Seed and Bean Lemon and Poppy Seed White Chocolate

Here's another flavor combination I enjoy but had never seen in a chocolate bar before: lemon and poppy seed. It seems so simple, but Seed and Bean has transformed my favorite muffin into a candy bar. Their website is full of fun combinations I'd like to try. Seed and Bean is an English company, and so far I haven't seen their products in any US stores (this bar was given to me by that well-traveled coworker).

Seed and Bean's website invites you to "Experience a chocolate taste sensation in our creamy, dreamy white chocolate bar, with poppy seeds for that earthy crunch and infused with Italian lemon oil for a subtle citrus twist." I'd say they delivered.

The chocolate smelled buttery with hints of lemon. The white chocolate melted smoothly and cleanly, with a hint of natural-tasting lemon flavor. It was a subtle, creamy lemon vanilla. The only drawback for me was it was just on the edge of being too sweet - the white chocolate was about as sweet as I can handle.

The poppy seeds added a fun texture - a little crunch, a little pop. I didn't get much of the earthiness the website mentioned, but the bar did remind me of muffins. It's a pretty safe bet to say that any white chocolate & lemon lover would adore this bar.

A-

Seed and Bean website

Kingdom Chocolate Double Choc Dark Chocolate Mousse

Well, hello there. Remember me? I used to blog sometimes. It's been a very, very long time, so I will understand if there are no readers left, but I offer my eternal gratitude to anyone who is reading this. I recently finished my masters degree and find myself with a sudden surplus of free time, so it seemed like a good time to revive this old blog.

The chocolate bar up for review today is neither flashy nor innovative, but it was so delicious that it has stuck with me for months. I received it as a gift from a coworker who had just come back from visiting her family in the United Kingdom. The Kingdom Chocolate Double Choc Dark Chocolate Mousse bar promised "Delightfully delicate centres in every chunk" and it delivered. For reference, the company's website describes this bar as "A rich dark chocolate bar with a dark chocolate ganache centre" and a minimum of 61% cocoa solids.

As you can see, the chocolate was a rich, warm brown, and it had a satisfying snap (leaving lots of pretty fracture markings to admire). The filling was well-contained within the thick walls of chocolate, and the bar had a bitter and fudgey scent.

Everything about this bar was satisfying. The thick chocolate was a pleasure to bite into, and the cool, creamy ganache center made each chunk like a little truffle. Once the chocolate started to warm up, the outer layer melted to become every bit as silky and smooth as the ganache. The cocoa flavor was on the mild side of bitter and just a little fruity - I could have done with a bit more bitterness.

Kingdom does offer other bars that are more off the wall (like Milk Chocolate Rhubarb & Vanilla Centre), but I think the Mousse bar should please fans of milk and dark chocolate alike.

A

Kingdom Chocolate website

Cocoa Ooze White Chocolate Bar

I hope those readers who celebrate are having a nice Easter. My mom always hid our Easter baskets first thing in the morning, so my sister and I usually dug into them before breakfast. Unlike Halloween, where the candy was dessert after dinner and trick-or-treating, Easter candy was always enjoyed on an empty stomach. It took me several years to learn that when you only eat candy for breakfast and lunch, you get a nasty stomach ache.

The holiday put me in the mood for white chocolate, and I just happened to have this Cocoa Ooze white chocolate bar from Aberdeenshire in Scotland. The name "Cocoa Ooze" puts a delightful image in my head, like a chocolate volcano. Though the packaging was quite elegant, there wasn't much information about the bar on the wrapper except that the chocolate was made with 28% cocoa solids.

The chocolate was quite thick and broke with a satisfying snap. The bar smelled milky, and the white chocolate was about as good as I've had, if a little boring. The chocolate was creamy and buttery, and it melted without getting sticky or grainy.

Despite being a solid hunk of white chocolate, the sweetness was perfect. It was still sweet enough to satisfy my Easter craving, but it didn't burn my throat. I am curious what was used to sweeten the bar (probably plain old sugar) but it didn't say. Cocoa Ooze makes a strong white chocolate bar, and even though it won't thrill you, it certainly won't disappoint.

B+

Cocoa Ooze website

Seed & Bean Chili & Lime Extra Dark Chocolate

When a chocolate bar has "spicy" in the title, I usually take it with a grain of salt. My husband and I are spicy food junkies and our tolerance for heat is pretty high. So when a chocolate bar actually does have a nice kick to it, it's a very pleasant surprise.

