August Storck - Merci Hazelnut Creme bar - Sept. 30, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

August Storck
Merci Assortment - European chocolates
Hazelnut Creme (small chocolate bar)
Good
Weight: .447 oz. (12.6 g.) / 7 oz. (200 g.) in total package of 16 bars
Calories: 70 calories in 1 small bar
Cost: $N/A - gift
Purchased from: N/A - gift (Thank you Yazz!)

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Theme Week.

Today's August Storck Merci assortment package of European chocolates (made in Germany) contained 16 individually-wrapped small rectangular, 2-square bars. (There were 2 each of 8 different flavors.)

I enjoyed one of the Hazelnut Creme bars today—smooth, creamy and sweet milk chocolate with hazelnut cream flavor and very faint fruit and cereal notes.

Note: These may contain traces of wheat, gluten, peanuts, other tree nuts.

Endangered Species - Hazelnut Spread with Cocoa - Sept. 29, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Endangered Species Chocolate, LLC
Hazelnut Spread with Cocoa
Good
Weight: 2 TB (37 g.) / 9.7 oz. (275 g.) in total jar
Calories: 210 calories in 2 TB serving
Cost: $1.99 (estimate) for 1 jar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Theme Week.

Today's Hazelnut Spread with Cocoa from Endangered Species Chocolate (Indianapolis, IN) had the texture of light, whipped silk; and it was sweet. Sugar and vegetable oil (sunflower, palm) were the first ingredients listed.

Next, followed hazelnuts and cocoa, in terms of order on the ingredients list and flavor. Both nuts and cocoa were very finely ground to enable the light, silky texture and each helped dial down the sweetness (a good thing if you're eating this a la carte).

This Hazelnut Spread with Cocoa would be equally at home as a toast or pastry spread, a frosting, a dip for fresh fruit, or a ripple stirred into ice cream.

The Certified Gluten Free Spread was made with Non-GMO and Fairtrade cocoa, sugar and vanilla. The label on the glass jar was adorned with an image of an African Elephant.

Like other chocolate bar and bark products, Endangered Species features an animal on its products that may need human support to continue to survive. The company donates 10% of net proceeds to partners that engage in wildlife protection and/or conservation-related efforts, such as habitat preservation.

Godiva - Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Crisp bar - Sept. 28, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

Godiva Chocolatier Inc.
Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Crisp
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.3 oz. (37.5 g.) / 2.6 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 215 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Barnes and Noble Bookstore, El Cerrito, CA


Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Theme Week.

Today's Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Crisp bar from Godiva Chocolatier Inc. (New York, NY).  The company was founded in 1926. Hats off to any business this close to celebrating its centennial anniversary.

The slightly fruity, relatively flavorful milk chocolate (42% Cacao) with a very faint artificial flavor note* was billed as Single Origin Mexican Chocolate.

The bar had an unmistakable hazelnut aroma and a relatively creamy sweet milk chocolate mouthfeel.

The smoothness was accented with a slightly crispy texture—accomplished with a combination of rice flour and other ingredients (milk powder, sugar, and perhaps some cocoa butter).

Godiva Chocolate,

*This bar did contain some "natural flavor," emulsifiers and possible traces of gluten (wheat, barley and/or oats).

Nutiva - Organic Hazelnut Spread - Sept. 27, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Nutiva
Organic Hazelnut Spread
Good - Good +
Weight: .78 oz. (22 g.) in 1 packet
Calories: 120 calories in 1 packet
Cost: $1.29 for 1 packet
Purchased from: Sprouts Market, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Theme Week.

Today's Organic Hazelnut Spread was from Nutiva (Richmond, CA).

This organic, vegan and certified gluten free chocolate hazelnut spread had "40% sugar than the leading brand." What's not to like?

The creamy, oily spread with cocoa did have a more natural, satisfying taste than most spreads. It was chocolate and sugar forward, but lacked the consistency of hydrogenated fat with additives or emulsifiers (thank you).

