THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST.
YOU CAN ORDER MORE WONDERFUL CHOCOLATE PRODUCT DIRECTLY FROM SCHARFFEN BERGER ONLINE.
I believe in chocolate. I believe it has magical powers to uplift spirits, create amazing kitchen delicacies, and basically make the world a much better place.
My love for Scharffen Berger started nearly a year ago when I won their $150-value gift basket assortment through GoodLife {Eats}. Filled with cocoa powders, baking bars, chunks, nibs, and their book, “The Essence of Chocolate”, I quickly fell in love deeper than I ever thought possible.
This is the chocolate all other chocolates compete with. This is the chocolate that should be in every fine confectioner’s shop, every store, every kitchen. This is the chocolate that makes me want to sing songs from Willy Wonka every time I taste it.
This is the Chocolate God.
Imagine my delight when Scharffen Berger agreed to sponsor a giveaway on Frankly, My Dear… And then they suggested their Artisan Bars. Eight perfectly delectable varieties made with the purest of cacao and other ingredients. All I had to do was taste them myself to write a review.
All I had to do was eat
eight full bars of chocolate.
Sometimes, it’s hard to be a blogger. *Snicker.*
Overall review:
Public Relations/Customer Service: 10 stars
My contact was immediately responsive, and went above and beyond our initial agreement by sending me a second shipment of bars when she heard some of the first had been compromised in delivery during the Southern California heatwave.
Their website, ScharffenBerger.com, is more than just advertising. Incredibly user-friendly helpful, and supportive, they explain their chocolate-making process, offer chocolate-based recipes, and describe each product.
Want to know which Artisan bar goes well with your Sumatran coffee, Sauvignon Blanc, aged gouda or other food item? Click into their Pairing Navigator. It offers suggestions for snacks and beverages to compliment their delicious chocolate [Although you don’t have to. This product really stands on its own!].
PRODUCT: 8.5 stars
It’s hard to miss the authentic cacao flavor and aroma that inherently makes Scharffen Berger the best chocolate around. Each individual bar is an experience in itself. I found myself fully satisfied after just one or two bites, making it easy to save some for later (unlike drug-store chocolate bars, where I tend to indulge in the entire bar all at once and am still left wanting a bit more flavor).
The one small disappointment [if I can call it that], is that this chocolate is so specialized and well-crafted with real cacao, it melts faster than your drug-store candy bar. This is not the kind of bar you want to let your five-year-old hold in her hand for any length of time.
When my first shipment arrived on Day Three of Southern California’s record-breaking heatwave, I immediately refrigerated the bars. The next day I opened the Extra Dark Chocolate bar and was not disappointed. While the shape of the bar wasn’t as pretty as its original form, the flavor and aroma were still beyond measure, and the quality had not been terribly compromised.
Can you imagine how much more wonderful the second shipment was, in its fine, unmelted glory? I felt as though I was at my own private wine-tasting party. Each bar offered pieces that I held on my tongue until they melted away, leaving me with textures and aromas I’d fallen in love with. Every. Single. Bite.
Can you say, “Exquisite Experience”?
I knew you could.
BARS:
Milk Chocolate with Sea Salted Almonds (41% Cacao)
Who doesn’t love sweet and salty? I know I do! The almond bits are small, which I found wonderful. No tooth-breaking with this bar! The melt-in-your-mouth chocolate mixed with the crunch of the almonds and essence of sea salt is an unexpected combination that satisfies both a sweet tooth and those looking for a heartier chocolate.
Extra Rich Milk Chocolate (41% Cacao)
I honestly thought this bar wouldn’t be as wonderful as the others. I like my chocolate to have substance and more than “just chocolate”. I like nuts, caramels, flavor explosions. And then I nibbled on this. Filled with hints of caramel, it was so savory I had to share it with my family. They couldn’t believe this was “just” a milk chocolate bar. It was like eating the purest hot chocolate drink, in bar form.
Milk Nibby Milk Chocolate with Roasted Cacao Nibs (41% Cacao)
Roasted Cacao Nibs (bits of raw cocoa) add a remarkable crunch to this milky chocolate bar. Similar in texture to a chocolate-covered coffee bean, this bar is great in small amounts to be savored and saved for those special nibbly moments (no pun intended).
