Ragged Coast Chocolates - Almond Sea Salt - Bittersweet Chocolate, Roasted Almonds, Maine Sea Salt bark - Aug. 30, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Ragged Coast Chocolates
Almond Sea Salt - Bittersweet Chocolate, Roasted Almonds & Maine Sea Salt Bark
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (58 g.) in total package
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 package
Cost: $5.95 for 1 package
Purchased from: Ragged Coast Chocolates, online order

Ahoy, and welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and The Sea Theme Week.

Today's Almond Sea Salt - Bittersweet* Chocolate, Roasted Almonds & Maine Sea Salt Bark was from Ragged Coast Chocolates (Westbrook, ME).

Aroma notes included: bittersweet dark chocolate; faint sweet shortbread nut cookie; roasted nut; and very faint (barely detectable) tart (lemon-green oxalis).

Flavor notes for this relatively thick, smooth dark chocolate made with Latin American cacao included: bittersweet dark chocolate (sweet but earthy--loamy soil with sour milk/yogurt); crunchy (whole and pieces of) roasted almonds that helped balance and mellow the dark chocolate--along with the faint sparkles of sea salt. 

I liked the almonds and the sea salt. In fact I wouldn't have minded tasting a version with even a bit more Maine sea salt. I also enjoyed looking at the tiny twinkles of salt that could be seen against the field of dark brown. 

It's hard to not wax poetic about the sea. Coming from another salt-making, coastal region (the San Francisco Bay in Northern California), I imagined the Maine sea salt crystallizing in the summer sun in the Gulf of Maine as I was eating this chocolate--3,000 miles away. Chocolate is a form of virtual travel.

Maker's description: "The endless ocean drifts through every moment of life on Maine's ragged Coast. It's only natural that we'd harvest its spirit to share with you. This rich, almond-studded bar sparkles with Maine sea salt and the sweet taste that comes from the sun-kissed coast."

Ingredients: Single Origin Latin American Bittersweet Chocolate (cocoa liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, natural vanilla), Organic Almonds and Maine Sea Salt.

Allergen-related information: "Allergens: Soy, Nuts, Milk, and Coconut. Contains: Almonds" 

*While no cacao percentage was listed, bittersweet chocolate is typically around 70% cacao; but it can be as high as 80%. (Semisweet chocolate is typically around 60% cacao. Both are used for chocolate bars, confections, and baked goods.)

Harbor Sweets - Harbor Lights Cranberry and Raspberry Truffle(s) in Dark Chocolate - Aug. 29, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Harbor Sweets
Harbor Lights Cranberry and Raspberry Truffle in Dark Chocolate
Good ++
Weight: 1.43 oz. (40.5 g.) / 2 7/8 oz. (81 g.) in total package of 8 pieces
Calories: 222 calories (estimate) in 4 pieces
Cost: $12.95 (+ shipping) for 1 package of 8 pieces
Purchased from: Harbor Sweets, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and The Sea Theme Week, including craft chocolate bars as well as some novelty sea-themed chocolates.

As we approach Labor Day (and the end of summer), here in northern California, strolling down a beach and being awed by the ocean seemed appealing. It also made me think of the importance of lighthouses and navigational buoys on the often rough Pacific coast. (Some historic shipwrecks in the San Francisco Bay Area are still viewable at low tide.)

On a related, sweeter note, today's Harbor Lights Cranberry and Raspberry Truffle(s) in Rich Dark Chocolate from Harbor Sweets (Salem, MA) were topped with the embossed image of a lighthouse. The company offers a variety of sea-themed chocolate confections.

Aroma and flavor notes for these individually-wrapped (in gold foil) two-tone truffles included: sweet dark chocolate (outer covering and creamy dark ganache filling), tart-sweet fruit (berry, cherry), faint vanilla, and barely detectable oxalis (tart green herb, sour grass).

The foundation (bottom layer) of this truffle was creamy, solid, white chocolate with a warm, welcoming vanilla flavor. And both the dark and white layers of chocolate complemented the sweet, tart cranberry and raspberry flavors (and touch of buttermilk) very nicely.

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate Liquor processed with Alkali, Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Butterfat (Milk), Soy Lecithin, Vanilla), White Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Whole Milk, Non-Fat Dry Milk, Milk fat, Soy Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavor), Heavy Cream (Cream, Carrageenan, Mono and Diglycerides, Polysorbate 80), Blended Red Raspberry and Cranberry Juice Concentrate, Butter (Cream (Milk), Salt), Buttermilk (Cultured Pasteurized Fat Free Milk, Salt, Sodium Citrate), Salt. 

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk and Soy. This product is prepared in a facility that handles soy, milk, peanuts, wheat, tree nuts and sesame.

 

Harbor Sweets - Dark Chocolate Lobster - Aug. 28, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Harbor Sweets
Dark Chocolate Lobster
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 3.32 oz. (94 g.) in 1 lobster
Calories: 480 calories (estimate) in 1 lobster
Cost: $13.95 (+ shipping) for 1 lobster
Purchased from: Harbor Sweets, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and The Sea Theme Week, including craft chocolate bars and a few novelty sea-themed chocolates.

Today's Dark Chocolate Lobster was from Harbor Sweets (Salem, MA). The company offers a variety of sea-themed chocolate confections.

Aroma and flavor notes for this generously-sized, dark chocolate replica of a salt water crustacean included: deep, dark, fudge-y chocolate (dark chocolate candy, dark chocolate syrup), very slightly smoke-y vanilla, and very faint caramel and nut notes.

The dark chocolate had a uniform texture and flavor, and was interspersed with soft and slightly crunchy elements. Embedded in the solid chocolate center there were pieces of caramel with pecan, toasted almonds, and "almond buttercrunch toffee."

This lobster was sweet, but not ultra-sweet (thank you). The dark chocolate had a little roasted oomph and vanilla to it, and wasn't too bitter. (The cocoa used was alkalized, to control acidity and bitterness. This relatively common process is used to tame dark chocolates and mellow hot cocoa mixes, especially if some of the cacao is not of the highest quality.)*

I enjoyed the realistic lobster shape, posing this on a plate with garnishes, and the fact that I didn't have to drop a real live lobster in a pot (a traumatic childhood experience for me) to imagine this wondrous creature roaming around the sea bottom. 

I was less fond of the additives and emulsifiers in the ingredient list. (But the touch of honey was nice.)

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate Liquor processed with Alkali, Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Butterfat (Milk), Soy Lecithin, Vanilla), Sugar, Butter (Cream (Milk), Salt), Pecans, Almonds, Cream (Light Cream and Disodium Phosphate), Tapioca Syrup (Tapioca Starch), Evaporated Milk (Milk, 0.5% or less of: Dipotassium Phosphate, Carrageenan, Vitamin D3), Light Brown Sugar, Wildflower Honey, Vanilla, Salt, Soy Lecithin, Baking Soda. 

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk, Almonds, Pecans and Soy. This product is prepared in a facility that handles soy, milk, peanuts, wheat, tree nuts and sesame.

*People often ask me why they should spend $13 on a bar of chocolate. In today's case, you're paying for the novelty shape, and 94 grams  (a lot) of chocolate. 

