Divine - Cranberries and Hazelnuts bar - March 23, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Divine Chocolate
Dark Chocolate with Cranberries and Hazelnuts bar
Good
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $3.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, Los Altos, CA

Welcome to the first day of Chocolate and Cranberries Theme Week.

This Dark Chocolate (68% cocoa) bar from Divine Chocolate (Imported from Germany and distributed in the U.S.) incorporated dried, sweetened and chopped cranberries. Pieces of chopped hazelnut provided some crunchy texture, and paired well with bits of plump red cranberry.

The smooth, mild tasting dark chocolate was made from cocoa beans "from Kuapa Kokoo, a co-operative of small-holder farmers in Ghana."

Inside the bar wrapper, was more information about where the cocoa beans for this chocolate had been grown; a profile of one farmer; and a short explanation of the symbols adorning the outer red wrapper -- Adinkra symbols from Ghananian culture.

Lake Champlain - Hazelnut Praline squares - March 22, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Lake Champlain Chocolates
Hazelnut Praline Dark Chocolate squares
Weight: .8 oz. (22.6 g.) for 2 squares
Calories: 120 calories (estimate) in 2 squares
Cost: $1.38 for 2 squares
Purchased from: New Leaf Community Markets, Half Moon Bay, CA

Normally there are 7 days in 1 week. Unless it's a Chocolate Theme Week; and then a week can extend to 8 days, or more, if more wonderful chocolates need to be added. Today was Day #9 of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week.

These snack-sized dark chocolate (54% cocoa) squares from Lake Champlain Chocolates (Burlington, VT) were infused with a subtle gianduja (ground hazelnut and dark chocolate) flavor.

Each dark square was wrapped in a fancy Italian stamped gold foil inner wrapper, making them suitable for party or wedding favors, or a spring celebration of any kind.