Chocolove - Ruby Cacao Bar

I'm not as big of a chocolate fanatic like when I was a kid. I would see that bag of Hershey miniatures or would be excited to go through my Halloween stash when my brother and I got back from trick-or-treating... but back then, it was your basic chocolate tried and trues.

Snickers. Twix. Milky Way. And a slew of others. (I really liked Mars Bars and Oh Henrys - I think mainly since they weren't as widely available as the other mainstream treats.

But even though I still love the staples from my youth, I have discovered other chocolate goodies.

Garoto Chocolate Bon Bon Assortment

I like to go to Cost Plus World Market. They have lots of neat things. I've gotten some gifts for friends and family there.

For me?

I usually go home with a number of items from the food and drink area. And I usually leave with more than I really should.

I live alone for frak sakes. Me? In an apartment full of snacks and booze? Gee, what could possibly go wrong?

One of the things that caught my eye was a little box of chocolates, and just like Forrest Gump's Mama always said - you never know what you're gonna get.

To be fair, I've rarely met a chocolate I didn't like or at least was okay enough to chew and not spit out - so this assortment had that going for them at least. I do remember thinking the coloring of the box made me think of Charleston Chew - but when I eventually opened the box up, I then thought this would be candy I'd have grabbed from a cracked open pinata. (And yes, I've been to many a party with many a pinata so I'm speaking from experience.

Without further ado - the chocolates!

In order of how they appear on the back of the box.

Baton Extra Milk (Extra Milk)

The packaging of this chocolate reminds me of a small pack of Smarties or Rolaids, but when I unwrapped it, it was a solid tiny rolling pin of chocolate. When I bit into it, the insides look like there was some white chocolate in there.

It looked and smelled like sweet milk chocolate.

Baton AO Leite (Milk)

Wrapped the same as the previous "baton" but when I bit into this one, it was all chocolate though a darker milk chocolate than the first one.

Opereta Creme (Cashew Nut)

This one was wrapped like a Hershey Nugget. It looked and smelled like white chocolate. It tasted fine, but I didn't really taste any cashew nut... which was disappointing since I love cashews.

Pacoca (Peanut Butter)

This candy was packed like a pull/twist hard candy... or Tootsie Roll. The chocolate itself looked like a mini-Butterfinger. The bite was soft and definitely tasted like peanut butter and also had a strong peanut butter scent. 

Caribe (Banana)

This was the same twist-type packaging and look like the previous candy. The smell was faintly of banana, but the taste was VERY banana. It also had the color of over-ripe bananas and was chewy like molasses.

Talente Duo Caramelo Salgado (50% Cocoa & Salted Caramel)

This one was packaged like a Ghiradelli chocolate square but a little smaller. It smelled sweet like chocolate, and I could taste the cocoa and caramel. It also had a bit of crunch to it.

It Coco (Coconut)

This was another twist candy that unwrapped looked like a mini Butterfinger. Ohhh, I could smell the coconut - which made me happy - but it was denser in texture than an Almond Joy or Mounds bar. Tasty!

AO Leite (28% cocoa)

This was another Hershey nugget size candy. It definitely smelled like chocolate - a little deeper than milk chocolate but softer than a dark chocolate. The initial bite is a bit hard, but after a while, it gets chewy as you chew it. 

Crocante (Peanut Crunch)

Another Tootsie roll wrap-type. Also mini Butterfinger size. This one had the crunch consistency in the ballpark of an actual Butterfinger though it leaned a little toward a peanut brittle consistency - like if a Butterfinger and peanut brittle had a baby

Talento Duo Maracuja (50% Cocoa & Passion Fruit)

This last one is packaged like a smaller Ghiradelli square, but the top layer smelled lovely and quite "passion-fruity." I could smell more chocolate than fruit, and the fruity top half looked more like milk chocolate with black dots in it (most likely the passionfruit seeds). The fruit flavor wasn't bitter but significantly different from the other chocolates.

