Help Sourcing a Chocolate Product

[MichaelB]

For several years, my wife has bought a particular over sized chocolate chip from the Baker's Secret (King Arthur Flour) catalog. They no longer carry the product and I am having trouble finding a replacement.

KA sold the product as a "Semisweet Maxi Chip." I have looked in several chocolate product listings and see nothing like it. I checked with KA; they advised me today that they sourced the cips from Peter's Chocolate. Peter's web site does not list the product. I will call them on Monday.

The product is a semisweet chocolate chip. I weighed some of last year's crop -- there are 350 chips to a pound.

Kathy uses the chip as a cookie garnish and the size is perfect for her application.

Anyone have a source for a 300-400 count per pound semisweet chocolate chip?

Edit, I probably need only 2 pounds or so; but would buy at least 5 pounds if necessary.

Edited November 8, 2003 by MichaelB (log)

[MichaelB]

Update:

I spoke with a customer service rep from Peter's this morning. They do not make this chip any longer. The largest chip they produce is 900 per pound -- much too small for what Mrs.B requires.

The person I spoke to mentioned the 2002 sale of the company to Cargill. I think Nestle owned it before Cargill. He volunteered that he did not know whether Nestle retained the rights to this product in the transaction, etc.

43 views and no suggestions . . . yet.

[JFLinLA]

I personally am a huge fan of the Guittard Super Cookie Chip. I have no idea how many per pound but they are much larger than the average chip and the chocolate is great too. I think they came out #1 at an America's Test Kitchen tasting but I just know I like them. I used to be able to buy them at Trader Joe's during the holiday season but they stopped carrying them.

You can buy them at CaliforniaCandy.com. Not the cheapest, especially when you add shipping but I think you will be pleased.

Edited November 10, 2003 by JFLinLA (log)

[MichaelB]

Thanks for the suggestion JFL. The size is about right (300 per pound) according to this:

Dear Customer,

The following nutritional information is based on a 15 g. reference serving size and is being provided to you based on the NCA/RCl/CMA Nutrition Labeling Database.

Guittard - Chocolate Super Cookie Chip

Serving Size: 10 pieces (15 g)

Servings per 10 oz. bag: about 19

There may be two issues with this product.

First, I cannot tell from the picture on the California Candy site what the shape of that chip is exactly. We need a traditional chocolate chip/Hershey Kiss shape for the application, a cookie garnish. The picture does not give the impression that the chips are of that shape. What can you tell me about the shape?

Second, the Guittard site says this about the product:

Super Cookie Chips

Smoother, meltier chips for the chocoholic

The application is a garnish. The chips are placed onto an almost baked cookie and returned to the oven just to "set" the chip into the cookie. I would worry about the "meltier" texture in this application.

Please keep the options coming everyone.

[JFLinLA]

Michael:

1. In the traditional "kiss" shape like other chips.

2. As long as you don't stir when warm, it should hold its shape. I've never had a problem before. I would take the term "meltier" as referring to how it feels in your mouth.

Enjoy.

[MichaelB]

Thanks!

I'll find a bag somewhere and test them.

[Bux]

Why am I not surprised that the request for a source of 300 to the pound chocolate chips gets a positive answer on eGullet.

[JFLinLA]

Thanks!

I'll find a bag somewhere and test them.

The Guittard folks can tell you where you can find them in your area. They are the ones who told me that Trader Joe's had discontinued them and referred me to California Candy. Now, if someone would tell me how I can get my paws on them at a lesser price than California Candy, that would be great.

Maybe the folks at KAF will start carrying this to replace the earlier product.

[MichaelB]

I am just moving this to the front page now that Michael, Steve, et al are home from New York. Any suggestions guys?