candy

Winter Wonderfuls: Dark Chocolate Crunchy Peanut Butter Snowmen

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:00:00 +0000

I finished the last Dark Chocolate Crunchy Peanut Butter Snowman on the wintriest day in Atlanta. Anyone who is familiar with the city and its weather knows that snow covered roofs, cars, trees, and streets meant a snow day for hundreds of thousands of adults and kids alike. So it was one of those rare and perfect days to stay in and enjoy a chocolate-y treat!

Originally, I was a bit perplexed to find a box of nine little, white, individually wrapped, peanut butter snowmen waiting to be consumed. Crunchy peanut butter chocolate didn’t strike me as festive, and the snowmen looked like they were in costume for Halloween, but the box's homemade graphic appeal and the ease with which the snowmen could be shared won me over.

More importantly, and always exciting when it comes to edible indulgences, is that Sjaak’s chocolates are certified organic and fair trade. They also have a great selection of vegan products that would make anyone’s mouth water. It’s worth visiting Sjaak’s website, not only for its visual delight but also for its history and socially responsible mission.

As for the chocolate itself, I had mixed feelings. While the crunchy peanut butter filling delivered on the crunchiness, it wasn’t as flavorful as I’d hoped. It was also kind of slim because of the thick chocolate coating. Then again, the chocolate was the real winner, with a somewhat fudge-y, smooth taste and feel.

While the Winter Wonderfuls wouldn’t be at the top of my holiday wish list, they were a great introduction to Sjaak’s Organic Chocolates. Anyone who has a taste for organic, vegan-friendly chocolate should exploring the rest of their products. (They even have dark chocolate lavender truffles!)

Written by: Irene Wazgowska, February 1st 2010

YummyEarth Organic Super Sour Pops

admin — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0000

By YummyEarth

I don’t have a sweet tooth; I have sweet teeth. No: I don’t have sweet teeth, I have sweet bones. So the challenge is to get through life with a minimum of caloric catastrophe and dental damage. Thankfully, there are a wide variety of health-conscious treats available from YummyEarth.

Founded by two fathers who wanted to spare their children chemical dyes, fake seasoning, and corn syrup, all YummyEarth candies are USDA and EU certified organic. Admittedly, I’ve heard for years that corn syrup is bad for you, but never investigated the particulars. Apparently high fructose corn syrup not only pumps people full of empty calories, it also interferes with two bodily substances, Leptin and Gherlin.

Leptin and Gherlin may sound like two evil Tolkien characters, but apparently Leptin signals to the brain that you are full, and Gherlin increases appetite. What high fructose corn syrup does is decrease the production to Leptin, and increase the production of Gherlin. So you think you have more room in your stomach and feel hungrier that you actually are. Great.

I had the pleasure of tasting the high fructose corn syrup-free Super Sour Pops, and it was a satisfying experience, indeed. The flavors are Strawberry Smash, Sour Apple Tart, Googly Grape and Very Very Cherry – the apple is my favorite. Each lollipop is only twenty-two calories, so it’s not surprising that I’d slurp through three in rapid succession. Even at sixty-six calories, it’s a reasonable treat.

YummyEarth also offers Fruit Pops, Strawberry Pops, Vitamin C Pops, and Fiesta Pops. The candy drops include Citrus C Grove, Pomegranate Pucker, Very Very Cherry, Cheeky Lemon, Wet Face Watermelon, Wild Peppermint, Cinnamon Stick, Ginger Zest, Roadside Root Beer, and Hopscotch Butterscotch. But it’s the Hot Chili Pops that I’m going to have to track down.

Written by: Erika Mikkalo, January 18th 2010

YummyEarth Organic Gummy Bears

admin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:03:00 +0000

By YummyEarth

Looking for the perfect lunchbox treat? Look no further than YummyEarth Organic Gummy Bears. These cute little critters are USDA Certified Organic, made with real fruit juice, and provide 100% of daily vitamin C.

