Photo courtesy of Endangered Species Chocolate Company

Have you ever heard of a chocolate candy bar, that was not only gluten and dairy free, but sugar free too? Well, I’m here to tell you that there is one and it is called Endangered Species Chocolate.

TYPES OF BARS

All of these candy bars are sweetened with beet sugar and are made from dark cocoa. There are a variety and to name a few they include coffee, raspberry, mint, and supreme dark chocolate.

EXTRA CHOCOLATE TREATS

You can, of course, eat it piece by piece, but there are other ways to enjoy it too.

You can melt this candy in your microwave or even in a bowl over your stove. When it is all melted, you can reshape it and make holiday decorations. You can have designs like bunnies or eggs for Easter. Of course, depending on the holiday you can make a heart, a shamrock, or even a Christmas tree. Then, on an ordinary day, you shape smiley faces, stars, or balloons. This is actually a great activity to do with children.

Now, once you have the shape you desire place them into the refrigerator for a few hours, until they re-harden.

You also have the option of rolling the melted chocolate in a variety of fruits, such as bananas, apples, strawberries, or pineapples. Then, place the covered fruit in the re-fridge to harden and simply enjoy this sweet treat.

Lastly, you can leave the chocolate melted and have a fondue night!

CHOCOLATE BONUSES

Plus, with every purchase of candy you make, ten percent of the proceeds goes to support Endangered Species, habitat and humanity. Hence, the name of the candy company.

photo courtesy of Enjoy Life (R)

So, you are on a gluten free diet? No worries! Not all desserts are made from wheat. There is actually a wide variety of gluten free options. Some companies include Larabars, Amy’s® Kitchen, and Enjoy Life®.

RAW FRUIT BARS

Larabars aren’t only gluten free, but sugar free, too. Now you might ask, how can that be a dessert? Well, in Italy, fruit and ricotta cheese is a traditional dessert. A Larabar is a blend of raw fruit, nuts and spices. There is a variety to choose from starting with ginger, coconut, cherry, lemon, key lime, to name a few.  Each bar has a shelf life of 12 months and contains one or more of the following nuts: cashews, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, and pecans. This is one of those great “on the go” type of desserts or snack bars.

CHOCOLATE CAKE

Then, the next option you have is a chocolate cake by Amy’s® Kitchen. It’s gluten free, non dairy, and a vegan friendly dessert. It’s made with organic cocoa powder and brown rice flour. You can eat this cake cold or warmed up with a cup of coffee. It is rich, smooth, and has a light texture that simply melts in your mouth. You can find this to be a little slice of heaven in Whole Foods Market or any health food store.

COOKIES AND MILK

Enjoy Life® has quite a collection of delicious cake like cookies. They are all very soft and chewy. Some of the most popular ones include chocolate chip cookies, no-oats “oatmeal”® cookies, double chocolate brownie cookies, and gingerbread spice cookies. They are great for an old fashion milk dunking!

ALWAYS HAVE A SWEET TOOTH

When you try any of the above listed desserts, you will feel like a kid back in the candy store all over again!

Halloween is getting closer! It’s Saturday, October 31! Not too much time left! Are you ready? This picture is courtesy of polka-dot zebra.

We know many of you work two jobs and don’t have time to make any Halloween cookies or sweets… that’s why we did some research to find out where to buy them online.

We have to confess, we haven’t had the chance to try any of them (although we wish we would have). Many of the suggestions came from our readers.

Here are some online stores, in random order. Remember to always read their Terms of Service before purchasing and use your judgement.

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 KookieStationery.com: combines “fun and functionality” by creating brightly-decorated edible notes, cards and gift tags. Complete with an edible ink pen and a built-in easel for easy display, this novel combination of cookie and card has redefined the favorite American pastime of stationery. And just in time for Halloween, “ghoulishly” themed cookies, like a Trick or Treat Pumpkin and the Halloween gift tags, make for extra scary and fun activities. These thoughtful and unique cookies retail through the company’s website for just under $10.

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Park19cookies.com – One of the most interesting cookies from Park 19 Cookies is a delicious spicy pumpkin cookie. They add rich chocolate chunks to make this a cookie a unique Halloween treat. Great for the fall since it’s orange and black. The cookies are made from scratch in their own bakery in New York. Park 19 Cookies has been featured on the Rachel Ray Show as Snack of the Day.

$8.99 (half dozen)

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Cookies by Shar: Reputed for her intricate and lavishly decorated creations topped with royal icing, owner Sharmila (Shar) Melwani was not only tapped to create a special cookie line sold at all Florida Whole Foods Market stores, but her custom-made delicacies have been requested for prestigious companies such as Ferragamo, BMW and Neiman Marcus for special events.

Individual cookies start at $3.25.

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Edible Gifts Plus: Halloween Character Cookies-Oreos & Nutter Butters $1.99 each (minimum order:12)
These  character cookies are a fun way to celebrate this spooky holiday!   Their assortment includes Oreo® Jack ‘o’ Lanterns, Frankensteins and Spiders – PLUS Nutter Butter® Skulls.  Each yummy Oreo® or Nutter Butter® is enrobed in dark chocolate or confections and hand decorated to look like your favorite halloween character!  The cookies are individually wrapped in clear cello bags and heat sealed at both ends for freshness and quality.  Add a festive Black or Orange Satin Bow to make these treats even more special!