The ground hazelnut flavor was less pronounced, in part due to subtle flavors of the oils (palm, coconut, chia seed) and other ingredients (flaxseed and carob flours).

The single-serving packet was a good size for a snack or lunch or trial taste. However, I was reminded, open packets with care or you may have a spray of tiny dots of Nutiva spread (or the oil portion if it's separated) on your shirt/pants.

GuyLian - Signature Hazelnut bar - Sept. 26, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

Chocolaterie GuyLian N.V.
Signature Hazelnut bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.24 oz. (35 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $0.99 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Theme Week.

Today's Signature Hazelnut bar was from GuyLian Belgian Chocolate, aka Chocolaterie GuyLian N.V. (Sint-Niklass, Belgium).

It might be dismissive to call this attractive bar a candy bar. So I won't. It was more like four pretty confections that were merged into a bar.

The bar had four joined segments or squares. Each square was adorned with a different small, but detailed "white" chocolate, sea-themed creature—such as a seahorse or sea shells. These marine morsels also served as "signature" shapes for the company. These same shapes can also be found on other GuyLian chocolates.

The milk chocolate bar was described as having a praline filling (with finely ground hazelnuts); however, the chocolate (that had a relatively smooth, creamy melt) was blended so thoroughly that the hazelnut flavor was relatively mild.

Chocolat Frey AG - Dark Crunchy Nut - hazelnut bar - Sept. 25, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolat Frey AG
Dark Crunchy Nut Bar - with hazelnuts
Good ++
Weight: 1.59 oz. (45 g.) / 6.3 oz. (180 g.) in total bar
Calories: 285 calories in 3 squares of (1.5 serving) bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to the 2nd day of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Theme Week.

I have a fondness for hazelnut chocolates from Europe, so today's Swiss-made dark chocolate bar chock full of hazelnuts (31% nuts) made the "must try" list some time ago.

The Dark Crunchy Nut bar from Chocolat Frey AG (Switzerland) was both dark and milk chocolate. The bar contained milk and buttery, sugary crunchy bits, that added crunchy texture and sweetened up the unsweetened dark chocolate.

It was a very edible and satisfying bar.

Tillamook - Oregon Hazelnut Chocolate Gelato - Sept. 24, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Tillamook
Oregon Hazelnut Chocolate Farmstyle Gelato
Good +
Weight: 1/2 cup (99 g.) / 15.5 fl. oz. (458 mL) in total container
Calories: 290 calories in 1/2 cup serving
Cost: $1.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Theme Week. When summer turns to fall, I think of hazelnuts, and the Willamette Valley region of Oregon—where most hazelnuts in the U.S. are grown.

When I peeled off the lid of today's Oregon Hazelnut Gelato from Tillamook* (Tillamook, OR) I was greeted with a visual feast of nuts and chocolate.

The top layer was so generally loaded with chopped hazelnut bits and fudge that you may want to mix this ice cream up a bit if you're sharing with friends. The first scoop had almost all the goodies.

I prefer some layering of flavors—more than over-homogenized blends—so that individual flavors have room to shine, as they did today. The mouthfuls of chopped nuts contained authentic, somewhat bittersweet, hazelnut flavor; and the ice cream and fudge layers were tasty.

*The Tillamook County Creamery Association is a 108-year old dairy farmer-owned cooperative based in Oregon that distributes dairy products including ice cream and gelato.

Fruition Chocolate - Heirloom Costa Rica Dark 74% bar - Sept. 23, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Fruition Chocolate
Heirloom Costa Rica Dark 74% bar
Very Good
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 159 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week.

Today's Heirloom Costa Rica bar from Fruition Chocolate (Shokan, NY) was a well-balanced, well-executed dark bar, made with heirloom-designated cacao beans from the canton of Coto Brus in Puntarenas Province, in southern Costa Rica.

Chocolate maker Bryan Graham performs his magic in the company's workshop in the Catskill Mountains. The chocolate results over the years have been consistently good.

