Best Cooking & Baking Carob
Cardiovascular Health Polyphenols, catechins and procyanidins naturally present in raw cacao promote cardiovascular health by offering defense against the effects of oxidation. The Viva Naturals Difference Viva Naturals uses the finest variation of cacao from sacred Peruvian Criollo beans, highly prized as the most superior and rarest sources of cacao. Criollo beans lack the tart and often, unpleasant, properties commonly associated with inferior cacao varieties. Versatile Kitchen Ingredient - use cacao nibs in cookies as an alternative to chocolate chips, make healthy granola bars, add to smoothies or even sprinkle nibs on salads for a savory treat.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My recipe is for 24 muffins, but for my first experiment with these, I used 1/4 cup for 5 muffins (I meant for it to be for 6 muffins but forgot to put them in the batter) I also topped the muffin batter (5) prior to baking with an additional 2 tbsp or so. I think I'll use a heaping 1 cup per 24 regular muffins (in the muffin batter) with extra for topping... along with 1 cup of regular chocolate chips for sweetness."
"The Viva Labs are priced a bit lower and that, along with the other good reviews, was what enticed me to try them. I blend the nibs in my morning smoothie every day using a NutriBullet blender to achieve a smooth mix."
"I use it ground in my coffee because of all the benefits of raw cacao."
"This is my second Viva nibs order."
"I add them to yogurt, ice cream, and soup, and I even snack on them plain when I'm in the mood for something chocolatey and crunchy but don't want the calories of chocolate bar. I'd be willing to pay a little more to get a product that's more carefully produced, because it's not acceptable to include such a high concentration of dangerous items in the mix."
"I bought this product after reading all the great reviews."
"However, I wonder if they tracked the other customers who may have received an underfilled bag? Product weight should be the most elementary of quality control issues."
Sweet Tree is the world's first certified organic coconut palm sugar. Coconut Palm Sugar has a soft caramel flavor, similar to light brown sugar; Dissolves in liquid.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"After a bit you will think that cane sugar and all the rest are way too sweet."
"Other than taste, the texture and color is similar to light brown sugar!"
"LOVE these coconut sugar packets."
"The quality of this seems to be pretty good but the taste of this is not something I could get used to but you might like it."
"I use this for my baked goods when I want a white sugar replacement."
"This coconut sugar has almost no taste and very little sweetness."
"Has a smoky taste that is not appealing to me."
"Horrible smell."
bag, 8 per case Americas favorite classic caramels. Pack of eight, 9.5 ounce ( Total of 76 ounce ).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Love Kraft Caramels too much to buy very often.........I would weigh 1000 pounds."
"There is nothing like the original Caramel."
"These are the best caramels in the world."
"I love kraft caramels and I don't see them in the stores anymore so I will be ordering from you."
"I received 261 candies in this box of five bags."