Taste a few single origin dark bars (made with just two ingredients) side-by-side with dark chocolate blends that have been more highly processed, and contain emulsifiers, additives and preservatives, and let me know if you can tell the difference.

Seahorse Chocolate - Dark Milk Vegan 65% (bar) - Aug. 27, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Seahorse Chocolate
Dark Milk Vegan 65% (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 271 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Spinnaker Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and The Sea Theme Week.

Today's Dark Milk Vegan chocolate (bar) was crafted by Seahorse Chocolate (Bend, OR).

Aroma notes for this Good Food Awards winner included: dark milk chocolate, and subtle, authentic coconut milk.

This bar broke with a gentle snap; had a slow, thick, luxe melt and a silken, creamy texture; and it had a relatively long (textural and flavor) finish.

Flavor notes included: deep, dark chocolate (fudge brownie; smooth dark chocolate-y ganache; subdued, authentic coconut milk; and barely there, diffuse fruit candy/jam/marmalade and roasted coffee/mocha.

The taste was close to a deep, dense, higher-end Forastero and/or Trinitario variety cacao and tasted  darker than many 65% cacao chocolates (more like 72% cacao or even 75% cacao bars).*

Well-balanced, relatively bold and flavorful yet also very smooth, this is a dark milk vegan bar for true dark chocolate lovers.

Maker's tasting notes: "Reminds us of: Fudge, candied pear, licking brownie batter spatula" and "Reminds us of: Fudge, Orange, Lee Hazlewood's vocals"

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans, Coconut Milk, Organic Sugar 

Allergen-related information: "Vegan, Gluten Free" 

*Cacao percentages can be useful if you're buying dark chocolates. However, "darkness" depends on many factors, including variety/ies of cacao used, origin, and choices made in the growing, fermenting and processing of said cacao(s). All 70% dark chocolate bars will not taste the same. Some will taste light and bright; others deep and dense. And some will taste sweeter or more bitter than others. Sometimes a 65% chocolate can taste like 75% chocolate, and vice versa.

Spinnaker Chocolate - 70% Uganda with Nibs (bar) - Aug. 26, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Spinnaker Chocolate
70% Uganda with Nibs (bar)
Good +++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Spinnaker Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Uganda Theme Week, and Day #2 of Chocolate and The Sea Theme Week. 

Today's 70% Uganda with Nibs (bar) was crafted by Spinnaker Chocolate (Seattle, WA).

This well-made bar was similar to yesterday's 70% Uganda bar (without nibs) from the same maker. It was slightly tangy, chocolate-y, flavorful and creamy, and was made with a very short list of high-quality ingredients. 

Aroma notes for today's chocolate included: chocolate-y, with very faint, diffuse tangy fruit (pickled green fig and berry jam).

The appealing texture was an elegant blend of creamy and crunchy.

Flavor notes included: chocolate (dark chocolate ganache) with subtle tart-sweet red berry. 

The sprinkle of nibs added a great, pure, and smooth cacao flavor that was well integrated with the smooth chocolate. And there were no "off" notes in the cacao nibs, which tells me that special care was taken in the sorting and processing of the cacao beans (and nibs).

I enjoyed the balanced complexity in both yesterday's and today's Uganda 70% dark chocolates; and the added texture and authentic cacao flavor of the nibs in today's bar. 

Ingredients: Cacao, Organic Cane Sugar, Cocoa Nibs

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that uses milk powder and nuts."

  

Spinnaker Chocolate - 70% Uganda (bar) - Aug. 25, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Spinnaker Chocolate
70% Uganda (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Spinnaker Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Uganda Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and The Sea Theme Week.

Today's 70% Uganda (bar) (Batch 329.3) was made by Spinnaker Chocolate (Seattle, WA). The family-owned and operated company offers a variety of single origin chocolates.

Seattle is perched on Puget Sound that connects to the Pacific Ocean. And the company's sea blue packaging is adorned with images of a sailboat on top, and waves below. (I hope these chocolate makers are able to enjoy some time on the water occasionally.)

Aroma notes included: chocolate, cream, fruit (citrus, berry, fig), very faint herbal (citrus leaves, oxalis).

Texture: smooth and creamy. 

Flavor notes: shades of true chocolate (creamy fudge, slightly tart ganache and slightly fruity fudge brownie) with very faint citrus flower-herbal, clean mineral and fig and berry jam. There was no dairy/cream in this bar, but it did have a slightly sour, authentic cream/buttermilk and orange taste, and creamy texture. And it had a long, pleasing chocolate-y finish.

I really enjoyed this well-executed, single origin Uganda 70% bar. It was a true chocolate magic carpet ride. Balanced, slightly tangy and fruity secondary notes supplied a satisfying depth of flavor. I liked the complexity achieved with just two ingredients. The sweetness level also seemed right where it should have been for this cacao--enough sugar to brighten up some of the naturally occurring flavors, but not so much to mask chocolate nuances.

Ingredients: Cacao, Organic Cane Sugar

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that uses milk powder and nuts."

 

Kessho - Salted Plum Dark Chocolate 59% Cacao Semuliki Forest Uganda (bar) - Aug. 24, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Kessho Craft Chocolate 
Salted Plum Dark Chocolate 59% Cacao Semuliki Forest, Uganda (bar) 
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar*
Calories: 163 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Uganda Theme Week.

Today's Salted Plum Dark Chocolate 59% Cacao Semuliki Forest Uganda (bar) was from Kessho, LLC (Austin, TX). 

The company was founded in 2019 by Mark Huetsch (who spent 14 years in China) and Liang Wang (who was raised in Beijing and studied pastry in Japan).  The name Kessho (a Japanese word meaning crystal) "pays tribute to the crystalline structure of chocolate."

Kessho offers a variety of chocolate items--many of which, like today's Salted Plum chocolate, reflect Asian-inspired flavor inclusions and pairings. The name Kessho (a Japanese word meaning crystal) "pays tribute to the crystalline structure of chocolate."

Aroma and notes for this Salted Plum Dark Chocolate 59% Cacao bar--made with cacao (hybrid of Trinitario and Forastero) grown in the Semuliki Forest area of Uganda--included: dark chocolate with faint tart citrus-green (oxalis) and tangy stone fruit (plum).

Texture: smooth, thick, creamy, fudge-y texture with a luxe melt.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (fudge, ganache); faint loamy earth and very faint sour yogurt (there was no milk in this chocolate); and citrus leaves**. 

The salt level seemed very low in the first bite; happily there was a bit more salt and sweet tangy plum fruit in subsequent bites. (Salted plums (umeboshi) are known for tangy, sour, salty and citric flavor(s).)

I liked trying this flavor combination and how the flavors fluxed just a bit through the tasting experience. This bar would be great in a chocolate and salt themed tasting flight. Even just a little salt really helped ground and balance the tangy/sour and citrus flavors.

Maker's flavor profile notes: "Cinnamon, fig, oolong" (tea leaves)

Ingredients: Whole cacao beans, sugar, cocoa butter, plum powder, salt 

Allergen-related information: Made in a facility that also processes milk, tree nuts, wheat, sesame and eggs

*If calories aren't listed on a bar, I will sometimes weigh chocolates to help estimate the number of calories (kcals). When I weighed this unwrapped bar on my scale, it was 69 grams (vs. 60 grams on the label). Definitely not a problem to have more chocolate than advertised. I'll also check my scale.  

