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    The best chocolate bars

    By | Shine Food – Fri, Apr 1, 2011 7:44 PM EDT

    By Lygeia Grace and Dawn Perry

    Willy Wonka, eat your heart out: Real Simple staffers selflessly tasted more than 180 luxe bars to determine which ones deserve a golden ticket.

    See More: 50 Best Chocolate Recipes

    Best 70 Percent Cocoa and Up (Extra-Extra Dark)

    Scharffen Berger Bittersweet: Don't be daunted by the high cocoa content. This winner is bright and fruity, with a smooth finish.

    To buy: $5 for 3 ounces.

    See More: Guilt-Free Sweet Treats

    Best 60 to 69 Percent Cocoa (Extra Dark)

    Chocolove Rich Dark: Get ready for a flavor explosion: chocolate goodness spiked with roasted coffee, chilies, and cinnamon.

    To buy: $3 for 3.2 ounces.

    See More: The Best Brownie Mixes

    Best 50 to 59 Percent Cocoa (Dark)

    Ritter Sport Dark: Rich and glossy, this semisweet pick is better than anything you'd find in a bag of morsels. Serve it with an after-dinner liqueur for a grown-up dessert.

    To buy: $2.50 for 3.5 ounces.

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    Best Milk

    Dove Silky Smooth Milk: The pure cream and cocoa flavors are so delicious, even dark-chocolate snobs will see the light.

    To buy: $2 for 3.3 ounces.

    See More: The Best Frozen Hors d'Oeuvres

    Best White

    Perugina: The white stuff may not technically be chocolate (it doesn't contain cocoa solids), but who cares? Rife with lemony notes, this is buttery and sweet.

    To buy: $3 for 3.5 ounces.

    See More: 8 Refreshing Frozen Treats

    Best Almond

    Scharffen Berger Milk Almond: A sprinkling of coarse sea salt intensifies the sweetness, and chopped roasted almonds accompany Every. Decadent. Bite.

    To buy: $5 for 3 ounces.

    Best Hazelnut

    Trader Joe's Swiss Dark With Whole Hazelnuts: This monster slab is so loaded with protein-packed hazelnuts, you could almost consider it an energy bar. (Almost.)

    To buy: $4 for 7 ounces.

    Read the Rest: The Best Chocolate Bars

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      My after-school snack was a sacred ritual. I sat on the carpet in my parents' bedroom at a low table, the television turned to "I Dream of Jeannie," and ate a peanut butter and honey sandwich cut into neat squares. I wasn't fussy about crusts. I just loved the sticky pairing of creamy peanut butter with syrupy golden sweetness drizzled from a honey bear in diagonals across the soft white bread. Nothing else--save for maybe apples and peanut butter in a pinch--could have made for as sweet an