From the category archives:

Candy Reviews

Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate: Happy Valentine’s Day Indeed!

by Joi on January 6, 2010

As you know, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. And if you’re anything like me, if it’s a special day, you HAVE to have great chocolate and plenty of it. Actually, I have to have great chocolate every day, but I digress.

Chocolate doesn’t get any better than Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate – which is why I write about it so frequently here on Get Cooking:

Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate Give Us Reason to Celebrate

Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate: As Chocolate as Humanly Possible

Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate is Still the Best Chocolate on Earth

Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate Has Done it Again and I Love Them

Obviously, I’m hooked. There’s one thing you’ve surely noticed about me by now and that’s that I am extremely Brand Loyal. If I find a brand of chocolate (Green & Black’s), shredded and sliced cheese (Sargentos), Gourmet Cheese (Beemster’s), dishwashing liquid (Dawn), etc. that never lets me down – I never let it down. I stick with it and I praise it to the hilt.

Green & Black’s Organic chocolate most definitely fits this bill. Take it from the world’s most addicted chocoholic – this is top of the line, delicious, creamy chocolate.

We all know that chocolate is a necessity year round, but Valentine’s Day is custom made for it. Nothing says “You’re Special” better than the gift of premium organic chocolate. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Green & Black’s has introduced its first U.S. exclusive flavor to its family of premium organic chocolate bars. Green & Black’s new Peanut bar is a blend of premium 37% milk chocolate with a delectable combination of caramelized peanuts and a hint of sea salt.

How over-the-top incredible does that sound?!?!

Below is an outline of chocolate-y wonderful ideas for celebrating Valentine’s Day the way it was intended to be celebrated. These ideas are courtesy of Green & Black’s and I hope you’ll let them inspire you to go all out this Valentine’s Day.

Whether you’re single and celebrating with a group of friends or planning a romantic evening for two, Green & Black’s has enlisted Micah Carr-Hill, their Head of Taste, to create a romantic menu for an unforgettable Valentine’s Day!

Singles: Wine and Chocolate Pairing Party

This year, avoid the crowded restaurants and host an intimate wine and chocolate pairing party that your closest friends won’t soon forget. Your guests will fall in love with the latest wine pairings just for Valentine’s Day including:

Green & Black’s Toffee and Zinfandel

Chocolate, toffee and wine…three of life’s great pleasures. It’s never truer than when pairing the rich, dark-fruit characters in the wine accentuate the chocolate’s buttery sweet toffee flavors.

Green & Black’s White and Chardonnay

This may just be the world’s perfect pairing. The silky smoothness, creamy texture and vanilla finish of Green & Black’s White is perfectly complemented by the tropical fruit and hint of oak in a classic Chardonnay.

Green & Black’s Dark 85% and Syrah

Intense! This is the only way to describe the pairing of Green & Black’s Dark 85% and a rich Syrah. The complexity and sturdy structure of the wine softens and enhances the dark, intense chocolate.

Couples: Romantic Chocolate Tasting for Two

There’s nothing better than chocolate to set the mood for a romantic evening for two. Candles and rose petals are great, but nothing will show your special someone they’re the sweetest than a passionate chocolate tasting. Take these tips for an at-home chocolate tasting from Green & Black’s:

Conduct the tasting like you would a wine tasting
Choose up to six of your favorite flavours to taste
Start with the lightest variety (White) and finish with the darkest (Dark 85%)

Green & Black’s is a chocolate that makes no compromises. The great tasting chocolate made from the world’s finest organic ingredients also gives back to the environment.

In celebration of the launch of the new Peanut bar, Green & Black’s is offering a special $1 off coupon for customers. Visit www.greenandblacks.com for a downloadable coupon which can be used at select retailers, including Target.

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Target is pretty much my home away from home, so it’s where I get all of my Green & Black’s chocolate candy.

Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows Make Life Tastier: One Hot Chocolate at a Time

by Joi on December 16, 2009

Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows

Oh Joy! Oh Happiness! Oh Unspeakable pleasure! I’m sure you’ve guessed by now that I’m either in the middle of a cup of coffee, a chocolate experience, a delicious cookie, or am currently going one on one with candy of some sort.

