Monday, August 14, 2006

Dark Raisinets

I got to try the Dark Chocolate Raisinets at the All Candy Expo a couple of months ago and I was pretty underwhelmed. They handed them out in little sample cups, so there was no packaging to look at and after eating two sample cups I asked if they were the new dark ones, because they honestly didn’t taste that way. But these were on sale so I decided to give the retail product another try.

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The new Dark Raisinets herald their healthiness on the package as a “natural source of antioxidants from fruit & dark chocolate” as well as “30% less fat than the leading chocolate brands.” I’ve got no complaints with either claim, although comparing Raisinets to a Snickers or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups seems rather like apples to chocolate covered oranges.

My other complaint is that they say it’s Dark Chocolate when really it’s just darker milk chocolate. The ingredients for the coating go like this: Sugar, Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Milkfat, Soy Lecithin, Nonfat Milk, Lactose, Vanillin, Natural Flavor.

But really, who cares? The big questions are, do they taste any different than the regular Raisinets and do they taste good?

They’re actually rather nice. The raisins are plump and often big. The chocolate coating is a little grainy and very sweet but provides a nice counterpoint to the tart chewiness of the raisins. I’ve been spoiled by Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Covered Raisins for a long time which are wonderfully rich and complex and these are far from rivaling those. However, as a single serving pack that’s easy to find anywhere, I’d pick these up as a healthier alternative to a full on candy bar. There’s still 22% of your daily saturated fat intake in here including 5 mg of cholesterol (really, why’d they have to go and do that?), but also 2 grams of fiber and 2 grams of protein. And all those antioxidants, whatever they are.

A little history about Raisinets, Goobers and SnoCaps. All three were originally made by the Blumenthal Chocolate Company. Goobers were introduced first, then Raisins and finally SnoCaps. All were popular movie candy and for a long time the only place I could find them was at the concession counter. Nestle bought Blumenthal in 1984 and the candies gained wider distribution in a variety of packages with some slight changes in their recipes. Raisinets are a Kosher (OU D) product.

Related Candies

  1. Nestle Cherry Raisinets
  2. Sno-Caps, Goobers & Raisinets
Name: Dark Raisinets
    RATING:
  • 10 SUPERB
  • 9 YUMMY
  • 8 TASTY
  • 7 WORTH IT
  • 6 TEMPTING
  • 5 PLEASANT
  • 4 BENIGN
  • 3 UNAPPEALING
  • 2 APPALLING
  • 1 INEDIBLE
Brand: Nestle
Place Purchased: RiteAid (Vermonica)
Price: $.33 (on sale)
Size: 1.58 ounces
Calories per ounce: 114
Categories: Chocolate, United States, Nestle, Kosher

POSTED BY Cybele AT 6:12 am Tracker Pixel for Entry    

Comments
  1. I’m so glad you reviewed these! I saw them the other day in a RiteAid and wondered if they were worth it…now I know!

    I can’t wait to read your review of Oh Henry! Bar…I found a store that carries them near me and I’m curious…. wink

    Comment by Sera on 8/14/06 at 4:35 pm #
  2. Hm…I haven’t seen these around. I wish the Sav-On by my office was a little more adventurous. Maybe I should just stop by Trader Joe’s…

    Comment by Bruce on 8/15/06 at 5:50 am #
  3. Thanks for the warning about non-dark chocolate dark chocolate.  I am ENRAGED when a chocolate falsely claims to be dark.  The nerve!
    I would probably have been duped into buying these, but I think I’ll stick with the Trader Joes based on your description.
    Leave it to those sneaky Nestle devils to lace their “dark” chocolate with milk.  Oh, the deception and the lies….

    Comment by Joanna on 8/16/06 at 11:28 am #
  4. “Oh, the deception and the lies…”

    That’s modern marketing for ya. And of COURSE by the time I got to TJ’s they were 100% sold out of the dark chocolate raisins. I was tempted to buy milk, but I really want the dark, so…

    Comment by Bruce on 8/16/06 at 8:01 pm #
  5. Bruce - ya gotta hold out for the dark ones. Many bulk food departments at grocery stores stock these - I just (ahem) “sampled” some at the store today, made by a company called Natural Choice or something like that.  No refined sugar - and pretty good!  Nice and dark.

    Or, better yet, take matters into your own hands and melt down some good dark chocolate, stir in some nice, plump raisins, and toss them onto a sheet of waxed paper to dry.  It’s super easy.  And the effort will make them taste EVEN BETTER!

    Comment by joanna on 8/17/06 at 11:01 am #
  6. I got some of the Trader Joe’s dark chocolate raisins last week and wow! they are great! Much better than the store-brand (milk) chocolate raisins I bought earlier in the year that nobody in the family is willing to eat! (and apparently those lousy ones scared them off chocolate raisins entirely, because they were wary of trying the TJ ones, so I don’t have to share :^)

    Comment by Tricia on 8/22/06 at 4:54 am #
  7. I finally found the dark (I haven’t been to TJ’s recently) tonight and ohmygodsogoodmusthavemore…

    This is what chocolate covered raisins should taste like. Yummeh!

    Though I think I’ll have a go at making my own sometime. Thanks, Joanna!

    Comment by Bruce on 9/11/06 at 5:40 pm #
  8. These are Wonderful! Bravo..on a not so guilty snack.

    Comment by lorie on 11/15/06 at 10:36 am #
  9. Love these Raisinets…yummy…keep up the good work!!!!

    Comment by June Ejiogu on 4/20/09 at 10:35 am #
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