Keeping tabs on the latest nutritional studies and headlines is always a thrill a minute (especially if you pride yourself on eating a relatively healthy diet) because once seemingly wholesome dietary staples will inevitably be kicked to the curb in favor of their far more artery-worthy cousins.
Cow’s milk is a perfect example. Once considered the cream of the USDA food pyramid crop, it has in recent years been knocked down the nutritional totem pole a few pegs, with newer, purportedly “better-for-you” plant-based alternatives picking up the slack… at least for the time being.
Thanks to human ingenuity, we’ve figured out how to whip up milk-like beverages from seemingly countless animal-free edibles such as nuts, soy, assorted grains and remarkably, some of them are actually quite palatable, especially when incorporated into myriad recipes. This is good news for hard core vegans and those on severely restricted diets since plant-based milks ensure that dietary deprivation is no longer a requirement. For the rest of us, we’re afforded culinary diversity and the realization that indulging in tasty treats does not necessarily require the assistance of cow udders.
And yet, candy – especially confections in the chocolate and caramel family – are pretty reliant on the full-fat deliciousness of moo milk, right? Well, not necessarily. As we’ve seen in the recent past, companies like Terra Nostra have successfully produced perfectly delicious alternatives such as their organic rice milk based chocolate and now JJ’s Sweets has carved out their own unique confectionary niche that both cow milk enthusiasts and their vegan-centric compadres should make a point of seeking out – coconut milk based caramels appropriately named Cocomels.
Forget about the sugar-bomb Brach’s caramels of yesteryear – that’s not even close to what you’re going to get when you sample one of the dark-chocolate dipped morsels included in JJ’s Sweets’ Four Salts collection. Instead, prepare your palate for a purely pleasurable artisan experience in which the exterior of each caramel square is lightly dusted with one of four types of salt – White Mayan, Pink Himalayan, Red Gold Hawaii Kai’s Palm Island or Hickory Smoke Sea Salt – offering textural/visual appeal along with a mineralized punch that accents the flavorful delight within.
Once you begin chewing, each organic chocolate shell promptly begins melting away to reveal a chewy textured, 100% dairy free caramel with a mild yet pleasing coconut undertone. GMO-free and sweetened with an organic brown rice syrup/organic cane juice blend, JJ’s Sweets’ Cocomels offer all of the full-bodied satisfaction of a traditional caramel using just 5 minimally processed ingredients. Even more impressively, they manage to massage those ingredients into a toothsome, guilt-free treat that caters to anyone who appreciates the simple appeal of deep, rich flavorful caramel – coconut haters included!
To quote a popular candy commercial jingle, “Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t.†Cocomels enable those in all walks of candy life to take an ever-so-slightly wild coconut candy ride without having to tangle with a hard core, texture-heavy center. This gateway experience will have you craving more, more, more!!
I’m so glad there are new writers!! You guys are doing a great job already.
I will def try these. I love the combination of salty and sweet when it comes to caramels and I love coconut.
March 15th, 2012 at 2:25 pmAwwwww Candy Lovin’ Liz, thanks so much for your awesome virtual high-five :)
I love discovering new candy treasures and in spite of the fact that I tend to be a bit of a sugar snob, Cocomels pleasantly surprised me with their clever use of unconventional ingredients and totally convincing ‘mainstream’ mouth texture. Plus, they’re sweet, but not achingly so. I think that you’ll be happy you took the plunge!
March 17th, 2012 at 2:24 pmCaramels made from coconut milk? Dipped in dark chocolate? Bring ‘em on! I was intrigued by your review, so I clicked on the link to JJ’s Sweets website to see what other confections they have to offer. The original Cocomels sound very appealing, too. And apparently the founder of the company feels lucky to be able to offer the world “little bits of edible joy.†Now, isn’t that sweet? Thanks for introducing me to something new and exciting in the world of candy. Keep up the good work!
April 6th, 2012 at 2:51 pm