Brittle in Bar Form

Halloween is over and already the stores around me have gone crazy for the winter holidays... and winter in the Northern hemisphere won't even start for over a month! What about on the other side of the world? Has Christmas fever struck the folks in New Zealand? Whether or not they have, today we are going to look again at Wellington Chocolate Factory and one of their creations the Salted Brittle Caramel bar. This comes wrapped in this intense and lovely caramel colored paper with tigers and jars of honey on it. The wrapper is recyclable and the it asks to be recycled on the back above the product bar code. This is a 70% cacao bar made with organic cane sugar, butter, baking soda, sea salt, and possible nuts. The cocoa beans are blended in the factory but the sugar is identified as grown by the Paraguay Manduvira Co-operative. The label is actually not just paper, it stretches a bit and so I found cutting it off was faster and easier.

As I hope you can see in this photo, the front of the bar is ordinary looking but the back is covered in the brittle pieces. The fragrance is pure dark chocolate, no hint of salt or butter on either side. I can take a piece of the brittle off the bar and by itself it is very sweet, reminds me of intense honey like caramel but also very salty and crunchy. Taking a bite creates a snap and the chews a constant crunch sound. Eating a piece brittle side down gives an initial brittle flavor but that is quickly replaced by a blend with the intense darker chocolate with an aftertaste of sweet chocolate. Eating it chocolate side down results in a very balanced blend of flavors that has a much sharper sweetness at the end. Both ways of trying it are consistently crunchy and slightly salty. I liked it both ways though if you aren't a 70% cacao fan, I'd suggest trying it brittle side against your tongue first. Please note that the brittle pieces do fall off after you take a bite so be careful as you eat it.

The Salted Brittle Caramel bar is well balanced, has interesting crunch, and can be eaten in two ways that result is different experiences. Given Wellington's focus on fair trade and quality ingredients, as well, this bar earns Sacrament Status and should be something you consider as a gift for your family and friends this approaching holiday season. That is our look at Wellington Chocolate Factory this year. Who out there has had their creations before? Please leave a comment and tell us what you thought of them.

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