(Click on the logo to be directed to Brookside's website)
Located in Fraser Valley, a rural/agricultural area of British Columbia (Canada), Brookside Farms has been around since the early 1950s. It wasn't until almost a decade later that their products of fruit and nut nature moved towards the creation of delightful confections. Brookside's Dark Chocolate Covered Fruit Juice Pieces are a delectable treat that I believe just about anybody could enjoy in numerous situations.
Located in Fraser Valley, a rural/agricultural area of British Columbia (Canada), Brookside Farms has been around since the early 1950s. It wasn't until almost a decade later that their products of fruit and nut nature moved towards the creation of delightful confections. Brookside's Dark Chocolate Covered Fruit Juice Pieces are a delectable treat that I believe just about anybody could enjoy in numerous situations.
The Brookside Dark Chocolate Covered Fruit Pieces are available in the three flavors as shown above; Dark Chocolate Goji with Raspberry, Dark Chocolate Acai with Blueberry, and Dark Chocolate Pomegranate. Though they share many of the same ingredients, all three flavors have their own little twist that your taste buds will love. I will start off by saying that these are one of my absolute favorite snacks to grab for many occasions that I will refer to later on in the review. I'm also going to be up front and honest with you, these are not one of the healthiest "snacks" on the planet but when compared to your typical concession stand candy; such as sno-caps or milkduds, they are golden!
DARK CHOCOLATE GOJI WITH RASPBERRY
INGREDIENTS: dark chocolate (sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, alkalized cocoa powder, soy lecithin, salt, natural flavor), fruit juice from concentrate (filtered water, raspberry juice concentrate, goji berry juice concentrate, apple juice concentrate, lemon juice concentrate), cane sugar, corn syrup, maltodextrin, pectin, citric acid, malic acid, natural flavor, ascorbic acid, canola oil, confectioner's glaze.
DARK CHOCOLATE POMEGRANATE
INGREDIENTS: dark chocolate (sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, milk ingredients, alkalized cocoa powder, soy lecithin, salt, natural flavor), fruit juice from concentrate (filtered water, pomegranate juice concentrate, cranberry juice concentrate, apple juice concentrate, elderberry juice concentrate), cane sugar, corn syrup, maltodextrin, pectin, malic acid, natural flavor, ascorbic acid, canola oil, confectioner's glaze.
DARK CHOCOLATE ACAI WITH BLUEBERRY
CAUTION! THESE PRODUCTS MAY CONTAIN: wheat, peanuts, and/or other nuts.
The nutrition facts of these snacks are common among the three and can be noted in the picture to the left. Keep in mind, these are made with mostly natural ingredients, therefore the high amount of sugars they contain is not as bad as one would think, since they mostly consist of natural sugar coming from real cane and fruit juices. Another upside to these tasty little pieces is that they also contain natural antioxidants which are known to benefit our overall health tremendously. Antioxidants act as an army against the free radicals in our bodies that are constantly trying to knock our immune systems' down to less than par, thus aiding in protection from disease and infection.
Pictured below is the bulk size back of Brookside Chocolate that I occasionally treat myself to when I go to my local BJ's Wholesale Club. These snacks can be pretty steep in price so I prefer to buy the bulk bag since it lasts me forever. I actually already had this bag in my fridge when I chose to do Brookside's dark chocolate covered fruit pieces for my first review. Since I have more than enough of the Acai with Blueberry in my refridgerator I have decided to host a very small giveaway for the small, unopened bag I bought for review purposes since I don't really need it. You can check the bottom of this review for details on how to win the Dark Chocolate Acai with Blueberry, it's easy! I would also like to point out that it does seem the pieces run a little bigger in the bulk sizes bags. Also, note the wine in the photo, it goes great with these tasty treats!
These are the perfect snack for various outings. If you are going on a road trip, camping, or sipping on some wine at home, they go great with these activities and many more. I prefer to keep mine in the refrigerator. I think they are much more flavorsome that way. They are still delicious at room temperature but the richness of the chocolate gets to you in a way that it doesn't when chilled so you can eat many more without feeling overwhelmed by the intensity of the dark chocolate. These would probably also add some pizazz to your trail mix or go along with some fruity granola. The possibilities of when and where to overindulge in this yummy snack are endless! As I mentioned before, they are a great alternative to candy, probably the "healthiest candy" you could treat yourself to, great for a trip to the movie theater! Instead of letting your children munch on high fructose corn syrup filled candies, let them try these.
The Goji with Raspberry are great if you want an explosion of rich dark chocolate mixed exotic fruit in your mouth. Something about the essence of these is so vivid you can almost imagine yourself picking a fresh goji berry atop a high mountain in Tibet. It's almost as if your mouth recognizes the foreign fruit and your taste buds are scrambling to figure it out. They aren't my personal favorite but I've been known for having bland taste, so it doesn't surprise me. They are for people who seek and enjoy colorful flavor.
On to the next, the Pomegranate, these are my flavor of choice if I must eat them at room temperature. I pop one of these in my mouth and my taste buds are happy. The pomegranate pieces don't keep you guessing what fruit flavors you are tasting. They taste like pomegranate juice covered in dark chocolate! I would recommend these to people who like subtle, realistic flavor. The pomegranate and dark chocolate go almost perfectly together. They aren't battling over who can win boldest flavor like the Goji, they merge into a delightful flavor as one, not separated as chocolate and fruit.
Lastly, we are left with the Acai with Blueberry, which I think are great for everybody, even people who don't like blueberries (like myself). They are very sweet with the recognizable flavor of acai and blueberry. Out of all three flavors, this one is most satisfying to my sweet tooth and definitely my favorite when refrigerated. The other two flavors give you a sense of Fall whereas the Acai with Blueberry would be my choice for a summer picnic. I recommend these to be the first flavor you taste if you consider trying these treats.
Overall I would conclude that all three flavors are enjoyable and would recommend anyone to give them a try when in the mood for something rich and nectarous. For me, they are a guilty pleasure because they are not as healthy of a snack as fresh fruit, vegetables, or nuts but they are still a better alternative to anything else you could satisfy your sweet tooth with.
MY OWN PERSONAL GIVEAWAY TO YOU
If you want to win, I am offering one small bag of the Dark Chocolate Acai with Blueberry to a single person who is able to get me the most new likes on my Mommy2Mommy Reviews facebook page by August 31st. In order to be credited for referring people to like my page they must comment on this status, Referred by (your name here). On September 1st at midnight I will count up referrals and announce the winner the following day.
DISCLAIMER: These products were not sent to me directly from the company, I chose to purchase and review them
on
my own accord. These are my honest thoughts and opinions on the
products I have reviewed. This post also contains information gained
from the company's website in order to inform you of the company responsible for this product. Giveaways are only valid to US residents for the time being.
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