This Seed & Bean bar is another gift my boss brought back from the UK. This bar is organic, fairtrade, and vegan (though it might have traces of milk). While 72% cocoa is not what I'd call "extra dark" it's right where I like my chocolate bars to be. Everyone's got a chili chocolate bar, but this is the first chili lime bar I've tried.

The chocolate was glossy and quite pretty with a nice, hard snap. Right away, I could taste the crisp hint of lime, but as the chocolate melted, the chili heat began to build. This bar was pretty hot! Even after the chocolate was gone, the pleasant burn lingered for several minutes.

The chocolate itself was fantastic. Despite the heat, the bar still had a nice, mildly bitter cocoa flavor. It melted so smoothly and cleanly, leaving just the heat behind. In fact, all of the flavors were very clean, with no odd pepper flavors or sour notes from the lime. If you're not a fan of hot stuff, you may want to skip this one, but it's one of the best spicy bars I've ever had!

A

Seed & Bean website

Marks & Spencer White Chocolate Crème Brûlée

Work, grad school, and trying to have a social life have all kept me very busy, and unfortunately this blog has suffered as a result. Sorry for going missing again, but I'm going to keep trying to do it all! So, you may remember that my boss is British, and that when she goes to visit her parents in Scotland, she often brings back British chocolate to try. She brought back so much this time that I have consumed most of my calories from chocolate today, and it's just after noon.

This Crème Brûlée (thank goodness for autocorrect, it saved me a lot of trouble with those accents) bar came from the large department store chain Marks & Spencer, which sells a wide range of chocolates branded with its own name. The ingredients list was quite simple, and the label said the white chocolate contained at least 21% milk solids.

The speckles in the bar were quite pretty and reminded me of Easter. The chocolate smelled of vanilla and butter, almost like butterscotch. It was quite sweet, but it had a pleasant milky vanilla flavor. The little flecks turned out to be crunchy, toffee-like caramel granules that evoked the first wonderful crunch of stabbing crème brûlée with a spoon (definitely the best part of eating crème brûlée).

While the bar was a little too sweet for my liking, it thankfully wasn't cloying. The crunch from the caramel granules was fun, and against the smooth and creamy melt of the chocolate, it captured the feeling of the dessert. I'm not a big fan of crème brûlée (aside from the stabby part), but this bar had some nice textures. Still, one little square at a time was enough for me.

B+

Marks & Spencer website

Romney's Kendal Mint Cake

Here's a curious little confection that my boss brought back from England on her last visit. Traditionally, Kendal Mint Cake is intended for mountain climbers as a source of energy, and all it contains is sugar, glucose, water, and peppermint oil.

The two varieties here are made with white sugar and brown sugar, but there is also a chocolate-covered version. Both pack a seriously minty aroma, and pieces break apart like fudge.

The white sugar version, found in the blue package, had the slightly crunchy texture of fudge. It reminded me of the center of a peppermint patty (so it would probably be quite nice if coated in chocolate). The mint was cool and refreshing, but not too strong. Of course it was sweet, but there wasn't really much flavor to it. I suppose flavor isn't the biggest concern for mountaineers.

I much preferred the brown sugar version, simply for the added hint of molasses that brown sugar imparted. The mint was stronger in this version as well. The texture was a little firmer than that of the white, but still very much like fudge.

These mint cakes reminded me of the molded maple sugar candies found in areas known for maple syrup. While the peppermint oil was nice and refreshing, eating a piece of mint cake resulted in an immediate urge to go brush my teeth. The experience was interesting, but I think I'll leave this one for the mountaineers.

B

Kendal Mint Cake website

Thorntons Chocolates

This review is a long-overdue continuation of another review of Thorntons chocolates from my boss. Thankfully, I took good notes when I ate them, and these were so good that they stick out in my memory.

The remaining bars are Orange & Cardamom and Banana & Custard. Thorntons is a brand that I desperately wish I could find in the United States. As it is, I am grateful for the kindness of my boss, who often brings back sweets to share when she visits her family in the United Kingdom.