Today's soy free, gluten free 74% bar offered a full, flavorful ride, aroma-to-finish, with dried fruit (cherry and light hints of apricot and raisin), citrus, very light bittersweet earth and umami notes, followed by more cherry and citrus and a very faint touch of coffee in the finish.

Frederic Blondeel - Costa Rica 70% Dark Chocolate Bar - Sept. 22, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Frederic Blondeel
Tablette VI - Costa Rica 70% Chocolat Noir (Dark Chocolate) Bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .636 oz. (18 g.) / 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 90 calories (estimate) in 2 strips (pieces) of bar
Cost: $6.99 (plus any applicable shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Stars USA, online order

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week.

Today's featured chocolate: the Tablette VI, Costa Rica 70% Dark Chocolate Bar made by Frederic Blondeel (Veurne, Belgium). Blondeel produces bean-to bar chocolate bars, including a series of single origin tablettes (bars).*

From the first whiff, this Costa Rica bar had interesting complexity, with an aroma containing fleeting hints of sweet coffee latte, green tea, and olive. The chocolate also had floral flavor notes with a light, lingering quality. There were no bitter or heavy notes that dragged this down.

*Yesterday Frederic Blondeel's Tablette I, Costa Rica 40% Milk Chocolate bar was featured.

Frederic Blondeel - 40% Costa Rica Milk Chocolate Bar - Sept. 21, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Frederic Blondeel
40% Costa Rica Milk Chocolate Bar
Good - Good +
Weight: .8.36 oz. (18 g.) / 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 90 calories in 2 strips (2/5 bar)
Cost: $6.99 (plus shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Stars USA, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week.

Today's 40% Costa Rica Milk Chocolate Bar was manufactured (from bean-to-bar) by Frederic Blondeel (Veurne, Belgium) and imported to the U.S. by Chocolate Stars USA (Fairfield, NJ).

The bar was "Tablette I," the first of a series of single origin (milk and dark) tablettes (bars) from Frederic Blondeel. (Tomorrow we'll feature Tablette VI, a 70% Costa Rica Blondeel bar.)

Back to today's bar...This sweet chocolate bar had an aroma with hints of berry pie, raisin pie and vanilla caramel, a slightly gummy-creamy melt, and a sweet aftertaste.

The bar was comprised of five thin, monogrammed, horizontal "strips" that allowed for maximum access to flavor and texture.

With its high sugar content (#1 ingredient) and added vanilla—and relatively low cocoa mass content (#4 ingredient listed, after sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder)—this chocolate also conjured up the notion of a high-end candy bar.

L'Amourette Chocolatier - Nicaragua Rugoso 80% bar - Sept. 20, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

L'Amourette Chocolatier
Trinitario Single Origin Nicaragua Rugoso 80% bar
Good ++
Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 105 calories (estimate) in 1 serving of bar
Cost: $N/A - gift from a client
Purchased from: N/A - gift from client

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week. Today we make a quick stop in Nicaragua before heading down to Costa Rica.

We've covered some of our favorite Nicaraguan chocolates in previous years (such as Momotombo Chocolate bars and confections crafted by Carlos Mann and team in Managua); but this week, this 80% Nicaragua Rugoso bar from L'Amourette Chocolatier (San Francisco, CA) will be our only stop.

Chief chocolatier at L'Amourette, Andre V, says he fell in love with Rugoso cacao, the famous, flavorful Trinitario beans used to make today's Nicaragua 80% dark bar. Today's bar was one of "Gold" series from L'Amourette focused on higher-end single origin bars.

Three types of cacao beans are often discussed: Criollo, Trinitario and Forastero. Almost all bulk chocolate is made with Forastero cacao beans. Criollo and Trinitario (a Criollo-Forastero hybrid originally made with Criollo beans from Venezuela) are known for their fine flavor.