I’m actually sort of out-doing myself right now. I just finished my pot of coffee and am losing myself in the best cup of hot chocolate I’ve EVER had. Did you catch that? – - – - EVER!

As always, I made my favorite Hot Chocolate recipe (It’s the one on the back of Kroger’s Baking Cocoa – funny, huh? I’ve tried every hot chocolate recipe known to exist and the best one is on a container of baking cocoa…and a store brand at that! What!?) This recipe always, always, always makes an outstanding cup of hot cocoa. However, I was feeling pretty full of myself this morning, so I kicked it up a notch. Right before I laddled the hot chocolate into our eager holiday mugs (my oldest daughter Emily is always my partner in hot chocolate adventures), I stirred in a little Hershey’s chocolate syrup.

Then, I poured the chocolate, aromatic, liquid Heaven into our cups. I topped hers off with three Chocolate Chipetta Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows – the look on her face was all I needed to tell me that she was in Chocolate Heaven and didn’t want to ever return. I took a sip and I must say – it doesn’t get any chocolate-y-er than this. YUM!

I topped my hot cocoa off with 3 Caramel Swirl Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows. Then, with my intentions clear, I sprinkled on a little Sea Salt. You got it! I was aiming for the effect of Starbuck’s Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate. I honestly, humbly, and with chocolate and marshmallow goo on my face believe I outdid myself. This was a truly remarkable, ridiculously delicious cup of hot chocolate. I’ll just go ahead and say it – it’s even better than the drink Starbucks once made (then heartlessly yanked away!). The delicious caramel flavoring in these marshmallows isn’t just delicious – it’s slap your face delicious.

The same is true of the Chocolate Chipetta Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows. I know my chocolate, and these are premium, first class chocolate marshmallows. They earn the term Gourmet with every single bite.

Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows

I’ve thrown the Chocolate Chipetta Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows on top of a dollop of homemade whipped topping in coffee and highly recommend it! Think about it: Coffee, chocolate, candy… all in one place. It makes a remarkable cup of coffee that tastes like it came from a coffeehouse.

I’ve also tried the Luscious Lemony Meringue Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows. If the amazing smell of these gourmet marshmallows doesn’t knock you out, the flavor will. Heavenly! I toss them on top of hot tea – for those of you who (silly gooses!) who don’t care for green tea, these gourmet marshmallows will make the experience one to remember. You’ll drink every last drop.

The different flavors of gourmet marshmallows are outstanding on smores, too. I just build them and put them in the microwave. Everyone loves them. They’re perfect, beautiful, and delicious snacks for eating during ballgames, holiday specials, reruns of Andy Griffith, or your favorite Food Network show.

Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows

I’ve also toasted them (on the stove) and used them as dips for chocolate and caramel sauces. Amazing… that’s the best word for the experience… amazing!

There are Peppi-Mint, Cinnamon, and Vanilla Bean varieties that I’ve yet to try. I’m especially eager to meet the Peppi-Mint and Vanilla Bean flavors. Oh the plans I have for them!!!

Do yourself (and the people you’d consent to share with) a wonderful favor and head over to Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows to read more and, best of all, to order your own gourmet marshmallows. These are NOT, NOT, NOT like traditional, store-bought marshmallows. It’s like the difference between an eagle and a housefly.

Drat. My mug’s empty. Time to make more!

Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows

Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows on YouTube!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites Weds Chocolate Candy and Cookie Dough and I Love Them For It

by Joi on December 8, 2009

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

Love chocolate candy? Well, of course you do – you’re on one of my websites, aren’t you? I have an automatic filter on my sites that detects non-chocolate lovers and bans them to a black cyber hole, auto-mat-ically. The way I see it, if you don’t love chocolate, I’ve got nothing for you.

So, you obviously love chocolate candy.

I’m pretty sure you also love chocolate chip cookie dough too – who doesn’t? Now, hold onto something, you’re about to feel a tremor: Someone with a deliciously brilliant mind has blended the two together and the beautiful outcome is pictured above. It’s also right in front of me, but you can’t see that. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites are wonderful and you simply must try a box today. The thing is, you’d better buy more than one, because these tend to disappear fast.

