Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares with Fillings Provide a Lot of Happiness for a Sweet Tooth

I have discovered a real like, if not love, for Ghirardelli chocolate. It has always been one of my daughter's favorites. That is due to the ability to try several of the company's different premium chocolates at once.

My most recent find, and hopefully my last, is their mixture of milk and dark chocolate squares with caramel, peanut butter and raspberry fillings. The package in which these come also has plain dark cacao squares.

There are a total of 15 squares in each 8.91 oz. bag of this particular assortment. With 3 squares per serving that means there are 5 servings in each bag.

There are 200 calories in a single serving. Of that, about half -- 110 calories - come from fat.

Every serving of these assorted flavors of Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares with fillings contain 12 grams of total fat. Of that amount, 7 grams come from saturated fat. Luckily, there is no trans fat to be found in this assortment.

Unfortunately, the candy does have 23 grams of carbohydrate and 20 grams of sugar per serving. There are also 30 milligrams of sodium and 5 milligrams of cholesterol in each serving.

On a more positive note, these assorted filled chocolates also contain 2 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber. They also offer 6% of the daily-recommended amount of iron, 4% of the required calcium, 2 % of the needed Vitamin C and 2% of the necessary vitamin A.

Ingredients include butter, cocoa, coconut oil, corn syrup, cottonseed oil, freeze dried raspberry powder, fruit juice, gelatin, natural flavors, palm kernel oil, peanut flour, peanuts, salt, soybean, unsweetened chocolate, vanilla and water. They also include artificial flavors, dextrose, dissodium phosphate, milk fat, nonfat dry milk, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, potassium sorbate, sorbitol, soy lecithin, sweetened condensed milk, TBHQ and whole milk powder.

My favorite amongst these filled squares is the milk chocolate with peanut butter filling. It melts in your mouth with a creamy, dreamy texture.

My least favorite is the Dark Cacao square. The chocolate is just a bit too bitter for my taste.

The Dark chocolate square with raspberry filling is also quite good. Although it isn't all natural, you'd be hard pressed to tell it.

The milk chocolate and caramel square remains one of Ghirardelli's best ever. It has a rich, vibrant flavor and creamy texture that is sheer perfection.

Any type of chocolate, Ghirardelli included, should be stored in a place that has not been exposed to any type of heat. It should be stored in a dry, cool place.

Here is my summary review:

Taste: 4 stars. I like these Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares with fillings. There is no denying that it is rich and flavorful. The caramel, peanut butter and raspberry fillings are also first rate. Together, the chocolate and fillings make for a scrumptious treat.

Appearance: 5 stars. Ghirardelli's Chocolate Squares with fillings are nearly as beautiful to look at as they are to eat. The colors are as delictable as the flavors they represent.

Freshness: 5 stars. Ghirardelli is all about freshness. Because of that, their products never fail in this category.

Packaging: 5 stars. The bag for Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares with fillings is gold with red and navy trim with black and white lettering. A picture of each of the four squares included in the assortment is shown on the front to whet the appetite and serve as a feast for the eyes.

Dietary value: 3 stars. Obviously, chocolate isn't something in which anyone should over indulge. However, if you are going to splurge this is the chocolate and the premium assortment to choose. It is worth the extra calories.

Ease of purchase: 4 stars. Ghirardelli chocolate can be found in most drug stores and discount department stores. It is even carried in some upscale stores, specialty shops and candy shops. The chocolate square; however, may be a bit more difficult to find. It may take some time and effort to locate them.

Price: 4 stars. I was lucky. I was able to purchase this bag of Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares with fillings at a special sale for about $1.50. It normally averages closer to $3.50 to $4 a bag. That works out to about $.25 per serving. That's a bargain for chocolate of this quality.

Final rating: 3.3 stars, which borders on good.

RATING SCALE:

5 stars - outstanding
4 stars - good
3 stars - average
2 stars - below average
1 star - poor