Sugar Savvy

I just ate the best chocolate maltball of my life. In fact, I’m still eating it. It’s in my mouth right now. I couldn’t wait to tell you about it, so here I am, chocolate-covered maltball slowly melting between tongue and palate, telling you about it.

Harry and David’s Dark Chocolate Maltballs:
(Also available in milk chocolate.)

This is a superior maltball in every way.

To begin with, a dark chocolate version of this treat is not so easy to come by. And, as I have come to realize and almost expect, “dark chocolate”, particularly when found in a super market as opposed to a specialty or gourmet store, is a term used very loosely. Dark Chocolate M&M’s, and Dark Chocolate Raisinettes, for example, list milk among their ingredients. Dark chocolate with milk is a big fat sham - no different, really, than a veggie burger studded with bacon bits. It’s dishonest and needs to be stopped immediately. (Oh, don’t get me started…this is a separate article, entirely.)

But this really IS dark chocolate. Yes, it is a bit glossier than necessary and contains vanillin (not ideal), but the taste is rich, full and properly dark tasting. It stands alone and I would enjoy it even when not enrobing a sphere of hardened malted milk.

And speaking of the hardened sphere of malted milk (an admittedly unappetizing description of something so delicious, as if I need to tell you): it’s truly malty and good. I don’t know how else to describe it. I’ve eaten maltballs that seem fairly bland, but the malt flavor is well represented. I realize that I am biased when it comes to dark vs. milk chocolate, but I truly believe that the malty milkiness is best offset by dark. Although, if you really cannot get with the dark, they ARE available in milk chocolate as well. If you must.

Lastly, the ratio of chocolate to malt ball is just right.

Oh yeah, and they’re made by a local (to me) company. Harry and David is based in Southern Oregon, just down the road from another source of excellent chocolateyness pumping forth from my homestate : Dagoba. Oh, Dagoba…)

My only beef: WHY the hydrogenated fat? I just want a trans fat-free chocolate maltball! Is that soooo wrong?

But, regardless of said trans fat transgressions, y’all should check ‘em out, yo. I think you will not be sorry.

Purchased at Target:
$3.99/ 6oz package