Orange & Cardamom smelled of cardamom with a hint of orange. Cardamom is such a clean, appealing, and fresh spice, and it was best showcased in the first bite. I wish it hung around longer, because as the chocolate began to melt, both the cardamom and the orange flavors became subtle. The orange oil was never tart, just mildly citrusy. Finally, the texture was just that of smooth, creamy milk chocolate. It melted quickly and cleanly without being too sticky. A-

The bar smelled like banana ice cream, and the white chocolate was mildly sweet with a heavy vanilla custard flavor. I do love to see vanilla bean flecks! Thankfully, banana chips gave the bar its banana flavor, so it was quite authentic. The crunchy banana chips and the creamy white chocolate were complementary. Though the bar was sweet, it was never too sweet, and I was surprised by how much I liked it. My husband, the true banana lover in the house, adored this one. A-

Thorntons Chocolates Website

Thorntons Chocolates

Dear readers, you may recall that my boss visits her family in the United Kingdom once or twice a year, and she is so kind that she often brings me some chocolate back "in exchange" for watering her plants while she's away. I firmly insist that this arrangement is lopsided in my favor, but I very much appreciate the chocolate.

Today, I'm reviewing two of the four bars pictured above, and the other two will be posted soon. I started with the Bakewell Tart, because it just sounded delicious, and Sea Salt & Lemon, because the combination was new to me. Both are milk chocolate bars, and they came very highly recommended by my boss and her husband.


The packaging for this bar is adorable, and the description alone sounded delightful. It certainly delivered on aroma, smelling of milk and almonds. Although the bar got a bit damaged in transit, you can see the raspberry bits and waffle pieces embedded in the milk chocolate. The almond flavor was along the lines of amaretto, sweet and almost cherry-like, which was a perfect companion for the tarter raspberry pieces.

The chocolate was sweet and a bit sticky, but the milky flavor went well with the fruit. The waffle pieces added a wonderful crunch, though I wasn't crazy about the texture of the raspberry seeds. Overall, every flavor was executed wonderfully and those flavors melded for a delicious bar. A


Lemon & Sea Salt fared a bit better in transit, which was great, because the design on the bar was very pretty. The snap of the bar was firm for milk chocolate, and there was a slight lemony aroma. The salt was  sparse, but so good with the lemon. I never would have guessed (but I should have, as I love a salt rimmed margarita)! It was a bit sour, a bit salty, and wonderful.

The chocolate was rich, smooth, and delicious. For some reason, I didn't feel like this bar was sticky, even though the cocoa percentage and source were the same as the Bakewell Tart. The salt added a tiny crunch to break up the smooth texture. Finally, the finish was nice and clean. I was so sad to see this bar go! A+

Thorntons website

Marks & Spencer Caramel & Toffee Mousse Splits

It's coming up on the third anniversary of this blog! I haven't been candy blogging nearly as long as many people, but after three years, it's nice to come across a candy bar that's completely unlike anything I've tried since I started this blog.

Marks & Spencer is a department store chain in the United Kingdom. According to their website, they have locations in 40 countries, but the United States is not one of them. This candy bar is another kind gift from my boss, who is from the UK and sometimes brings candy back to the States with her when she visits. My boss told me that she thinks this bar is re-branded Thorntons chocolate, and this review at Chocoblog seems to back that up, but I couldn't find anything official.


The amazing thing about this bar is that each of the segments has both toffee and caramel filling, separate but not divided so that they mix together a bit in the middle. The toffee was very buttery and just a bit salty, and while those flavors were tasty, it was very, very sweet. The texture of the toffee was like lightly whipped mousse, soft, creamy, and thick.

The caramel on the other hand was runny and smooth, and somehow even sweeter than the toffee mousse. The milk chocolate melted smoothly with a hint of stickiness, but it was still quite good. It had that milky richness that many British bars have. On the whole, this bar was a bit too sweet for me, but it was certainly unique. I preferred the buttery, salty flavor of the toffee mousse to the flatter caramel.

B-

Marks & Spencer Website

Thorntons Black Forest Gateau

For today's review, I have some chocolate from the across the Atlantic (or the Pacific, if you take the long way). After returning from her most recent visit to her hometown in the United Kingdom, my boss kindly brought two chocolate bars that aren't available in the United States for me to try. It's such a treat to try candy from other countries - even when the flavors are familiar, the textures are often quite different!

First up is the Thorntons Black Forest Gateau bar. Cherry/chocolate combinations have grown on me in recent years - I never liked them as a child. Even now, I have some texture issues with maraschino cherries (I don't like chocolate covered cherries at all), but thankfully, I had no texture qualms here.


