For many, the name of Herbert Spencer would be virtually synonymous with Social Darwinism, a social theory that applies the law of the survival of the fittest to society; humanitarian impulses had to be resisted as nothing should be allowed to interfere with nature's laws, including the social struggle for existence.
Almond bark (also known as vanilla flavored candy coating) is a chocolate-like confection made with vegetable fats instead of cocoa butter and with coloring and flavors added. It can be bought in packages, blocks, or round discs where candy and baking supplies are sold. The confection is commonly used to cover or dip fruits, nuts, cookies, or crackers, in place of real chocolate. The term is also applied to a type of candy consisting of sheets or chunks of semisweet or milk chocolate to which almonds or almond pieces, and/or cherry almond flavoring have been added.
The almond is a deciduous tree, growing 4â10 m (13â33 ft) in height, with a trunk of up to 30 cm (12 in) in diameter. The young twigs are green at first, becoming purplish where exposed to sunlight, then grey in their second year. The leaves are 3â5 inches long, with a serrated margin and a 2.5 cm (1 in) petiole. In Italy, the bitter almonds from apricots are the base for amaretti (almond macaroons), a common dessert. 2  Traditionally, a low percentage of bitter almonds (10-20%) is added to the ingredients, which gives the cookies their bitter taste (commercially, apricot kernels are used as a substitute for bitter almonds).