Traders Joe's Mini Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

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I don't know about you but I just can't get enough of the deliciousness of a chocolate peanut butter combo. Just like when I used to buy Reese's Pieces all the time and I had to stop because they were extremely addictive. For some reason, I was really never into buying peanut butter cups, maybe because I like having a plethora of tiny morsels to munch away on all day. I'm glad to report that problem is now solved! I ran into these mini morsels of peanut butter cup awesomeness on my recent excursion into Trader Joe territory.

How did they fare? Better than I could of ever imagined! Just like those addicting Reese Pieces of my past, I might have to tear myself away from this addiction sooner or later. That's because I can definitely see myself returning to Trader Joe's again and again for my fix of these. I probably don't need to explain to you why they are so addicting, all you have to do is look at the description on the package and be instantly hooked. In other words, they were exactly as described. Once popped into my mouth, they were tiny morsels of creamy chocolate and peanut butter that just explodes with said flavor in a eager mouth. If you're lucky enough to have a Trader's Joe's nearby and get a chance to try these, you'll see that once you have one, just one teeny morsel, you'll be popping them left and right so that's fair warning to you! 

Review of World Market: White Chocolate Bark With Banana Bar

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Ever since I started this chocolate journey, I've been on a "let's try the oddest chocolate combinations kick". There's just something intriguing about mixing chocolate with different ingredients that when given some time, I'd like to try my hand at in the kitchen as I've done before on this blog & others. For example check out my chocolate covered onion rings experiment that I deemed to crazy for this blog. I digress, for now I'll have to settle on reviewing this white chocolate bar with banana chips bar. Oh poor me, it's a tough job but someone has to do it!

I have to be honest, it took me awhile before I actually bit into this bar. It just didn't get my chocolate appetite going when I brought it home like I thought it would. Alas, when I finally did try it, after a couple weeks of sitting in my pantry, I was very regretful that I didn't try it sooner. It put some kind of chocolate guilt over me, maybe it's the power of the chocolate. Yes, I can see how it could of been that... the powerful taste of the combination of banana chips and white chocolate together that said, "you should of tried me sooner". For that I am sorry but I'm not sorry for saying what I'm about to say about said chocolate bar, while it was good, it just didn't satisfy my chocolate craving. Although, I know without a shadow of doubt that everybody's chocolate tastes are different and that if you are a big fan of white chocolate (which I can't say I am) then you'd absolutely love this bar! Keeping that in mind, you need to try track down the nearest World Market and get you one!

What is my final verdict for World Market's White Chocolate Bark With Banana bar? I'd have to say while I wasn't a huge fan of the taste like I said before, it's something that's inspired me enough to want to try and make my own white, milk, or maybe even dark banana chip chocolate bar so be looking for my next post to be exactly that! I do ask for your help fellow chocolate addicts, please comment and tell me what kind of chocolate you think I should try with the banana chip bar I plan to make and if there is other special ingredients I should add to it! It should be a fun chocolate experiment. I'll be waiting on some responses before I actually do this so again, please comment. 

Review of Wild Ophelia: Peanut Butter & Banana Milk Chocolate Bar

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As you all know, I love chocolate, and I'm all for trying new and exotic chocolate combinations.  However, I must say, this wasn't my favorite.  Don't get me wrong, it was good chocolate, and I would love to try another variety of chocolate that Wild Ophelia offers.  I love that the fact that these chocolate bars are all natural, and made here in the US.

I also liked the inside of the box, it was fun to look at!

All in all, the chocolate was good, and I'd love to give their Smokehouse BBQ Potato Chips dark chocolate bar a try, but the peanut butter & banana is not one that I would probably get again.

Ritter Sport Dark Chocolate With Whole Hazelnuts

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There is no doubt that some of the best chocolate comes from Europe, more specifically, Germany.  A German chocolate bar that is well worth the time is Ritter Sport.  Recently, I went on a chocolate shopping spree at the new Trader Joe's that has popped up here, and a dark chocolate with whole hazelnuts Ritter Sport was among my loot.  Now, I have had another variety before.  I have had the Butter Biscuit kind before, and that was so good, I just couldn't wait to give the hazelnut a try.  I must say that I was not disappointed!  This was sure a chocolate craving satisfier; it was smooth, dark, sweet, and very crunchy. Also, the dark chocolate was not overpowering and complimented the hazelnuts perfectly! Not only would I get this particular bar again, but I would love to try the other varieties available!