The bar had a very thick double chocolate coating of milk enrobed in dark, which is something I don't see often. It smelled mildly of cherry, and reminded me of a 3 Musketeers bar when I cut into it. The filling, however, was much smoother than 3 Musketeers; it melted in my mouth and, in combination with the chocolate coating, had almost a velvety feel.

The tart cherry zing reminded me of chocolate covered cherries (in a good way), which went especially well with slightly fruity dark chocolate. Excluding gourmet products, British chocolate often seems smoother and a bit richer than American chocolate, and this bar was no exception. It wasn't too sweet, and I really enjoyed the cherry flavor. It's worth noting that my husband, a chocolate covered cherry lover, found the flavor to be a bit artificial, but it didn't bother me.

B+

Thorntons website

Damian Allsop CH2OCOLATES Cinnamon & Lemon (Cola) Compact Bar

When my sister-in-law visited London, she said she took great care in finding me a special treat as a souvenir. She's such a sweetheart, and she found the perfect thing: chocolate made without cream and butter! She picked up this bar with the help of a gracious employee at Liberty, and it was made by Damian Allsop Chocolates.

The idea that such a thing exists had never even occurred to me, but this chocolate is made with water. In addition, the flavor combination of lemon, cinnamon, and cola felt fresh and unique. The chocolate was a lovely taupe color, freckled with cinnamon and popping candy.


The chocolate itself was firm with a light, soft melt. The first flavor I tasted was a mildly sour lemon. As the white chocolate melted, its flavor emerged, along with a hint of cinnamon, reminding me of a cinnamon roll. The white chocolate was unlike any other white chocolate I've had. It wasn't too sweet, and had a rich vanilla flavor that went well with the cinnamon.

Finally, the cola flavor was present in crunchy popping candy. It had a fruity, cola flavor with a hint of molasses, and the gentle popping candy made for a fun finish. The chocolate wasn't sticky and had a clean finish. The CD-style shape and packaging were cute, but with a product this tasty and unique, it felt like a bit much; the chocolate spoke for itself.

A

Damian Allsop Chocolates website

Thorntons Chocolate Bars

These bars were a gift from my boss, as a thank-you for watering her plants while she was away. I'm not sure it was fair, because all I had to do was water a couple tiny pots and she gave me all this chocolate! I'm not going to argue, though.

Thorntons chocolate isn't available in the United States, so whenever my boss and her husband return to the UK, they stock up. It's not a brand I've seen in import stores, either, so this was my first time tasting Thorntons. These three bars are Cappuccino, Whipped Fudge, and Mint.


The first bar I tried was Cappuccino, and the first thing I noticed is that it was incredibly soft! It wasn't that it was melted, it was just that the white chocolate coating and the center were light and airy. It had a strong coffee scent, and the center had a strong cappuccino flavor, with a smooth, almost minty coating. The flavors went together well, and overall it wasn't too sweet but a nice and balanced bitter. It melted in my fingers, because the center was almost like whipped truffle ganache. I saved half to take home, but it got a bit melted during the 15 minute drive from work. I should probably mention that my air conditioning is broken... B


Next, I tried the Whipped Fudge Bar. It smelled like fudge, and had a vein of caramel running through the center. This caramel was the best part of this bar! It was oozy and sticky, and just the perfect level of sweetness. The fudge center was gritty, and it had the texture of faux cookie dough. It felt a little heavy for something with "whipped" in the title, and it was a bit too sweet, but since I'm a sucker for cookie dough, I didn't mind. My husband wasn't too fond of this one, though. B-


I saved the Mint Bar for last, and it was worth it. The bar smelled so very minty, and it delivered. There were crunchy peppermint bits in the center of the bar that reminded me of crushed candy canes. The chocolate on the outside was firm, and it was a fantastic pair for the creamy, cool mint ganache-like center. It was a lovely bar, and my favorite of the three. A-

Thorntons website

Cadbury Dairy Milk Fruit and Nut

This bar certainly changed my opinion of fruity chocolate bars. Before it, my only experience with them had been some sort of off brand chocolate bar with dried fruit, and that left a rather vile taste in my mouth long after the one bite I had was swallowed. Thank goodness for Cadbury.

Cadbury starts with good chocolate, at least to my tastes. It has a very distinct flavor that is similar to other non-gourmet European chocolate bars but quite different from Hershey's. The texture tends to be smoother, and the flavor is very milky with just a hint of caramelization.

