Lagusta’s Luscious Heathen Toffee
People who follow a plant-based diet may be considered heathens – people who do not follow or belong to a widely held belief or faith – of a different sort because they don’t subscribe to the standard American diet (SAD) – a diet with a heavy emphasis on animal products and highly processed foods.
But being plant-based doesn’t mean you have to give up favorite treats because there are some incredible alternatives out there. Take toffee – a crunchy, rich candy typically made with butter, sugar, almonds, chocolate, and salt – a holiday favorite (although I used to eat toffee all year long). Without butter, how could toffee possibly be toffee? Read more 
Raisinets v. Woodstock Organic Dark Chocolate Raisins
Back in 1971, a commercial for Goobers (chocolate covered peanuts) and Raisinets (chocolate covered raisins) came out with the jingle
Goobers and Raisinets, Goobers and Raisinets, the chocolate covered candies that pour..
that still pops into my head whenever I see a box of Raisinets. As iconic as that jingle is, I can’t bring myself to ever buy or eat Raisinets because of the ingredients, which include dark chocolate (sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, milk fat, soy lecithin, nonfat milk, lactose, artificial & natural flavors), raisins, sugar, tapioca dextrin, confectioner’s glaze (lac-resin), and alkalized cocoa. Read more
Nuttyness Marzipan Bars
Marzipan is often known as almond paste in the United States and is generally reserved for holidays or specialty cakes but only because Americans haven’t really discovered the wonders of this nutty, chewy treat. Traditional marzipan is made with ground almonds blended with sugar or honey but modern marzipan can also be made with pistachios or hazelnuts.
Chewy and sweet, marzipan is the perfect ingredient for a candy bar because the combination of dark chocolate covered marzipan is a contrast in flavors (nuts and rich creamy chocolate) and textures (hard and chewy). Read more
Antidote Dark Chocolate Bars
Seeing red? Feeling blue? There’s an Antidote for that.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of incredible chocolate bars on the market but Antidote Dark Chocolate Bars are in a league of their own. Created by Red Thalhammer who was born, raised, and educated in Austria before moving to New York City, Antidote Dark Chocolate Bars differ from other bean-to-bar chocolate makers in that she uses half raw and half roasted cacao to make bars that are comparatively low in sugar (0-8 grams per 1.1 ounce serving) but off the charts in flavor. Read more
8 to the bar
8 to the bar is a gluten-free and dairy-free snack made of 8 (mostly organic) ingredients: nuts (almonds and walnuts), seeds (pepitas, sunflower, and sesame), dried fruits (figs, cherries), and oats blended with local, raw, unfiltered honey, organic coconut oil, organic evaporated coconut palm sugar, and organic coconut manna. A chewy, crunchy, and slightly sweet blend of wholesome ingredients, 8 to the bar is a delicious snack food to be enjoyed any time of the day. Read more
Hu Chocolate
We are going to give you something awesome to eat, and then we’re going to blow your mind when you look at the ingredients. And that’s where we stand. No compromise. No sacrifice.
Hu Kitchen has never been accused of being a shrinking violet in the food world. In fact, they are on a mission to change the way modern human beings eat: away from highly processed products often described as “healthy” and “natural” and towards food with recognizable ingredients that taste awesome. One of the ways this food industry rebel does this is by making eight dark chocolate (72%) specialty bars: Read more
Oro Cacao
Oro Cacao is Spanish for “gold cocoa” which is what you get when you mix the best almonds in the world with deep dark cocoa, sugar, and salt. Marcona almonds from Spain are sometimes referred to as the “Queen of Almonds” because they are sweeter, richer, and rounder than the California variety.
In Spain, macrona almonds are usually blanched to remove the outer skin and then sold in bulk or packaged. Traditionally, Spaniards carefully sauté the nuts in hot olive oil until the nuts reach a light brown color and then drain the nuts on paper towels. While warm, the nuts are sprinkled with salt and served as a snack or appetizer. Read more
Little Secrets
No artificial ingredients, flavors, or colors. No corn syrup. No diggity. No doubt.
Little Secrets are often described as the healthier version of the M&M. With no artificial anything, Little Secrets are “knock-your-socks-off” delicious bite sized candy coated chocolate bits. Crunch through the bright candy shell and taste what real candy is: rich, sweet, and crunchy all at the same time. Read more
Chocolate Covered Blood Orange Slices (DIY)
Necessity is the mother of invention.
EHChocolatier of Somerville, Massachusetts made a decadent treat called Blood Orange & Chocolate but ran out just before Valentine’s Day after being named one of the best chocolatiers in the country. Desperate for more of these treats, the only way was to make them myself.
I could have bought blood oranges, sliced and dehydrated the pieces but instead I placed an order with Simple & Crisp – a Seattle, Washington-based company that specializes in dried fruit crisps with a cracker-like texture – for a few boxes of their Blood Orange Dried Fruit Crisps. Read more
Dark Chocolate Matzah Bark
If you happen to live in Boston and need the perfect Passover treat, stop in at EHChocolatier at 561 Windsor Street in Sommerville, just east of Cambridge to buy Dark Chocolate Matzah Bark. Whether buying these for yourself, sharing as part of a dessert, or bringing them as a gift for the host or hostess, Dark Chocolate Matzah Bark will bring a sweet ending to any Passover Seder.
For those of us unable to get to Boston, EHChocolatier ships the bark 2-day Priority, Fed Ex 2-day, and UPS Second Day Air to ensure receipt before Passover. Read more
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