The Good: Good flavor, Good aroma, Decent quantity, Good ingredients
The Bad: Brownie flavor is more of a texture than an actual flavor
The Basics: Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Peppermint Brownie chocolate squares are flavorful for those who love mint chocolate, but those looking for a flavorful chocolate-covered brownie are likely to be somewhat underwhelmed.
When it comes to Ghirardelli chocolate squares, there is an interesting balance between flavor and gimmickry. Ghirardelli has made so many great flavors that as they try now to push the envelope, sometimes the results are more successful conceptually than in execution. Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Peppermint Brownie chocolate squares are one such innovation. The milk chocolate and peppermint in the Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Peppermint Brownie chocolate squares are well-executed, but the "brownie" is barely present and is executed more as a texture - crispy - as opposed to an actual flavor.
Basics
Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Peppermint Brownie chocolate squares are one and a half inch squares of chocolate that are about three-eighths inches thick. Each of the squares comes individually wrapped in a metallic red wrapper with white and red stripes. 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 crunchy brownie center. In this form, the 5.1 oz. bag, the individually-wrapped chocolate squares are packaged together in a thick foil paper bag. This size has ten 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, which is a little more expensive than most mass-produced candies, but less expensive than many premium chocolates.
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 great secret to eating Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Peppermint Brownie chocolate squares. I have, for example, garnished ice cream with these squares from time to time. The mint chocolate flavor is powerful against more bland flavors, like vanilla ice cream, which is nice.
Taste
The Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Peppermint Brownie squares smell lightly minty. There is nothing distinctly chocolatey in the aroma of these chocolate squares, but the milk chocolate seems to mute the strength of the peppermint aroma.
On the flavor front, the Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Peppermint Brownie chocolate squares are minty, sweet and creamy. The milk chocolate flavor is infused pretty delightfully with mint. The peppermint comes out in every bite; the milk chocolate itself is not distinctive enough to hold its own. Instead, the milk chocolate is much more like mint chocolate. On the other half of it, though, the brownie in the Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Peppermint Brownie chocolate squares manifests more as a slightly crispy texture as opposed to a rich chocolate brownie flavor. The result is that the Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Peppermint Brownie are more like mint chocolate than anything truly more complicated or interesting.
The Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Peppermint Brownie chocolate squares leave a sweet and minty flavor in one's mouth once they are consumed, but not strong aftertaste.
Nutrition
These are candy, so they are not expected to be overly nutritious. The Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Peppermint Brownie chocolate squares are not nearly as bad as they could be. The primary ingredients are sugar, unsweetened chocolate and cocoa butter. There is nothing pronounable in these candies and only one recognizable preservative at the very bottom of the ingredient list.
A serving of the Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Peppermint Brownie chocolate squares is considered one square. From a single square, one takes in 80 calories, including 5 grams of fat. There are 5 mg of cholesterol, 15 mg sodium, and 1 gram protein. The Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Peppermint Brownie have very minimal vitamins or minerals, only 2% RDA of Iron and Calcium. There are 8 grams of carbohydrates in each Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Peppermint Brownie chocolate square.
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 and may contain tree nuts. The Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Peppermint Brownie were partially produced with genetic engineering. These chocolate squares are kosher.
Storage/Clean-up
The bags of these Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Peppermint Brownie chocolate squares have a surprisingly short shelf life. The bag my wife bought right before Christmas (2016) had an August 11, 2017 expiration date. One assumes that if they are kept in a cool, dry environment they should 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 surprisingly easy.
Overall
Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Peppermint Brownie chocolate squares are flavorful, but fail to execute their second promised flavor in a satisfying way. Squeezing the brownie down into the chocolate square size seems to have minimized its effective flavor and accurate texture. The Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Peppermint Brownie chocolate squares are only disappointing if one knows what they are supposed to be by their name; they taste wonderful for those who were not promised something richly chocolatey like a brownie!
For other Ghirardelli chocolate squares reviews, please check out:
Dark Chocolate Bourbon Caramel
Cinnamon Crunch
Dark Chocolate & Strawberry
5.5/10
For other food and drink reviews, please visit my Food & Drink Review Index Page for an organized listing!
© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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