When you first pop one into your mouth, you’re instantly hit by the taste of delicious chocolate. The texture and size will remind you of chocolate-covered raisins or peanuts. But when you take a bite… chocolate chip cookie dough – but without the eggs so your mom’s “Don’t eat that, it isn’t good for you!” doesn’t apply.

You can find these scrumptious Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites in Wal-Mart, Walgreen’s, Best Buy, and K-Mart. I’m certain they’re available in other stores as well, these are simply the places I, myself, have encountered them. And what wonderful encounters they are! They’re the type of encounter that leave you with only one option…. cue the music… you gotta do your happy chocolate dance.

Do the happy chocolate dance!

Word to Santa: These would make killer stocking stuffers.

Gourmet Nutcracker Gift Assortment

by Joi on November 15, 2009

Mrs. Prindable's 12 Days of Christmas

Gorgeous! If you collect nutcrackers or simply or MUST HAVE everything Christmas-related (guilty) or chocolate (guilty guilty), you’re going to love this.

Mrs. Prindable’s 12 Days of Christmas Petite Gift Assortment is almost too beautiful to believe. If you have a nutcracker collector on your Christmas list, you just found the perfect gift. (BTW, Dr. Phil and his wife collect nutcrackers – how cool’s that?)

Click the link above and give someone a Christmas gift they’ll talk about for years to come – even if that someone is you!

Love it. Love it. Love it.

Autumn Jumbo Gourmet Gift for Thanksgiving

by Joi on November 15, 2009

Mrs. Prindables Gourmet Autumn Candy Apple

Are the kids in your family less than enthusiastic about traditional pumpkin and pecan pies after Thanksgiving dinner? Sometimes kids (counting kids in their 20’s) can be very particular about their desserts – if they don’t detect chocolate, their mind tunes completely out. While I can certainly relate to that, I”m all about Pumpkin and Sweet Potato pie. However, if you have loved ones in your family who don’t care for these Thanksgiving pies, Mrs. Prindables is a delicious and oh-so-beautiful alternative.

I got a Autumn Wreath Jumbo Apple in the mail a few days ago and my family and I were blown away. It came in a gorgeous box and was wrapped in a very, very classy manner! What can I say, it was stunning. The beautiful autumn wreath at the top of the apple is a real work of art. I have mine perched in a brass candle holder (I happen to collect them, with a collection in the hundreds) – it makes a lovely Autumn decoration.

The best part, of course, was the treat, itself. A huge Granny Smith apple (delicious!) is coated in caramel. Then the real fun begins: It’s covered with peanut butter chips, almonds, and the richest chocolate candy you ever tasted. There are other flavor combinations available (click here for all of them).

You could sit the beautiful apple in the middle of the dessert table as is, or slice it into many pieces and present them on a platter – either way, it’ll be the talk of the day. If you have more than 10 people, you’ll need 2 apples – one easily will serve 8-10 people.

Mrs. Prindable’s, the #1 maker of handmade gourmet apple gifts, has created the “Autumn Wreath Jumbo Apple”, a new, jumbo Granny Smith apple coated in homemade caramel, rolled in peanut butter chips and almonds, then doused with dollops of milk chocolate and dark chocolate, topped off with a decorative Autumn Wreath ornament. This unique apple gift is also available in all eight signature Mrs. Prindable’s flavors, with a variety of premium chocolates and gourmet nut and candy toppings. Each decadent apple weighs up to 1.5 lbs., and is easily sliced to serve between 8 and 10 guest.

Cost is $26.95 plus tax and shipping. – Mrs. Prindables.com

There’s plenty of time to order for Thanksgiving. For Standard Delivery, order by Monday 11/23.

If you are looking for a unique gift idea for your Thanksgiving hostess, Mrs. Prindable’s gourmet treats are also available in gift baskets. Friends and
family will enjoy a natural basket filled with an assortment of chocolate and caramel-coated apples, pretzels dipped in caramel and peanut butter or chocolate chips, gourmet caramels, premium caramel truffles, almond bark and more. Mrs. Prindable’s gift baskets are available in a wide variety of sizes and price points.