The first thing you might notice about YummyEarth’s bears is their color. They are vibrant and appealing, but they colors are markedly more natural (no bright green or screaming orange). This is because of (hooray!) the lack of artificial dyes in the product. While we’re on the topic of what’s not in these bears, I’ll mention that they are free of corn syrup, tree nuts, gluten, peanuts, soy, dairy, GMOs, and MSG.

Inside the bag is a crowd of adorable, squeezable, classically-shaped little bears in an unusual lineup of flavors: Pomegranate Pucker, Strawberry Smash, and Sour Apple Tart. What a refreshing deviation from cherry, grape, and lime! The taste is sweet, tangy, and pure. No thick, syrupy texture here; just chewy, fruity goodness. Of the three flavors, my personal favorite is Strawberry Smash. It’s difficult to find a strawberry-flavored candy that doesn’t taste artificial. Any berry lover will appreciate the deep, authentic flavor of these bears. The pomegranate and sour apple flavors are delicious as well.

Nutritionally speaking, the good news is that this treat is free of fat, cholesterol, and sodium. While it might be tempting to eat the whole bag in one sitting, be aware that the five-ounce bag holds five servings of bears. But don’t worry; you won’t have any trouble finding someone to share this treat with you! Visit YummyEarth’s website for more treats, including one-serving gummy bear snack packs, gummy worms, and lollipops in distinct flavors (Hot Chili Pop, anyone?). Conveniently, orders can be placed directly through the website, so your treats will come straight to your home!

Written by: Amanda Moss, December 31st 2009

Cacao Nibs

admin — Tue, 15 May 2007 13:43:00 +0000

By sweetriot

When my Cacao Nibs arrived in the mail, I was entertaining some friends who were visiting. When they saw the arduous task ahead of me – reviewing chocolate – they kindly offered their assistance in testing the product. And they tested it very thoroughly – the four little tins were almost empty by the time they left.

Made by sweetriot, a company dedicated to social responsibility, these pure Cacao Nibs are dipped in varying flavors of chocolate. Flavor 50 is dunked in 50% chocolate, giving it a flavor reminiscent of milk chocolate (although these are all dairy-free). Flavor 65 is dipped in 65% chocolate, giving it an intense dark chocolate taste. Flavor 70 is mixed with espresso, combing two of my favorite tastes, and Flavor 70 cher is flavored with cherry. These delicious chocolates come in fun, colorful little tins, which fit perfectly in your purse for a chocolate fix on the go. They even come with little fortunes inside!

Written by: Beeb Ashcroft, May 15th 2007

Trinity of ChocoLove

admin — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 12:26:00 +0000

By Painter Girl Chocolates

It may shock you to hear that I'm not a fan of chocolate. (You may pick your jaw up from the ground now.) I've become familiar with the looks of disbelief after I make this radical confession. So why would a girl who doesn't like chocolate want to review the dreaded confection? Well, from time to time I get a hold of something that gives me hope, and I'm not afraid to be proven wrong.

Thanks should be given to Chloe Jo for making me privy to Painter Girl Chocolates, a company that makes me glad I'm not dogmatic in my sweets aversion. The Animal Print Chocolate bar was artful and delicious. I tried The Snow Leopard, a white chocolate bar with literal spots of dark chocolate. The sweetness is cut by a slight lemony flavor, which accents the white chocolate quite nicely.

Another cute and tasty goody is the aptly named Caramel Paint Tube. As you may have gained from the appellation, these have gooey caramel stuffed inside dark chocolate and comes in the shape of a squeeze tube of paint. The taste is creamy and (dare I say) divine, just the right mix of this classic combination.

The last treat I sampled was a cinnamon sprinkled Bon Bon that comes wrapped in colored foil. Uh... yum! This chocolate is rich and decadent, which means you only have to eat one to get your fix. (But for those on the opposite side of the chocolate adoration continuum, you might think differently.)

With Valentine's Day just days away, you can either wait until the last minute and give your loved one some quick and thoughtless gift, like flowers from the corner store or a cheap bottle of wine, or you can buy that special someone one of these fabulous chocolates and feel good knowing that the profits benefit the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. Now that's what I call spreading the love.

Written by: Mandy Van Deven, February 7th 2007