the dark side

I've been on a bit of a dark chocolate almond kick lately (as seen here.) It all started with Dove's Roasted Almonds Covered in Silky Smooth Dark Chocolate. I picked up a bag at the grocery store and kept it stowed away in my purse. They have the perfect amount of chocolate to take the edge off my after-dinner sweet tooth, but enough protein to provide a nice post-workout boost. And (on occasion) they served as dinner (but only when I worked late and I was out of microwave popcorn.)

But my sweet mom, being the Penelope* she is, upped the ante with these bad boys from Trader Joe’s…

“Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Almonds with Sea Salt and Turbinado Sugar start as California-grown dry roasted almonds. We drench them in luxurious dark chocolate, and then gild the lily – just a bit – by dusting the chocolate with turbinado sugar (often called “raw” sugar, turbinado crystals are larger and darker than white sugar) and coarse sea salt produced from the natural evaporation of San Francisco Bay seawater. The almonds are crunchy; the chocolate is creamy; and the sugar and the salt add tantalizing coarseness that tickles the tongue. Each almond is bite-sized, and each bite is an explosion of flavor and texture in your mouth.” [via Trader Joe's]

I’m a texture junkie, so they score obvious points for that one. But what I really cannot get enough of is the perfect balance of contrasting flavors. Think salty-sweet (like a chocolate covered pretzel) but with the added depth of delicate, nutty flavor. Heaven.

*Penelope, if you're unfamiliar. Isn't Kristen Wiig the funniest?