View Signature baskets here: http://www.mrsprindables.com/store/item.asp?rectype=occasion&item_id=231&department_id=84

About Mrs. Prindable’s: Mrs. Prindable’s gourmet apples are a far cry from the simple caramel apples you remember from childhood. Instead, Mrs. Prindable’s gourmet apples are true works of art that emerge after artisans handcraft them during a meticulous, 11-step process involving gourmet caramel, premium chocolates and a variety of gourmet nuts and candy toppings.

After delivery directly from the orchard, the premium apples are dipped by hand in creamy, smooth caramel cooked that same day. Using only the best all-natural ingredients — butter, sugar, cream and vanilla — the caramel is prepared in traditional copper pots in small batches that allow for precise monitoring of the quality and consistency. Such attention ensures that each layer is up to the soft and creamy standards that have made Mrs. Prindable’s caramel famous for 25 years.

For more information on Mrs. Prindable’s products, or to place an order, visit www.MrsPrindables.com or call 888.215.1100.

This would make a gorgeous and ideal gift for a hostess during Thanksgiving as well.

Seeds of Change Organic Chocolate is Ridiculously Delicious

by Joi on April 30, 2009

Seeds of Change Organic Chocolate Candy

I’d love to introduce you to a wonderful new friend of mine… well, actually, several new friends of mine. They’re pictured above. Gorgeous, right? They’re the delicious, chocolat-astic Seeds of Change Chocolate bars and you’ll love them as much as I do. If you could smell my breath right now, you’d know JUST how much I love them.

Seeds of Change Organic Chocolate Candy

From the Seeds of Change Web Site:

Seeds of Change® was founded in 1989 with a revolutionary mission: To make organically grown seeds available to gardeners and farmers, while preserving countless heirloom seed varieties in danger of being lost to the “advances” of modern industrial agriculture.

As we recognized the need to preserve and promote organic seeds, we also saw the opportunity to create organic foods that were inspired by the notion that great taste and sustainability can go hand in hand. And…the Seeds of Change Organic Brand was born.

But we knew we had to do more than just create delicious organic products to preserve the very soil beneath our feet. So we began donating 1% of our net sales to promote sustainable organic farming initiatives worldwide.

At Seeds of Change, we believe that making responsible choices today makes a better world tomorrow. That’s why everything we do and make has the future of our world in mind. For 20 years, Seeds of Change has been inspiring change for a better world. Learn more about our Research Farm and our sustainable organic farming initiatives, as well as what you can do to make the world a better place.

Seeds of Change Organic Dark Chocolate with Coconut

From my chocolate-coated taste buds:

Mmmmmm! You know me, there are several areas in which my knowledge is legendary and passionate: Cooking with Buttermilk, animal welfare, coffee, tea, chocolate, old movies, the Food Network, coconut, cookbooks, gladiola flowers, cats, polar bears, UK basketball, St. Louis Cardinals baseball, and raising perfect daughters. Chocolate has been on my list of expertise since I was about as tall as a dachshund.

Seeds of Change chocolate bars are as passionate about being chocolate as I am about being a chocoholic. Not only can you can taste their passion in every single bite, you can smell it the second you open one of their candy bars. When I opened the Dark Chocolate with Coconut bar (it was first since it combines two passions in one!), I let out a happy, happy sigh. The smell was so exotic and intoxicating – it smelled like chocolate on vacation. Can you even imagine how Heavenly that is?!?! Get this – it tasted even better. I- I love it when chocolate vacations in Hawaii and takes me along.

Seeds of Change Organic Milk Chocolate with Puffed Grains

The Chocolate with Puffed Grains is another favorite. It tastes a lot like Krackle bars – just a lot fatter and even more chocolaty. I couldn’t try the Dark Chocolate with Mango and Cashews because of a fierce allergy to mango, but my daughters tell me that it’s beyond sensational. They put it away like crazy, so I’m guessing it’s fantastic.

