Some good, some bad

I haven't posted in a long time because of so many annoyances-- my computer, Blogger, my domain name, the new kitty that attacks me whenever I put my hands on the keyboard. I figured I was done with this whole blogging business. But the fact is, I just have a soft spot for candy and I probably always will. I'll get all this techo crap out of the way eventually (the cat is another story); in the meantime, enjoy these candies that I've been stockpiling.

I absolutely loved this Fluffy Toffee bar made by Seattle Chocolates. I'm not exactly sure why I chose it, since I'm not a huge toffee fan, but I'm glad I did. This was perhaps the closest candy bar I've ever had to what I envision the bars in Charlie & The Chocolate Factory to be like. The chocolate was smooth and creamy, and the marshmallow was fluffy with just enough stickiness. The toffee added a nice texture contrast.

Then, there is this, which I HATED. I really wanted to like it, because I generally don't like Vosges chocolate and I was hoping that this would be the one. Unfortunately, it wasn't. There's a lot of flavor there, but it's a big mouthful of bitter and nastiness. (Call me unsophisticated. I don't care.)

However, I do have some standards, and so I just couldn't get into this: Rockin' Nut Road Snickers. It was supposed to be all marshmallowey and nutty, but instead it just tasted like a big chemical mashup. For the record, the Sugar Baby enjoyed it.

Hot chocolate

This heatwave we're experiencing is not exactly the best weather for chocolate (or me, for that matter). The kind folks at Alter Eco Foods contacted me a month or so ago and asked if I'd like to try their chocolate. I said yes, and they sent me a few bars. The full-on heatwave hadn't yet started when the bars arrived, so I was surprised when I opened them and found they had clearly reached a molten state at some point during their travels. I don't usually mind trying chocolate that's bloomed or melted, but these had suffered pretty badly. The foil wrapper had melted into the chocolate, so I didn't even try to sample them. When I told the company the sad news, they said they'd ship out another package, which they did. Guess what? It arrived on my doorstep on a 90 degree day. This time, though, I ran the package straight to the fridge with the hopes I could save it.

The good news is, I was able to salvage the chocolate bars. The better news is that it was fantastic. Usually a nibble or two of plain dark chocolate is satisfying enough, but this was so perfectly balanced that I kept wanting more. Even Mr. Goodbar said it was the best chocolate he'd had in a long, long time. I love the descriptions of the chocolate. The Dark Noir is "fruity and malty, smooth and rich with a firm snap, a strong bite and a hint of licorice." The Dark Velvet, with a "touch of milk," is "melty smooth, with a subtle flowery bouquet and honey finish." I love a good chocolate that has a nice snap to it, and I prefer my dark chocolate on the fruity, rather than bitter, side. These bars were so, so good. They have other flavors, including Dark Twist with crystallized orange peel and Dark Quinoa with nutty toasted quinoa. I've got to try those. The Dark Coconut Toffee was incredible. Little bits of crunchy toffee combined with real toasted coconut. Good stuff. They're available at different health food stores and Whole Foods.

Nine out of ten dentists approve!

When this shows up on your doorstep, you know it's going to be a good day:

Last week I received a sample of Enstrom Almond Toffee. There are people who are totally gaga for toffee; I am not one of them. In general, I can take it or leave it. However, when toffee is really good, then I turn to hoarding mode. This, as you might guess, is really good toffee. Here's what makes it a winner: 1) There's a good balance of chocolate to toffee. Just enough chocolate to get the meltiness and the taste, while not overpowering the toffee; 2) the almonds are big and whole, which is always a good thing; and 3) the toffee doesn't stick in your teeth. I'm not sure how they managed to produce a toffee that I don't later have to pick out of my fillings, but they've done it.
The toffee came packaged in a sturdy, elegant box, so this would make a great gift. (And good price point, too: $19.95 for a one pound box, which goes a long way.) www.enstrom.com

Maid with Love: Chocolates from Wisconsin

Hello? Santa? Anyone? What happened to Christmas? Apparently Christmas came and went here at the House of Yum. I kind of remember some presents being opened, but that's about it. I was attacked head-on by a sinus and ear infection that knocked the Christmas past, present and future out of me. Good times.
I'm two days into a course of antibiotics and now I can at least sit up without feeling like my head is going to explode so it's time to start reporting on all the holiday goodies that were sampled around here.
Like these-- a gift from Aunt and Uncle Subtle. Check these babies out. Oh, oops, sorry. They were eaten before I had a chance to take a picture. In any case, these were chocolate creams and toffees from Hughes' Home Maid Chocolates. (One has to wonder about the name. Does that mean the maid made them? Or that there's some old maid stirring chocolate in her spinster kitchen? Or is it simply a case of TYPO?!) I'm typically not a big toffee fan, but oh yeah, these were some good eatin. The thing with toffee is that often it is too sweet. These were perfect. Just the right amount of sweetness coupled with the perfect delicate crunch. I'd like to say that everyone else ate them, but I fear that it was probably all my own evil doing.
Stay tuned. More Christmas candy goodness to follow.

Judging a Candy By Its Cover

What does it mean when I really don't have much to say about a candy? I bought this Seattle Chocolates Cappuccino Crunch bar at the grocery store because they were being discontinued. I'd looked at it numerous times, but never had enough desire to actually buy it. Since it was half price, I decided it was time. The description says, "Milk chocolate truffle bar with toffee and almonds." Yep, that about sums it up. It was good, good enough to eat, but not good enough to wow me.
Here's the thing, though. I can't get past the packaging. As a stand-alone design, I love it. But for a chocolate bar, it does nothing for me. It doesn't say creamy or smooth or rich or crunchy. It says funky, but it could just as easily be a bar of soap or a notepad. I wonder if, subliminally, the packaging influenced my experience? Would I have liked it more if the package were say, a dark brown, tan and gold design?

All Treats, No Tricks!

Hey folks, it's time for the latest Candy Yum Yum giveaway! One lucky Yumster will receive a one-pound box of Enstrom's Milk Chocolate Almond Toffee:

"The perfect blend of sweet cream butter, pure cane sugar and California
almonds, drenched in creamy milk chocolate and sprinkled with crushed
almonds."

Does that sound fabulous or what? So here's what you do: leave a comment and on
November 3 at noon (EST), I'll randomly pick a winner. Be sure you don't sign in as anonymous!