Venezuelan Criollo and Trinitario beans are legendary—known for their complex, subtle, layered flavors. Some of these fine flavor cacao beans made their way to Nicaragua and other Latin American countries where they've been cultivated. Such was the case with today's bar.

As advertised, these sweet and delicate beans yielded delicate flavors (twinkles of sweetness, fruit, light earth). Very light, particularly for an 80% cacao bar.

Starchild Chocolate LLC - 70% Cacao Guatemala Verapaz bar - Sept. 19, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Starchild Chocolate LLC
70% Cacao Guatemala Cacao Verapaz bar
Good ++
Weight: .875 oz. (25 g.) / 1.75 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 142.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Starchild Chocolate (at an event)

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Central America Week. We continue our geographic meandering—from Belize down to Costa Rica—with a final stop in Guatemala today.

Today's 70% Cacao Guatemala Cacao Verapaz* bar was made (bean-to-bar) by Starchild Chocolate LLC (Willits, CA).

This smooth, dark chocolate bar tasted like a fine cafe mocha vanilla latte lightly sweetened with coconut sugar. (There was no coffee or milk in this bar, just cacao, coconut sugar, cocoa butter and vanilla.) The combination worked; it yielded pleasing flavors with some depth but without bitterness.

The vanilla used in this bar was more natural and flavor-forward than most, and it harmonized well with the unrefined coconut sugar, evoking a vanilla caramel aroma and taste without the over-sweetness (thank you!) normally associated with this combination.

If you're located outside of California and you're interested in trying Starchild chocolate bars, they can be ordered online. If you stop into the Starchild Chocolate shop in northern California (Mendocino County), you may meet Ash and Brittany (Bree) Maki. The company makes all their bars without "gluten, dairy, soy, refined sugar or Gmos."

*Cacao Verapaz is an intermediary organization located in Guatemala, whose mission is to connect Guatemalan farmers' cacao with chocolate makers (like Starchild), with an emphasis on "positive social and environmental impacts in indigenous communities."

LetterPress Chocolate - Honduras 70% Dark bar - Sept. 18, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

LetterPress Chocolate LLC
La Masica, Honduras 70% Dark Chocolate bar
Very Good
Weight: .766 oz. (21.6 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 115 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week.

Today's La Masica, Honduras 70% Dark Chocolate bar (Batch #0018) from LetterPress Chocolate LLC (Los Angeles, CA) was made with cocoa beans grown in/at La Masica, Honduras.*

This bar contained only two (organic) ingredients: cocoa beans and unrefined cane sugar. It had a very pleasing smooth, dark chocolate aroma, and black raspberry or loganberry (raspberry-blackberry hybrid) flavor with a hint of cafe latte.

Tasting notes on the packaging read as follows: raspberry, mocha, cedar.

*Honduras was once a major exporter of cacao; however, a 1979 hurricane (that destroyed cacao trees) and other factors slowed down production for many years. It's encouraging to see more chocolate coming from this area in the past several years.

The government has funded programs that help farmers produce fine cacao and chocolate makers in the U.S. have both contributed to and benefited from local, in-country expertise. La Musica is affiliated with FHIA, a non-profit "agroforestry project that serves as a gene bank for other projects in Honduras," and in today's case benefited from the presence of an expert in fermentation (Daniel O'Doherty) and related in-country expertise crucial to producing great cacao for chocolate makers.

Zak's Chocolate - 70% Guatemalan Cacao bar - Sept. 17, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Zak's Chocolate
70% Guatemalan Cacao bar
Good +
Weight: .36 oz. (10 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 54 calories (estimate) in 1/5 bar
Cost: $9.75 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Zak's Chocolate, Scottsdale, AZ

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week, where we're moving from cacao grown in Belize to beans from Guatemala.

Today's 70% Guatemalan Cacao bar was from Zak's Chocolate (Scottsdale, AZ). Zak's Chocolate produces high-end, small batch, hand-crafted bars. (They also offer confections/truffles in their Scottsdale shop.)

