Allie’s Edibles produces what they call “Indulgent Comfort Sweets”--thick homey squares of chocolate-based candy in varieties like Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars, and Chocolate-Covered Marshmallow. The company was founded by Alison Gerlach, who decided not to use ultra-dark chocolate and obscure ingredients, but instead focus on familiar flavors and classic varieties.
There are six candy varieties: Chocolate-Covered Marshmallow, Chocolate-Covered Ganache, Chocolate-Covered Caramel, Chocolate-Covered Butter Nut Toffee, Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars, and Chocolate Pretzel and Toffee Bark. Each candy is about two inches square and a little less than 1/2-inch thick. They come individually wrapped and labeled in clear plastic sleeves. I’m a nut for nutritional information (even when it’s bad news) so I appreciated being able to refer to the back of the package to read the ingredients for each piece of candy.
The squares themselves are each one ounce, so if you consider one package a single serving, it’s a very generous amount of candy. The candies look homemade, in keeping with their motto of being “comfort sweets.” In contrast to many other chocolates, they are not attempting to look exceptionally fancy or upscale. The price of these sweets is in line with the appearance and slogan. Single servings are $2.00, a quarter-pound package is $10, and a pound of assorted chocolate treats is $32.50. Obviously these prices are more than your typical supermarket candy bars, but much less than many other small-scale confectionary companies.
All of the varieties share the same chocolate base, described as a “proprietary chocolate blend” developed by Ms. Gerlach. From reading the ingredient labels, it appears to be a blend of milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, and white chocolate. This chocolate blend is fairly sweet, with a very smooth mouthfeel. My personal tastes run more toward dark chocolate, so in most instances I found myself wishing that the chocolate wasn’t quite so sweet, in order to balance the other flavors in the candies. However, it was more complex than your standard milk chocolate, and if you prefer lighter chocolates, this might be the perfect mix for you.
Review of Allie’s Edibles Varieties
Chocolate Pretzel and Toffee Bark: This was an addicting candy. Pretzel sticks and bits of butter-nut toffee are coated in chocolate, and I thought it had a great balance of elements: salty, crunchy pretzels, sweet and nutty toffee, smooth rich chocolate. The balance of textures and tastes all played out perfectly.Chocolate-Covered Marshmallow: A thick layer of chocolate is topped by a layer of foamy white marshmallow, which is then finished by a very thin layer of chocolate on top. The marshmallow layer was airy and light, and gave no resistance at all when bitten into, in contrast to many marshmallows that seem to suffer from too much gelatin. I loved the fluffy texture, but didn’t get much taste from the marshmallow. Overall this candy was a little too sweet for me, and I think I would have enjoyed it more with a darker chocolate so that the sweet marshmallow could really shine.
Chocolate-Covered Caramel: I have to confess that caramels aren’t my favorite candy, because I usually find them too sweet and sticky. However, this particular caramel had a great consistency upon biting into it--it was very smooth and seemed to melt into the chocolate layer on top. Refreshingly, I didn’t find it too sweet or cloying, even considering that the chocolate layer was fairly sweet.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars: These, to me, epitomize the idea of “comfort sweets.” A thick layer of peanut butter fudge is sandwiched by two layers of milk chocolate. The peanut butter fudge is decadently rich, with a distinctive dark brown sugar taste that really complemented the chocolate flavor. The texture was wonderfully smooth, and I could easily have eaten several of these (substantial) bars all at once!
Chocolate Nut Toffee: I wanted to love this candy, because the toffee has an amazing flavor. All too often, I find toffee candies taste like sugar (and not much else) but this toffee was deliciously rich, with a very distinct buttery flavor that I loved. However, the toffee was a bit too sticky for my tastes; it was missing that “crunch” that I find vital in a toffee, and instead stuck to my teeth more than I like. This was another candy that I would love to see with a dark chocolate, because I think a darker chocolate would really make the great flavor of the toffee pop.
Chocolate-Covered Ganache: In all honesty I didn’t have really high hopes for the ganache square, because I had tasted the other candies first and knew that the chocolate being used was heavy on the milk chocolate end. However, it turned out I saved the best for last, because this chocolate was phenomenal. The ganache was so smooth and creamy, it literally melted in my mouth, and I loved the contrast between the silky ganache and the thin layer of chocolate on top. The pure chocolate flavor was intense, and it was so decadent, I don’t think I could finish a whole square in one sitting. This candy really showcased Allie’s signature chocolate blend in the best possible light.