**I associated the citrus leaf-like flavor in this salted plum chocolate with the fresh infusion teas (tisanes) I make from Meyer Lemon leaves and other citrus leaves from my yard.

Fjak - 50% Uganda Milk Chocolate Organic (bar) - Aug. 23, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Fjak Sjokolade
50% Uganda Milk Chocolate Organic (bar)
(50% Uganda Melkesjokolade)
Good ++
Weight: ~1.87 oz. (53 g.) in total bar
Calories: 290 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Uganda Theme Week.

Today's 100% Organic, 50% Milk Uganda Semuliki Forest (bar) was handcrafted from bean-to-bar by Fjak Sjokolade in (Eidfjord (Hardangerfjord) Norway). 

The company offers single origin bars and chocolates with local (Norwegian) flavor inclusions. (Think apple cider, reindeer moss, brown cheese, lingonberry and other berries, Norwegian gingerbread, mushroom, and oak-smoked salt, to name a few.)

Aroma notes included: milk chocolate (rich, cream mousse), cream and very faint caramel, spice and nut.

Texture: thick, rich and creamy mouthfeel with a fairly luxurious melt.

Flavor notes included: rich milk chocolate, authentic cream, subtle caramel cookie, warm spice and very faint toffee mocha latte, and barely detectable, muffled, diffuse fruit. 

Yes, "cream" is the word for the day. The creamy taste and texture was from the (likely whole) milk powder*. I enjoyed the authentic flavors in this bar, including the rich milk powder used. (Northern European milk powders often taste richer and creamier to me.) 

I liked that this single origin milk chocolate was well-balanced, well-executed, organic and not ultra sweet (thank you!).

Note: As with any chocolate made with dairy (or an alternative milk), milk muffles some of the cacao nuances; and that was true in this 50% dark milk bar. (The contribution of the single origin Semuliki Forest Uganda cacao was more apparent when tasting this bar side-by-side with some other, lower quality milk chocolate bars.)

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Round Milk Chocolate with Notes of Caramel & Nuts"

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans*, Cane Sugar*, Milk Powder* & Cocoa Butter* (*Okologisk/Organic)

Allergen-related information: (Contains Milk.)

*Chocolate is hydro-phobic, and your beautiful batch of chocolate will seize up if you add water or milk; so powdered milks have been used for centuries to make tempered milk chocolate bars and confections.

Ethereal Craft Chocolate - Organic Chocolate Bar - Uganda 70% Cacao - Aug. 22, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Ethereal Craft Chocolate

Organic Chocolate Bar - Uganda 70% Cacao 
Good ++
Weight: .742 oz. (21 g.) / 2.25 oz. (64 g.) in total bar
Calories: 110 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Ethereal Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Uganda Week.

Today's Organic Chocolate Bar - Uganda 70% Cacao entry was created by Ethereal Confections (Woodstock, IL).

Aroma notes for this lovely, fruity, Uganda single origin bar included: chocolate (ganache) and balanced, zesty fruity notes (light sweet citrus, mango, and lightly fermented cacao fruit pulp).

Texture: This chocolate felt simultaneously light and slightly rough/grainy (stoneground). It did melt down to a smoother chocolate in my mouth after a few bites. People who prefer a deeply creamy mouthfeel may be a bit thrown by the stoneground texture; but I enjoyed the progression of the mouthfeel as it melted. (Remember, less grinding and conching time usually means more preservation of flavors and nutrients.)

Flavor notes included: chocolate (torte, ganache) with naturally tangy-sweet fruit (mango, cacao pulp, ripe sweet fig).

I liked the well-balanced, single origin chocolate and cacao pulp/fruity flavors that gave this organic bar a natural sweetness and light to it. (It also was low in bitterness and earth, letting the fruit flavors shine.)

Ingredients: "Cocoa Beans*, Cane Sugar*. (* Organic Ingredient)

Allergen-related information: "Made on shared equipment with peanuts & tree nuts."

Cacao Space - Uganda Semuliki Forest 75% with dried apricots and almonds - Aug. 21, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao Space  
Uganda Semuliki Forest 75% (bar) with dried apricots and almonds
Good ++
Weight: 1.18 oz. (33.5 g.) / 2.36 oz. (67 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 182 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Cacao Space, online order

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

Today's Uganda Semuliki Forest 75% (bar) with dried apricots and almonds was from Cacao Space (Los Altos, CA). The company offers several small batch, single origin bars and some with fruit, nut and other flavor inclusions--that have all tasted wonderful and fresh.

Aroma and flavor notes for the single origin 75% dark chocolate included: dark chocolate with, faint brown sugar and molasses, and faint fruit (berry, very faint banana) and warm spice.

This bar was a well-balanced blend of bold dark chocolate (faint roasted cacao, black licorice spice, brown sugar, very faint fruit) and pieces of authentic, high-quality dried apricots and almonds. 

All three flavors components were very complementary. The apricots added some bright tangy fruit flavor and a fresh dried fruit chewy texture that worked well. And the mellow, nutty almonds played nicely with the apricots and the chocolate. The apricots and almonds actually elevated and rounded out the dark chocolate flavor. That doesn't always happen.

Ingredients: "cacao nibs, organic coconut sugar" + "dried apricots and almonds"

Allergen-related information: (None listed on package)

Cacao Space - Uganda Semuliki Forest 75% with freeze-dried bananas (bar) - Aug. 20, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao Space  
Uganda Semuliki Forest 75% with freeze-dried bananas (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.18 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.36 oz. (65 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 180 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Cacao Space, online order

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

Today's Uganda Semuliki Forest 75% (bar) with freeze-dried bananas was from Cacao Space (Los Altos, CA). This local, small-batch chocolate maker offers single origin nib-to-bar chocolates, including several  with fruit, nut and other flavor inclusions.

Aroma and flavor notes for this single origin 75% dark chocolate bar included: dark chocolate, very faint molasses and herb, and sweet, light and fragrant banana. The banana pieces were a perfect (contrasting) pairing with the bold dark chocolate.

The dark chocolate itself has a bolder, roasted quality with very faint brown sugar/molasses, and faint fruit (berry, very faint banana) and very faint, fleeting warm spice/herb (black licorice, cinnamon).

I really liked the bananas used with this chocolate. It helped lighten and brighten the darker chocolate tasting experience.

Ingredients: "cacao nibs, organic coconut sugar" + freeze-dried bananas (pieces)

Allergen-related information: (None listed on package)

Cacao Space - Uganda Semuliki Forest 75% (bar) - Aug. 19, 2024

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Cacao Space 
Uganda Semuliki Forest 75% Dark Chocolate (bar) 
Good + 
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 2.33 oz. (66 g.) in total bar
Calories: 179 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar ($27 for three bars)
Purchased from: Cacao Space, online order

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

Today's Uganda Semuliki Forest 75% dark chocolate bar was from Cacao Space (Los Altos, CA). This bar was one of three Uganda 75% bars sold as a trio. The other two had flavor additions (fruits, nuts).