On a more personal side note, when I took a bite out of this chocolate bar for the first time, childhood came flooding back. I'm not kidding. Its been over two decades since I used sell a hazelnut chocolate bars door to door to raise money for school fundraisers. I would get my parents to buy from my own stash just so I could savor the hazelnut mixed with the smooth chocolate because it was a real treat. I had not had this memory ever in my life as I forgot all about it until I taste tested the Ritter Sport for this review. It's amazing how something such as a taste of a particular chocolate bar that you have not had since childhood can trigger memories of long ago. 

Trader Joe's The Dark Chocolate Lover's Chocolate Bar

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It was nice taking short break from all that very powerful dark chocolate for awhile. In my previous post the break from all this dark chocolate craziness came in the form of Trader Joe's Almond Clusters made out of the always sweet milk chocolate. As you can see, those almond clusters weren't the only thing I got my hands on at Joe's. Yes, I couldn't help myself, this is one out of three chocolate goodies I picked up during my brief Trader Joe's snack shopping spree. Which by the way, I suggest you try sometime especially if you have a little extra money to spend. I have to be honest with you, it makes for a very fun time loading a basket up with goodies and then tearing into them on the way home.

How fitting for this particular chocolate bar: The orange pear shaped art found on the wrapper represents the Cocoa pod from which the cocoa beans come from!

This particular chocolate bar from Trader Joe's was appropriately named the Dark Chocolate Lover's Chocolate Bar. Appropriate because you have to be a real dark chocolate lover to enjoy this very powerful tasting piece of chocolate. To relate just how powerful tasting it was, I drink my coffee black as night in the morning with no sugar or cream and on top of that, it's dark roast that I make very strong. However, the taste in my mouth from taking a bite from this dark chocolate bar was 20x more bitter to my taste buds than my morning coffee routine. I could barely handle it! That's not to suggest that this dark chocolate is not bad in any way, shape, or form, just not my cup of tea. Someone out there, who is a fan of dark chocolate might get a lot of enjoyment out of it and find the taste extremely enlightening to their sweet tooth.

Even if you don't consider yourself a fan of dark chocolate, if you really want to give the Dark Chocolate Lover's Chocolate Bar a shot, I highly suggest consuming it after a very spicy meal because I can see it complimenting that spicy after taste to the 9th degree. Just be warned though, the dark chocolate found in this bar is some of the darkest you can get being at 85% Cacao and is not your typical run of the mill dark chocolate as it is much more bitter tasting.

Just to explain what cacao is, it's a seed or cocoa bean from the Theobroma cacao also known as the cocoa tree native to South America. From these cocoa beans they produce chocolate and use more or less depending on what they want the cocoa content to be. Hence this particular bar contains 85% Cacao which is obviously extremely potent on the scale for which they measure the cocoa bean content of what goes into chocolate.

I may of not enjoyed this bar but I did appreciate the intricate design of the chocolate bar which had little flower like creations on them and was cut very fine. There is a lot of beauty to behold in chocolate especially chocolate bars where we can appreciate the work of art and originality of every piece of chocolate even if the taste is not to our liking. 

Trader Joe's Almond Clusters

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After consuming so much dark chocolate over the last couple of posts, I've decided to bring balance back to the force. How? Simply by indulging in some good ol' milk chocolate almond clusters. Not just any almond clusters mind you, only the best from Trader Joe's did the job.

Fortunately this came to be by the fact that they just opened one of these ever popular Trader Joe's in Ft Worth Texas. This Trader Joe phenomenon has gained traction over the past couple of years and for a good reason. They are not any grocery store down the street and they shouldn't even be considered grocery stores but called little pieces of foodie heaven. I digress, but I will point out that if you're lucky to be within 50 to 100 miles and you think of yourself as even part foodie, then go by all means and check out the Joe's. It's well worth the trip!

Getting back to the clusters, as one of the first products I brought from my first Trader Joe's experience (along with kettle korn, more chocolate, cookies, wine, soda, wasabi almonds and more chocolate) I couldn't of been happier with them. The milk chocolate was great quality as it was very smooth and creamy. When I bit into these I was met with perfect chewiness texture along with the crunch of the almonds. Wow! Amazing! I was already fan of almond clusters before but I fell in love with them just a little more with having traded up from them at Trader Joe's.

 If you're going to Trader Joe's for the first time or have been and passed these chocolate gems up, then on your next trip, I highly recommend you put them into your basket. On one last note, if you read the label on the package that these are natural which is always a good thing. No wonder they were so fresh and sweet to the last crunch! 