The Milk Chocolate bars are SO creamy you just get lost in the experience. They’re absolutely amazing. And the Dark Chocolate with Cherries and Vanilla bars are much, much, much better than you’d expect. They’re what Chocolate covered cherries would be if they turned themselves into candy bars and threw on a little vanilla for good measure. Delish!

I’m saving the Dark Chocolate for last because dark chocolate has become something of an obsession with me. Once you get hooked on Dark Chocolate, there’s no going back. Seeds of Change Dark Chocolate has a glorious 61 percent cocoa and I’ll tell you why that turns me on so: Eating Dark Chocolate is very good for you. It contains potent antioxidants that destroy free radicals in your body. These free radicals are associated with cancer and heart disease. In the fantastic book, The Denim Diet by Kami Gray, she points out that not all dark chocolate is equal. The higher the cocoa content, the better for you. Each of the Seeds of Change Dark Chocolate bars (Dark Chocolate with Coconut, dark Chocolate, and Dark Chocolate with Cherries and Vanilla, and Dark Chocolate with Mango and Cashews) have a staggering 61 percent of cocoa.

Personally (and remember, I’m nothing if not an expert in the field of chocolate), I think this is a great percentage. Higher percentages often take a little “getting used to.” This is absolutely perfect.

What does the symbol printed on the chocolate mean?

This symbol is The Seeds of Change mandala and is an ancient symbol of abundance and vitality known as The Seed of Life. Beautiful and delicious.

Where can you buy Seeds of Change Chocolate candy?

According to their web site, Seeds of Change Organic Chocolates are available at Whole Foods and other fine stores. Keep an eye out for them in your favorite grocery stores, as they are adding retailers to their list. I’ll let you know as soon as I find them in my own haunts. Of course, you can always just buy them online. It’s hard to beat that for convenient.

By the way, remember Mother’s Day is just around the corner, followed closely by Father’s Day – so load up and add some of the best chocolate in the world to their gift bags. They’ll thank you from the bottom of their hearts (which you’ll help protect if you include the dark chocolate varieties). Mom and Dad will be so thankful, they may never bring up that dented bumper or broken heirloom vase again. Or the broken curfews, or the crayon on the walls, or the time you embarrassed them in front of the preacher….

Well, they’ll thank you from the bottom of their hearts….

Seeds of Change Organic Chocolate Candy

Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate Candy Gives Us Even More to Celebrate

by Joi on April 22, 2009

Green & Blacks Organic Chocolate Candy

Spring is one of my favorite times of the year – everything just comes to life and there seems to be absolute, unspoiled beauty everywhere you look. What a PERFECT time of the year to celebrate Earth Day (today!) and Mother’s Day.

Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate – the chocolate that makes no compromises – is offering some great ideas to observe both holidays.

Green & Black’s chocolates allow you to make eco-friendly choices while not compromising on life’s everyday indulgences. This is seriously, seriously delicious chocolate.

This year, in honor of Earth Day, Green & Black’s is offering a downloadable widget with daily tips on how to live green and black –respecting the earth while indulging in the best things it has to offer.

Some tips include:

While cooking for friends at your next dinner party, shop at your closest farmers’ market. Buying from local farms puts money back into your community, plus the produce will be fresher than items transported across the country.
On your next vacation, book a hotel that’s LEED-certified. The certification stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is a national standard for builders looking to make a smaller impact on the environment.
Go to DineGreen.com to determine how eco-conscious your favorite restaurant is. The Green Restaurant Association offers various certification levels, based on criteria like whether a restaurant buys locally or composts its waste.

Be inspired by these eco-friendly ideas when celebrating Mother’s Day on May 10.

Treat Mom to an indulgent gift that also treats the environment.

If Mom can’t live without her morning cup of coffee or tea (guilty!), buy her a travel mug from her favorite coffee shop. She can travel to work in style while reducing the number of paper cups she uses.
Get Mom a chic metallic or cloth-covered case in which to carry her lunch; pack it with healthy snacks, like homemade granola, or a square or two of Green & Black’s organic chocolate.
Set-up a window box herb garden for Mom in the kitchen. Sprigs of fresh rosemary, parsley, and mint help make dishes more vibrant.

