Chocolate Coal

In some Christmas lore, Santa by whatever name he is called, leaves not only presents but also punishments for children.  Sometimes this is a spanking or sometimes it's coal though given the time period these folktales developed I have to wonder how much of a punishment coal truly was -- at least you could burn it for a bit of heat or to help you cook.  Today children are rarely punished at Christmas time and if they find "coal" in their stockings it might be one of several types.  We're going to look at a few of those available today that are chocolate in nature to help you figure out what is worth and is not worth your money.

We'll start with Palmer's "Santa's Coal" which is a crispy rice treat covered in chocolaty coating made with cocoa as an ingredient.  Given some earlier experiences reviewing Palmer products in 2010 on The Chocolate Cult, you may be expecting me to simply type "Yuck" and move on.  The big difference here is the crisp rice that creates a crunchy sound and a interesting texture while you eat.  Oh, this is still primarily a sweet sugary taste, even the chocolate is very sugary when I let one melt in my mouth.  That is really what truly disappoints here.  If this is supposed to be "coal" shouldn't it be a dark color and flavor?


Sisters and Brothers, may you, too, take the time to slowly appreciate what the Divine and human ingenuity have offered you in chocolate.