Aroma and flavor notes for this single origin 75% dark chocolate included: 

Aroma and flavor notes included: relatively intense, dark bittersweet dark chocolate; roasted cacao; slightly acidic, diffuse red and tropical fruit; brown sugar; and very faint herbal (black licorice and molasses); and slightly bitter bean/seed. 

Ingredients: "cacao nibs, organic coconut sugar"

Allergen-related information: (None listed on package) 

Cacao Space - Uganda Ksinga 75% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 18, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao Space  
Uganda Kisinga 75% Dark Chocolate (bar) 
Weight: 1.18 oz. (33.5 g.) / 2.36 oz. (67 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 182 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Cacao Space, online order

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

Today's Uganda Kisinga 75% dark chocolate bar was from Cacao Space (Los Altos, CA).

I ordered several bars from this small-batch chocolate maker's online site, and picked them up locally (inside a restaurant).

Aroma and flavor notes for this single origin 75% dark chocolate included: dark chocolate with, faint brown sugar and molasses, and faint fruit (berry, very faint banana) and warm spice.

This balanced chocolate landed in the Goldilocks zone for me. It had a nuanced, bold, bittersweet taste--that was not too bitter, and not too sweet (thank you). And it was hearty, yet smooth, and deeply chocolate-y. The coconut sugar added a little rich, caramelized flavor depth (similar to the way brown sugar does in some desserts).

Ingredients: "cacao nibs, organic coconut sugar"

Allergen-related information: (None listed on package)

*Goldilocks zone is a reference to a European folk tale. In the U.S. retelling of this story a girl named Goldilocks enters a bear family home (when the bears are out), and finds a bowl of porridge (not too hot, not too cold), a chair and a bed (not too soft, not too hard) that are...just right. Astronomers sometimes refer to planets that can support life as being in the Goldilocks zone (not too hot, not too cold, etc.).

Solstice Chocolate - 70% Bundibugyo Dark Chocolate (Uganda) (bar) - Aug. 17, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Solstice Chocolate
70% Bundibugyo Dark Chocolate (Uganda) (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's Market, online order

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

Today's 70% Uganda (bar) (Lot 01062) was made by Solstice Chocolate, Inc. (Salt Lake City, UT), using cacao from the Semuliki Forest area of Uganda.

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark chocolate (dark ganache, torte); deep, creamy cocoa with faint red fruit (and even fainter, fleeting citrus and spice).

The luxe creamy texture and melt for this Uganda dark chocolate gave this bar a decadent, sophisticated quality. (We enjoyed it at slightly higher than room temperature. Thank you to Megan for the tasting help.)

Good news for chocolate fans with allergies, this chocolate was made in a facility that is free from many of the most common allergens.*

Maker's tasting notes: "Earthy, Fudge, Dark Cherry"

Ingredients: Cacao Bean, Organic Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter

*Allergen-related information: "Produced in a tree nut, peanut, gluten, dairy and soybean free facility."

Spinnaker Chocolate - 70% Uganda with Bee Pollen and Salt (bar) - Aug. 16, 2024

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Spinnaker Chocolate
70% Uganda with Bee Pollen and Salt (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Missing information 

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Honey Theme Week; and Day #1 of Chocolate and Uganda Week.

Today's 70% Uganda with Bee Pollen and Salt (bar) was from Spinnaker Chocolate (Seattle, WA). It was made using cacao grown by smallholder farmers from the Semuliki Forest area in Bundibugyo, Western Uganda. (This cacao is processed and exported to the U.S. by Latitude Trade Co.)

Aroma notes: subtle, nuanced dark chocolate, faint sweet floral; and sweet and salty (cookie, saltine).

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with bee pollen granules and tiny sparkling flakes of sea salt.

Flavor notes included: chocolate-y, fudge-y, well executed 70% dark chocolate with a near perfect blend of sweet and salty flavor inclusions.

Bee pollen consists of tiny, roundish, maize-colored bee pollen grains (vs. honey's, sugary-sweet, amber syrup-like quality).* Some bee pollen grains will likely have a kind of powdery gold glow to them. These were attractively sprinkled on one side of today's bar, along with sea salt flecks. 

Both flavor inclusions were from Jacobsen Salt Co. (Portland, OR)--a company that specializes in sea salt and honey.

I enjoyed the natural sweetness of this complex bar, and being able to taste the bee-styled nuances (pollen sweet, floral, very faintly earthy).

Ingredients: Cacao, Organic Cane Sugar, Bee Pollen Granules, Sea Salt Flakes 

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that uses milk powder and nuts."

* Honey and bee pollen are both made by honeybees. Both can have complex, floral flavors. Bee pollen is fermented by bees into "bee bread" and nutrients also differ slightly from honey (including vitamins, protein(s), carotenoids, phenolic and other compounds); and sometimes also have a very faint earthy pollen taste.

  

Alec's Ice Cream - Peanut Butter Fudge Honeycomb Ice Cream; Candy Cottage - Dark Chocolate Horses + Honey Cake - Aug. 15, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Alec's Ice Cream
Peanut Butter Fudge Honeycomb Ice Cream
Good ++
Weight: 2/3 cup (122 g.) / 14 fl. oz. (414 mL) in total container
Calories: 340 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $9.29 for 1 container
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, Los Altos, CA

Candy Cottage
Dark Chocolate Horses 
Good +
Weight: .53 oz. (15 g.) / 6.15 oz. (174 g.) (estimate) in total box of 24 horses
Calories: 82 calories (estimate) for 3 horses 
Cost: $38.00 for 1 box of 24 horses
Purchased from: Candy Cottage, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Honey Theme Week. 

I'm celebrating my brother's birthday today. Good excuse for some ice cream, cake and chocolate.

Peanut Butter Fudge Honeycomb Ice Cream

Today's Organic Peanut Butter Fudge Honeycomb Ice Cream was from Alec's Ice Cream (Petaluma, CA). 

This was a satisfying, tasty blend of textures and flavors: rich, creamy  peanut butter-infused ice cream, crunchy pieces of honeycomb toffee, and hearty pieces of chocolate fudge. All the flavors tasted authentic. 

This ice cream was especially deliciously rich and refreshing, on a hot August day.

Ingredients: Cream**, Skim Milk**, Can Sugar***, Peanut Butter*; Water, Brown Rice Syrup*, Unsweetened Chocolate*, Egg Yolks*, Cocoa Butter*, Less Than 0.5% Alkalized Cocoa Powder*, Baking Soda, Molasses*, Rice Starch*, Vanilla Extract*, Soy Lecithin*, Chocolate Extract, Sea Salt, Carob Gum*, Guar Gum*. (*Organic)

Allergen-related information: "Contains Milk, Egg, Peanuts, Soy. Manufactured on Equipment That Also Handles Tree Nuts."

Chocolate Horses and Honey Cake

The small dark chocolate horses from Candy Cottage (Las Vegas, NV), had subtly sparkly golden manes and pale, shiny green eyes. They pranced across a frosted field of delicious (gluten-free) Medovik honey cake. 

These small dark chocolate horses were designed as cupcake toppers. A larger cake allowed a small herd to frolic and enjoy the extra space, blissfully unaware of their ultimate fate. Gulp.  

