Signature Select dark bar + Notable Bites Lemon Shortbread - July 2, 2016

Chocolate of the Day:

Signature Select
78% Cacao Dark Chocolate bar
Good - Good +
Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 110 calories in 2 squares of bar (155.65 cals. per oz.)
Cost: $2.50 for 1 bar (2 for $5.00)
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate Cookie Theme Week.

The Signature Select 78% Cacao dark chocolate bar was slightly darker in color and flavor than I expected. The chocolate was smooth with a relatively firm, creamy texture and pleasant, earthy fudge flavor. (I will save the rest of this bar to make brownies later.)

So, where's the cookie part you might ask? I'm a fan of chocolate and lemon, so I paired today's dark chocolate bar with gluten-free Meyer lemon shortbread squares, which were rich and buttery, but also light and full of refreshing citrus flavor. In short, an interesting contrast to today's dark bar.

Notable Bites
The Meyer Lemon Shortbread mix was from a local Bay Area producer. Wendy's Notable Bites line includes both regular and gluten free cake and cookie mixes. Lemon is a specialty, and Wendy sells mixes and prepared Meyer lemon and almond bars and other baked goods at the Palo Alto Farmers Market (Palo Alto, CA). Eat these lemon squares fresh from the oven to experience the best (fragrant) results. The lemon flavors (from lemon peel and juice) were luscious and the texture was slightly fluffy, flaky and crumbly all at once. 

Notable Bites - Gingerbread, Chocolate Cakes - Jan. 19, 2015

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Notable Bites

Gingerbread Glazed Cake Mix
Weight: 4.4 oz. (124.5 g.) in dry mix

Dark Chocolate Glazed Cake Mix
Weight: 4.9 oz. (138.6 g.) in dry mix

Calories: 450 calories (estimate) for 1 large piece + toppings
Cost: $12.00 for 1 cake mix (x 2)
Purchased from: Notable Bites (at Palo Alto Farmers Market)

Today was the last day of Chocolate and Ginger Theme Week. And I chose two gluten-free cake mixes that incorporated these two flavors.

I consulted with Wendy at Notable Bites (Mountain View, CA) on the best way to combine her Gingerbread and Dark Chocolate gluten-free, vegan cake mixes, that are small and easy to make -- perfect for two people to share.

Each mix came with its own small foil pan. I just needed to add two Tablespoons of vegetable oil per cake mix and, if to keep it vegan, my choice of dairy-free milk (chocolate almond milk). No eggs were required.

As far as combining these two mixes to make a chocolate gingerbread cake, Wendy suggested switching (glaze) toppings that come packaged with the mixes -- e.g. giving the gingerbread cake a chocolate glaze. Wendy wisely recommended coconut oil as the vegetable oil of choice to add. I couldn't agree with her more. If you like coconut, I highly recommend using the more aromatic (and less processed) unrefined, extra virgin coconut oil; it smelled and tasted wonderful with this mix.

In the end, I blended the two cake mixes together, and poured the combined mix back into the two pans to bake. And to amp up the ginger flavor a bit, I added my own ginger crumb topping with the dry chocolate glazed mix, finely chopped candied ginger chips and gluten-free ginger snap cookie crumbs. I'd suggest following the instructions the first time through, but I enjoyed experimenting and embellishing a bit.

Notable Bites - Salted Dark Chocolate Cake Mix - Jan. 12, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Notable Bites
Salted Dark Chocolate Cake Mix
Good - Good +
Weight: 2.12 oz. (60 g.) (estimate) for baked 1/4 cake/ 4.7 oz. (133 g.) for total dry mix (4 servings)
Calories: 342 calories (estimate) in 1/4 cake mix (1 serving)
Cost: $12.00 for 1 package of mix + foil pan
Purchased from: Notable Bites, Mountain View, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate Baked Goods Theme Week.

This Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Nut and Soy Free, Vegan, Salted Dark Chocolate Cake Mix from Notable Bites (Mountain View, CA) came packaged in its own foil cooking pan, which was very convenient. All I needed to add was two Tablespoons of oil and 1/3 cup of non-dairy "milk" (in keeping with this being a vegan mix), and it was ready to bake.

I used 1 tablespoon of organic olive oil and 1 tablespoon of enFuso smoke-infused olive oil to give it a hint of savory flavor that I think pairs well with chocolate and salt.

After removing the cake from the oven, I sprinkled it with the tiny packet of Himalayan Pink Salt Crystal mix (included), and I enjoyed a piece of Salted Dark Chocolate Cake.

The stilll-warm cake was relatively sweet and moist. It was a bit crumbly, but I'd prefer this over a cake loaded with vegetable gums or thickeners (this cake mix contained neither). And I loved the smaller cake size, and quick time from mix to cake.

Notable Bites - Peppermint Chocolate Cake - Jan. 10, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Notable Bites
Peppermint Chocolate Cake
Good - Good +
Weight: 1/4 cake (1 serving) / 5.6 oz. (158 g.) in total package of dry mix
Calories: 346 calories (estimate) in 1/4 cake
Cost: $12.00 for 1 package
Purchased from: Notable Bites table at Palo Alto Farmers Market, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day # 4 of Chocolate Baked Goods Theme Week.

It can be frustrating to buy a standard size box of cake mix when you're only cooking for one or two people. Inevitably too much cake is consumed (because you don't want to throw the rest of the cake away, do you?). Or the cake may go stale because it takes a week to finish it all.

Well, not so with today's Peppermint Chocolate Cake mix from Notable Bites (Mountain View, CA). The mix was conveniently packaged in a smaller size, and came with a small, foil cake pan, and a tiny bag of crushed peppermint candy bits.

Thank you to Wendy, founder of Notable Bites, for developing these "right-sized" mixes and gluten-free and vegan versions of these mixes. All that was required is 2 Tablespoons of oil + 1/3 cup of milk substitute. No refrigerated ingredients (egg or milk) were required.

Today's Peppermint Chocolate Cake Mix was Gluten Free, Vegan (Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Nut and Soy Free), with no preservatives, additives, or artificial flavors. The packaging suggests that the cake be consumed within 2 hours of cooking.