Candy Blog

This one is a little different for a new product announcement. It’s kind of a preview and a tease.

Name: Askinosie Liberia
Brand: Askinosie
Description: Several years ago we started a program called Chocolate University designed to engage the children in our neighborhood.  We want to inspire them about business and about a world beyond Springfield Missouri.  We started in the nearby elementary school, then to the middle school, and now have project at Central High School called “Cocoa Honors.”  Askinosie Chocolate is the sole funding source of Chocolate University by donating 100% of our tour proceeds to Community Foundation of the Ozarks for the benefit of this program.  In Fall 2009, 14 juniors from Central High School were selected to participate with us in the selection of the next cacao source country in Africa as part of an 18 month-long project.  We believe that this is the first single origin bar available in the world from Liberian beans.  Auction begins Sunday April 4 at 8 PM CST and ends the following Sunday.
Introduction Date: TBD
Notes: I’m very interested in this new microbatch of chocolate, I don’t think I’ll bid but I’ll definitely buy a couple of bars when it’s released to the general buying public. I love the San Jose del Tambo chocolate that Askinosie makes and their white chocolate, made with goat’s milk is fascinating.

And now on to other new candy products expected this year:

Name: Fruitzels
Brand: Waymouth Farms, Inc.
Description: The Original Pretzel-Shaped Gummi Fruit Snack Made with REAL Fruit Juice! 
Introduction Date: 03/01/10
Notes: Waymouth Farms are the same folks that make the Popzels, I guess they do all things pretzel themed. I like interesting shapes for my gummis, but I admit that I’m not fond of worms. So maybe this will be a good compromise. They’re gluten free and are fortified with Vitamins C and E. It looks like the flavors are cherry, apple, strawberry, orange, raspberry and lemon ... a pretty promising mix in my book, though I love a pineapple gummi.

Name: Tabasco Chocolate Truffles
Brand: Elmer Candy Corporation
Description: A dark chocolate shell giving way to a unique creamy center with a subtle Tabasco warmth. Not too hot, spicy or peppery just enough to be enjoyed by all chocolate lovers.
Introduction Date: 05/25/10
Notes: Hot peppers and chocolate aren’t new, but this is the first major branded version I’ve seen so far. I’ll probably give them a try when I see them, but I’m also concerned that the chocolate won’t be great quality. Elmer’s does a good Easter egg, but can they do an all year round candy like this.

Name: Bake Shoppe Cookie Dough Miniatures
Brand: The Promotion In Motion Companies, Inc.
Description: COOKIE DOUGH ON THE GO!™ Cookie Cough Lovers celebrate, because Bake Shoppe™ Cookie Dough Miniatures Are the Real Deal you’ve been craving! Our Butter-In-The-Batter™, Mixing Bowl Licking™, Heavenly Bite Size Cookie Dough Morsels™ are drenched in pure Milk Chocolate, to tantalize your taste buds! Enjoy our egg-free Bake Shoppe™ Cookie Dough Miniatures on the go, or, you can just savor them slowly…one delicious mouth-watering bite at a time! Bake Shoppe™ Cookie Dough Miniatures is offered in a 3.5 oz Concession Box.
Introduction Date: 4/15/10
Notes: Is this another brand of chocolate covered chewy cookies? Or are they just repackaged Cookie Dough Bites? It’d be nice if they had better chocolate on them than the original - though Albanese makes some tasty cookie bites as does Koppers for those looking for good quality ingredients.

Name: Belgian Chocolate Thins
Brand: Royal Chocolates NV
Description: Luscious chocolate thins (chips) filled with crispy rice puffs & available in the following flavours: milk, caramel, hazelnut, almond, dark & mint. The product will be available in single packs & multi packs.
Introduction Date: 06/01/10
Notes: Do these look familiar to anyone? I tried something danged familiar from Trader Joe’s last year. If these are the same, I’m sure some fans of them will be thrilled to see the other varieties. I can say that I’d be interested in the hazelnut and mint (though the description doesn’t say if they have crispies in them too).

