Donya Marie’s Beyond Chocolate
I’ll admit it. I ate the ice cream and strawberries you see photographed here, generously drizzled with chocolate sauce, before noon. I had important work to do; chocolate does not discriminate when it comes to the clock. What you’re seeing here, dear readers, ain’t no Hershey’s chocolate sauce. It’s Donya Marie’s Original Decadence dark chocolate sauce.
The company Donya Marie’s Beyond Chocolate “designs, manufactures and sells ordinary foods turned extra-ordinary with dark chocolate.” There are no preservatives, MSG, or unnecessary additives. The products range from barbecue sauces and meat rubs — no big surprise there for the application of cocoa — to pancake syrups, salsas and vinaigrettes. But for me, it starts with dark chocolate sauce, flavorful enough without being cloyingly sweet, and full of the real stuff: the chocolate is imported from Mannheim, Germany. It is also available in three other permutations: peppermint, amaretto and Grand Marnier. You can buy them directly from Donya Marie through their web site — they are priced at $7 for an 8.9 ounce jar or three for $18.
I also tried the Dark Chocolate Maple syrup (12 ounces, $5) and she also sells a variety with huckleberries. I’m not sure how I feel yet about the combination of chocolate and maple syrup; while they don’t exactly clash, the taste is just … different.
I tried the syrup on plain pancakes to get the full, unadulterated experience. However, for me, I would rather these flavors remain discreet. As I make my way through the generous care package Donya sent, my next post will involve the dark chocolate pancake mix, which I will top with the syrup, and perhaps that will change my impression.
There is some imagination involved in thinking up the application of chocolate in things such as bread oils, salsas and limeade, that’s for sure. Donya’s web site offers some recipes for using the salsas, vinaigrettes and other items in seemingly unorthodox applications. But here’s the most unusual move so far, I think: a marinara sauce with chocolate, which will debut in the coming weeks. How can you not be at least a little bit curious?