1 box is 10.5oz, and the infamous "they" say a serving is 2 pieces (which results in 11 servings per box).

Overall, not a bad box of chocolate. My favorites would be (in order they were reviewed): Pacoca (Peanut Butter), Caribe (Banana), Talente Duo Caramelo Salgado (50% Cocoa & Salted Caramel), It Coco (Coconut), and Crocante (Peanut Crunch),

The rest can tie for second place.

I think I'd much prefer a bulk bin I can grab my preferred flavors from as opposed to getting a box and only eating perhaps half the chocolates in said box. But overall - not a disappointing box of chocolates.

https://www.worldmarket.com/product/garoto+chocolate+bon+bon+assortment.do?sortby=ourPicks

https://www.garoto.com.br/#1

https://www.garoto.com.br/produtos/lista/caixas#1

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

ZAZUBEAN - Pomegranate & Hazelnut with Coconut Sugar

One day after work on my way to my friend's house for a weekly friend get together, I stopped by a store for some wine (like you do), and as an impulse buy, I got a chocolate bar that looked promising. (To be fair and totally honest, the pomegranate caught my eye first... and then there was the coconut aspect. It being chocolate was just a bonus at that point.)

The front label also says that it's chocolate with coconut milk which sounds extra yummy and promising.

Opening the bar makes me think of when Charlie opened his Wonka bar and found his Golden Ticket... but I wasn't expecting anything but chocolate in this case.

Removing the bar from the foil wrapper, the chocolate is sectioned in small rectangles like a Hershey bar. Right away, I can smell the fruit mixed with the chocolate which is happy-making on its own. Breaking off a section, I can see the hazelnuts mixed into the chocolate, and as I chew it, everything blends well together. I get a little bit of everything - nothing overpowers the taste. I can't taste any of the coconut, but that's most likely because it wasn't an ingredient per se - the sugar and milk mixed together with everything else results in a great final chocolate bar. I think the only obvious way I could taste the coconut would be if there were shredded bits in it, but I feel the milk at least helped with the smooth and creamy texture.taste.

Tasty tasty chocolate of the Underworld!

The bar is 3oz and 55% cacao. One serving is half a bar (or 1.5oz) and is 240 calories.

In checking out the website, they have other chocolate bars with fun-sounding names that I'm curious to try. But first, I need to finish this bar.

https://www.zazubean.com/coconut-sugar-chocolate
https://www.zazubean.com/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

Sinbad Baklava Chocolat

I can't remember the first time I had baklava. I may have been out of high school. Maybe during college?

Regardless of when I had it, I love it and get it whenever I can.

It's quite a dense treat and also rather sticky (due to the honey), so it's something I occasionally partake in and usually only one piece (since really one piece is enough).

While at a smaller market with yummy treats in their bakery section (and me with one of my random sweet cravings), I spotted some baklava, but this was special baklava because it was CHOCOLATE!!!

In all the times I have ever had baklava, it's either cut into squares or triangles, with or without decoration of chopped nuts on top (depending on what nut was used to make the type you're eating),  and almost always with a slight drizzle of honey.

But I've never seen CHOCOLATE baklava! It looks like the pastry sheets were made or mixed with chocolate - which is AMAZING!

In any case, the four-pack was fine with me. They were all chocolate - two of which had white chocolate drizzle on top, and they were divine. Opening the container, you're immediately hit with the chocolate sweetness. The smell is undeniable. The pieces are still sticky and crumbly as with the regular kind, and the size of each piece can fit comfortably in my palm.

They're crumbly and sweet and crunchy and gooey... and just happy-making.

One container is 7oz - stating there are four servings in each container (which makes sense really given the richness of the treat), and that each serving is 200 calories.

And I had two in one sitting.

Moo? LOL!

I wonder if there are other flavors of baklava. Like how there are different flavors of madeleines. Ohhh, that would be so awesome!!!

https://sinbadfoods.com/products/baklava-chocolate/
https://sinbadspecialtyfoods.com/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae