Oo! Ah! Chocolat!

Apparently this week is Chocolate Week!! To know me, is to know that I absolutely LOVE chocolate!

Now those of who who read my post about broccoli might be forgiven for thinking that I was going eschew the dark stuff forever, but well, I really don't think I could do that - everything in moderation, you know!!

So where do I go to get my dairy free chocolate fix?

The answer is... all kinds of places!

There is so much out there!* 

When I'm not munching my way through Baby's stash (outlined in blog post 'Sweets for my Sweet') these are my favourites:

Booja Booja
Until quite recently, I was a Booja booja virgin. I thought that all their products were made with cashews (which I can't tolerate), so I gave them a wide berth. Then I discovered these!!




Having now found that their Banoffee Toffee Chocolate Truffles, are perfectly okay for me (since The Hub bought some as a treat) I am converted. Incredibly moreish, the truffles are/were amazing. They didn't last very long, at all! 

You only get nine in a box that costs £6.99, so work out the sums for yourself!

Unfortunately, if you are a nut allergy sufferer, you'll need to give these a wide berth, as apparently they contain nuts :( not that I noticed any!

Hotel Chocolat 
70% chocolatey darkness, Hotel Chocolat's dark chocolate range and really deserves a post all of its own! You have to like dark to like these. There's no milk in their recipe. They say they're suitable for Vegans and I think I would agree, as they've never given Baby any problems - unlike dark chocolates, by some other manufacturers that I've tried.

Yes, there's no denying that they're expensive. I only got into them because The Hub decided to treat me for birthday, Christmas etc. so please understand, I don't get these all that frequently, they are quite definitely only a treat.

Rich and yummy!

After the Hazelnut Buche (I really do recommend these, if you can tolerate nuts - there's a large and a small one of these) I think I like the Vintage Buttons the best (£7.00 a box). I love the fact that they're moulded from real old buttons. I also like the Chocolate Batons (£7.00 a box). The Dark Chocolate Drops are great for fondue/posh cooking (£7.50 a packet) and there's also Mint Puddles - which are perfect for an after dinner nibble.

Last Valentine's Day, they produced an exquisitely moulded chocolate heart - I know, only because The Hub bought one for me. I can't tell you what it was like, as I still can't bring myself to eat it!

Willie's Cacao
Another dark chocolate, it first came to my attention when a television programme was made about this man who was trying to start up a chocolate factory. The programme may have been made before Baby was born, because although I was interested in how he got on, I never thought I would ever eat any of his chocolate, so I thought no more of it - until the Hub bought me some as a treat.

Small quantity, but intense flavour.

I think, to be fair, that although I find it delicious, you might need to be someone who has developed the taste for dark chocolate ( a bit of a connoisseur) to really appreciate it fully - it's very dark and very intense and very expensive (in terms of quantity). It comes in four flavours, which  have been given fancy names, such as 'Venzuelan Gold 72' - rather reminiscent of wine labelling, but then, they are referred to as 'premium'! 

Containing no dairy, or soya, these may, unfortunately, contain nuts :(

A small pack can be bought in Waitrose, for £2.99.

Now, just in case you're thinking that this all looks a bit expensive, you're right, it is! Free From chocolate is not cheap! But there are some more affordable options out there.

I quite like these:

Kinnerton Chocolate Bar 

For 'everyday.'

What I like to call my, 'everyday' chocolate. Nut, gluten, egg and dairy free. This chocolate is dark and sweet. An acquired taste to begin with (for me anyway - I always used to love milk chocolate) I have bought these bars time and again, usually from Sainsbury's.

Priced at about £1.19, they are probably one of the most affordable ways to eat dairy free chocolate. That said, if you can handle 'may contain milk,' there are quite a few more reasonably priced bars out there, in the 'normal' supermarket confectionery aisle.

I did hear rumours some time ago that Sainsbury's were going to stop stocking Kinnerton, but they still seem to be there and in the interests of supporting a brand, I keep stockpiling it just in case. At least that is the intention, but my pile keeps diminishing!!

Fabulous Free From Factory Chocolate Covered Raisins

They really are scrummy!

I have mentioned these already, in a previous post, but they're so good, that I had to give them another mention. I have to go a bit easy on these, as raisins can be a bit strong for my gut. I think that is the only reason I don't eat a packet in one go but it is soooo hard to stop once I've started!

Priced at £1.59 a packet at Waitrose, they're not cheap, for the quantity you get in a packet, but as the packet says they are 'Scrummy, yummy...'

They are gluten free as well as dairy free. There's no mention of nuts or eggs in the ingredients, but they are made with soya flour (which, funnily enough, doesn't seem to affect me) and may contain traces of nuts!



Organica Hazelnut Nougat & Dark Chocolate bar

What I like to call 'pocket sized.'

Not exactly a snappy name, but I guess this is the nearest I have come to a 'Topic' chocolate bar. Organica also produce a Golden Coconut & Dark Chocolate bar (think 'Bounty') which I love too. Not quite a Bounty, but near enough!!

The bars tend to be priced around 89p - which makes me wince when I think that I can remember buying Mars Bars for 30p (in my younger days).

Organica's bars are fairly hard to come by, in my experience. They seem to be found in some health food shops and are available online from The Vegan Store, where, I have just discovered, you can buy them individually or in bulk (now there's an idea)!! 

Caramel Flavoured Choices

For your caramel 'hit.'

One of the flavours I've missed since becoming dairy free is caramel. I used to really love my Rolos!! ... And the big purple chocolate in the Quality Street tin, now I come to think of it!! But everyone loves those, don't they? They were always the first ones to go, from the tin.

Well, Choices can provide an option for those of us, who miss that caramel flavour. Not quite as yummy as the big purple sweet, they do however go some way, to providing that caramel 'hit.' 

Although I've not noticed them around recently, I know that I have been able to buy them from larger Sainsbury's in the past, for about £3.50. I believe Morrison's now stock them too.

Dairy, wheat, gluten and egg free, they do contain soya (lecithin). 

Humdinger's Dairy Free Buttons

Something for Baby and me!

I just can't help myself - I'm back to baby's stash! When all is said and done, sometimes the most simplest things hit the spot. With me it's these buttons. They're sold in Tesco (for about 50p) and come in 'white' as well as a 'milk' chocolate.

Baby loves them and so do I! The only problem is establishing ownership!!

Dairy free and gluten free, they are made with soya (lecithin).

They are not made with nuts, neither are nuts used in the factories where they are made. If nuts are a problem for you, then you may wish to follow this link, to see their nut information for yourself.

Well this is a run-down of my favourites, now over to you! I've told you mine, how about you tell me yours!! :)

Well, as long as you don't have any problems with nuts... or soya lecithin, or rice even (food allergies are such a minefield)! Sorry, if I clash with yours :(

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