"chocolate bar" news and stories

This is going to come in a little too late for Valentine's Day, but is still good news for all you chocolate lovers out there. Based on the trends consumers have been following over the past year, Hershey's apparently plans to expand their chocolate bar line with the introduction of three new products.

The first is an organic chocolate bar, which really comes as little surprise since consumers can't seem to get enough organic into their shopping carts these days. Second will be a "whole-bean chocolate" which, according to the President and CEO of Hershey Co., will have increased fiber and 40% less sugar than their regular chocolate bars. Finally, they will be introducing an antioxidant milk chocolate which will boast the same health benefits of dark chocolate, but with the creamy rich taste of milk chocolate instead.

They also plan to continue their focus on portion-control products, offering consumers smaller, healthier sizes of their various snack foods. As they say, everything in moderation.

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New York City's Chocolate Bar is often described (or perhaps is self-described) as a "candy store for grownups." Despite their fun, inventive packaging and love of retro combinations, they always put out high-quality, well constructed products that kids of any age - especially adult ones - will enjoy. Their cookbook, Chocolate Bar: Recipes and Entertaining Ideas for Living the Sweet Life , maintains this same standard and is packed with adult recipes for the kid in you. Assuming that that kid likes chocolate, of course.

With a name like "chocolate bar" it shouldn't come as a surprise to find that every recipe uses chocolate in some way. The recipes are divided into "classic," "retro," and "swanky" chapters. Classic includes Deep Dark Brownies and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. "Retro Reconfigured" has worked bolder flavors into Egg Creams and Chocolate Icebox Cake, while "Swank Stuff" deals with White Chocolate Lemon Creme Mousse and Shiny Chocolate Orange Tartelets. The thing that sets it apart from other chocolate cookbooks is that there are a ton of ideas for parties, celebrations and other ways to "create a chocolate-centered lifestyle," from spur of the moment cocktail parties to long-planned holiday gatherings. Finally, the book concludes with a discussion of the history of chocolate and the tools needed to work with it.

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The first aerated chocolate that I tasted was a Nestle's Aero bar. Never having seen aerated chocolate before, I was intrigued by the prospect of bubble filled chocolate and eager to find out what it tasted like. It was light, crumbly and quite unlike any other chocolates that I had had. I wasn't hugely impressed at the time, but many years and many chocolate bars later, I realize that I was probably expecting a more impressive sensation from the bar.

Aerated chocolate is chocolate that has lots of small air bubbles suspended in it, giving it a somewhat honeycombed appearance and a light texture. The thin walls separating the bubbles snap easily, so the chocolate crumbles into your mouth before melting from the heat. In the past, this type of chocolate has not been very popular in the US and it is generally only found in stores that stock Aeros imported from Australia, Canada or the UK, but that may change because Bubble Chocolate is an American company that is hoping to capture the hearts, and tongues, with their version of the candy.

One of the reasons that Archie Comics have been popular for more that half a century is that the characters had a simple, recognizable look that readers - past and present - know and love. It was created by Dan DeCarlo, known for his pin-up drawings as well as for his cartooning, in the 1950s. Unfortunately, their poorly-drawn new look could very well kill the long running series. Whether you read the comic now or read it at some time in the past, it is clearly the end of an era and worth a moment of silence.

To get your fix of the pinup look, you'll have to look elsewhere - like at chocolate bars. MarieBelle has an entire line of pin-up girl chocolate bars. There are 12 designs to choose from and each is available in milk (35% cacao) or dark (60% cacao) chocolate. The smooth chocolate is stamped with the MarieBelle logo underneath the wrapper.

Update: Apparently, the characters (via Betty's "blog") don't like the makeover either. Hopefully they'll stick with the old designs.

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Cocolove, the Boulder, Colorado-based chocolate company, is known for their distinct flavors and quality chocolate, as well as for their distinctive packaging, which resembles a love letter. They use all-natural ingredients and their head chocolatier spent years abroad learning about chocolate and chocolate-making techniques before starting the company about ten years ago. Since then, they have gradually expanded their sales and are now available in many markets, including Whole Foods and some higher-end grocers, although the chocolate is quite reasonably priced for what it is. This year, they have a limited edition holiday bar, Fruits and Nuts in Dark Chocolate, inspired by the French mendiant. It has a blend of currants, tart cherries, orange zest and ginger, as well as pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts, all in 55% dark chocolate. They are only available at Whole Foods while supplies last, so this might be a good time to pick some up as stocking stuffers.