And you can never go wrong with treating Mom to a gift of delicious chocolate. Give Mom a variety of her favorite chocolate flavors – wrap up three to four bars of Green & Black’s organic chocolate in a bow for an affordable and delectable gift Mom can indulge in.

Green & Black’s offers 12 chocolate flavors ranging from light to dark chocolate. Traditional varieties include White, Milk, and Dark, while the more unique flavors are Maya Gold, Ginger, Espresso and new Toffee.

If you would like more information about Green & Black’s or to download the widget please visit www.GreenandBlacks.com.

Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate and Food and Wine Announce and Eco-Friendly Contest

by Joi on February 22, 2009

You’ve read about my love for Green & Black’s Chocolates (here, here, here, and here). They really float my chocolate boat. As a matter of fact, before Valentine’s Day, I was in my favorite grocery store (Kroger) looking at heart shaped boxes of candy, wishing Green & Black’s sold Valentine’s Day collections.

I’d have bought the entire shelf!

As someone who is all about the environment and, especially, the precious animals we share this planet with, I love the fact that their great tasting chocolate is made from the world’s finest organic ingredients which gives back to the environment. Now Green & Black’s Organic chocolate wants to find out how you and I live green & black – making eco-friendly choices while not compromising on life’s every day indulgences. They’re having a contest and the prize is one you won’t believe.

All you have to do is submit an original story (200 words maximum) on how you balance both the green & the black – the eco-friendly and indulgent – in your life.

The winner will receive an exclusive guest package for two (2) to the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, June 19-21, 2009. This year’s Classic will include culinary favorites Giada De Laurentiis and Mario Batali, cooking legend Jacques Pépin, grill master Bobby Flay, along with Michael Symon, Michel Richard, and many more. The perennially sold-out event will support Food & Wine’s Grow for Good campaign benefiting Wholesome Wave Foundation, a national initiative dedicated to supporting local farms and encouraging sustainable agriculture.

The winning “Live in the &” entry will be awarded the following:

Guest passes to the Classic in Aspen Grand Tastings
Insider access to the exclusive Grow for Good Dinner
Passes to select seminars
Round trip airfare for 2 to Aspen
Accommodations for 3 nights

To enter the Green & Black’s “Live in &” Contest presented with Food & Wine, simply visit the following link: www.foodandwine.com/greenandblacks.

Entries are being accepted now through April 30, 2009. Good luck!

Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate Has Done it Again and I Love Them

by Joi on September 11, 2008

A while back, I wrote an open love letter to the makers of Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate candy bars (the link to that post is at the bottom of this love letter). I had been thinking about their candy recently while filling up my halloween bowls and dishes with delightful little lovelies. I made a mental note to order more bars - to really load up on the White Chocolate and Almond bars.

Now, it seems I have a third favorite to join the mix. Green & Black’s recently added “Toffee” to their delicious lineup of organic chocolate candy bars. It is so delicious and smooth, I can’t even BEGIN to describe how heavenly it is.

This are big candy bars so, normally, I eat on one over the course of a day. I’ll take a little square, return to my computer, cooking, laundry room, tv, or wherever my destination is at the moment. Then, a little later, I’ll go back for another bite of chocolate delight. When my Toffee bar arrived in the mail, I laid it on the counter and thought, “When the rest of my daughters and my husband get home, I’ll give out bites and we’ll have our own little taste party.”

Problem is, it kept staring at me – every time I walked by. I’m pretty sure it even called my name once. My middle daughter, Brittany, walked by and it called out to her as well. Soooo, I thought, WHY NOT?!! I figured we’d each take a little square off and save the rest for…

Ah, the best laid plans.

The candy bar never stood a chance. We had to despose of the evidence. I never, ever, EVER eat such rich candy all at once like that – I also NEVER eat something that I fully intended to share with the people I love to pieces!!! But, good grief, this candy bar was unlike anything I’ve ever tasted or I’m pretty sure will ever taste again.

Check out Green & Black’s description:

Our delectable, organic toffee is made by heating sugar along with butter and molasses to create the perfect flavorful blend. This full, concentrated flavor allows the crunchy toffee pieces to punch their way through our intense 34% cocoa-rich milk chocolate. Available in 3.5oz bars.

