Donnelly Chocolates - Dark Chocolate Caramel Pecan (bar) - Dec. 17, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Donnelly Chocolates

Dark Chocolate Caramel Pecan (bar)

Good ++

Weight: 1.6 oz. (45 g.) in 1 bar

Calories: 218 calories (estimate) in 1 bar

Cost: N/A - gift from a friend (Thank you Julie!)

Purchased from: N/A - gift (purchased at Donnelly Chocolates)

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Week (with pecans and caramel playing a starring role).

Today's Dark Chocolate Caramel Pecan (bar) was a treat from a friend who was likely driving through Santa Cruz, California, and made a stop at "World Famous Donnelly's Chocolates," where chief chocolatier Richard Donnelly practices the art of making chocolate bars, barks and confections.

I don't eat caramels that much anymore because many lack much, if any, flavor other than sugar. This thick, rich caramel bar was very sweet; but it was also full of flavors: homemade butter, brown sugar, pecans, and dark chocolate to be precise. 

The caramel filling was luscious and soft. I highly recommend eating this bar with a napkin or two at-the-ready.

This bar was accompanied by a glass of hazelnut "milk."

Ingredients: "dark chocolate (contains cocoa liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin as emulsifier, sunflower lecithin, natural vanilla flavoring), caramel, pecans"

Allergen-related information: None listed on small label; contained pecans.

Donnelly Chocolates Rose, Lavender Dark Chocolate bars; Sweet55 Florentiner; Only Child Chocolate Rose bar - June 6, 2019

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Richard Donnelly Chocolates

Rose Dark Chocolate Bar
Good ++++ - Very Good
Weight: .4 oz. (11.25 g.) / 1.6 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 60 calories (estimate) in 1/4 bar
Cost: $7.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Donnelly Chocolates, Santa Cruz, CA

Dark Chocolate Lavender Bar
Good ++
Weight: .4 oz. (11.25 g.) / 1.6 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 60 calories (estimate) in 1/4 bar
Cost: $7.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Donnelly Chocolates, Santa Cruz, CA

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate and Flowers Theme Week.

Today's Rose Dark Chocolate Bar and Dark Chocolate Lavender Bar were created by Richard Donnelly and team at Donnelly Chocolates (Santa Cruz, CA). The bars were attractively packaged (with beautiful outer craft paper wrappers). A version of these two Donnelly flavors were enjoyed in bark form several years ago. Both bars were suffused with natural, balanced floral scents. Today's Rose bar was especially creamy and smooth in melt and texture as well.

But, that's not all...Also sampled as part of our Chocolate Banquet bouquet today: two other West Coast "floral" chocolates, as we reluctantly conclude this two-week long theme "week." Not all chocolate fans appreciate floral flavors inclusions. We love trying flowers paired with, and botanical adds to, chocolate.

Sweet55 - Swiss Chocolates and Confections

Sweet55
Florentiner
Very Good
Weight: .35 oz. (10 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total box of 8
Calories: 55 calories (estimate)
Cost: $12.00 (estimate) for 1 box of 8 florentines
Purchased from: Sweet55, Half Moon Bay, CA

Sweet55 is a relatively new, Swiss chocolate shop in Half Moon Bay, CA (worth the trip over to the coast to enjoy their chocolates and views of the Pacific Ocean.)

If you are in the neighborhood, one item at Sweet55 I'd recommend highly would be the Sweet55 Florentiner.

Sold in a package of 8, these rich, dark chocolate, orange and almond (flourless) florentines were a cross between a flavorful mendiant*-style confection and a dark chocolate "cookie"—with a soft, chewy crunch from very thinly sliced almonds, natural orange bits (with a faint, refreshing pineapple note)—all precisely layered on a slim dark chocolate disc.

The image currently adorning the top of the first page of the Sweet55 website featured chocolates surrounded by a red rose, and rose petals.

I'd suggest "pairing" (any of) the company's fine chocolates with roses if you're looking for a classy, high-impact gift experience. (Continuing on the floral them, Sweet55 also offers a chocolate bar "Thank you card" with daisy-style chocolate flowers.)

