Chrissi B! don't mess with our chocolate ....

It has come to my "little attention" that some huge candy companies, are now changing their formula for chocolate bars. Okay, this is just gross ....They are using vegetable oil in place of cocoa butter. In an effort to save money, they are sacrificing flavor and texture and now offering us a "choclatey" flavored bar, rather than a chocolate bar. GROSS!

Cocoa butter is from cocoa beans. It is this lovely oil that makes chocolate so rich and creamy. Cocoa butter smooths out the texture of chocolate and perhaps more importantly, it makes chocolate, SMELL like chocolate. You must recall the years you slathered cocoa butter oils and potions on yourself as you baked in the sun? Yes, it has fat (no news here), but it is also real!

As I have noted before, I have a choclate background. My family was in the business of chocolate and I have seen first hand what the proper ingredieants do to create good candy. Real chocolate. Real stuff. On the flip side, I have also seen what inferior products (not natural), do to a candy product. I wouldn't eat it. I guess you can say, I am a candy snob.

So friends and fans, in my own small effort ....Let's chat chocolate.

Let's talk about good companies that are easily available, that produce a good product, with good ingredients. I know that a lot of us crave only European quality chocolates, but that will be another blog. Today we are chatting to find a replacement for the quick chocolate bar fix. The tasty little indulgence, that we used to grab at the Piggley Wiggley or Kroger as we ran through the check out.

• Hershey: will continue (as of this writing) to offer chocolate in their full chocolate bar and kisses, other candy bars will now have the veggie oil.


• Nestle: makers of Toll House chips and other confections will continue to offer real chocolate in their chips and most candy bars. Check the labels on some candy bar offerings.
  
• Green and Blacks: organic chocolate bars are now owned by Cadbury and continue to offer a "real" blend of ingredients for a "real" chocolate adventure.
  
• ethel m: a delightful shop and online source offers a nice selection of "real" chocolates to impress.


• Guittard: a personal favorite (nice family, great products) offer a good selection of baking chips, bars to munch and other chocolates. Now, they also offer melts that are not chocolate so read, read, read .....their chocolate is impressive.


• Sees: a favorite of many, chocolate bars may be purchased online or in shops around the country. They offer bars for munching as well as boxed chocolates. Check your dates.


• Mars: home to M&Ms as well as a wide variety of chocolate bars. Mars, is a family owned company (and the starter of ethel m chocolates), and a good source for grabbing and going. Mars brings you Dove Chocolates and they too are also great for chocolate on the run.

Our little chat today was to remind each of us to read the labels. When a company changes the ingredients in their products, they are changing it's taste, and texture. Often they are adjusting their needs ahead of ours. When we want a chocolate bar, we do not want a chocolate flavored bar.

Grab some m's (I prefer the plain) and enjoy your day!