If you visit the company's shop in Arizona, the owners strike you as mindful about every detail, from sourcing of cacao (beans) to beautiful packaging and design.

Today's bar was made with just three ingredients: organic cacao, organic sugar and organic cocoa butter (made/pressed in house).* The bar had a pleasant dark chocolate aroma; sweet, tart cherry, dried fruit fruit flavor (cherry, apricot) notes; and a slight bitter (think coffee) note/finish.

Tasting notes on packaging: Dried cherry/raisin notes

Mama Ganache Artisan Chocolates - Belize tasting bits - Sept. 16, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mama Ganache Artisan Chocolates
Belize (bean-to-bar tasting bits)
Good - Good +
Weight: .36 oz. (10.2 g.) (estimate) for 5 bits/ 2.5 oz. (75 g.) in total Bean-to-Bar Tasting Kit
Calories: 60 calories (estimate) in 5 pieces
Cost: $N/A - gift from family (thank you David!)
Purchased from: N/A - gift

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week.

Today's Belize chocolate was part of a (bean-to-bar made) single origin tasting kit from Mama Ganache Artisan Chocolates (San Luis Obispo, CA).

The "Mostly Criollo" Tasting Kit contained cocoa bean-shaped bits from Belize, Bali, Bolivia, Peru and Uganda. (The company also offers "Mostly Trinitario," "Mostly Forastero" and "Mixed Selection" tasting kits with bits made from other origins.)

The idea of a tasting kit encourages customers to savor chocolate a bit more slowly. Allowing the bits to gradually melt in the mouth makes it easier to detect flavor notes. In this case, the notes printed on the package invited the taster to look for "blackberry" and "toast."

Mama Ganache is a family-run chocolate business. Chef Tom is behind several creations; and the business has had a focus on high-quality, ethically sourced, organic and direct trade chocolate for some time.

Zak's Chocolate - Belize 70% Cacao dark bar - Sept. 15, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Zak's Chocolate
Belize 70% Cacao dark bar
Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 145 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.75 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Zak's Chocolate, Scottsdale, AZ

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week—featuring mostly single origin dark chocolate bars made from cacao grown in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica and/or Nicaragua.

Today's Belize 70% Cacao dark bar was created by wife and husband team, Maureen and Jim Elitzak at Zak's Chocolate (Scottsdale, AZ*).

This three-ingredient (cacao, organic sugar, and a small amount of cocoa butter) small batch bar was carefully crafted from Belize-grown beans, and wrapped in a beautiful copper-colored foil inner wrapper and a green and gold print paper outer wrapper.

The bar had a slightly earthy dark aroma and a pleasant spectrum of dark chocolate flavor including a nice fruit (blackberry) note.

All of Zak's dark bars are vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free.

*I've often thought chocolate makers in the Southwest U.S. (where summer temperatures can top 110 degrees (F) on a regular basis) were incredibly brave. Zak's retail space is very attractive and both shop and production areas are comfortably air conditioned. They're used to dealing with the heat.

Fresh Coast Chocolate: Belize 70% Dark bar - Sept. 14, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

Fresh Coast Chocolate Co.
Belize 70% bar
Very Good +
Weight: .96 oz. (28 g.) / 2.4 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week.

Today's Belize 70% Dark bar was made by Fresh Coast Chocolate Co. (Traverse City, MI).

This award-winning*, full-flavored bar had a seductive dark chocolate aroma with a slight spice note.

The texture and melt were pleasant, and the flavor was very good—tart red cherry, honey and slightly earthy brown sugar flavor notes.

This bar was made with cacao beans from Maya Mountain Cacao located in the Toledo District of southern Belize. (For those who like California wine...Toledo is to cacao/chocolate what the Napa-Sonoma region is to grapes/wine.)