Only Child Chocolates - white chocolate bar with rose

A bonus shout out today to the "Rose Colored Sunglasses" bar we sampled from Only Child Chocolate (Portland, OR).

This pretty pink and sweet "White Chocolate with Cranberry, Rose and Pistachio" bar did not contain cocoa solids (i.e. the darker brown colored portion of the cocoa bean). However, it was fun to look at and interesting to try.

Yana, Only Child's chief chocolatier, and self-described lover of puns and all things chocolate, also makes milk and dark chocolate bars.

*Mendiants are French-style chocolate discs topped with fruit and nuts.

Donnelly Chocolates - Almond Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich, Dark Chocolate Coffee Caramel - May 17, 2019

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Donnelly Chocolates

Dark Chocolate Coffee Caramel (bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.6 oz. (45 g.) in 1 large piece
Calories: unknown
Cost: $6.00 for 1 large caramel

Dark Chocolate with Vanilla Ice Cream Almonds (ice cream bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: unknown
Calories: unknown
Cost: $6.00 for 1 ice cream bar
Purchased from: Donnelly Chocolates, Santa Cruz, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate, Coffee and Vanilla Theme Week. The hunt for these three flavors led to Santa Cruz, CA.

Today's mini-bar sized Dark Chocolate Coffee Caramel and Dark Chocolate Vanilla Ice Cream and Almonds ice cream bar were created by Donnelly Chocolates (Santa Cruz, CA).

Thank you to Nick for counter assistance at Donnelly's and help in finding and selecting these two deluxe-sized chocolate, coffee and vanilla offerings, also known as dinner.

The Dark Chocolate Caramel bar was filled with everything you'd expect to find. The coffee flavor harmonized well with the dark chocolate, and the soft, caramel filling. The coffee helped balance the sweetness.

Now, on to the next course in this chocolate dinner. The vanilla ice cream in this Dark Chocolate Vanilla Almonds ice cream bar was from Marianne's Ice Cream (another local Santa Cruz, CA, sweets favorite). This tasty bar was a satisfying, cut above your standard store-bought ice cream bar for sure.

Donnelly Chocolates - Fig Dark Chocolate Bar - Aug. 6, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Donnelly Chocolates
Fig Dark Chocolate Bar
Good +
Weight: .8 oz. (22.5 g.) / 1.6 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 119 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Marianne's Ice Cream, Santa Cruz, CA

Today was Day #1 of Chocolate, Fruit and Nut Theme Week -- beginning with a few chocolates studded with dried figs.

I purchased today's Fig Dark Chocolate Bar from Donnelly Chocolates (Santa Cruz, CA), in Santa Cruz, at another local favorite spot, Marianne's Ice Cream (Santa Cruz, CA) that offers some fun chocolates of their own.

The thick, dark chocolate bar base was smooth in flavor, and was topped with pieces of golden, slightly chewy fig. What could be better for those who enjoy both dark chocolate and figs? Not much.

In keeping with fresh California fruit and nut flavors, I paired this fig dark bar with freshly cracked and extracted walnut pieces (from a grower up in walnut country. (Thank you Yvonne!) The slight bitterness of the walnuts + a tiny sprinkle of salt complemented the rich and fruit-sweet flavors in this bar.

ChocolateBet: April 11, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Donnelly Chocolates
Chinese Five Spice bar
Good - Good +
Weight: .4 oz. (11.25 g.) / 1.6 oz. (45 g.) total bar
Calories: 58 calories (estimate)
Cost: $6.25 total bar (estimate)
Purchased from: Fog City News, San Francisco, CA


This beautifully wrapped Five Spice bar with a hard snap was crafted by Donnelly Chocolates (Santa Cruz, CA). Chinese Five Spice is a combination of, you guessed it, five spices, typically: powdered star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper and ground fennel seeds (with occasional variations that might include anise seed, ginger root, or cassia bark).

