Barlovento - 80% bar with dried cherries - Feb. 15, 2014

Chocolate of the Day:

Barlovento Chocolates
80% Extra Dark Chocolate Bar with Dried Cherries
Good +
Weight: .7 oz. (19.8 g.) / 3.5 oz. (99 g.) in total bar
Calories: 105 calories in 1/5 bar
Cost: $7.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Barlovento Chocolates, Palo Alto Farmers Market

Today was Day #11 of Chocolate and Cherries Theme Weeks.

This extra dark beauty from Barlovento Chocolates (Oakland, CA) was crafted from 80% Venezuelan chocolate.

The back side of this bar was covered with neat rows of dried, moist cherries from Hidden Star Orchards (Clements, CA). I could smell the rich, natural aromas from this bar as soon as I lifted up the gold foil wrapping. Each square packed in satisfying chocolate and cherry flavor.

Bixby - Heart's Delight bar - Feb. 14, 2014

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Chocolate Cherry Cocktail
Made with: Talenti Black Cherry gelato

Bixby and Co.
Heart's Delight
Good
Weight: .75 oz. (21.2 g.) / 1.5 oz. (42.45 g.) total bar
Calories: 110 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Abe's Market (online order)

Hope you all had a great Valentines Day. I decided to keep it simple -- a modified Chocolate Gatail (cocktail with dark rum, cherry brandy and creme de cacao) and 1/2 of a Heart's Delight bar from Bixby and Co. (Belfast, ME).

The Heart's Delight bar was jammed with large pieces of dried strawberries, and bits of almond, giving the dark chocolate (72%) bar, with a very mild hint of Ceylon Cinnamon, a slightly chewy texture.

Today was Day #10 of Chocolate and Cherries Theme Weeks, and the sight of cherry and other fruit tree blossoms against blue sky was a lovely reminder that Spring was already waiting in the wings.