Green & Black's Organic Chocolate

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A while ago I went to one of my favorite stores, Sprouts, and I decided to indulge in a chocolate bar.  Not just any ol' chocolate bar, but a Green & Black's Organic 60% Dark Chocolate Mint Bar.  I do enjoy my chocolate, really enjoy it, but there are those pieces of chocolate that are just way to good to scarf down, it needs to be savored and appreciated.  I have successfully perfected the art of savoring chocolate, and a good sized chocolate bar, like Green and Black's bar, can last me a month.  I thoroughly enjoyed this bar.  The dark chocolate was rich and inviting, and the mint was subtle and refreshing.  I will definitely give the other intriguing varieties of Green and Black's a try, and I would definitely recommend this chocolate to any one who loves chocolate.

Sugar And Spice: Xocolatl

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Dagoba Organic Chocolate makes a whole line of quality chocolate bars.  Among the different varieties that are available is the Xocolatl bar.  The Xocolatl bar is made of organic dark chocolate, Cacao Nibs and infused with chili powder, nutmeg oil, and citrus oil.  I must admit, I was quite skeptical of this combination of chili powder and chocolate.  I have heard of interesting combinations that chocolatiers have come up with before, but I have never tried them before.

For my first taste of this unique chocolate bar, I popped a small piece in my mouth for fear being overwhelmed by the chili powder.  I wasn't too thrilled with this combination.  But the more that I tasted it, the more I liked it.  It, like most spicy things, is strangely addicting.  Now, this is not the type of chocolate bar that you devour as you're watching a movie.  I liked it best when eaten in little bitty pieces as a small afternoon pick-me-up or as a post-dinner treat.

When you take a bite of this chocolate, the first thing you taste is the smooth dark chocolate, its not until the chocolate is gone that the spice comes back to give you a swift kick in the taste buds.  The spice lingers for a while, and packs a punch that makes you keep coming back for more!

If you're not a fan of dark chocolate, this is not the chocolate bar for you.  As with some dark chocolate, it is not very sweet like a milk chocolate bar (this is because the cacao percentage is high.)  But lucky for you Dagoba does sell a Milk Bar as well.

I look forward to trying the other flavor combinations, as well as, the chocolate drink mixes, and baking products that Dagoba Organic Chocolate has to offer!

Choceur Chocolate Crisp Bars: Quality Made German Chocolate Part 2

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Germany we have a problem because I'm going eat all your awesome chocolate. I just can't break myself away from quality chocolate made in Germany. This time I've gone too far and bought more of it because it's always guaranteed to satisfy a chocolate craving like no other. Choceur Fine Chocolate Crisp Bars are no exception.

What I experienced in this particular chocolate crisp bar was delicious crispy milk chocolate rounded out by smooth hazelnut creme. The crisp part was brought to me courtesy of Kit Kat like wafer. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm biased towards wafer chocolate because I've been known to consume massive amounts of Kit Kats. Kit Kats just so happens to be one of my favorite candy bars next to Snickers but this opinion of mine is probably shared by many others.

I bet you can't eat just three.

Ok, I'm sure you're going to seek these out now so I gotta tell you what you're getting yourself into. I was amazed when I opened the box and found not 1 not 5 not 7 but 10 modest sized bars waiting for my sweet tooth. You just can't beat that value for German made chocolate especially coming in at a little bit over a $1.50. That's of course if you're lucky enough to have a Aldi store nearby. Hopefully you do because if your into saving money on groceries like me then Aldi is the place. What is Aldi? Aldi is a German grocery store and they've opened a ton of stores in the last 2 years so you might be in luck.

Last but not least, how do I rank these fine chocolate wafers? They definitely deserve a 8 out 10 which equals these are more than addiction, they're a permanent part of your sweet tooth.

The Baumstamm: Quality German Made Chocolate

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There's just something about authentic chocolate from Germany. It tastes sweeter than the chocolate made in the U.S. Kind of brings to mind their cars, talking about the Audi, it's just quality stuff. Who really knows what they do to make things so good?

Take for example this Karina brand chocolate bar from Germany. I don't know how many of you have actually had this particular chocolate bar called the Baumstamm which appropriately translates into the tree trunk or the log, but I'm assuming not a whole lot. You're not alone, this was my first time sampling it too. Got to say, it looks like a log but it doesn't taste that way! Not that I've ever tasted a log but you know what I mean.