The bar had the signature aroma of Cadbury chocolate - milky with caramel notes - but I could smell the dried fruits, too. The chocolate was very smooth and melted quickly on the tongue, leaving the tart taste of the raisins and the crunchy almonds.

The whole almonds, easily visible in this picture didn't add much flavor. Almonds have a pretty delicate flavor, so it was probably masked by the intense milk chocolate. The raisins had a good taste and texture, and the texture of the nuts made for a more interesting bar. I prefer this bar to the plain old milk chocolate, and my husband said it reminded him of trail mix.

A-

Cadbury Website

Nestle Peanut Butter KitKat Chunky

Just under a year ago, I reviewed a Canadian peanut butter KitKat bar, and it may have been a bit stale. In the interest of fairness, I jumped at the chance to review this fresh peanut butter KitKat (from the UK).

When I first saw this bar at an import food store, I thought it was a peanut KitKat bar, as the word peanut is so much bigger than the word butter on the package. For this reason, it sat in storage for a few weeks until I pulled it out again and noticed the true flavor. I am a big fan of peanut butter chocolate.


This bar smelled really good, like sweet chocolate and roasted nuts. The peanut butter layer was very thick (about half of the height), and when I bit into it, the peanut butter stuck to the roof of my mouth. Despite the nostalgia brought on by this situation, it's not something I'm used to with peanut butter candy. The peanut butter in this bar was thick, gooey, and sticky.

One difference I did like about the peanut butter was that it was less sweet than a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup (for example), but this may go hand-in-hand with the texture. It was much more like peanut butter from a jar than from a candy bar, but I could have done with a bit more creaminess.

The wafers seemed especially crispy, but that could just be the bigger size. The chocolate was mild and the whole bar was a very good combination of textures and flavors. It was quite filling! The only thing that I didn't love was the peanut butter consistency, but the flavors were great, so I think I can let it go.

B+

Nestle website

Walkers Roast Chicken Crisps

Normally, I prefer sweet snacks, but occasionally, I do get the craving for something salty and savory. These chips fulfill both of those requirements. They were purchased from the UK import section at Jungle Jim's International Market. When we're in the Cincinnati, Ohio area, my husband and I always try to stop in, and it's always worth it.

As these crisps were imported, they were rather pricey ($0.79 for a 34.5 g bag). There were several flavors available, including prawn, but I went for the roast chicken and my husband got steak and onion. The price tag stopped us from buying more. Walkers is part of Frito-Lay and called Lay's in the US (thanks, Anon). You can see a list of current flavors on the Walkers Wikipedia page.


The chips smelled a little like chicken broth, but as they were flavored with spices and not animal products (the bag says they are suitable for vegetarians), they didn't smell meaty. The taste reminded me of a bouillon cube or the flavor powder from chicken ramen. I was very pleased that they neither tasted nor smelled like dog treats, as savory snacks sometimes do.

The texture of the crisps was good, too. They were neither too thin nor too thick, which gave them a good, fresh crunch. They had a nice level of saltiness and I imagine these would go well with a mild beer. I can't see myself craving this chicken-soup-in-a-chip taste, but they were a nice break from the flavors available in the US.

B+

Walkers website

Mars Galaxy

My boss recently spent a week in England, and since she is so thoughtful, she brought back British chocolate for my group at work! According to her, the Galaxy bar is better than Cadbury, so I was very excited to try it.

I vaguely remember seeing someone else's review of a Galaxy bar, but I can't remember which blog it was or what they thought. It's a nice theme, though, Galaxy bar from Mars. And, the chocolate bar itself has an adorable design. I love the little G!


The chocolate smelled very sweet and a little nutty. It tasted unlike chocolate I've had in the past - very rich, creamy, and velvety. It really stuck to my teeth! It reminded me a little of Dove milk chocolate, in taste and texture. I have no nutrition info on it, because I think it was sold as a set and not an individual unit, but it tastes very fattening - that's good for chocolate, though.

I'm glad the bar I had was portioned, but I don't think I could eat more than one block of this at a time because of the sweetness. On taste alone, it might be better than Cadbury, but for mass consumption potential, I think Cadbury wins. I'm not a huge fan of eating chocolate by itself, so I might not be the best person to appreciate this, but it was a nice change of pace from all the Hershey here in the US.

B-

Mars website