Mocha Dark Chocolate with Freshly Roasted Coffee (62% Cacao)
Bliss. Chocolate covered, coffee flavored bliss. Opening the wrapper was like opening a bag of freshly ground coffee beans. And the flavor! Have you ever had a cup of coffee so exquisite, so divine, that nothing else mattered? I may have to just melt this bar in my mug tomorrow morning. I’m certain nothing else will ever compare. You can’t overindulge on this bar. If you’re a chocolate-and-coffee lover, this bar is a necessity!
Semisweet Fine Artisan Dark Chocolate (62% Cacao)
An interesting undertone of fruitiness and honey, just as the label indicates, adds a unique blend to this nearly addictive dark chocolate. Even with being my least favorite bar of the bunch, I still found myself coming back to this flavor.
Nibby Dark Chocolate with Roasted Cacao Nibs (62%)
This richer, deeper experience with all the glories of the Milk Nibby bar, was more satisfying with each bite. Because of the fullness in flavor and texture, I found myself savoring, as well as saving some for later.
Bittersweet Dark Chocolate (70%)
I was wonderfully surprised with my first taste of this bar. I expected something more appropriate to baking than tasting; but what I experienced was a smooth, almost light-and-fruity flavor. This was Dot’s favorite of the bars, and she said it best: “It tastes like pure chocolate without added sugar.”
Extra Dark Chocolate Bar (82% Cacao)
I admit it. I went for this bar first. I love-love-LOVE dark chocolate. The darker, the better. And besides, it’s healthy, right? Okay, so I also won an extra one through Scharffen-Berger’s daily twitter giveaway, which arrived two days before the big shipment. Still, I would have pulled this one from the pack first. I’m just that way.
The aroma itself is worth buying the bar. If Scharffen Berger made a candle from this, we would all be so very happy, I guarantee it. 82% cacao. Eighty-two percent! The true chocolate flavor was refreshingly bitter yet lively.
And now after all that, we get to the part you’ve been patiently waiting for:
The Giveaway
TWO lucky people are going to win an eight-bar gift pack from Scharffen Berger!
1. MANDATORY ENTRY: Leave a comment on this post: What is your favorite way to eat chocolate? This entry is mandatory. If you don’t answer this question, all other entries are void.
2. ADDITIONAL ENTRIES: You can earn up to seven additional entries (for eight entries total) by doing each of the following then leaving a comment here telling me you’ve done so. If you already do any of these things, that counts as an entry only if you post it in the comments. (Additional entries will be verified):
a. Follow me on Facebook and share this giveaway.
b. Follow Scharffen Berger on Facebook.
c. Follow me on twitter and tweet this giveaway.
d. Follow Scharffen Berger on twitter.
e. Follow me on Pinterest and pin this giveaway.
f. Follow me on Stumble Upon and Stumble this post.
g. Share this giveaway on your own blog and leave the URL link in the comments below.
BONUS ENTRIES ONLY COUNT IF YOU LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH AND I VERIFY.
Here’s the fine print:
- This giveaway is solely through Molly Jo and the blog Frankly, My Dear…. It is sponsored by Scharffen Berger. There are no other corporate sponsors. This giveaway is in no way endorsed by any other person, business or entity.
- Immediate relatives, employees or persons affiliated with Scharffen Berger, New Inklings Press, or Frankly, My Dear… are ineligible.
- Only legal citizens of the United States aged 18 years and older are eligible to win.
- This giveaway begins at 5:30 a.m. PST on Friday, August 24, 2012 and ends at 5:59 p.m. PST on Wednesday, September 5, 2012.
- Winner will be selected from all eligible comments on Wednesday, September 5, 2012, after 6:00 p.m. PST, through Random.org.
- Winner will be notified by email and will have 120 hours (five full days) from the time email is sent to respond. Should winner not respond in a timely manner, prize will subsequently be re-awarded to another Entrant. Not more than three (3) subsequent winners will be picked for each of the two giveaways. After that, prize will be forfeited and no winner will be chosen. Scharffen Berger, Molly Jo and Frankly, My Dear… are not responsible for any misdirected or undelivered entries, comments, or emails.