Extraordinary would be a good way to describe how the Baumstamm tastes. It combines a milk chocolate shell with nougat and rich creamy marzipan. For those of you that might not know what nougat is, it's a type of sweet made with sugar and almonds although it tastes more like coconut for some odd reason. Marzipan on the other hand is made very out the same ingredients but it tastes a lot different because it's pasty, kind of like a filling that's creamy.

Technicalities aside, the Baumstamm is very rich, creamy, and sweet. It's a perfect after dinner dessert kind of like the chocolate mint Olive Garden gives you but satisfies 1000x better. For that, it rightfully earns a 7 out 10 ranking in my book which means warning, these are habit forming and your chocolate addiction just got worse.


Where to get: try a German grocery store, if all else fails you can always probably get them online.

Chocolate Covered Popcorn

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Is it possible to like something too much? That's me when it comes to popcorn like I'm sure a lot of people. Then they have to go and invent gourmet popcorn like there wasn't reason enough to eat too much popcorn. Yeah, and eating too much popcorn is an easy thing to do especially when there is gourmet popcorn involved.

To make matters worse, there is something known as chocolate covered popcorn. I haven't had it in years so when I stepped into a gourmet popcorn store recently I knew I had to reintroduce it into my diet.  After I got it home and sampled some (yes, I actually did resist until I got home, amazing I know) I was amazed that it took me as long it did to have chocolate covered popcorn again. So good doesn't even describe how delicious and sweet it is.

The fluffiness of the popcorn mixed with the brownie fudge flavor of chocolate is real treat. Yeah, it might be a little on the expensive side at 7.99 for 3 cups worth but you gotta treat yourself now and then. As expensive as it was, I would pay that again because it gets a 9 out 10 ranking for a chocolate lovers sweet dream come true.

Where to get: check your nearest gourmet popcorn store or if you're in the Dallas area, stop in at POParella's (gourmet popcorn and treats) in Frisco, TX

Get it from Amazon: Chocolate Covered Popcorn Gift Box

Cheesecake Factory's Reeses Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Cheesecake

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I know this looks unbelievable, that's because it is, unbelievably good that is. You have no idea how good but you can kind of get a visual taste just by looking at it. Visual tastes are not good enough though in this particular case. That's because this is the end all of all cheesecakes. That's right, the big kahuna, the ultimate, the best cheesecake I've eaten in my life. I'm betting that at least 99% of you that had the fortune of trying this cheesecake would agree.

It's very hard to put into words how this chocolate cake cheesecake tastes. It is just about the perfect combination of ingredients ever put into a dessert. It's not too rich but rich enough, fused with the most delicious flavor of Reese Peanut Butter Cup chunks. Topping that off, the peanut butter is not too overwhelming where you can't taste the smoothness of the delicate fudge cake mixed with sweet caramel.

By all means, you're going to want to stop by the Cheesecake Factory, if you're lucky enough to be near one and either get this to go or enjoy it over a cappuccino while dining in. I did the latter and I already can't wait until I have another opportunity to make myself miserable by eating way more of this heavenly creation than I should. By the way, its been an hour since I polished off this dessert and I'm just now starting to recover while writing this post but it was so worth it.

Must you ask how I rank this, I think you know that I cannot help but give it the highest ranking that The Choco-Aholic can give out which is to say that this here chocolate cheesecake is worth it's weight in gold which equals a perfect 10.

Chocolate Cupcake With Cream Cheese Frosting

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I was out and about this weekend and while at Market Street (a Texas based upper end grocery chain) a beautiful cream cheese topped chocolate cupcake beckoned to me. I could not deny it's call because there is no doubt I'm a fan of cream cheese frosting and if you put a carrot cake in front me it will disappear. 

So that's what's inside

I have to admit that disappear is exactly what happened with this cupcake shortly after this shot was taken. Hey, who can blame me, because after all the beautiful antenna pieces of this cupcake were sending out the signal to eat them so I did. 

With all this cream cheese frosting talk, I have to remind myself that this not a cream cheese frosting blog. Although,  I have to admit, it made this cupcake. While the inside was moist, it did not do anything to satisfy my chocolate tooth. For that reason, I will give this cupcake a 3 out 10 which equals chocolate satisfaction will elude you. Just goes to show you that looks aren't everything, it's whats on the inside that counts! 

