Chocolate

I am a woman of few vices. They include, I think, only chocolate, ice cream, and coffee. I wouldn't say those things are vices except for the fact that I have each of these every day. Yes, that's right. Chocolate and ice cream...every day. You would think from this that I have probably put on a few pounds lately, but I actually haven't. In fact, I have been at the same weight, one I am happy with, for about a year, and for the entire year I have been indulging. I can't figure out why I am able to get away with this, especially because I do not exercise, but I am not going to question it; I am just going to go with it. If I don't balloon up within another few months, I shall write a best-selling diet book.

Lately I have been on a milk chocolate kick. Eating milk chocolate makes me feel like I am five years old, only not quite that good. I say that because, while I did not know it at the time, I started out consuming some of the best milk chocolate there is at a very young age. My family lived in Germany for 2 1/2 years when I was 4-6. Whilst there, I was exposed to two wonderful brands of German chocolate, and I think this spoiled my milk chocolate palate for life.

I really do not like Hershey's milk chocolate. Nestle's chocolate is only so-so, in my opinion. In fact, I think there are only 5 brands of milk chocolate worth bothering with:

1. Cadbury's

Cadbury's milk chocolate is, in my opinion the ultimate. This British brand creates milk chocolate that is smooth, creamy, almost chewy even, and wonderfully delicious. I was rather chagrined to discover today that, in the U.S., Hershey's manufactures Cadbury's chocolate. All I can say is that they haven't messed up the recipe yet, thankfully, and I hope they don't. I also hope the Cadbury-Kraft merger never happens. Just look what Kraft has done to cheese!

Pictured above are the ultimate version of Cadbury's chocolate: Cadbury's mini eggs. Yum. They are probably already at your local Kroger (They are at mine. Criminal!), but I recommend you wait until closer to Easter before you start buying them. They are just not a January candy.

2. Rittersport

This is one of the brands I was exposed to in my youth. This is terrific milk chocolate with a silky texture. If you have never tried it, pick one up. Plenty of major supermarkets and stores like Target are now carrying it.

3. Kinder chocolate

This is the other brand I enjoyed as a wee one. This chocolate is technically Italian, because it is made by the Ferrero company, but the company introduced it in Germany (as Kinderschokolade) before they sold it in Italy. The great thing about this chocolate is that many varieties combine thin layers of milk and white chocolate in one bar. This is sheer genius. The most fun product for children is the Kinder Surprise Egg, pictured on the right. Inside the hollow chocolate egg is a toy. Sometimes assembly is required, and directions are provided. How fun, right? Well, don't think about buying a Kinder Egg here. The FDA has banned them because the toys can be a choking hazard. So silly!

I should also mention that Kinder chocolate is really creamy and engineered with extra butter fat just for children's (and, who's kidding, adults') tastebuds.

4. Lindt

I really like the milk chocolate Lindt truffles. They are super creamy with a perfectly light shell. This is not surprising as Lindt is a Swiss company, and obviously the Swiss have quite a reputation for chocolate making. I know that truffles are much richer than typical milk chocolate, but I just had some of these over Christmas break (I bought them for my husband's stocking, but somehow they kept on popping themselves into my mouth!), and I can't get them out of my mind.

5. Godiva

For many people Godiva are sort of the gold standard for fancy chocolates. These expensive Belgian chocolates certainly are delicious but are really only for special occasions at my house. Fun fact: Godiva chocolates were, until recently, manufactured by the Campbell Soup Company.