- Two prize packs [$40.00 value each] consisting of Scharffen Berger Artisan Chocolate Bars (one each: Milk Chocolate with Sea Salted Almonds, Milk Chocolate, Milk Chocolate Nibby, Mocha Chocolate, Semisweet, Dark Chocolate Nibby, Bittersweet, and Extra Dark Chocolate) will be given. No substitutions or transfers allowed.
- Scharffen Berger, Molly Jo and Frankly, My Dear… are not responsible for any lost or misdirected shipments, or damages that may occur during shipping.
- You may comment as much as you like, but any comment that does not meet the requirements will not be considered for this Giveaway.
- By leaving your comment on this post, you agree to be bound by the rules of this giveaway in their entirety.
Happy Eating!
[The opinions in this review are my own, and not affected by any sponsor, entity or other person. For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy.]
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
So I LOVE to freeze my chocolate bars, and eat them that way! It seems as if every bite lasts just a little bit longer, and since I can’t have a whole bar at one time, this is great for me! Of course, if I get a chance, I drizzle it on ice cream, sometimes even a cookie! I’ll take chocolate any way I can get it!
And remember, a girl’s dream isn’t to have the perfect man, it’s to be able to eat ridiculous amounts of chocolate without getting fat!
Followed and shared your page and also followed Scharffen Berger on fb, also retweeted and followed Scharffen Berger on Twitter, and re-pinned on Pinterest. Can’t figure out how to Stumble, but I think I subscribed to you. Please tell me, am I supposed to do every single one on a separate post? I’m hungry and only chocolate can cure my craving! ;)
Janice, I’ve verified all your entries. No need for separate posts. Thanks!
Molly Jo recently posted..Chocolate Heaven (and a Giveaway!)
(Making my posts separate!) Also retweeted!
Followed Scharffen Berger on Twitter!
Re-pinned on Pinterest. Can’t figure out how to Stumble, but I think I subscribed to you. :)
I love to have chocolate with coffee. Sip of coffee, nip of choc, melt in mouth, repeat. A sinful pleasure introduced to me in the 90’s at Seattle’s Best Coffee…ah, good times.
Oh my! Yes, it is hard to be a blogger! You made me smile with that line. My favorite way to have chocolate is by itself, with a hot cup of tea (and a good book!) …Chocolate scones are another favorite way to eat it..oh my..Now, I got to get some… Happy weekend!
Winnie recently posted..Going To The Chapel
I love chocolate, I love your blog. When I eat chocolate I like to keep it in the fridge. I like it to be solid and cool. I break off a piece at a time and savor the deliciousness that is chocolate! It’s a mini break on those days where things just seem to be not going in my favor.
My favorite way to eat chocolate is to have it for dessert after I’ve made myself a nice dinner…which doesn’t happen too often! Sometimes it even PROMPTS me to make a nice dinner, which is the best! Reminds me how fortunate I am and how savoring time and place and food can be a form of thanks in itself.
Now for the nibby gribby…er…I mean nitty gritty….I’ll have to do that after work. But I’ll be back! :)
as an ice cream topping
liked scharfen berger on fb
Oh my goodness, Molly! This post is killing me! Milk Chocolate with Sea Salted Almonds. That right there .. has got my mouth watering. My favorite way to eat chocolate? Uh … open the package and *nom* *nom* *nom* .. or in chocolate cake. Yum.
Larissa T. recently posted..Spoken Photograph.
Following Frankly My Dear on Pinterest.
Pinned this giveaway!
Followed both you and SB on Twitter.
Tweeted about it!
Liked on you Facebook (Papa is a Preacher)
Larissa T. recently posted..Spoken Photograph.
Stumblededed it. (:
Larissa T. recently posted..Wandering Wonderings.
Followed you on Stumble Upon.
Larissa T. recently posted..Wandering Wonderings.
Followed Scharffen Berger on Facebook.
Larissa T. recently posted..Wandering Wonderings.
