Most everyone loves to take a coffee break when they are working. But sometimes getting a cup of coffee is just not convenient. As a result, I have resorted to eating candy. Not just any candy mind you, but candy with coffee. My second love is dark chocolate so it seemed perfect to me to seek out a dark chocolate and coffee combination. What I found is just delicious.

Ghirardelli Intense Dark Espresso Escape

I just love Ghirardelli Intense Dark Espresso Escape. You see, it’s not full of calories and even has a bit of health. Both dark chocolate and coffee have recently been sited in studies as being rich in antioxidants. Coming in with 60% cacao and finely ground espresso beans it beats any coffee I’ve had on a job hands down. I actually close my eyes and savor each bite. It’s about the only break I’m going to get in my day so I had better make it a good one.

It has a luscious taste that is not too sweet. Calorie-wise, one square (all I need to get me through) is just 55 calories and they come individually wrapped in a bag which holds about 12 squares.

Trader Joe’s Espresso Chocolates

My love affair with Ghirardelli’s led me to seek out other coffee and chocolate combinations. My search led me to Trader Joe’s. Trader Joe’s has their own brand of coffee and chocolate candies called Espresso Chocolates. These sounded right up my alley, so I decided to give them a try.

Trader Joe’s Espresso Chocolates are a very different experience from the Ghirardelli. It has a chocolate shell and a fully liquid center. These are also individually wrapped and come in a 3.88 ounce box. Like the Ghirardelli, this box also holds about 12 candies. One candy has about 38 calories.

Even though my favorite was the Ghirardelli (I guess I am not a huge fan of the liquid center in the Trader Joe’s), it does have excellent chocolate and coffee flavor and will be a welcome addition when I am looking for that mini-coffee break.

If you have some creative coffee break ideas, I would love to hear from you.