You know, they could very well add, “Will make even the most loving wife and mother devour the last drop and never look back.”

Been there. Done that. Have the chocolate stains.

Get yourself to your nearest Target and grab as many of the Toffee candy bars as possible. Target’s one of my favorite hang-outs (especially since ours in Owensboro recently placed a Starbucks right inside the store – It’s pretty much my second home), so I’ll just make sure to grab a handful on my next visit. Maybe, just maybe, the rest of the family will see how amazing they are.

If, that is, they beat me and Brittany to them.

Links:
If you don’t have a Target (you have my heart-felt sympathy), go to Green & Black’s.com to find your nearest supplier.

Click HERE for my review of the other delicious candy bars made by Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate.

As Chocolate as Humanly Possible

by Joi on April 17, 2008

Green & Black's Organic Chocolates, Chocolate candy review

When I read “As Chocolate as Humanly Possible” on Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate’s website, I KNEW it would be the sweetest of relationships. If there’s one thing I can truly, truly appreciate it’s getting the most out of Chocolate!

You know the episode of Andy Griffith where the cute little boy, Leon, part of a peanut butter sandwich in his hand and the rest on his face? He holds up the sandwich to Barney, offering him a sample of the good stuff?

That’s so me right now. And you? Well, your Barney for the moment. The only difference is, it’s not peanut butter sandwich on my face, in my hand, or on my mind – it’s some of the creamiest, most delicious chocolate I’ve ever tasted! Oh, and, hopefully you don’t have a bullet in your pocket.

Green & Black's Organic Chocolates, Chocolate candy review

ABOUT GREEN & BLACK’S ORGANIC CHOCOLATE

In 1991, Green & Black’s co-founder Craig Sams (founder of the UK’s pioneering organic food company, Whole Earth) was sent a sample of dark 70 percent chocolate made from organic cocoa beans. His wife and co-founder Jo Fairley (an environmental columnist for The London Times), a self-proclaimed chocoholic ….a kindred spirit…. found it on his desk. Like any self-respecting chocoholic, she tasted it.

She realized that it was unlike anything she’d ever tasted and was overwhelmed by the intense flavor. She convinced Sams that they owed it to the world to create the world’s first organic chocolate.

The world was, and is, grateful!

Sams and Fairley name their new company Green & Black’s to symbolize their new product – green for organic and black for the rich, intense, dark brown (almost black) color of the chocolate.

A few Did You Knows?

* Green & Black’s Fair Trade Policy: In 1994, Green & Black’s launched Maya Gold, the first UK product to be awarded the Fair Trade Mark by the UK Fair Trade Foundation. The first batch of Maya Gold chocolate, and every batch since, has been made with cocoa sourced directly from Mayan farmers, giving them a fair price for their crop. Green & Black has a long-term contract with these farmers, guaranteeing to buy all the cocoa they can produce.

This has, of course, helped the farmers improve the quality of their lives as well as those in their community.

* Green & Black’s cocoa powder also proudly carries the fair trade mark.

* Chocolate is a source of antioxidants. So, our addiction is actually good for us. Of course, I would have eaten it anyway, but that’s good to know.

Green & Black's Organic Chocolates, Chocolate candy review

My ~~Rants and~~ Raves and More Raves:

I’m not one to half-do anything, especially if that “anything” involves chocolate or coffee, so I took it upon myself to try each and every bar Green & Black’s makes. I know, I know – it was a gnarly job, but someone had to do it.

The White Chocolate: I have a weakness for white chocolate, so this was the first bar I opened. That brings me to something about the packaging – as soon as you have one of these big fat bars in your hand, you know you’re in for something special. The packaging is very classy and elegant-looking. I love the gold foil that the bars are wrapped in – printed with Green & Black’s logo. I don’t know why, but I’m ALL ABOUT little details like this. They show that someone cares greatly about what they’re doing and want every step of the way to be something special.

It is.