Candy Cottage makes several novelty and animal shaped chocolates. (Now I know where to go when I'm looking for chocolate squirrels.)

Gather Chocolate - Pomegranate Molasses & Sesame Crunch chocolates - Aug. 14, 2024

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Gather Chocolate
1.) Pomegranate Molasses - Good +
2.) Sesame Crunch - Good ++
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 9 1/4 oz. (262 g.) in total box of 24 pieces
Calories: 160 calories in 3 pieces
Cost: $39.00 for 1 box of 24 pieces
Purchased from: Harbor Sweets, online order

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

Today's two Gather Chocolate confections were part of a larger, 6-flavor assortment box from Harbor Sweets (Salem, MA). 

The honeycomb (hexagon)-shaped gold and brown box held six different flavors, all containing dark chocolate and "a touch of local honey."

Pomegranate Molasses 

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (fudge brownie) with very faint, sweet fruit (red berry) and floral.

Texture: a firmer, smooth dark 70% chocolate shell contrasted with a soft, almost silken ganache center.

Flavor notes included: the dark chocolate filling with red fruit and faint honey notes that was surrounded by a firmer, chocolate-y (fudge, cocoa), smooth-flavored dark chocolate shell.

I liked that the 70% dark chocolate balanced the inherent sweetness of these confections.

Sesame Crunch 

Aroma notes for this pumpkin seed-topped confection included: dark chocolate, subtle seed and toffee. 

Texture: smooth 70% dark chocolate coating that melted to reveal a pleasing, seedy, crunchy toffee center with faint sesame.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate and rich, buttery toffee with just the right amount of salt and seeds to balance out the sweetness.

This last Sesame Crunch chocolate in the 6-flavor assortment box was my favorite.

Note: The following ingredients list applies to all 6 chocolates in this assortment box. (There weren't individual ingredients lists for different chocolates.)

Ingredients: Chocolate (Chocolate Liquor, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin, Vanilla), Cream (Cream [Milk], Carrageenan, Mono and Diglycerides, Polysorbate 80), Sugar, Honey, Vegetable Glycerin, Butter, Cashews (Cashews, Salt), Semi-Sweet Chocolate (Sugar, Unsweetened Chocolate with Alkali, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Butterfat, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor), Coconut Milk (Coconut Milk [Water, Coconut Cream], Calcium Phosphate, Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D2, Selenium, Zinc Oxide, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12), Dried Coconut Flakes, Contains Less Than 2% of Brown Sugar, Dried Tart Cherries (Cherries, Sugar, Sunflower Oil), Concentrated Pomegranate Juice, Sunflower Kernels (Sunflower Kernels, Salt), Sesame Seeds (Sesame Seeds, Salt), Natural Flavors, Peanuts (Peanuts, Salt), Pureed Dried Coconut, Pomegranate Powder, Salt, Pepitas (Pepitas, Salt), Lemon Juice, Soy Lecithin, Baking Soda.

Allergen-related information: "Contains Milk, Peanut, Soy, Coconut, Cashews and Sesame." "This product is prepared in a facility that handles soy, milk, peanuts, wheat, tree nuts and sesame."

  

Gather Chocolate - Sour Cherry & Cashew Caramel chocolates - Aug. 13, 2024

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Gather Chocolate
1.) Sour Cherry - Good +
2.) Cashew Caramel - Good - Good +
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 9 1/4 oz. (262 g.) in total box of 24 pieces
Calories: 160 calories in 3 pieces
Cost: $39.00 for 1 box of 24 pieces
Purchased from: Harbor Sweets, online order

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

Today's two Gather Chocolate confections were part of a larger, 6-flavor assortment box from Harbor Sweets (Salem, MA). The honeycomb (hexagon)-shaped gold and brown box held six different flavors, all containing dark chocolate and "a touch of local honey."

Sour Cherry 

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate and very faint fruit, and even fainter pie and citrus herb (oxalis*).

A smooth (textured and flavored) dark 70% chocolate shell surrounded a silken, slightly honeyed, ganache filling atop an authentic tasting sour cherry on the bottom.

I liked that the 70% dark chocolate balanced the inherent sweetness of these confections. and the layered flavors. The cherry felt and tasted like a real cherry.

Cashew Caramel 

Aroma notes included: chocolate; nutty, sweet nuanced caramel; and faint caramel and cashew shortbread cookie. 

Dark chocolate covered a dual-layered filling: crunchy cashew pieces on top and a smooth, hearty honeyed caramel layer on the bottom. There was a very faint (tart lemon-green/herbal) oxalis-like note in the otherwise, chocolate-y 70% cacao couverture.

 I also liked the smaller size of the pieces in this assortment. It made it easier to share the chocolates with others.

Note: Ingredients listed below applied to all the chocolates in this 6-flavor assortment box. (There was no separate list of ingredients for individual flavors

Ingredients: Chocolate (Chocolate Liquor, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin, Vanilla), Cream (Cream [Milk], Carrageenan, Mono and Diglycerides, Polysorbate 80), Sugar, Honey, Vegetable Glycerin, Butter, Cashews (Cashews, Salt), Semi-Sweet Chocolate (Sugar, Unsweetened Chocolate with Alkali, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Butterfat, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor), Coconut Milk (Coconut Milk [Water, Coconut Cream], Calcium Phosphate, Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D2, Selenium, Zinc Oxide, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12), Dried Coconut Flakes, Contains Less Than 2% of Brown Sugar, Dried Tart Cherries (Cherries, Sugar, Sunflower Oil), Concentrated Pomegranate Juice, Sunflower Kernels (Sunflower Kernels, Salt), Sesame Seeds (Sesame Seeds, Salt), Natural Flavors, Peanuts (Peanuts, Salt), Pureed Dried Coconut, Pomegranate Powder, Salt, Pepitas (Pepitas, Salt), Lemon Juice, Soy Lecithin, Baking Soda.

Allergen-related information: "Contains Milk, Peanut, Soy, Coconut, Cashews and Sesame." "This product is prepared in a facility that handles soy, milk, peanuts, wheat, tree nuts and sesame."

*Oxalic acid is present in cacao/dark chocolate (as well as other plants/greens that have a slightly lemony-green tart flavor, like oxalis (sour grass), spinach, Swiss chard, beet greens and rhubarb. You may see these produce items cited as containing high levels of oxalates, which some people (e.g. with kidney issues) may want to avoid. Typically you'd have to worry more about spinach than chocolate in this area, but moderation in all things is often good advice.

 

Gather Chocolate - Caramelized Honey Truffle and Coconut Cluster chocolates - Aug. 12, 2024

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Gather Chocolate
1.) Caramelized Honey Truffle - Good - Good +
2.) Coconut Cluster - Good - Good +
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 9 1/4 oz. (262 g.) in total box of 24 pieces
Calories: 160 calories in 3 pieces
Cost: $39.00 for 1 box of 24 pieces
Purchased from: Harbor Sweets, online order

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

Today's two Gather Chocolate confections were part of a larger, 6-flavor assortment box from Harbor Sweets (Salem, MA).

Caramelized Honey

Aroma notes included: chocolate; soft, pleasing caramel; and faint honey cake and vanilla.