Pinned giveaway to my blogging board on Pinterest.
Larissa T. recently posted..Wandering Wonderings.
Liked you on FB.
Larissa T. recently posted..Wandering Wonderings.
Followed on twitter.
Larissa T. recently posted..Wandering Wonderings.
Following SB on Twitter.
Larissa T. recently posted..Wandering Wonderings.
My favorite way to eat chocolate is out of hand or in homemade deep dark chocolate ice cream.
In my wife’s Devil’s Food Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache.
I love to eat chocolate in the evening, in my room, taken from my hidden stash, after my children are in bed and I can savor it undisturbed! I am a sucker, I want it to last as long as possible :p
I shared On FB and am a friend, I followed Sharffen Berger on FB and I follow you on pinterest and pinned it. That’s 3 more entries I think!
Followed on FB and pinterest.
Shared on FB. Will repin when I get to desktop :)
Liked Scharffen Berger (FB) and commented in my terrible German.
I am an avid MoJo follower :) (will that count since I don’t tweet?)
Shared on my OoohThatStinksGood page!
Is there a wrong way to eat chocolate? My favorite way, I guess, would be in a dessert form. Turtles are my favorite candy and I love me some mocha coffee. I am training my children to love it as much as I. My DD only likes chocolate milk…. Still working on the youngest.
Friend on Facebook and shared to wall.
Liked Scharffen Berger on Facebook. Commented in my aweful German.
Am an avid MoJo follower :) will that count since I don’t tweet?
Reposted contest on my OoohThatStinksGood Facebook page.
Follow on pintrest and will re pin.
Hi! I did A B C & D. Do i need to put a separate comment out for each one? Thanks!
Reposted contest to business page.
Oops. This posted in the wrong spot…. Sorry!!
I followed Scharffenberger on Twitter
I follow Molly Jo on twitter and tweeted her giveaway
I follow Molly Jo on Facebook and shared this contest on facebook
I followed Scharffenberger on Facebook
I like good chocolate straight out of the wrapper, creamy milk chocolate or rich dark chocolate. I also love chocolate chip cookies – semi-sweet chocolate chips, no nuts!
Following Molly Jo on Facebook.
Following SB on Facebook.
Shared the giveaway on Facebook (forgot to include it on the previous comment!).
Following Molly Jo on Pinterest and pinned the giveaway.
My favorite way to eat chocolate is to splurge on a really superb bar of chocolate, open the wrapper carefully, and nibble a small bit. I let it melt on my tounge, and then I nibble a little bit more. I usually try to eat a third of a bar at a time, but end up devouring half. If it is a large bar, I do try to save some for later, but that doesn’t always happen. I love chocolate melted, in chips, in cupcakes, cakes, croissants, hot cocolate, ice cream, and myriad other forms. Please, please, send me chocolate!
I will eat chocolate any way I can. Really. My favourite way to eat it, though, is to break it into little pieces and let them melt in my mouth. It lasts longer and you get the full flavour. Yum!
Ally recently posted..Wildlife
I love to eat chocolate with berries and nuts and a nice dark coffee, with cream.
margaret christine @ notes from maggie’s farm recently posted..cooking with whole grains
Hey girl, I did a-f, I think. I ‘liked’ it on Stumbleupon. Is that the same thing as stumbling? I am quite new to StumbleUpon..lol
margaret christine @ notes from maggie’s farm recently posted..mondays in the country: a farm harvest lunch
I like a regular BAR of chocolate. I don’t need it “packed with peanuts”. I don’t need creamy nougat, whatever THAT is. I don’t need it drizzled over pretzels, or cookies of gummy bears. Just a bar of chocolate. It conjures up images of a GI in newly liberated France, passing out candy to kids who had never before seen an American. Or a kid with a baseball cap on, sitting on the front porch on a hot summer day, trying to eat a rapidly melting bar and ending up with most of it on his face. The chocolate bar–the simplest, most basic and most underrated confection of all time.
I already follow you on FB, and now I’ve shared your giveaway on FB, and I follow Scharffen Berger on FB. I wish I could eat chocolate! Do they make a “vegan” bar???
