Best chocolate bar with almonds?

[comestible]

I have had a sudden craving for such. I'm familiar with the large Hershey's and recently tried Cadbury. I keep wishing for more almonds. (When I ate them more often, I used to feel the bottom side of the Hershey bars through the paper to guess which were more heavily "loaded.")

Actually, would prefer dark chocolate, but milk would be OK.

Thanks!

[link_930]

Perhaps try making your own? That way you get to control the cocoa and almond content.

[culinarycandy]

I just tried Fresh-n-Easy's private label Milk Chocolate with Almonds bar for $4.29, and guess what? It's Callebaut, complete with the name stamped on it. Seems to melt a little quicker than Trader Joes bars, but tastes basically the same at 70 cents less! Imagine, Callebaut for $4.29 for 17.3 oz, around $4.00/lb--must be the best deal anywhere for such excellent chocolate!

[buttertart]

Ritter Sport nut bars are also v good (my favorite is the white choc w hazelnuts) - speaking of Hershey's, wish they'd bring out their Golden Almond bars again - thick chocolate like a number of nuggets joined together, packed with almonds - they were out in the '80's and disappeared...sigh...

[Becca Porter]

Ritter Sport happens to be my husband's very favorite. I get him the milk w/ almonds, and me the dark w/ almonds...

[John Manzo]

Thirding Rittter Sport. My fave is cornflakes with almond a close second.

[mamaciita]

If you're agreeable to other nuts, Aldi's "Dark Chocolate with Nuts" bar, which is primarily hazelnuts which are held together with dark chocolate, is my favorite, and it's $1.89.

[buttertart]

Love the bar feeling idea, why haven't I thought of that?
If you're ever in Paris, get your mitts on a Jacques Bellanger bar - I was given the milk choc w Marcona almonds one recently and am savoring it - the milk chocolate is mild but complex and it's packed full of almonds (chocolate to almond ratio similar to cake to fruit in a really good fruitcake, just a little bit more than needed to hold the thing together). Mindblowing, completely. (EU 4.00 for a bar and worth it. Also comes in dark.)

[mcf]

"Love the bar feeling idea, why haven't I thought of that?"

I assumed everyone did that! Nobody wants a smooth bar with just a few bumps. :-)

[mcf]

Find yourself a good chocolate counter or store that sells dark chocolate almond bark. Always much more almond to chocolate.

[comestible]

Oh, yes, almond bark! I forgot. I've had it in the past, and it's great. Need to get to a candy maker.

Thanks for the TJ rec. There's one in Manhattan, not too far from me.

[comestible]

The fancy commercial bars aren't available in my immediate area. Anyway, I found a local candymaker (Philip's Candy Store in Staten Isl., listed somewhere on CH) that makes nice fresh almond bark, $2.50 per quarter pound. Loaded with almonds. Good thing I can't get there too often; I'd eat far too much of it.

[adrienne156]

Trader Joe's Pound Plus bittersweet bar with almonds is fantastic (LOTS of almonds) and incredibly cheap. I think it's $4.99 at my local TJ's in the SF bay area. I also read somewhere that it's actually made by Valrhona.

[Caitlin McGrath]

Not Valrhona, Callebaut.

[adrienne156]

Someone else posted that the address on the bar is somewhere in Rhone which would suggest Valrhona.

ETA: I could be totally wrong though and I've seen both suggested.

[Caitlin McGrath]

It is Belgian chocolate, as it says on the label, so definitely not Valrhona (which is French). The Callebaut rumor floated around for years; around four years ago, a batch of TJ's branded Belgian chocolate bars went out that were stamped with the Callebaut brand on the chocolate itself (presumably in error, as the same bars before and after didn't have it), apparently confirming the source of TJ's Belgian chocolate. I happened to buy some of that batch and saw it myself; so did a couple of others who've reported it on Chowhound in the past.

[adrienne156]

I stand corrected, although I do know that Valrhona is French (hence the reference to the Rhone region).

[Caitlin McGrath]

I agree the Pound Plus bars are great quality for the price. TJ's also sells the small Valrhona bars for a good price, though they don't really have the selection.

[Cheese Boy]

I admit that I also massaged the candy bars belly feeling for almonds.

Chocolate covered almonds are a great alternative when the craving hits. My new and favorite discovery is that when any almonds are over-roasted and then covered with chocolate, the resulting confectionery is simply incredible. The almond suddenly has an almost coffee-bean-like flavor that contrasts well with the sweet chocolate and produces this delicious new flavor. The only supplier that does this right now is out on the island in NY, but you can try making your own at home. Check out some samples at places selling out of bulk bins too. Chocolate covered almonds are a real treat, and I'm sure you could find them in dark chocolate too.