Maya Mountain Cacao, an important in-country intermediary organization, buys "wet cacao" (beans and pulp) from local farmers, and ferments, dries, packages and exports the beans to a number of craft chocolate makers in the U.S., who roast and complete the remaining 10-15 steps necessary to make great chocolate.

*Good Food Awards Winner in the past

Yves Thuries - 70% Dark Chocolate with Caramel & Sea Salt - Sept. 13, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Yves Thuries
70% Dark Chocolate with Caramel and Salt Flower
Good - Good+
Weight: 1.46 oz. (41.6 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 225 calories in 5 pieces
Cost: $1.99 (estimate) for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to the last day (Day #8) of Chocolate and Caramel Theme Week.

Today's Yves Thuries 70% Dark Chocolate with Caramel and Salt Flower was distributed by SALPA Inc. (France).

This chocolate was uniquely configured as a set of small rectangular pieces in a larger bar-shaped package. So, it felt like I was enjoying a series of tiny bars. Also great for sharing with others.

Traditionally the company's chocolate has been made with cacao from a farm in Ecuador, and with inclusions sprinkled on one side. The caramel and salt pieces on today's chocolate provided visual interest and balanced sweet and savory flavor.

Divine Chocolate - Caramel Milk Chocolate bar - Sept. 12, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

Divine Chocolate
Caramel Milk Chocolate bar
Good
Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.) / 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 100 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $0.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Caramel Theme Week.

Today's Caramel Milk Chocolate bar from Divine Chocolate Inc. (Wash., D.C.) was made in Germany from fairtrade cocoa.

The bar was creamy and quite sweet (26% cocoa solids) with caramel overtones; and it provided fuel for a hike on a hot day.

Due to the heat, we also stopped to enjoy a Double Caramel ice cream bar, post-walk at a local lake-side cafe. A bit of sugary caramel overload this week.

Note: "Contains Milk. May contain soy, wheat, almonds and hazelnuts" 

Three Twins - Organic Caramel Truffle Swirl ice cream - Sept. 11, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Three Twins
Organic Caramel Truffle Swirl ice cream
Good
Weight: 1/2 cup / 1 Pint (473 mL) in total container
Calories: 230 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $1.99 (estimate) for 1 container
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Caramel Theme Week.

Today marked the 11th year (4,035+ days) of featuring a different daily chocolate. The occasion was celebrated at dawn this morning with a new chocolate item, before a hike in the redwoods.

Have I run out of new chocolate items to try? Not even close.

The last few weeks have included some of the hottest days on record in the Bay Area. Perfect time for some frozen chocolate and caramel items, such as this one.

Three Twins (Petaluma, CA) is one of my favorite brands of ice cream. Their Madagascar Vanilla, Dad's Cardamom and other flavors have been wonderful.

Traditionally the company's ice cream flavors have contained a short list of quality ingredients without vegetable gums, stabilizers and emulsifiers which many consumers have gotten used to. Long may this tradition continue.

Today's organic Caramel Truffle ice cream (vanilla ice cream base with a caramel swirl) included a mix-in of tiny chocolate caramel "truffles." I think I would have preferred flecks of dark or milk chocolate and salted caramel, but the micro peanut butter* cup-shaped truffles were cute.

I also enjoyed a few slices of buttery, rich, homemade, caramel on the side.

*There were no peanut butter ingredients in this ice cream.

Tony's Chocolonely - Milk Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt bar - Sept. 10, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Tony's Chocolonely
Milk Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt bar
Good
Weight: 1.66 oz. (47 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 270 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $1.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Caramel Theme Week.

Today's Milk Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt bar from Tony's Chocolonely (a Dutch confectionery company*) was uniformly sweet; however it contained enough variation in texture (caramel/toffee crunchy bits) and flavor (chocolate, salt) to create a good hedge against sweet overload.

Something else that's sweet: The company has, from its inception worked to prevent child slavery in their cocoa supply chain.

Previously only available in large size here, these smaller sized bars provide a convenient, more portable, single serving bar.