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Beautiful Sweets: their specialty is in the creation of colorful and creative sugar cookies; each one is individually baked and exquisitely hand decorated. In addition to being organic, their cookies are nut-free and baked in a nut-free facility. The cookies come in two sizes: a standard 2-3 inch size cookie that typically comes packaged in a ribbon-tied cellophane wrapper as a 4-pack and a larger size (5-6 inch) individually wrapped – “party favor” cookies. The cookies are available in either vanilla or chocolate flavors.

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S’more Smoochies: Handmade to order, scrumptiously delicious Halloween S’more Smoochies are a unique spin on classic treat! Double dipped in velvety rich chocolate and embellished with edible decorations, they are individually wrapped and can be purchased in gift sets or by the dozen.

Created with peanut butter, they are also available without.

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The Flour Pot Cookies make decorative and logo cookies. They have an awesome Halloween cookie collection that includes wicked hat favors, creepy creatures, monster mash, spooky eyes, ghosts, black cats, spiders and other cookies. The Flour Pot Cookies is a company run by a mother and daughter; they have been featured in countless magazines and on the Food Network. Prices vary.

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cccGifts.com: their cookies will be a “great Halloween Party favor” or “GIFT FOR YOUR FAVORITE LITTLE GHOST OR WITCH”! They measure 3″ in size. Hand Cut and Decorated. Made from their loved “Signature Shortbread” dough. These are sure to start a party in your tummy!

Priced for 1 dz. (4 of each cookie shown). Each cookie is individually packaged, tied with matching ribbon, and nestled into a nice box tied with a bow! Free gift card if needed.

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Other resources we love:

• Corso’s Cookies
• Cheryl & Co
• David’s Cookies
  

Enlightening mouths since 2001, Sencha Naturals is a leading provider of green tea inspired foods. Based out of Los Angeles, Sencha’s all-natural line of gourmet Green Tea Mints & Green Tea Bars, all infused with natural green tea, are available at cafes, tea shops, natural & specialty food stores worldwide. All Sencha Natural products are certified vegan, gluten/wheat-free, and contain Organic Fair Trade certified green tea extract.

SEN CHA Green Tea Mints

Available in four distinct flavors, all SEN CHA Green Tea Mints are certified Fair Trade and provide the following traits:

Available Flavors:

Original Green Tea Mints

The original green tea flavor that revitalizes the breath naturally

Delicate Pear Green Tea Mints

With fresh pear extract  for extra sweetness

Lively Lemongrass Green Tea Mints

A mixture of citrus, ginger and lemongrass zest

Morning Lychee Green Tea Mints

An invigorating blend of green tea, lychee, and coconut extracts

SEN CHA Green Tea Bars

Available in the four flavors as the mints, the SEN CHA green tea bars are certified kosher and provide the following traits:

Available Flavors:

Green Tea Bars

Mixed with lightly roasted brown rice, antioxidant rich goji berries, nuts and seeds.

Delicate Pear Tea Bars

The original bar with ripe pears, dates and prunes to extra sweetness.

Lively Lemongrass Tea Bars

The original bar with fresh lemon peel and zesty ginger.

Morning Lychee Tea Bars

The original bar with lychee fruit and coconut pieces.

Where to find Sencha Naturals

You can order Sencha Naturals online.

Or visit any of these nationwide retailers: Bristrol Farms, Ralph’s, Whole Foods, Tevana, CostPlus World Market, or The Vitamin Shoppee. Find the closest store with the Retail Finder.

Sweet Deceit Collection Sugar Free

A 15-pc. assortment of our Sugar-Free selections, including solids, truffles and nuts. Sweet Deceit is a blend of fine cacao beans, roasted with the same care and attention as our Choclatique cacao beans. We subtly sweeten Sweet Deceit chocolate with Maltitol. We encourage you to compare these Authentically American flavors with our Choclatique originals. You won’t believe they’re really sugar-free!

Price: $30.00

100 Percent Organic Chocolate Seeds

100% Organic Chocolate Seeds are cocoa beans covered in dark chocolate. Cocoa beans come from the seed pod of the chocolate tree. Yes, its the whole seed, and not a chocolate covered nib! You can really taste the origin of chocolate. 4oz bag by the Nahualli Trading Co.  The company started in Raleigh, NC and celebrated its second year in 2009. Raleigh, NC is located in the triangle a crossroad for fine organic heritage farming; plus, talented chefs who know their craft and can practice it for a knowledgeable community.

Price: $8.00

Truffles To Give 2 Tier Dark Chocolate And Mint

Share the experience of Coco-Zen with a special gift tin. Their large signature truffles are over 1oz each and come uniquely packaged in a 2-tier stainless steel tiffin (a traditional Indian “lunch box”), featuring Dark Chocolate Nirvana and Chocolate Mint Bliss. Give Coco-Zen to anyone, and nurture your chocolate karma. Remember…what goes around, comes around! All Fair Trade Certified™ chocolate.

Price: $35.00

Sea Salt Caramel Collection

Dark chocolate caramels topped with an eclectic selection of sea salts from around the world.

The harmony produced when chocolate, caramel, and salt get together.

9 piece collection by Lula’s Chocolates, the new artisan chocolate company on the Monterey Peninsula in California.

Price: $13.00

Champagne Chocolates

These chocolates, made with an award winning California sparkling wine and fine dark chocolate, are consider by many to be the finest “Champagne Truffles” made. Each chocolate is individually hand-made to order. 12 pieces by Chocolate Visions. Chocolate Visions creates and produces extraordinary fine chocolates that are unique both in flavor and appearance. Each piece is either hand-dipped or hand-molded to order.

Price: $20.00

For more chocolate variety and to find out more information about the above mention chocolates, check out Chocolate.com.