I'd like to fiddle around with the spices to see if I could come up with a favorite blend of two or more of these. Five different flavors made for an interesting mix with this dark chocolate bar, but was almost too much.

ChocolateBet: April 2, 2007

Chocolate of the Day: 

Donnelly Chocolates
1 piece - Cardamom Dark Chocolate Bark
Very Good
Weight: .4 oz. (estimate) piece
Calories: 75-80 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Purchased from: Donnelly Chocolates, Santa Cruz, CA


Today's Cardamom Dark Chocolate Bark was purchased on a previous trip to Donnelly Chocolates (Santa Cruz, CA); and it was very good.

*Note: These photos (added later) do not really do this delicious spiced dark bark justice; but it's what I had.

ChocolateBet: April 1, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

Donnelly Chocolates
Lavender Dark Chocolate Bark
Very Good - Yum
Weight: 1.6 oz. package
Calories: 248 calories (estimate) for 1 package
Purchased from: Donnelly Chocolates, Santa Cruz, CA

Happy April (Cocoa) Fools Day all. Today spring was in the air.

I went to see the buddhas at Stanford University's Cantor Arts Center/Museum. It's a great small museum in the San Francisco Bay Area. I recommend going. (Also, they sometimes have art specialty chocolates in the gift shop there.)

After the stop at the museum, I went to Gamble Gardens in Palo Alto, right off Embarcadero (in between Cowper and Waverly Streets). There, I floated through there looking at tulips, sticking my nose in the wisteria in bloom, gawking at glossy red poppies with black and gold centers, appreciating ranunculas, and sitting on a bench to eat some lavender chocolate. Life is good.

I give this dark chocolate lavender bark a Very Good - Yum rating.

ChocolateBet: March 21, 2007

Chocolate of the Day: 

Donnelly Chocolates
Dark Chocolate Spicy Smokey Chipotle (bark)
Very Good - Yum
Weight: .5 oz. (estimate) in 1 piece / 1.6 oz. (estimate) for total package
Calories: 75-80 calories (estimate) for 1 piece
Purchased from: Donnelly Chocolates, Santa Cruz, CA

Great rich, spicy, smokey and dark chocolate flavors in this bark from Donnelly Chocolates (Santa Cruz, CA). 

ChocolateBet: March 20, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

Donnelly Chocolates
Rose Dark Chocolate bark
Very Good - Yum
Weight: .5 oz. (estimate) for 1 piece / 1.6 oz. (estimate) in total package
Calories: 75-80 calories (estimate)
Purchased from: Donnelly Chocolates, Santa Cruz, CA

I love the florals: rose, lavender, geranium...you name it. If it's edible, I want to try pairing it with chocolate. This rose infused dark chocolate bark from Donnelly Chocolates (Santa Cruz, CA) was very tasty.

ChocolateBet: March 19, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Donnelly Chocolates
Hazelnut dark chocolate bark
Very Good
Weight: 1.69 oz. package
Calories: 248 calories (estimate)
Purchased from: Donnelly Chocolates, Santa Cruz, CA

Today's dark chocolate hazelnut bark was from my trip over to Donnelly Chocolates (Santa Cruz) yesterday. It was very good. Chocolate paired with hazelnuts is a hard combination to beat.

ChocolateBet: March 18, 2007

Chocolate of the Day: 

1 piece
Donnelly Chocolates
Dark Chocolate Cherry Pecan chocolate
Very Good
Weight: .4 oz. piece (estimate)
Calories: 55 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Purchased from: Donnelly Chocolates, Santa Cruz, CA

Sunday, and it was time to a drive over to Santa Cruz, to Donnelly Chocolates -- a small shop where the resident chocolate artisans make their chocolates by hand.

I was interested in stopping by after reading some local Santa Cruz reviews, and also because it sounds like they're not afraid to use strong flavors. (I want to taste my rose and lavender.)

I bought several to try. Today's chocolate: 1 Dark Chocolate Cherry Pecan chocolate. It was Very Good.