invert Sugar, Syrup, Water, Soy Lecithin, Flavour (Natural), Invertase Chocolisciously Delightful Rating: 4.1 / 5.0
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This is the second chocolate bar that I have tried and tested from the company Seattle Chocolates, and I am not disappointed. It is a very nice bar that retains a smooth consistency throughout the melting action. The dark chocolate does not trail a bitter aftertaste, nothing grainy or sandy and lastly, once the chocolate has diminished, the coconut flakes emerge. This is a nice and pleasant surprise. The Coconut Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar is almost like a relaxing yoga class. Some of the ingredients in the chocolate make me feel at pure ease. Perhaps there is some hidden element that is capable of doing so, who knows????? Regardless, this was a welcoming surprise. Two thumbs up. I can imagine how great this would pair alongside a nice cup of raspberry mocha. Packaging is fantastic as the color scheme is super fun. I will probably scrapbook with the wrapper as it is so pretty. Lastly, I approve of all the ingredients. I can understand them all, nothing artificially made or hydrogenated added. Extra points coming right up!!!
Ingredients: Dark Chocolate (Chocolate Liquor, Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavour), Coconut Flakes, Coconut Oil, Sea Salt, Natural Coconut Flavour Chocolisciously Delightful Rating: 3.8 / 5.0 This heavenly chocolate infestation of Nutella is what started the idea for my whole blog.
It all began with Nutella, the spark and concept of my blog, the motivation, and the time-consuming effort. I owe it all to this delightful, glorious, divine mixture of cocoa and hazelnuts. Seriously, if anyone out there has not tried this amazing spread, I do not know what you have been doing all your life. Nutella has an invisible crown that I can see every single time I reach for a spoonful. Okay, enough praising, and let's delve into the review. What I really mean to say is let me have a bite, huge bite, then two and three. Thereafter, I will begin the review. Nutella was initially introduced by Ferrero in 1964, and has been a hit on the market ever since. Ferrero consumes 25% of the global supply of hazelnuts. That is a huge number. Every time I taste this delectable spread, I cannot believe how pleasing and euphoric it is. Absolute perfection. Smooth of course as it is a spread, amazing chocolaty aftertaste, nothing is bitter or grainy. It is also quite hazel nutty in taste although the European version has a much more distinct taste with additional hazelnuts and less sugar added. I appreciate it much more than the North American version. Nutella is made differently for every continent around the world. Since the North Americans like things sweeter, Nutella has catered and added more sugar. It is a bit tragic as the extra sweetener takes away from the real taste of the hazelnuts. I must also discuss a bit of the ingredient list. First item happens to be sugar, and there is a whole lot of it, 22 grams per 2 tablespoons. Add that to a piece of bread in the morning, and you have yourself a breakfast with empty nutrition. A sugar spike will follow thereafter which leads to a huge crash where lethargy and brain fog both kick in. Second ingredient on the list is the modified palm oil. Yes, us humans do need fat, but that should come from unprocessed items such as nuts, avocado, and olive oil. Our bodies require fat for energy, for our brains to function optimally, and fat also helps to absorb many nutrients. What we are not in need of is fat that comes from a processed source, and one good example is the modified palm oil. Just the name itself should hint that it is treated synthetically. Third ingredient is finally what all the hype with the spread is about, the hazelnuts. They should actually be first on the list. Fourth ingredient is the cocoa which should be second, after the hazelnuts. I will be making a trip to Switzerland in the very near future and will purchase, try, and post a review of the European version of Nutella. It is much different and very subtle with the amount of sweetener added. In conclusion, I must say that overall, I adore this chocolate blend. I just wish that Ferrero took more thought and care to make Nutella part of a healthy lifestyle that is not just claimed, but tried, tested, and true. Ingredients: Sugar, Modified Palm Oil, Hazelnuts, Cocoa, Skim Milk Powder, Whey Powder, Soy and/or Sunflower Lecithin, Vanillin Chocolisciously Delightful Rating: 3.4 / 5.0 I have never heard of this company before, and that was even more of a reason for me to try and see what kind of chocolate bars they make. I also fancy the name "Toasted Hazelnut." This caught my interest. Let’s dive right into the review now, shall we? Does it taste like toasted hazelnuts, not really, and there is a burnt aftertaste if that helps anything. This is not a bad chocolate bar, there is just nothing to it. It is not exactly too pleasant, and I would not be coming back for more, at least for this flavour. I will though, try more chocolates from the Denman Island Company. I find this dark chocolate of poor quality. I cannot taste any of the hazelnuts, let alone if they are toasted or not. Once I have devoured it all, I am left with a bitter, sandy aftertaste alongside some floating particles. Nothing that gets me excited. It is just very blah bar with poor quality of ingredients. On the upside, the purple wrapping paper that this bar is bundled with is a very nice and rich color. Lastly, the ingredient list is pretty impressive. Definitely extra points given there. Yes, something positive that comes out of this review.
Ingredients: Fair Trade Chocolate (Min. 63% Cocoa Mass, Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter), Toasted Hazelnuts Chocolisciously Delightful Rating: 3.0 / 5.0 I love the little quote on this green striped mug "Smiles Make The Sun Shine." That is how I feel about this review, all smiles and the sun is really, really shining. There must be a zillion whole hazelnuts in this chocolate bar, and the best part is that they are all protruding, just eyeing me for a “oh sooo good, yummmyliscious bite.” Once this creamy, smooth, soft, and milky bar has melted in my mouth, the hazelnuts come alive. They emerge, finally, yeahh. I crunch away, and am in heaven. This is a seriously delicious chocolate bar. Warning factor: CAUSES ADDICTION. I certainly did not know when to stop. On the more serious note, a downfall is the artificial ingredient on the list. I am not a fan at all. Imagine young kids eating this or any chocolate bar with an artificial flavour. Their immune systems are not yet developed. Something artificially made in their bodies will not help to strengthen their immunity properly which determines wether they are ill or healthy for the rest of their lives. It is so inadequate. Please chocolate companies out there, just omit inadequate ingredients, and be more cautious about what else you are adding to your chocolates. Remember, it could be your child eating them. This makes a huge difference, not just with the taste, but with overall goodness. People will feel healthier knowing that their food, and chocolate of course is made with care.
