Celebrity - Chocolaty Cherry Goat Cheese - June 18, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Celebrity Goat
Chocolaty Cherry Goat Cheese
Good
Weight: .25 oz. (7 g.) / 4.5 oz. (130 g.) in total package
Calories: 22 calories in 1/4 oz. taste
Cost: missing information
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate, Cherry and Berry Theme Week.

Today's Chocolaty Cherry Goat Cheese was from Celebrity Goat (Canada goat milk).

What's that you say? Goat cheese? Think cherry and chocolate cheesecake, only slightly less sweet and a teensy bit cheesier.

This petite, plump cheese log was made with cocoa-colored, creamy goat cheese, chocolaty bits (cocoa, coconut oil, sweetener), Dalmatia cherry, and assorted other ingredients* and preservatives.

A few slices of this cheese would add visual interest to any cheese plate.

Ingredients: Pasteurized goat's milk, sugar, partially hydrogenated coconut oil, cocoa, water, fructose, corn syrup, cherries, modified corn starch, mono and di-glycerides, salt, potassium sorbate, soy lecithin, fruit pectin, citric acid, lactic acid, ascorbic acid, microbial enzymes, bacterial culture, natural and artificial flavors.

Swanton Strawberry Truffle, Harley Farms Pumpkin Truffle - Oct. 22, 2015

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Swanton Berry Farm
Strawberry Truffle
Good
Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.) (estimate) for 1 truffle
Calories: 60 calories (estimate) in 1 truffle
Cost: $2.00 for 1 truffle
Purchased from: Swanton Berry Farm, Davenport, CA

Harley Farms Goat Dairy
Pumpkin Truffle - Good
Double Chocolate with Macadamia Nut Truffle - Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) (estimate) in 2 truffles
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 2 truffles
Cost: $6.00 for 2 truffles
Purchased from: Harley Farms Goat Dairy, Pescadero, CA


Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and The Great Outdoors Theme Week. I experienced the wide open spaces today by visiting two farms close to the Pacific Ocean. Both happened to be selling chocolate truffles.

The Strawberry truffle from Swanton Berry Farm (Davenport, CA) was likely made with Swanton strawberry jam. There was no one to ask because the shop was operated on the honor system. Customers left their cash in the till and picked their own produce, jams, chocolates or dessert items.

After a drive up the coast, from Davenport to Pescadero along Highway 1, we made our way to a local goat dairy.

The Pumpkin and the Double Chocolate with Macadamia Nut truffles were from Harley Farms Goat Dairy (Pescadero, CA) and contained ganache style fillings that were made with goat cheese. The goat milk was provided by a herd of American Alpine goats on the property.

The content and images on this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Askinosie Hey, Hey Hazelnut! spread - Aug. 27, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Askinosie Chocolate

Hey, Hey Hazelnut! Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

Good + - Very Good

Weight: 1 Tablespoon (18 g.) / 6.5 oz. (184 g.) in total jar

Calories: 100 calories in 1 Tablespoon serving

Cost: $12.00 (estimate) in 1 jar 

Purchased from: Askinosie Chocolate, Springfield, MO (online order)

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Cheese Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Fig Theme Week.This morning's chocolate, cheese and fruit plate almost made me late for an appointment it was so good. 

I savored every bit of my "Hey, Hey Hazelnut!" Chocolate Hazelnut spread from Askinosie Chocolate (Springfield, MO). I carefully slathered it on a piece of gluten-free toast -- alongside goat cheese, fresh black mission figs and strawberries, and a drizzle of saffron honey. Life was good and so was this breakfast.

Askinosie Chocolate is a bean-to-bar chocolate maker. However, Askinosie's relationships with farmers go beyond most chocolate makers. Pictures of farmers, like Peter Cruz, are featured on chocolate product labels. This hazelnut spread made "from (cocoa) bean to jar" contained cocoa powder (made in the Askinosie factory) using cocoa beans from Davao, Philippines.

The list of ingredients was short, simple, and high-quality: hazelnuts (oil and butter), cocoa powder, organic sugar, and roasted cocoa nibs. The hazelnut butter was made in the Askinosie factory as well, from scratch, "using DuChilly hazelnuts from Holmquist Hazelnut Orchards in Lynden, Washington, USA."

I ate this marvelous hazelnut spread on toast with Laura Chenel's Chevre -- Honey Goat Cheese, from Sonoma, CA, to be exact.

ChocolateBet: June 7, 2011

Chocolate(s) of the Day:
4 truffles
Surfing Goat Dairy
1.) Tahitian Lime Truffle
2.) Lime #2 Truffle
3.) Kona Coffee Truffle
4.) Cinnamon/Chipotle Truffle
Weight: 1.6 oz. (45.28 g.), if each truffle is .4 oz.
Calories: 240 calories (estimate)
Cost: $28 for box of 12 truffles (plus any applicable shipping and handling)
Purchased from: Surfing Goat Dairy, in Kula (Maui), Hawaii

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Mediterranean Theme Week. Goats are hardy animals, able to live in warm, dry climates... such as Greece, France, and many other Mediterranean countries. And so we have feta cheese, chevre, and other variants of goat cheese.

And, then you have the Surfing Goat Dairy in Hawaii; the company (with the motto "Da Feta Mo' Betta") produces dozens of different types of specialty goat cheeses (such as the goat cheese wrapped in grape leaves, dolma style, shown here) and also a variety of soft goat cheeses (a few are shown here: O Sole Mio, Garden Fantasia, and Ivory Coast on gluten-free toast squares). Oh, and did I mention, the Surfing Goat Dairy also makes chocolate truffles? They were good. I tried to pick flavors that might be seen in the Mediterranean. Coffee originally came from Ethiopia, but travelled to Egypt, Turkey and the rest of the Mediterranean countries over the years, as did limes (from Southeast Asia), and spices (such as cinnamon).

I couldn't really taste any goat cheese in this batch of truffles, but, those who are super tasters might be able to catch a faint hint of this flavor. The Surfing Goat Dairy is located in Kula (Maui) in Hawaii.