Endorfin - Dark Mylk Chocolate with Anise and Wormwood - Sept. 4, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Endorfin Foods
Dark Mylk Chocolate with Anise and Wormwood bar
Good +++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 210 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $5.00 for 1 bar (9 bar box for $45.00)
Purchased from: Endorfin Foods, Oakland, CA

Welcome to Day #28 of Chocolate, Fruits and Botanicals Month.

Today's organic dark chocolate Absinthe bar from Endorfin Foods (Oakland, CA) was inspired by the botanical liqueur of the same name. Absinthe, also known as the green fairy (or La Fee Verte), was banned for a time due to concerns over its intoxicating, and possible toxic, properties.

Most of the concern was over a chemical called thujone* found in wormwood (a primary ingredient in absinthe).

The Endorfin team crafted their absinthe flavor blend from recipes found in historical European literature.

The chocolate was made from unroasted cacao, coconut sugar and coconut. And botanical essential oils used to flavor this dark "mylk" bar included Grand Wormwood, Anise, Sweet Fennel, Melissa (Lemon Balm), and Mugwort. (The wormwood and mugwort were wild-harvested.)

"We have labored extensively to find the purest, unadulterated essential oils of these incredible plants to give you the fullest bouquet of flavor and aroma."
-- Endorfin Foods

I also want to thank Endorfin for their packaging. Not only is the design attractive. The sealed wrapper is functional as well.

*Thujone levels in absinthe liqueur (beverages using Artemisia/wormwood) are now much lower, or, in the case of U.S. restrictions, absent altogether. St. George Spirits (Alameda, CA) was the first to release a legal Absinthe, with their own take on the historic blend of botanicals, after restrictions were lifted in 2007.

Kohler - Absinthe chocolate - June 17, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Kohler Co.
Absinthe
Good
Weight: .35 oz. (9.9 g.) / 1.4 oz. (40 g.) total box of 4 pieces
Calories: 55 calories (estimate) for 1 piece
Cost: $9.99 for 1 box of 4 pieces
Purchased from: Kohler Co.

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Mint Theme Week.

Any chocolate with absinthe is rather intriguing, as the alcoholic drink that supplies the flavor is derived from anise, fennel, and a complex blend of herbs, that includes a few members of the mint family (lemon balm, sage, spearmint or peppermint).

Absinthe became legal again in the U.S. in recent years*, after being banned for quite some time due to concerns over a compound (thujone) associated with wormwood (absinthe's signature ingredient).

Today's green-tinted Absinthe jewel from Kohler Co. (Kohler, WI) was made with a 63% dark chocolate and absinthe infused ganache, wrapped in a milk chocolate shell. It had a hint of herbal finish, but was quite mild otherwise.

This Absinthe gem was part of Kohler's 4-piece Emerald variety box (that also included mint emerald, green tea, and lime chocolates).

*In December 2007, St. George Spirits (Alameda, CA) was the first company in the U.S. to start legally producing absinthe again.

ChocolateBet: January 14, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Absinthe Originale Cocktail w/ Chocolates

1.) Bensons Fine Candies 
(Distributed by Heritage Candy Company)
Absinthe Cordials
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.) (estimate)/ 5.0 oz. (141.7 g.) total container
Calories: 55 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ not available 
Purchased from: BevMo, in Mountain View, CA

2.) The Cholive Company
Cholive Cocktail Chocolates
Good - Good+
Weight: .32 oz. (9 g.) / 2.54 oz. (72 g.)
    total package of 8 dark chocolate truffles + cocktail skewers
Calories: 45 calories
Cost: $ not available
Purchased from: BevMo, in Mountain View, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Licorice Theme Week. Absinthe is an herbal concoction made infamous (and illegal) for a time by alleged ill effects, largely caused by bad batches of wormwood (one of many ingredients in this largely French recipe). Other ingredients commonly used to make absinthe include: star anise, licorice, fennel seed, anise seed, hyssop, angelica, mint.

I tempered this little green cocktail with two chocolates: 1.) a Benson Fine Candies Absinthe Cordial* (an absinthe/anise flavored chocolate covered in a round, green candy shell); and one Cholive (a 55% dark chocolate truffle in the shape of a cocktail olive** -- that came packaged with its own black plastic cocktail pick). Sadly The Cholive Company (Milwaukee, WI) was no longer in business when I checked last.

Despite the chocolates, one tiny sip of this 138 proof liquor was all I needed. Too strong for me.

*Note: For those who can't have wheat -- The Bensons Absinthe Cordials contain some wheat starch.
**This was a perfect example of a chocsimile, a chocolate facsimile of an object or living thing -- in this case a cocktail olive.

ChocolateBet: June 6, 2011

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Bites of different chocolate cakes
King Arthur Flour (brand)
Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix
Very Good
Weight: Mix: 22 oz. (1 lb., 6 oz.) (624 g.) total box
Calories: 400 calories (estimate)
Cost: $various ingredients, flavorings, liqueurs - $28 (estimate)
Purchased from: Whole Foods, in Los Altos, CA

This chocolate cake was used to make several small cakes, including:
1.) Chocolate Orange, Rose and Pomegranate cake
2.) Chocolate Absinthe cake
3.) Chocolate Fernet Branca cake

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Mediterranean Theme Week, and I feel like I'm just getting started. I may have to extend this theme week. Today, I focused on Mediterranean-inspired liquid flavorings -- some non-alcoholic, and some not -- to flavor several different, single-serving sized chocolate cakes that I made from King Arthur Flour's Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix.

Since there are so many countries that share a piece of the Mediterranean coast, I have included ingredients and ideas from France, Greece, Turkey, Italy, and a few other countries today.

I like floral flavors, so the main act in this three-ring cake circus was the moist, chocolate cake flavored with orange flower water, rosewater, rose preserves, and orange preserves, and a smidge of pomegranate syrup. I ate this cake with some Greek pomegranate yogurt and seeds, and a little orange peel. Lovely flavors. This evening I was up too late trying to make some matching orange rose frosting, but time ran out. I'll have to add a picture later if my guesstimate-based recipe works.

I also made small chocolate cupcake sized cakes flavored with the infamous green Absinthe from France (the version without much Wormwood); and also a Fermet versions of the cakes, a "bitter" mixer/drink with lively herbal flavors; and will try these later. (A small chocolate Amaretto and almond paste cakelet, and an Ouzo chocolate banana fruit cake, will be featured later this week.)