Ingredients: Sugar, Hazelnuts, Cocoa Butter, Milk Ingredients, Cocoa Mass, Lactose Soya Lecithin, Barley Malt Extract Chocolisciously Delightful Rating: 4.2 / 5.0 I was in the grocery isle a few days ago, minding my own business, when something in the distance caught my eye, chocolate and orange. These two words together made me smile, literally out loud. I knew right there and then that I just had to buy this chocolate bar. I was super excited to taste, and see if Theo managed to pull this one off. I have tried other brands of chocolates with this mix of ingredients, but never from the organic company Theo. After contemplating, I finally sat down, on a beautiful Saturday morning, with my green tea, enjoying the birds chirping, ever so slowly opening the package, and happily devouring this bar. What occurred then was the unexpected – dreadfully a huge disappointment. Not only does the chocolate not taste right altogether, but it overpowers every other ingredient, most importantly, the orange. It is much too subtle, to the point where it actually tastes more like a chemical of some sort. Oh, by the way, there is no actual orange fruit in this bar, just the essential oil of an orange. Yuck!!! I do not know what it is about Theo’s dark chocolate but it is much too prominent, in almost every single one of their chocolate bars. I will be attending their factory in Seattle to dig a little deeper. This is a mystery and it must be solved. The aftertaste is just not good, very grainy and sandy with too much bitterness. I need to brush my teeth over and over again in order to get rid of this lingering taste. I am sad, soooo sad. How could this be? The chocolate tastes outright sour. Ehhhhh. There is a difference between a smooth dark chocolate and then this Theo orange, 70% dark chocolate that is anything but pleasant. This my friends, is going in the baking box, alongside the other chocolate bars that do not deserve to be eaten on their own, but are perfectly fine for baking. I am so traumatized now, what should I do? Perhaps a latte alongside some soup will erase the bad taste in my mouth. Okay, my excitement is kicking in. This review is already forgotten.
Ingredients: Cocoa Beans, Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Ground Vanilla Bean, Orange Essential oil Chocolisciously Delightful Rating: 1.2 / 5.0 YUMMMMMMMY. Incredibly delightful! What a way to start off this review right? Swiss milk chocolate + raisins + hazelnuts + almonds = this bar completes me. The chocolate is a perfect melting machine, then follows the crunchiness of the hazelnuts with almonds, and lastly, the raisins peek in. Just when you think the ride is over, the dried fruit makes one last stop. What can I say, it is luscious!!! The only thing that I do not appreciate in this Lindt Swiss Milk Chocolate Bar is one ingredient, just one, and it should be omitted altogether. That is the artificial flavour. Ekkhhh. Why would Lindt even add this? A bit shocking, especially considering the fact that this bar is a Swiss product, and the Swiss are known for quality not quantity. Well, let’s forget the unfavourable feature for a moment and continue with the review. The chocolate is of a smooth, creamy consistency. No grainy texture, and the aftertaste is mainly of the dried fruit. How interesting is that! You would think that the chocolate would be the main act for the aftertaste but this bar fools you, it is a magician, plays little tricks. You trickster, you!!! Anyhow, need I say more? Just try it as an after school snack. You will not be disappointed.
Ingredients: Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Milk Ingredients, Raisins, Cocoa Mass, Hazelnuts, Almonds, Lactose, Soya Lecithin, Barley Malt Extract, Artificial Flavour Chocolisciously Delightful Rating: 4.1 / 5.0 When I first saw this chocolate and especially the title, which of course, caught my attention, I was a bit amused and very eager to try. Who does not love almonds combined with chocolate and topped off with sprinkles of salt. Uhmmm, yumm. I am happy to say that just like all Theo bars, this one is organic, fair trade, and NON-GMO verified. How can a chocolate bar be GMO, I do not understand it. Can someone please explain that to me! Would the cocoa beans be GMO, and if so, how dare you? No seriously. How can that many foods in North America be altered and grown not in their natural state. I am just appalled!!! Okay, this calls for a very different discussion at another time which I am very open to, but in the meantime, let me get back on track and onto the review. I am actually very pleased with the taste of the Theo Salted Almond 70% Dark Chocolate bar. It has just a touch of saltiness integrated. It is not too little nor too much, perfect might I add. Also, there is a fairly good amount of almonds in this bar, Theo was certainly not cheap with that ingredient. The dark chocolate is not too bitter and has a very nice melting action, nothing grainy here! None of the ingredients overwhelm each other, and are instead, complementary. I was reaching for more. Oh yeahhhh. Overall, a huge fascination with this delight. What a surprise. I will be purchasing this bar for my own personal consumption. Theo, you got this one right. Standing ovation it is.
Ingredients: Cocoa Beans, Sugar, Almonds, Cocoa Butter, Fleur De Sel (Sea Salt), Ground Vanilla Bean Chocolisciously Delightful Rating: 4.6 / 5.0 |
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Affordable but still SavoryThis blog page is dedicated to inexpensive chocolates that are continuously, to this day, enjoyed daily by many chocolate lovers out there. I still happily delve my taste buds into a good old-fashioned, so tasty, and yet simple Mr. Goodbar. To top it off, the cost allows for a much "Sweeter" satisfaction on your fuller wallet! Archives
August 2022
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