Name: Hoja Verde Dark Chocolate
Brand: Hoja Verde
Description: Hoja Verde Dark Chocolate is the first Ecuadorian company to use Fair Trade certified, premium “Arriba” cacao. This unique chocolate is made from single-origin cacao beans grown by small farmers in the tropical lowlands of Ecuador. Our company is proud to build enduring and equitable relationships with small farmer organizations. Ecuadorian cacao has long been recognized as the source of the world’s finest cacao beans. The “Arriba” cacao has captivated chocolate connoisseurs with its depth of flavor and its unequaled aroma. Sweetness comes naturally without artificial flavors or ingredients. The finished bar is a revelation for all the senses: its appearance, its aroma, the sound of the snap, the taste and the way it melts in your mouth. This isn’t just chocolate. It’s a journey through tannins, coffee, nuts, blackberry, cinnamon, fruits and flowers of the rain forest.
Introduction Date: 05/25/2010
Notes: Fair trade is all the rage now, and rightfully so. It’s an interesting trend to see all these smaller companies coming out with single origin or regionally sourced beans. I’m not sure how long it can be sustained and profitable but it’s an exciting time to be a chocolate lover. You can buy on their website now, they retail for $5.99 and the shipping is only 99 cents per bar.

Name: Haribo Fruity Frutti
Brand: Haribo of America, Inc
Description: Haribo’s new Fruity Frutti are 4oz bags full of pieces of gummi and foam with a juicy, fruity liquid filling. Fruity Frutti has no artificial colors and are made with Fruit Juice!
Introduction Date: 05/25/10
Notes: These remind me a bit of the Wonka Sploshberries, which also have a foamy base and a gooey center - though those are in berry flavors. I can’t say that my personal interest in these is that high since I just don’t click with the goo filled gummis. The no artificial colors element will probably make these a great option for parents looking for flavorful candies that kids won’t turn their noses up at.

Name: Natural Vines
Brand: American Licorice Co.
Description: Natural Vines, premium soft licorice twists made without artificial flavors and preservatives, are new from the American Licorice Co. Addressing demand from health-conscious consumers, the company says the licorice twists are sweetened with cane sugar, are low in sodium, contain no trans fat and are cholesterol-free. Black and strawberry varieties will debut in select grocery stores, natural markets and gourmet food distributors in May. Holding eight ounces, reclosable standup bags have a retail of $3.49.
Introduction Date: May 2010
Notes: I tried the black licorice version at ExpoWest last month and enjoyed the mellow and woodsy flavor of these. They also don’t stick to teeth and are softer than the Red Vine Bites. I think the packaging is charming.

Name: Thingamajig
Brand: Hershey’s
Description: It’s Back! The greatest thing since Whatchamacallit. Thingamajig was a successful limited edition bar concept in 2009, helping to drive a 20% increase in Whatchamacallit bar sales.
Introduction Date:  Limited Edition 9/3/2010-12/3/2010
Notes: I reviewed Thingamajig when it came out last year about this time. It’s a fun bar and certainly different from anything else on the market. I think seasonal versions of popular bars are a great idea. It’d be nice if candy companies conveyed that information to consumers. It’s easy to understand the holiday versions of candy, but not these “here & gone” recurring limited editions.

Name: KIT-KAT Wafer Bar Dark
Brand: Hershey’s
Description: Back by popular demand, KitKat Dark, crisp wafers in dark chocolate. Satisfies without being overfilling. Unique taste and texture.
Introduction Date: 3/26/2010
Notes: Look for a big media push on this. I haven’t seen them in stores yet, but I always prefer a dark chocolate KitKat. It’s hard though, since I’ve had the truly dark premium KitKat Bitter version from Japan before, the Hershey’s version just doesn’t meet those expectations. I’m still eager to find them in stores and I know that there will be oodles of Americans who will begin the stockpiling now.

Name: Cookies ‘N Cream Bites
Brand: Taste of Nature
Description: A Taste of Nature, Inc.‘s brand new Cookies ‘N Cream Bites are an expansion of the company’s Cookie Dough Bites. Cookies ‘N Cream Bites feature a cream-and-cookie-crumble center, covered in a white “chocolatey” candy coating. The 3.1-ounce box has a SRP range between $1.09 and $1.29; the 4-ounce box has a SRP range between $1.49 and $1.79
Introduction Date: unknown
Notes: Since they already have a dark chocolate version, a white coating seems like a good idea. In my dream world it’d be some good, very dark Oreo cookie bits in the center covered in real cocoa butter white chocolate. These are not from my dream world and I’m already a little tentative to try them because of the “chocolatey” coating.