Texture: smooth dark 70% chocolate with flowing, honey-like center.

Flavor: smooth-flavored dark 70% chocolate and relatively complex filling (nuanced honey, caramel, faint sweet floral)

I liked that the 70% dark chocolate balanced the inherent sweetness of these confections.

Coconut Cluster 

Aroma: chocolate, coconut, and faint green coconut and vanilla
Texture: smooth dark chocolate shell; creamy, slightly fudge-y internal truffle center; and chewy coconut shreds.
Flavor: chocolate-y with balanced coconut flavors and a hint of vanilla. As with the first truffle, the 70% dark chocolate nicely balanced the inherent sweetness of this filled chocolate.

I didn't care for the additives, gums, natural flavors in this assortment; but the chocolates tasted good. I also liked the smaller size that made it easier to share the chocolates in this box with others.

Note: The ingredients list (below) contains all the ingredients for 6 different flavors of chocolates in this assortment box. (There were not separate lists for each flavor.)

Ingredients: Chocolate (Chocolate Liquor, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin, Vanilla), Cream (Cream [Milk], Carrageenan, Mono and Diglycerides, Polysorbate 80), Sugar, Honey, Vegetable Glycerin, Butter, Cashews (Cashews, Salt), Semi-Sweet Chocolate (Sugar, Unsweetened Chocolate with Alkali, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Butterfat, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor), Coconut Milk (Coconut Milk [Water, Coconut Cream], Calcium Phosphate, Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D2, Selenium, Zinc Oxide, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12), Dried Coconut Flakes, Contains Less Than 2% of Brown Sugar, Dried Tart Cherries (Cherries, Sugar, Sunflower Oil), Concentrated Pomegranate Juice, Sunflower Kernels (Sunflower Kernels, Salt), Sesame Seeds (Sesame Seeds, Salt), Natural Flavors, Peanuts (Peanuts, Salt), Pureed Dried Coconut, Pomegranate Powder, Salt, Pepitas (Pepitas, Salt), Lemon Juice, Soy Lecithin, Baking Soda.

Allergen-related information: "Contains Milk, Peanut, Soy, Coconut, Cashews and Sesame." "This product is prepared in a facility that handles soy, milk, peanuts, wheat, tree nuts and sesame."

 

Ragged Coast - Bittersweet Chocolate & Honeyed Caramel Hazelnuts bark - Aug. 11, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Ragged Coast
Honeyed Hazelnut - Bittersweet Chocolate & Honeyed Hazelnuts bark
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (56 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total package
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 package
Cost: $5.95 (estimate) for 1 package
Purchased from: Ragged Coast, online order

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

Today's Honeyed Hazelnut - Bittersweet Chocolate & Honeyed Hazelnuts bark was from Ragged Coast Chocolates (Westbrook, ME). 

Aroma notes for this bar-shaped bark included: higher-end, single origin dark chocolate (chocolate tart, diffuse fruit), and faint honey-ed nuts.

Smooth, almost creamy, sweet chocolate was topped with a generous helping of honeyed hazelnut pieces. These hazelnuts had rich, nuanced, high-quality nut flavor(s) that lingered into the finish.

The chocolate was fairly sweet; but the tasty hazelnut pieces helped balance the sweetness. And the Latin American chocolate used, albeit sweet, seemed to offer more chocolate depth and flavor than most chocolate confections.

Ingredients: "Single Origin Latin American Bittersweet Chocolate (cocoa liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, natural vanilla), Roasted Hazelnuts, Honey."

Allergen-related information: Allergens: Soy, Nuts (Hazelnuts), Milk, and Coconut. 

 

Nectar Foods - Peanut Butter Cup Cocoa Truffle Bar - Aug. 10, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Nectar Foods, Inc.
Peanut Butter Cup Cocoa Truffle Bar
Good ++
Weight: 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 390 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $3.99 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, Los Altos, CA

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

Today's Honey Mama's Peanut Butter Cup Cocoa Truffle Bar was from Nectar Foods, Inc. (Portland, OR). The company produces a line of Cocoa Truffle Bars, all sweetened using honey, rather than refined sugar.

Aroma notes for these refrigerated truffle bars included: chocolate nut butter and honey cookie; peanuts.

This hearty soft chewy, fudge-y bar was a cross between a rich, soft chocolate cookie and a chocolate bar. It had smooth cocoa, peanut, and faint soft, sweet (pleasing) green floral (honey, vanilla), and very faint coconut notes.

I liked the natural honey flavor, and that the overall sweetness level wasn't too high (thank you!).

Ingredients: Organic Roasted Peanuts, Organic Raw Honey, Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil, Organic Alkalized Cocoa Powder, Organic Coconut Flour, Cocoa Butter, Vanilla Extract, Himalayan Pink Salt. 

Allergen-related information: Peanuts and Coconut. (Maker's note: Do not feed honey to infants under one year of age.)

Dark Horse Chocolates - Dressage Classics - Dark Chocolate & Almond Buttercrunch Toffee - Aug. 9, 2024

Chocolate of The Day 

Harbor Sweets
Dark Horse Chocolates - Dressage Classics - Dark Chocolate & Almond Buttercrunch Toffee
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 7 7/8 oz. (223 g.) in an assortment box of 16 pieces
Calories: 133 calories in 2 pieces
Cost: $29.50 for 1 box of 16 pieces (3 different flavors)
Purchased from: Harbor Sweets, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Horses Theme Week, and Day #2 of Chocolate and Honey Week.

Today's two, gold-foil wrapped "Dressage Classics" - Dark Chocolate & Almond Buttercrunch Toffee pieces were from Harbor Sweets (Salem, MA). They were part of a 3-flavor, 16-piece English Assortment box.

Aroma notes for these equestrian-related chocolates included: sweet dark chocolate with faint caramel/toffee, vanilla and oxalis (tart green citric) notes.

Smooth, uniform dark chocolate formed this medallion shaped piece with the image of an erect rider and stepping horse. I enjoyed the crunchy toffee core with tiny almond bits.

Flavor notes included: sweet dark chocolate, toffee, very faint vanilla..and peppermint notes. (One of the other three flavors in this assortment box was peppermint. And peppermint can easily waft over into adjacent chocolates.)

Ingredients: "dark chocolate (sugar, chocolate liquor, chocolate liquor processed with alkali, cocoa butter, butterfat (milk), soy lecithin, vanilla), cream (light cream and sodium phosphate), tapioca syrup (tapioca starch), evaporated milk (milk, 0.5% or less of: dipotassium phosphate, carrageenan, vitamin D3), sugar, light brown sugar, butter (cream (milk), salt), wildflower honey, vanilla salt, soy lecithin, baking soda." (These also contained almonds.)

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk, Soy, Almonds. "This product is prepared in a facility that handles soy, milk, peanuts, wheat, tree nuts and sesame."

 

Dark Horse Chocolates - Grand Prix Jumpers - Dark Chocolate and Caramel - Aug. 8, 2024

Chocolate of The Day 

Harbor Sweets
Dark Horse Chocolates - Grand Prix Jumpers - Dark Chocolate & Caramel 
Good +
Weight: 1.01 oz. (28.6 g.)  / 7 7/8 oz. (223 g.) in an assortment box of 16 pieces
Calories: 133 calories in 2 pieces (per label)
Cost: $29.50 for 1 box of 16 pieces (3 different flavors)
Purchased from: Harbor Sweets, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Horses Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Honey Week.