Best Baking Cocoa
Antioxidants A study published by the American Heart Association compared the flavonoid content of several different foods, including tea, fruits and vegetables. These prized beans are carefully pressed and ground into a cake-like paste and slowly grinded into a fine, delicate powder at low temperatures releasing the flavorful precursors of luscious chocolate. Viva Naturals Organic Cacao Powder is Non-GMO Project Certified and is sustainably sourced in accordance with fair trade practices. HIGHLY PRIZED CRIOLLO BEANS - Viva Naturals Cacao Powder is derived from prized Criollo cacao beans, revered as the highest quality variations of cacao, lacking traditional bitterness and offering exquisite chocolate taste.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"While the powder can be immediately mixed with most things to give them that delicious chocolate flavor, the nibs are often ground (using a coffee grinder, VitaMix, or Blendtec high speed blender or crushed by hand) or used as a decorative, edible topping. The use of cacao is far more expensive than corn, soy and sugar based chemicals and artificial flavors, so commercial brands like Hershey and Mars have changed their recipes. Don't think that you are getting the health benefits of cacao when you buy a commercial chocolate bar or cocoa mix. Rare with over 300 compounds, cacao contains proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and mood-enhancing chemicals that cause the brain to release neurotransmitters. The end result is that cacao not only nourishes the body with necessary nutrients, but it also creates happiness, relaxation and pleasure. For some background, the ORAC scale was created by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to measure the effectiveness of antioxidants to absorb free radicals that cause cell and tissue damage. Numerous animal and microorganism studies show the free radicals accelerate the aging process and shorten lifespan. A unique and relevant bit of information about cacao pertains to the world’s oldest human with confirmed records. Some people may write this off as chance, however with all the science on antioxidants and aging, cacao just may be humanity's greatest longevity food. ORAC scores for the Top 10 Antioxidants Foods (per 100 grams). 1) Raw cocoa powder 95,500. 2) Raw cacao nibs 62,100. 3) Roasted cocoa powder 26,000. 4) Goji berries 25,300. 5) Acai berries 18,500. 6) Dark chocolate 13,120. 7) Milk chocolate 6,740. 8) Prunes 5,770. 9) Raisins 2,830. 10) Blueberries 2,400. 2) Minerals. Minerals are a necessary part of nutrition. Cacao contains many important minerals such as iron, zinc, copper, calcium, magnesium and sulfur. Magnesium improves our metabolism by muscle and tissue to relax, including the veins and arteries. This improves blood flow, circulation and the transport of oxygen and essential nutrients to the organs. A diet high in magnesium helps to improve the body’s overall pH through it's alkaline forming property. There are other important minerals in cacao that help our organs, brain and immune system to function optimally. Phenylethylamine (PEA) is found in cacao and also is naturally created by the adrenal glands when we're excited."
"Comparing the color of the two - see picture- I am leaning towards raw (dutched cocoa powder has a red undertone to it). I don't tend to bake or make sweets, I usually add the powder straight to drinks, so I am not a good judge there. I plan to use the rest of it in smoothies as that is where it seemed to shine, and use my other cocoas in my chocolate milk and coffees. I place this somewhere between "I like it" and "it's OK." Update: Apparently I read everything but their detailed description and answered question on Amazon. It was very good, but that just backs up my original point - this needs to be mixed in with other ingredients to shine. 5 stars are specifically reserved for products that amaze me, are exceptionally high quality, or work perfectly. For items that fail, we are requested to contact the sellers first to resolve the problem as it may be a manufacturing issue."
Best Baking Chocolates
Flavor: Chocolate & Cocoa |. Size: 48-Ounce Can. Ghirardelli is the premium baking brand in the U.S. because we use our expertise in chocolate to create high quality baking products that have luxuriously deep flavor and smooth texture.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"And much better price, since in our stores it isn't possible to get hot chocolate that isn't in pre-measured pouches."
"I was looking on Amazon to see if they made something bigger than the smaller package I usually get, because I go through it quickly and it's not a very good deal. I was concerned because it wasn't the usual stuff I get, however it does say Ghirardelli... and it does say cocoa... so I figured what the hell why not try it. Including the terribly over-rated Starbucks hot chocolate (which by the way, is literally disgusting). I usually put some milk in a cup, microwave it to get it warm (about 1:30 in case you were wondering - don't wanna get it boiling), then eyeball a couple teaspoons of this stuff. It does take a minute to stir up completely, but there aren't any chunks of hot chocolate at the bottom of the cup."
"Ha - I did not pay close enough attention to the size of this item when I purchased."
"My aunt loves this brand,it is very rich."
"Excellent product although a little too sweet."
"Really good hot chocolate mix, much better than the Starbucks stuff I got at Costco!"
"can't be advertised as vegan, or gluten free because it's processed on the same equipment as, but for my friends who aren't death level allergic, this is a godsend, and you know, just tastes absolutely amazing."
"Doesn't mix in well when making hot chocolate."