Candy photos and images courtesy of the respective manufacturer.

Related Candies

1. Candy Tease: March 2010
2. Candy Tease Valentines 2010
3. Candy Tease: October 2009
4. Candy Tease: April 2009
5. Candy Tease: Spring 2009

Finding gluten free candy isn’t all that hard any longer, but a gluten free candy bar that also has a crispy cookie-like center? I’ll bet there are lots of folks looking for that.

The Glutino Gluten Free Candy Bar comes in Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate varieties. I couldn’t seem to find them in single serve purchase size so I had to buy a full box of them - which was $4.99. So I picked the dark chocolate ones since it appeared by the ingredients list that they’re also vegan.

The candy bar is rather simple, a potato-flour wafer stack with chocolate cream centers is covered with dark chocolate. It reminded me of the old Bar None except it doesn’t have crushed peanuts.

The bar is crispy, the foamy wafers are rather flavorless but provide a rice cake type crunch. The cream in between is smooth and melts well; it’s more buttery and sweet than chocolatey. The chocolate coating is rather thick on the top and bottom so there’s a lot more chocolate than I expected. It’s nicely tempered, so it had its own crunch. The flavor was mellow, like semi-sweet chocolate chips - rather woodsy.

I liked them and for a gluten free and vegan bar it doesn’t taste like there are any compromises in there. Sure there are palm oils in the cream filling, so that’s something to be aware of but it is organic (I don’t know about the sustainability of organic palm oil). But as far as taste and texture profile, if you didn’t know it was gluten free, you wouldn’t know the difference.

As one bar is under an ounce, it’s not quite satisfying. The box was rather weird, as you can see from the top photo, it’s much taller than it needs to be so I’d say there’s an overpackaging issue (I wonder if they have standard size boxes and just kind of shrugged it off). So I felt a little duped by that. Also, the nutrition panel says that a bar has 140 calories. That doesn’t make sense to me. It’s less than an ounce, which should put it at about 110 or even 100 calories considering the fact that it has those fat-free wafers in there. Even a solid bar of dark chocolate has about 145 calories per ounce.

There are five bars in the box which cost $4.99, so the bars are expensive for something that’s a “snack size” and not a “dessert size”. I’ll finish the ones I have but unless I needed to have a bar that fit the gluten free parameter, I’ll probably stick with the Q.bel Double Dark.

Related Candies

1. Go Max Go Jokerz Candy Bar
2. Ritter Sport Neapolitan Wafers
3. Crispy Cat
4. Nestle Crunch Crisp
5. KitKat Bitter & White

Actually, don’t eat these. They’re probably thirty years old. I really miss Pine Bros Throat Drops. They were glycerin cough drops, soothing and firm and slightly gummy after they softened up. They came in licorice and honey lemon. 

UPDATE: Pine Bros did come back. You can find them in drug stores in two flavors.

Trader Joe’s usually markets house branded products that are a bit upscale. Their candies usually emulate something you’d find at Whole Foods or the imported bars you’d find at a gourmet shop. This is the first one I can recall that seeks to compete head-to-head with a mass-produced consumer product. In this case they’re going up against Hershey’s, the most popular plain chocolate bar in the United States.

Their new Trader Joe’s Classic Milk Chocolate Bar has some nice looking lines. The plastic/mylar packaging is a comforting shade of milky brown with silver swirls and the word CLASSIC emblazoned across two thirds of the face. It’s 1.55 ounces and retails for 69 cents ... that’s identical to the Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar.

While Trader Joe’s doesn’t carry any Hershey’s products, they do carry Scharffen Berger, which is owned by Artisan Confections, which is a subsidiary of Hershey’s. I find it a little odd that they’d make a product that’s supposed to be better than the Hershey Bar, but it’s nothing Hershey’s should feel threatened about since Trader Joe’s aren’t ubiquitous and never sell their products at other stores.

