So I got an e-mail from Chris Angell at the beginning of the month.
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| Not this one. He spells his name differently and kind of creeps me out. |
Actually, it was Christopher Angell who very well may be a magician too since he (along with his wife Suzanne) has created the most delicious AND eco-friendly/organic/fair trade chocolate bars I have ever encountered. They sent me a sample of their wares asking that I give a review and after much soul searching, I agreed.
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| The goods before I devoured them. Then wept. |
There is Angell Crisp which is milk chocolate with a crispy rice crunch; Snow Angell, a white chocolate-coconut confection; and Dark Angell which is frankly like David Boreanaz in candy bar form [okay, it's actually dark chocolate, creamy cocoa, and almonds but it definitely made me want to be bitten by a vampire with a good heart].
It was immensely difficult to choose a favorite as each was like a choir of angels in my mouth. I cut them up and shared (I know, I'm a saint) to get a round of opinions, which only made things more difficult. Everyone loved all of them but we were able to articulate, between yummy sounds, what made each flavor delightful.
The Angell Crisp is indeed as simple as it sounds - milk chocolate + that fun old candy bar staple, crispy rice - but the way they have blended everything (with magic?), it is somehow smooth and slightly crunchy at the same time. It melts in the mouth and tastes like childhood.
Snow Angell is the one we all expected to like the least (white chocolate can be a hard sell, and two out of four family members don't normally like coconut) but it seduced us all with its impossibly creamy texture and soft, sweet tropical center.
The Dark Angell tastes like something that should be sold for a great deal of money in a hipster restaurant where it would be presented on a fancy blown-glass plate and eaten with a fork. And some wine. It has depth, like a truffle, and is so rich. Its flavor haunts me.
Christopher & Suzanne's story is sweet (ha!) and inspiring. Everything they are doing with their business speaks to my mom/teacher/citizen/romantic values and I wish them tremendous success. If I could get our local grocery stores to carry Angell bars (my solitary complaint), I might singlehandedly provide the Angells with funding for their kids' college educations. Because I am all about chocolate that is good for everyone - inside & out, from beginning to the most delicious end.