You’re struck, first of all, by the gorgeous packaging. Then, when you open the gold foil, the aroma sends you to chocolate heaven! It’s as though your eyes, nose and brain are running naked through a beautiful field of flowers calling for your taste buds to join them…

….and then they do just that. Oh. My. Goodness. These bars are amazing! The white chocolate was so creamy and rich – the flavor was absolutely flawless.

Some people will pass up a gourmet candy bar because they typically run between 2 and 4 dollars. They’ll grab one by the cashier’s register instead, for anywhere between 50 cents and a dollar. The error of their decision is this: For one thing, grabbing one of those bars instead of a gourmet one is like having instant coffee instead of a full-bodied, bold cup that has just gone from beans to grinds to cup. There’s just no comparison.

PLUS, a fast and nearly free candy bar is gone inside of 10 minutes – usually 5! Whereas a gourmet candy bar (weighing around 3.5 oz) can be enjoyed for hours. The intensity and goodness of the flavor begs to be savored – so you’ll find yourself tearing off a little square here….then a little square there…. piece by glorious piece.

The Mint Chocolate: Another of my favorites is the Mint Chocolate. I absolutely love the combination of mint and chocolate – the mint chocolate cookies that the Girl Scouts sell are one of my favorite things on earth. So, I was overjoyed to discover that Green & Black’s Mint Chocolate Candy Bar tasted dead on like the Girl Scout cookies I adore so much but can only get once a year. I can get Green & Black’s heavenly Mint Chocolate anytime I want. And, I will surely do just that! I love the Mint Chocolate as much as the White Chocolate bar.

The Almond Chocolate, Caramel Chocolate, and Cherry Chocolate: I honestly can’t remember which order I tasted these in. One of my daughters opened the Caramel Chocolate one and offered me a bite before she and said bar disappeared to the living room. (It was amazing!!!) Another daughter opened the Almond Chocolate bar – to be honest, she didn’t offer a bite, I had to chase her down. But I’m good at what I do, so I caught her, grabbed a nibble and floated on air. Delicious!

I was anxious to taste the Cherry Chocolate one because I was intrigued by it. The very second I opened it, the aroma took me to one of my favorite places: Christmas! The smell is reminiscent of high quality chocolate covered cherries that you make (and/or buy) at Christmas. The taste, however, is even more agreeable to a chocoholic, though, because the emphasis is much more geared toward the chocolate than it is the cherry flavor. You can taste the cherry flavor, of course, and it’s amazing – but it doesn’t overwhelm the star of the show!

Like all of the “flavors” used with these chocolate bars, they know they are a co-star and they fill their role beautifully. They compliment the chocolate but never, ever make the cardinal sin of upstaging it. Unforgivable, that.

The Espresso Chocolate: Are you kidding me? A combination of coffee flavor and chocolate – I’m SO THERE! This bar is very intense – deliciously so. I actually ate half of the bar (over the course of two days!) and then waxed brilliant with the rest. I filled up a few waffle cone bowls with Vanilla Breyer’s Ice Cream, shaved the Espresso Chocolate on top, dolloped a little homemade whipped topping on top…shaved some more Espresso Chocolate on that – and we had a happy, happy little party gathered around the kitchen bar!

The Hazelnut & Currant was amazingly good, too. I love hazelnuts, and this bar didn’t disappoint me one bit! The intense chocolate flavor of these bars just keeps blowing me away.

They’re available online at Greens & Black’s Organic Chocolate, at health food stores, and at most Target and Kroger stores (two of my homes away from home). On their website, they have a search function where you can enter your zip code or state and they’ll tell you where you can find their products nearby.

Look in your local Target, Whole Foods, or Kroger (or whatever store you shop in!) – if they have this line of candies, grab a couple of bars and try them for yourself.

Green & Black's Organic Chocolates, Chocolate candy review

Something I just saw on the website which has my mouth watering is the image above. They make Ice Cream! On today’s trip to Kroger and Target, I’m checking the frozen foods aisle for these babies. The mind shakes in anticipating wonder at what will happen when Green and Black’s get their chocolate hands on ice cream!

That’s it, I’m going to the store right now. After I grab another chunk of Mint Chocolate.