Oh no, I am just looking at the fine print – I’m too late : (
Just deleted my shares so you don’t get a bunch more sad comments!
Ann recently posted..It’s a Cinch
I’m in, I’m in!!! Will do all my sharing and already following : )
Ann recently posted..It’s a Cinch
Hey MJ I just followed you on Pinterest and pinned the giveaway. In related news, I now officially have no life at all whatsoever because I will be on Pinterest until the next century or so. :)
My favorite way to eat chocolate is just to eat it — unwrap it and eat it. Eat it in cake, pudding, cookies, whatever! Every way is a favorite way!
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
I Follow Scharffen Berger on Facebook.
Carolsue Anderson
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
love to eat it in bar form or make brownies
follow you on facebook and shared your post
already love Scharffen Berger on Facebook.
My fave way to eat chocolate is just in bar form, pure chocolate goodness after a long day at work
follow you on twitter and tweet https://twitter.com/cjsorel/status/243376104713371649
I like Scharffen Berger on FB
I follow Scharffen Berger on twitter
follow you on pinterest and http://pinterest.com/pin/125608277078166349/
follow you on stumbleupon and stumbled it
Follow Scharffen Berger on twitter.
Favorite way…. hmm, any way that let’s me enjoy chocolatey flavor. I’m not too picky! =D
Liked SB on Facebook
I love to eat chocolate as a quick pick me up after lunch while at work.
Already follow SB on Twitter
followed you on facebook and shared giveaway.
Followed and (re)tweeted you.
I Follow Scharffen Berger on Facebook.
followed you on twitter and tweeted:
https://twitter.com/StacyLKurtz/status/243378703416057856
I Follow Scharffen Berger on twitter.
Followed and pinned on Pinterest
in flourless chocolate cakes!
Catherine recently posted..Sacramento Burger Battle is Two Weeks Away
follow @scharffenberger
Catherine recently posted..Sacramento Burger Battle is Two Weeks Away
followed you on pinterest and pinned giveaway:
http://pinterest.com/pin/189714203024137288/
I just like to eat chocolate straight up. Whether it’s in bars or chunks I like it by itself.
I like to eat chocolate all by itself so that I can savor every bite.
I follow you on Facebook.
I follow Scharffen Berger on Facebook.
Follow Scharffen Berger on twitter
@ctsweeper
I follow Scharffen Berger on twitter.
https://twitter.com/robin_lw72/status/243382057869402113
shared on FB
Liked on both twitter and FB
Followed you on Stumble Upon and Stumbled this post.
If it is good chocolate…I like to eat it as is ;)
I love baking with chocolate. I love brownies and chocolate ganache!
Thanks for the giveaway!
I like you on Facebook and shared your giveaway
I already like Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker on Facebook
@Lexiquin follows you on Twitter
Tweet! https://twitter.com/lexiquin/status/243391257899057152
@Lexiquin follows @ScharffenBerger on Twitter
Following on Pinterest
http://pinterest.com/pin/189784571768399059/
Favorite way to eat chocolate? Just as it is, as the first course for breakfast. I try to make sure caffeine doesn’t interfere with my sleep, so I eat chocolate first thing if I do eat chocolate. Sometimes I get so excited by the anticipation that I actually want to fall asleep immediately so that the next morning arrives. I’ve especially enjoyed Scharffen Berger mocha for breakfast. :-)
I’ve liked Scharffen Berger on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. (Do you need more info for verification?)
My favorite way to eat chocolate is nibbling off the bar while reading a good book! Mmmm enjoying it melt in my mouth.
Liked and Shared you on FB
I’m following https://www.facebook.com/ScharffenBergerChocolateMaker
I’m following on twitter and tweeting the giveaway.
I’m following Scharffen Berger on twitter too!
Following on Pinterest and pinned http://pinterest.com/pin/221591244136406446/
sharing a bar with the one you love and eating reallly slowly, letting it melt on your tongue
My favorite way to eat chocolate is in the bedroom, behind a locked door, with a glass of ice cold milk, while huddled in a down comforter…..alone. All alone.