Today's Grand Prix Jumpers Dark Chocolate & Caramel confections were from Harbor Sweets (Salem, MA). These were part of a 3-flavor, English Assortment box of horse-related dark chocolates. 

Note: one of the other flavors was a dark chocolate and peppermint crunch pony (featured earlier this week). And the peppermint scent (while lovely on its own) wafted over to these adjacent dark chocolate caramels and gave them a peppermint aroma and flavor as well.

Aroma notes for these "Grand Prix Jumpers" included: sweet dark chocolate, caramel, faint vanilla, and peppermint.

The dark chocolate was smooth, and the authentic caramel center was soft and slightly chewy. Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes above and included: sweet dark chocolate (fudge brownie, very faint oxalis), chewy caramel, faint vanilla...and peppermint.

I liked the action pose captured with this jumper--the rider astride the horse, hunched forward over the horse, as the two clear a hurdle in mid-air. I could almost feel the movement--up and over, and back to earth. 

While the ingredients list for this handsome, gold-wrapped confection was a bit long on additives, it did also reveal a touch of wildflower honey and a very judicious amount of salt--both very nice.

Ingredients: "dark chocolate (sugar, chocolate liquor, chocolate liquor processed with alkali, cocoa butter, butterfat (milk), soy lecithin, vanilla), cream (light cream and sodium phosphate), tapioca syrup (tapioca starch), evaporated milk (milk, 0.5% or less of: dipotassium phosphate, carrageenan, vitamin D3), sugar, light brown sugar, butter (cream (milk), salt), wildflower honey, vanilla salt, soy lecithin, baking soda."

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk, Soy. "This product is prepared in a facility that handles soy, milk, peanuts, wheat, tree nuts and sesame." 

Public Chocolatory - Dark Chocolate with Ginseng (bar) & Oat "Milk" Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 7, 2024

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Public Chocolatory

70% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Ginseng (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $21.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

55% Cacao Dark Milk Oat bar
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 199 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $18.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Horses Theme Week, with items ranging from chocolate ponies and horseshoe novelty chocolate confections to bean-to-bar chocolates.

Both today's 70% Dark Chocolate with Ginseng bar and 55% Chocolate with Oats bar were from Public Chocolatory, a small batch bean-to-bar chocolate maker in South Korea (Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea). 

The company's founder and head chocolate maker Emily Paek works with local farmers in the Chuncheon area that grow potential flavor additions, e.g. high-quality gingseng.

Dark Chocolate with Gingseng bar

The 70% Dark Gingseng bar cover art showed a woman galloping on a horse toward dark green (forested) mountains in the distance. And the 55% Dark Oat bar showed a woman seated at an easel in the middle of a field of oats peacefully painting the fields, birds in the air, and a house in the distance. These two illustrations conveyed characters on a journey. The horse was perhaps a nod to tradition.

The complex and intriguing aroma for this dark chocolate was lovely -- herbal (licorice) and forest notes (deep dark pine forest with an uplifting, almost sweet, woody note).

The flavor captured all of the above--and revealed a few more sweet woodsy, earth, root and spice notes.

The texture was smooth, almost silken, with a slightly hearty, even melt. 

Ingredients: Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Cacao Butter, Korean Wild Gingseng

Chocolate with Oats bar

The aroma and flavor of authentic and subtle oat, oatstraw/sweet hay and tea notes were fully incorporated into this very slightly lighter-hued chocolate. And these lovely grain-related notes persisted into the finish. It was a high-end version of an oat "milk" chocolate bar.

This Oat bar had the same smooth, polished, even texture that the Gingseng bar had.

Ingredients: Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Cacao Butter, Oats

Both bars were thoughtfully and skillfully executed, and galloping with charm and local authentic Korean flavors. 

Alderman's of Vermont - Dark Chocolate Horseshoe - Aug. 6, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Alderman's of Vermont
Dark Chocolate Horseshoe
Good ++
Weight: 2.5 oz. (70.75 g.) / 15 oz. (424 g.) in total purchase of 6
Calories: 387 calories (estimate) in 1 horseshoe
Cost: $29 + summer shipping for 6 horseshoes
Purchased from: Alderman Chocolates, online order (Etsy store)

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

Today's Dark Chocolate Horseshoe was from Alderman's Chocolate of Vermont (North Ferrisburgh, VT).

Aroma and flavor notes for this smooth dark horseshoe included: pleasing dark, sweet chocolate and baked goods (dark chocolate torte, chocolate fudge brownie); and vanilla.

I enjoyed the classic horseshoe shape of this chocolate; though I always wondered about horses having to wear them as a child.

Ingredients: "Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate Liquor with Alkali, Butterfat and Vanilla"

Allergen-related information: "Please be advised that our products are made in a facility where Milk, Dairy, Soy, Wheat, Eggs, Peanuts and Tree Nuts are used. We take every precaution to eliminate any contamination for those who have allergies but we cannot guarantee this 100%. If you have an allergy, please indulge with caution. Enjoy!"

Chocolates Unlimited by Denise - Dark Chocolate Horseshoe ("Good Luck") - Aug. 5, 2024

 Chocolate of the Day

Chocolates Unlimited by Denise
Dark Chocolate Horseshoe ("Good Luck")
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.625 oz. (46 g.) / 1 of 6 in a package of 6 horseshoes
Calories: 252 calories (estimate) in 1 horseshoe 
Cost: $32.00 purchase included 1 package of 6 horseshoes
Purchased from: Chocolates Unlimited (Etsy shop), online order

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

Today's Dark Chocolate Horseshoe emblazoned with the words "Good Luck" was from Chocolates Unlimited by Denise (Kunkletown, PA).

The sweet, creamy dark chocolate tasted smooth and chocolate-y (chocolate cake, fudge brownie) with a hint of hot cocoa and vanilla. (It did contain milk, and oils.) And there was no vanilla listed in ingredients. It was a case of inferred vanilla--frequently found in baked goods and hot cocoa. 

Good luck wishes were included at no extra charge.

Ingredients: "Herkens Dark Chocolate: Sugar, Partially Hydrogenated Palm Kernel and Cottonseed Oils, Nonfat Dry Milk, Cocoa Processed with Alkali, Cocoa, Glycerol, Lacto Esters of Fatty Acids, Soy Lecithin and Salt."

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk and Soy.

Dark Horse Chocolates - Peppermint Ponies - Aug. 4, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Dark Horse Chocolates
Peppermint Ponies
Good ++

Weight: 2 7/8 oz. (81 g.) in total package
Calories: 400 calories in 1 package of 8 pieces
Cost: $12.95 for 1 package of 8 pieces
Purchased from: Harbor Sweets, online order

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

Today's Dark Horse Chocolates Peppermint Ponies were from Harbor Sweets (Salem, MA).

Each of these oval medallion-shaped dark chocolates (individually wrapped in gold foil) bore the image of an endearing, walking pony.

