John and Kira's - Eagle Ranch Pistachio - Oct. 24, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

John and Kira's
Eagle Ranch Pistachio chocolate
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .383 oz. (10.86 g.) / 5.75 oz. (163 g.) in total 15-piece box
Calories: 58 calories (estimate) for 1 piece
Cost: $ N/A part of larger, 15-piece collection box
Purchased from: John and Kira's, online order

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Cinnamon Theme Week. Cinnamon makes a great front man, but also a dynamite supporting player. A background hint of cinnamon warms up any flavor profile considerably. Today, we move from chilies and cinnamon to other flavors with a cinnamon spark.

This Eagle Ranch Pistachio chocolate, part of a 15-piece Every Flavor Collection box from John and Kira's (Philadelphia, PA), was covered with dark chocolate. Inside was a smooth, creamy white filling with ground pistachio nuts from the Schweer family's pistachio grove (Eagle Ranch, New Mexico) -- spiced with a well-balanced dash of cinnamon.

Christopher Elbow - Dark Spice bar - Oct. 23, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Christopher Elbow Artisanal Chocolate
No. 2 - Dark Spice bar
Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (40 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.)
Calories: 240 calories (estimate)
Cost: $7.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Cocoa Bella, San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Cinnamon Theme Week, and today's bar was another successful blending of cinnamon with chilies. While cinnamon came from Asia, it partners so naturally with chocolate that it's easy to forget that the original spice used with cacao beverages in Latin America was likely a type of allspice. Cinnamon was introduced many years later.

This No. 2 Dark Spice bar (part of a numbered series of bars) from Christopher Elbow (Kansas City, MO) possessed a captivating blend of ancho and chipotle chilis. These flavorful ground chilis didn't burn, but rather the infusion lingered and complemented the 61% dark chocolate base. Cinnamon and spices heightened the well-balanced warmth.