Oooh, no!

Name: U-No
Brand: Annabelle's
Place Purchased: Savon
Price: $.79
Size: 1.5 ounces
Calories per ounce: 167
Type: Chocolate



Like many of the other West Coast candy bars (Rocky Road), I think I ignored this one because I didn't know what it was. After all, if it was good, I would have tried it by now. I'd never seen anyone eating one and certainly never heard it in conversation. Now I've heard two different pronunciations of it. One is: You-Know and the other us Ooh! No! I have no idea which is right.

Their website describes the bar like this, "Smooth, Rich Milk Chocolate truffle-like center, covered with Milk Chocolate and ground almonds. Guaranteed to melt in your mouth!"

The bar is huge but very light for its size. It looks pretty and smells chocolatey and less sugary than many other bars. Honestly, I'm not sure if I'd like to invoke that guarantee or not, but it definitely doesn't melt in my mouth. I bit into it, and found it soft and yielding, but not mushy. It did melt, in the sense that it spread out on my tongue, but it didn't give itself up, but kind of rolled around in a strange oiliness. The chocolate on the outside is a different matter, just nice and chocolatey.

The flavor of the center is like a fluffy truffle with a bit of grainy salt to it (which is actually a nice way to balance the sweet). As excited as I was to see that it was a fluffy truffle bar when I was photographing it, I was equally disappointed when I read the third ingredient on the label is Hydrogenated Coconut Oil and the bar packs 11 grams of saturated fat (I have no idea how much of that is trans fat). It's just not a bar I can recommend to those who aren't already terminally ill. I know, it's candy and it's all unhealthy, but let's face it, there are other candies out there that can be satisfying and not nearly as laden with hydrogenated oils.

I know, you think it's odd that the candy blogger is talking about health issues, so I should make a few things clear. I'm a fit person for the most part. I keep my weight within norms and I am pretty active. So I can afford some discretionary calories on candy (usually limited to 500 calories per day). But sometimes it's not just calories that you have to look at. A lot of candies contain trans fats, but usually in smaller amounts. A candy that contains a large percentage of hydrogenated oils just isn't a good idea for regular indulgence. If it's just a once or twice a year thing, I'd say you're in the clear. (Please do not substitute candy blog advice for that of a qualified physician or dietician.)

If they, however, created a new recipe using butterfat, I am so there!

Rating - 4 out of 10.