Aroma notes included: pleasing peppermint and dark chocolate (with a very faint trace of vanilla).

Texture: Smooth dark chocolate with tiny pieces of crunchy, peppermint candy. 

Flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate with sparkles of peppermint made this a flavorful, upbeat treat. 

I enjoyed the refreshing flavors in this dark chocolate. And the lifelike yet cute pony image seemed like it was crafted by someone who knows and appreciates horses.

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate Liquor, Chocolate Liquor processed with Alkali, Cocoa Butter, Butterfat (Milk), Soy Lecithin, Vanilla), Peppermint Crunch (Sugar, Corn Syrup, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor), Oil of Peppermint.

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk and Soy. "This product is prepared in a facility that handles soy, milk, peanuts, wheat, tree nuts and sesame."

Harbor Sweets - Peanut Butter Pony - Aug. 3, 2024

Chocolate of The Day 

Harbor Sweets
Peanut Butter Pony - Peanut Butter in Milk Chocolate
Good ++
Weight: 2 7/8 oz. (81 g.) in total pony
Calories: 440 calories in 1/2 pony
Cost: $17.95 (+ shipping) for 1 pony
Purchased from: Harbor Sweets, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Peanut Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Horses Theme Week.

This equine-themed week is a tribute to my mother*, to the riders in the Summer 2024 Olympic Games this week in France, and to the wild horses who roam free in California and other Western states.

Today's Peanut Butter Pony was from Harbor Sweets (Salem, MA).**

This chocolate pony (that almost fit in the palm of my hand) was a handsome little horse. Sadly it would never see even one day of bright sunshine (too dangerous for a milk chocolate animal). 

It was also almost too pretty to eat. Attractive packaging (with a see-through window) allowed for a view of the pony in its stall with hay and a dog for company).

Aroma and flavor notes included: sweet milk chocolate with caramel and vanilla notes and high-end peanut butter cups--only with more milk chocolate in its pretty pony extremities. As promised, the pony's head, tail and legs all were milk chocolate; and it had " a tummy full of peanut butter."

Ingredients: "Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Milk, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate Liquor, Soy Lecithin, Vanilla), Peanut Butter (Dry Roasted Peanuts, Sugar, Hydrogenated Rapeseed Oil, Salt), Sugar, Confectionary Sugar, Dextrose, Salt."

Allergen-related information: "Contains Milk, Soy and Peanuts." "This product is prepared in a facility that handles soy, milk, peanuts, wheat, tree nuts and sesame."

*My mother used to ride and jump on horseback when she was young; and enjoyed watching the Triple Crown Races. She passed earlier this year. She would have enjoyed watching the Equestrian events in the Olympics this week.

** On the packaging, "Chief Equestrian Officer", Phyllis LeBlanc, notes that this chocolate was inspired by childhood memories of a favorite pony named Sequoia.

Seattle Chocolate - Peanut Butter Crisp milk chocolate truffle bar - Aug. 2, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Seattle Chocolate Company
Peanut Butter Crisp milk chocolate truffle bar
Good +
Weight: 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 380 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $4.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Seattle Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Peanut Butter Crisp milk chocolate truffle bar was from Seattle Chocolate Company (Seattle, WA).

Aroma notes for this gluten free truffle bar included: ground peanuts; milk chocolate; and very, fleeting faint menthol.

Flavor and texture notes included: sweet, very creamy milk chocolate with embedded crispy brown rice bits and subtle (fully incorporated) peanut butter. The textural contrast was nice.

This bar was a somewhat addictive, rich, nutty milk chocolate confection. Sugar was the number one ingredient--a fact that will please some with a sweet tooth, and be less attractive to dark chocolate fans. The flavors complemented each other, but the sugar and milk muffled more nuanced cacao and peanut notes.

Ingredients: "milk chocolate (cane sugar, milk, cocoa butter*, cocoa mass*, organic soy lecithin, natural vanilla), peanut butter (peanuts, salt), crisp rice (brown rice flour, cane sugar, sea salt, molasses), sea salt."

Allergen-related information: "Contains Milk, Soy, and Peanuts." "This product is manufactured in a plant that processes milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, and wheat products."

Ragged Coast Chocolates - Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups - Aug. 1, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Ragged Coast Chocolates
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Good ++
Weight: (Not listed on package)
Calories: (Not listed on package)
Cost: $11.95 for 1 package of 5 cups
Purchased from: Ragged Coast Chocolates, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Peanut Theme Week--featuring a variety of different high-end chocolates, confections and a few protein/snack bars.

Today's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups from Ragged Coast Chocolates (Westbrook, ME) garnered a 2023 Good Food Awards win in the Confections category.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, faint nuts, and very faint aromatic (jasmine) rice.

Texture: very smooth dark chocolate with silken peanut butter center(s).

Layered flavor notes for these cups included: smooth dark chocolate; the aforementioned, silky, peanut butter center; and light sparkles of (Maine) sea salt.

I loved that these peanut butter cups were not overly sweet (thank you!). I also appreciated the short list of ingredients, the layered flavors and the use of single origin dark chocolate. The levels of salt and sugar were both in the Goldilocks* zone for me.

Ingredients: "Directly traded and sustainably grown bittersweet chocolate from Ecuador (cocoa mass, cocoa butter, sugar, soy lecithin, natural vanilla extract), organic peanut butter, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter, Maine sea salt."

Allergen-related information: "Allergens: Peanut, Soy" ("Dairy Free")

*The Goldilocks zone is a reference to a European folk tale. In the U.S. version of this tale, a girl (named Goldilocks), breaks into a house belonging to three bears and she eventually finds items inside that are, for her, just right. (The first bowl of porridge left on the table was too hot, the second bowl was too cold; but the last one was just right. The same sequence of events were repeated with the chairs and the beds she found.) 

You might also hear a version of the Goldilocks zone reference from astronomers; e.g., that planet is too hot and that planet is too cold. But conditions on this planet may be just right to sustain life, water or other favorable conditions. (Earth is a great example of being in the zone, and why I've been able to write about a different chocolate every day for almost 18 years now.)

Kize - Peanut Butter Chocolate (bar) - July 31, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Kize
Peanut Butter Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (43 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $ Missing information
Purchased from: Missing information

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

Today's Peanut Butter Chocolate (bar) was from KiZE Concepts (Oklahoma City, OK). 

The company offers a series of different flavored bars (most contain chocolates), including one that is just peanut butter + honey.

Aroma notes included: hearty and authentic and nutty peanut butter, faint chocolate, and very faint honey.

Texture: soft, chewy texture (think rich, soft baked peanut butter, chocolate chip cookie drizzled with honey).

I really enjoyed the short list of only 8 ingredients; specifically, the blend of genuine peanut butter, chocolate chips and nuanced, sweet, honey flavors. It tasted like something made fresh from a kitchen, with nothing artificial. 

Ingredients: Peanut Butter, Honey, Chocolate Chips (cocoa liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa powder), Egg White Protein, Dates, Gluten Free, Rolled Oats, Cocoa Butter, Coconut Oil

Allergen-related information: Contains Peanuts, Egg, and Tree Nuts (Coconut). Made in a facility that produces peanuts, tree nuts, milk and eggs