I have long been a fan of Ritter Sport chocolate bars. Even though their combinations tend to be somewhat predictable, (chocolate with hazelnuts, chocolate with mint, etc.), the product is always consistent. This is not a niche brand like many of the other bars I've reviewed. You can find Ritter Sport bars at Dean & Deluca, but you can also find them at Target, Duane Reade and Associated Supermarkets. They're not super fancy. They're just really good chocolate. They're also square-shaped. I like that.
Given Ritter Sport's no-frills approach, I thought I had misread the label when I came across this Ritter Sport Marzipan bar. That's right. Marzipan. And dark chocolate. Together. Wowee! Even if you don't know it by name, you've probably seen marzipan in the form of those beautifully painted mini fruits that come in gold boxes at bakeries. Marizpan is a pliable, mildly sweet dough-like substance made from finely ground almonds and sugar or honey. It has a slightly grainy texture. This is the first time I've seen marzipan used in anything other than king cake for Mardi Gras or those painted fruits, and my, has it changed my view.
Now, one could make the argument that marzipan chocolate is not too terribly different from any kind of dark chocolate with almonds. After all, it is an almond-based substance covered in chocolate. You'll have to take my word on it that this is nothing, repeat: nothing, like any other almond and chocolate combo I've had before. Eating a Ritter Sport Marzipan bar is kind of like eating a chocolate covered donut. It's rich and soft and slightly chewy, and you inevitably want another.
That being said, this is not a bar that is going to give you the knock-your-socks-off, full-steam-ahead dark chocolate flavor that this particular chocophile endlessly craves. When you treat yourself to this bar, remember that's exactly what it is: a treat. You're not getting any kind of enormous benefit beyond the pure enjoyment of eating it. And that is more than enough.
Given Ritter Sport's no-frills approach, I thought I had misread the label when I came across this Ritter Sport Marzipan bar. That's right. Marzipan. And dark chocolate. Together. Wowee! Even if you don't know it by name, you've probably seen marzipan in the form of those beautifully painted mini fruits that come in gold boxes at bakeries. Marizpan is a pliable, mildly sweet dough-like substance made from finely ground almonds and sugar or honey. It has a slightly grainy texture. This is the first time I've seen marzipan used in anything other than king cake for Mardi Gras or those painted fruits, and my, has it changed my view.
Now, one could make the argument that marzipan chocolate is not too terribly different from any kind of dark chocolate with almonds. After all, it is an almond-based substance covered in chocolate. You'll have to take my word on it that this is nothing, repeat: nothing, like any other almond and chocolate combo I've had before. Eating a Ritter Sport Marzipan bar is kind of like eating a chocolate covered donut. It's rich and soft and slightly chewy, and you inevitably want another.
That being said, this is not a bar that is going to give you the knock-your-socks-off, full-steam-ahead dark chocolate flavor that this particular chocophile endlessly craves. When you treat yourself to this bar, remember that's exactly what it is: a treat. You're not getting any kind of enormous benefit beyond the pure enjoyment of eating it. And that is more than enough.