Vosges > Snickers

Caramel and sea salt: I couldn't love this bar any more if I tried.

Lately, I've been curbing my consumption of sweets significantly by buying expensive chocolate. How does this work? Quite easily, as it turns out.

The pressure to buy two Snickers bars for $1 at the gas station can be overwhelming when you're stressed and tired and hungry and nothing sounds better than cramming your mouth full of chocolate, peanuts, caramel and whatever that nougat goo is made of. But you don't need me to tell you that it's absolutely terrible for you on so many levels. Partially hydrogenated soybean oil? Bah.

That's why I've been splashing out on Vosges chocolate bars recently. And at $8 for a bar, I'd definitely call that splashing out. But it's worth it.

My two current favorites.

The bar is so expensive -- to me, at least -- that eating it all in one go is galling. I couldn't begin to justify sitting down and eating an entire bar at once.

Which is for the best, really, as the dark chocolate is far too rich to eat in large quantities, despite its many health benefits. One square of a Black Salt Caramel bar -- which, for the record, contains nothing other than dark chocolate, Hawaiian sea salt and caramel -- is sufficient for an entire serving as far as I'm concerned, especially at 70 percent cacao. And that bar will last me a good two weeks; I couldn't really say the same about a half-gnawed Snickers.

Because Vosges (and many other high end chocolatiers) don't use preservatives or things like partially hydrogenated oils, the bars don't have an interminable shelf life; they only last about six months. The truffles, even less.

But it's a sign of quality, indicating that this little luxury I'm allowing myself is worth every penny of that $8. And I don't even have to pick peanuts out of my teeth when I'm done.

---

Follow Eating Our Words on Facebook and on Twitter @EatingOurWords