*Tony's Chocolonely is based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. This bar was made in Belgium.

Green and Black's - Pure Milk Chocolate Salted Caramel bar - Sept. 9, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Green and Black's
Pure Milk Chocolate Salted Caramel bar
Good - Good+
Weight: .636 oz. (18 g.) / 3.17 oz. (90 g.) in total bar
Calories: 100 calories in 1 row of bar
Cost: $1.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Caramel Theme Week.

Today's Pure Milk Chocolate Salted Caramel bar from Green and Black's* (London, UK) was distributed by Mondelez International and made in Poland.

This milk chocolate bar was combined with "pieces of Yorkshire caramel and flakes of Anglesey sea salt."

The result was a smooth milk chocolate base with embedded crunchy sweet bits, and a bar with a perfectly (addictive) balance between caramel and salt.

For gluten-free folks, like some other U.K. confections, this bar did contain (organic) glucose syrup (similar to corn syrup you'd find in the U.S., but this was made from wheat).

*Green and Black's is part of Mondelez International LLC (East Hanover, NJ)—formerly known as Kraft Foods.

Ciao Bella Gelato - Bourbon Caramel Chocolate gelato - Sept. 8, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

Ciao Bella Gelato Company, Inc.
Bourbon Caramel Chocolate gelato
Good
Weight: 1/2 cup (102 g.) / 14 fl. oz. (414 mL) in total container
Calories: 240 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Caramel Theme Week.

Today's Bourbon Caramel Chocolate gelato from Ciao Bella Gelato Company, Inc. (Boston, MA) had authentic caramel and chocolate flavors with a faint hint of bourbon.

It was refreshing on a hot day, and not too heavy or sweet—a bit surprising given the rich ingredients (milk, cream, brown sugar, coconut oil, chocolate, bourbon reduction, etc.). But, then again, this statement is true for many of the better gelato offerings.

The Oakland Chocolate Company - Pecan Turtle, Macchiato Caramel - Sept. 7, 2017

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

The Oakland Chocolate Company
1.) Turtle (Pecan) - Good ++
2.) Macchiato Caramel - Good ++
Weight: .71 oz. (20 g.) (estimate) in 2 pieces
Calories: 106.5 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $5.00 (estimate) for 2 pieces
Purchased from: The Oakland Chocolate Company, Oakland, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Caramel Theme Week.

Nancy Nadel at The Oakland Chocolate Company (Oakland, CA) has created a wide assortment of flavored chocolate caramels, covered with her bean-to-bar-to-bonbon chocolate (that she's made from Jamaican cocoa beans).

In the past, Nancy's Pink Peppercorn and Tamarind Mango caramels have been featured here; and I've sampled her Chocolate Covered Caramel Graham Crackers (gluten free) as well.*

Today, the focus is on two chocolate and caramel pieces: a Pecan Turtle and a Macchiato Caramel.

Both chocolates had the subtle aroma of rich, dark Jamaican chocolate, and had the satisfying caramel and chocolate melt and texture that often only comes with small-batch confections with high-quality ingredients.

The turtle was a jewel of a confection—not a jumbo sweet monster patty packed into glass cases, oozing enough caramel to induce diabetes. This turtle had just the right amount of caramel and naturally sweet crunchy pecans. And the flavorful chocolate wasn't overly sweet (thank you!).

The Macchiato Caramel was an attractively constructed bonbon topped with a spot of white icing and a coffee bean. No wait. That coffee bean was actually a carefully molded tiny chocolate piece that looked like a coffee bean. The dark, not too sweet coffee-infused caramel center was also nicely done and well-balanced.

Thank you Nancy Nadel for being an early bean-to-bar chocolate maker in the wave of New American Chocolate makers that have blossomed this century, and for your new, creative flavors you continue to bring to the market.

*The Oakland Chocolate Company also offers Cardamom, Lemon, Cinnamon, Apple, Sweetheart and other Caramel bonbons with flavor inclusions.