The Good: Great taste, Decent quantity, Generally natural ingredients, Reasonably priced
The Bad: Limited edition nature means they will disappear (None, really)!
The Basics: Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate & Strawberry Filling chocolate squares are one of the absolutely perfect flavors of Ghirardelli chocolate squares!
Last year, Ghirardelli announced on their Facebook page that there was a limited edition chocolate square they were producing and that piqued my interest. I looked all around for the Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate & Strawberry Filling chocolate squares they advertised locally without success. This morning, however, I was thrilled when my wife presented me with a bag of the Dark Chocolate & Strawberry Filling chocolate squares.
The Dark Chocolate & Strawberry chocolate squares are limited and perfect. Before now, only the 60% Cacao chocolate squares (reviewed here!) reached perfection and the Dark Chocolate with White Mint filling chocolate squares (reviewed here!) were a near miss. The Dark Chocolate & Strawberry chocolate squares are not a near-miss; they are absolute perfection for a candy.
Basics
Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate & Strawberry Filling chocolate squares are one and three-quarter inch squares of chocolate that are about one-quarter of an inch thick. Each of the squares comes individually wrapped in a light red and bronze wrapper. It is worth noting that while I usually rail against the environmental impact of such things, it is hard to imagine Ghirardelli chocolate squares not wrapped. This keeps each one clean, unmelted and intact.
Each chocolate square is a seamless square that is essentially a chocolate envelope sealing in a thin layer of muted red Strawberry paste which is just delightful. In this form, the 6.38 oz. bag, the individually-wrapped chocolate squares are packaged together in a thick foil paper bag. This size has eleven squares and the thick foil paper bag does little to protect the squares. The bag is not resealable, though this matters very little considering that the chocolate squares do not go bad as they are individually wrapped.
One of these bags tends to run in the $5.00 range and for their quality, they are worth every penny.
Ease Of Preparation
These are candy, so preparing them is as simple as opening the bag and then opening one of the foil wrappers around the actual chocolate square one wishes to eat. There is no grand secret to eating Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate & Strawberry Filling chocolate squares. I have, however, noticed that this particular flavor is a little better when served at room temperature.
Taste
The Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate & Strawberry squares have a powerfully dark chocolate scent to them. The aroma of these chocolate squares is exclusively that of the decent dark chocolate.
The aroma of the Dark Chocolate & Strawberry chocolate squares is indicative of the flavor of the squares. The outer shell is dark and rich. The richness of the chocolate is cut the moment the square is broken. The filling erupts with a sweetness that is just like strawberry jam. The flavor blends perfectly with the dark chocolate and the contrast is absolutely delightful. The strawberry flavoring is sweet and flavorful and it extends the chocolate flavor nicely.
The sweetness of the strawberry filling eliminates the dryness of the dark chocolate, leaving these candies without any aftertaste.
Nutrition
These are candy, so they are not particularly healthy. The Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate & Strawberry chocolate squares are not nearly as bad as they could be. The primary ingredients are sugar, unsweetened chocolate, and high fructose corn syrup. There is nothing unpronounable in these candies and everything in these could be readily identified by me.
A serving of the Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate & Strawberry Filling chocolate squares is considered one square. From one square, one takes in 70 calories, including 4 grams of fat. There is no cholesterol, no sodium, and no protein. There is a smattering of vitamins and minerals, only 2% RDA of Vitamin C and 4% RDA of Iron in these chocolate squares.
These are not Vegan-compliant, nor are they recommended for anyone with a nut allergy as they are produced on the same equipment that peanuts pass over. They are, however, kosher.
Storage/Clean-up
The bags of these Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate & Strawberry Filling chocolate squares remain fresh for quite some time. The bag my wife gifted me today had an expiration date of July 31, 2014, but there is no way they will last that long. One assumes that if they are kept in a cool, dry environment they will not melt or go bad. Given that they are individually wrapped in a very sealed package, it is hard to imagine just what it would take for these to go bad outside melting and refreezing.
As for cleanup, I applaud those who actually throw the wrappers away in socially appropriate places, as opposed to litter. Outside that, there is no real cleanup needed, unless one is eating them in a hot environment. In that case, it is likely one would need to wash their hands. If these chocolate squares melt into most fabrics, they will stain. Getting them to melt is not particularly easy.
Overall
The Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate & Strawberry Filling chocolate squares are incredible. Anyone who loves fruit and dark chocolate will easily be swept away by the quality of these chocolates and will wish they were available year round; I know I do!
For other Ghirardelli chocolate squares reviews, please check out:
Ghirardelli Double Fudge Chocolate Squares
Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark With Dark Chocolate
Midnight Reverie 86% Cacao chocolate squares
10/10
For other food and drink reviews, please visit my Food And Drink Review Index Page for an organized listing!
© 2014 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |
No comments:
Post a Comment