Chocolate Toffee Bars

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Toffee comes in many forms and it's always a satisfying fix for a sweet tooth in whatever form that might be. I don't know about you but one of the ways I like it is at a self serve yogurt place because I always go crazy with the toppings. Seriously, you should see my yogurt after I get done fixing it up. There's almost as much toffee on it as there is yogurt in the container. I just love the way it tastes all crunched up with the softness of the yogurt, such a treat.

At Central Market, (there's been a lot of that going on lately but I had to get my debut chocolate stash from somewhere to start this blog to share with all my fellow chocolate addicts) I spotted these toffee bars. I just knew I had to get them to remind myself why I like toffee so much. Yes, it's a convenient excuse that all us sugar addicts share.

Did they do the trick for my sweet tooth? Out of all the chocolates that I got at Central Market to start this endeavor, I'd say they tied with the gummy bears at a 5 out of 10 on the rankings which of course means not quite chocolate heaven but worth a try.  Just so you know, that is all my stash from Central Market so Central Market week is over and we will branch out to other shops and see what they offer so stayed turned for more chocolate goodness.

Chocolate Covered Banana Chips

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Chocolate covered banana chips are kind of like chocolate covered gummy bears, where you ask yourself if the two should go together. At least, that's what I thought when I first saw that these existed which wasn't until a couple of days ago while at Central Market.

I've always loved banana chips as they are kind of a guilty pleasure for me and I would of never thought there was anything on earth that could make them better than they already are. However, when I took the first bite and tasted the banana in it's crunchy chip form combined with the the sweet taste of milk chocolate, I knew how wrong I was. After of which, it was hard to stop eating them as they became very addicting and to tell you the truth, I couldn't wait to take a picture of them for this post so I could consume the rest.

For that, these definitely deserve a ranking of 7 out 10 which means warning, these are habit forming and your chocolate addiction just got worse. 


Get it from Amazon: Milk Chocolate Covered Banana Chips (1 Pound Bag)

Chocolate Covered Gummy Bears

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Who doesn't like gummy bears? Unfortunately, I'm a grown man and I still have that childhood attachment to them. I wish I could beat it but I think I'm at a loss. Maybe, you can admit to this addiction as well so I don't feel so bad. 

Sadly, enough that is not the only addiction I have, you might of guessed by now that I have an unholy addiction to everything that is chocolate. Yes, it's the dreaded chocolate addiction (not really dreaded but you know what I mean) one but I know I'm not the only one and that's the reason I started this blogging endeavor. Let me put a warning out, if your not addicted to chocolate and start reading this blog, then please don't blame me, when you start feeling funny. Funny with a craving for chocolate that is. If those are you're symptoms, I wouldn't feel so bad because you're in good company. With that said, welcome to the world of chocolate, anything that has an ounce of chocolate will be featured on here. I hope to start quite a collection and assortment of chocolate goodies to inspire you to cut loose from that diet once in awhile and have a piece with me. Please follow my blog on this chocolate journey so I won't feel like the only one having that piece. There that's better!

Getting back to my debut chocolate post, yes it's hard to stop eating gummy bears. Yesterday, when I was cruising the crowded aisles of Central Market (a really fancy H.E.B signature grocery store with tons of upper end grocery items that you can't find at that place called Wal-Mart) I ran into my old friend the gummy bear. Only something was strange about him, he was all covered in chocolate. I got so excited I couldn't up pass paying 6.99 a pound (chocolate is unbelievably expensive, you'd think it's gold but it's not but close) for a nice portion of the little bears. 

I took the little bears home and I just knew they'd be the debut post on this so called chocolate blog. I bit into one. Ok, back up, I admit to biting into one the second I got into my car leaving Central Market, you got me. Back to the story, when I took a bite, I was in pig heaven only this heaven had pigs covered in chocolate. Hey, that gives me another idea for a post. I could do chocolate covered bacon! I told you I had an addiction, it's really bad! 

How do I rank the chocolate gummy bear experience overall, better than your average bear I'd say.. (pun intended). Oh by the way, I will be giving a chocolate ranking to each and every piece of chocolate I post so you know whether it's worth your hard earned money to take a risk and seek it out (although every body's tastes are different so don't take my chocolate for it). 

These chocolate gummy bears come in at a ranking of:

5 out of 10 - which amounts to not quite chocolate heaven but worth a try.

Oh yeah, when a piece gets a 10 - it'll amount to worth it's weight in gold. That will be a hard piece to find because I'm very picky about my chocolate. In the meantime, stay turned and join my blog. 

Get it on Amazon: Milk Chocolate Covered Gummy Bears (1 Pound Bag)