Here’s what the Fearless Flyer had to say:

Classic Chocolate Bars • 69¢ “Thanks to Joseph Fry, who discovered that he could make a moldable chocolate paste by adding melted cacao butter back into Dutch cocoa, the first Chocolate Bars were born in 1847. They were an instant classic. And the bar took a once-exclusive luxury and made it an accessible, much adored treat. As their name implies, our Classic Chocolate Bars hark back to their original roots. They are simple, luscious bars of Classic Milk or Dark Chocolate, molded into 12 easily breakable sections. And they are made with chocolate “real chocolate” without the use of artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Whether you prefer the creamy Milk Chocolate or the rich, smooth Dark Chocolate, these Bars bring on satisfied smiles. Especially at the great price of 69¢ per bar. Classic.

The bar looks pretty good. The sections are easy to break and it has a satisfying snap. It’s not as fudgy or bendy as the Hershey Bar tends to be, but the molding design isn’t quite as compelling.

It smells like sweet cocoa, not rich and not much of a dairy note at first. Biting into it, it’s soft and creamy but very sweet. There’s a nutty and caramel note to it with a light milk flavor. But the chocolate punch is missing for me. While Hershey’s doesn’t have much of a chocolate punch either, it does have a strong tangy, chocolate cheesecake flavor. This just tastes like Easter chocolate to me.

I bet this would make great S’mores and because it’s all natural and Gluten Free, there are a lot more options for who can eat it. I can’t see myself buying it again when they have so many other great chocolate options in the store.

If Trader Joe’s is competing with the Hershey’s Special Dark Bar, it’s not much of a competition. I knew this was going to be better before I even opened the wrapper, I just can’t imagine Trader Joe’s seeking to duplicate a Special Dark. The Trader Joe’s Classic Dark Chocolate Bar has a similar wrapping to the Milk Chocolate version, the color is just a little darker and has pink text instead of citrus colors.

They missed the boat here with the ingredients. Though it’s marked as gluten free, like the milk bar it’s processed on equipment that handles wheat, peanuts and tree nuts - so this is not a solution for folks with allergies. But the substantial issue I have is that it has dairy in it. Way down on the list, after cocoa butter and before the soy lecithin there’s some butterfat. If that wasn’t there, this would be a dairy free and vegan bar. What an awesome achievement that would be.

The back of the package says that it’s a 53% cocoa solid bar. So we’re not talking extra dark, we’re in the realm of sweet chocolate or perhaps semi-sweet. The bar isn’t as attractive as I’d hoped. Though the top looks pretty good, the bottom is swirly and has an inconsistent color. There are quite a few air bubbles. The snap is good, though softer than many dark chocolates I usually eat.

It smells like hot cocoa and marshmallows, the vanilla scent is strong. The snap is good, but a little bit softer.

The cocoa profile is hard to discern. It’s a bit fruity and has a touch of coffee. The finish is clean - it’s not bitter, chalky or dry. It melts well - though not entirely silky it has a satisfying mouthfeel. It has a much fattier melt, in fat there’s more fat in here than a Special Dark bar (14 grams of fat versus 12 grams in a Special Dark).

The package doesn’t say where the chocolate is made, though it doesn’t say that it’s Belgian or French, so I’m going to assume that it’s American. It’s Kosher. If I’m at Trader Joe’s though, I would still go for something else of theirs before this (usually the dark chocolate almonds) and probably these Belgian 3-bar stacks if they still had them.

If Trader Joe’s set out to make a better bar for less than 70 cents than Hershey’s, I’d say that they succeeded. They didn’t actually make one that I’d want, but I’m sure these will appeal to lots of folks.

Related Candies

1. Trader Joe’s PB & J Bar
2. Trader Joe’s Sweet Story
3. Trader Joe’s French Truffles
4. Trader Joe’s 100 Calorie Chocolate
5. Nestle Milk Chocolate
6. Hershey’s Miniatures
7. Dove Chocolate

I wish they came without coloring, I avoid the pink ones because they have an aftertaste. (Luckily The Man picks up the slack.)

Previous review here.