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)

B&R Farms - Dark Chocolate Apricot Bites - Mar. 29, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

B and R Farms 
Dark Chocolate Apricot Bites
Good ++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 3.5 oz. (99 g.) in total package
Calories: 170 calories in 40 g. serving (per label)
Cost: $4.50 (estimate) total package
Purchased from: (farm store) in Santa Clara County, CA  

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate Snacks Theme Week.

Today's Dark Chocolate Apricot Bites were from B+R Farms (Hollister, CA).

Take locally-grown Blenheim* apricot pieces and cover with Guittard dark chocolate. The results: a flavorful, tart-sweet wake up snack--with chocolate chip cookie and apricot jam aroma notes.  

The chocolate surrounding the fruit pieces had dark and smooth flavor and complemented the sweet fruit. The inner sun-dried apricot pieces looked and tasted naturally moist, plump and fresh (not sad and rubbery which can sometimes be the case with some store-bought dried apricots). These snack pieces had a uniquely apricot fruit flavor with vibrant, sweet, acidic notes.

Ingredients: Dark chocolate (cane sugar, cocoa mass (processed with alkali), cocoa butter, butter oil, sunflower lecithin, vanilla), dried apricots (processed with sulfur dioxide), tapioca syrup, tapioca dextrin, confectioner's glaze.

Allergen-related information: "This product contains sulfites and milk and may contain wheat, peanuts and other tree nuts."

*Blenheim apricots have a sweet, aromatic flavor. They arrived in California in the 1800s. They were widely cultivated in the San Francisco (South Bay area, where I grew up) in the 1900s, until land values and development pressures increased and eventually led to orchards being replaced by homes and businesses--including a host of technology companies that became Silicon Valley.

Andy's Orchard - Apricot Amaretto Sandwich - Nov. 26, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Andy's Orchard

Apricot Amaretto Sandwich 

Good + - Good++

Weight: 1.6 oz. (45 g.) (estimate) 1 piece

Calories: 160 calories (estimate) in 1 piece

Cost: $3.50 for 1 package

Purchased from: Andy's Orchard, Morgan Hill, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Fruit Theme Weeks. 

Today's Apricot Amaretto Sandwich was from Andy's* Orchard (Morgan Hill, CA).

The aroma of this layered confection included notes of chocolate biscuit, almond biscotti, cooked rice, and sweet almond cookies.

Flavors included layers of dark chocolate, marzipan, and juicy, tart-sweet apricot with honey floral notes. The use of (now relatively rare) Blenheim apricots up-leveled the flavor. It made for a great California dessert.

Ingredients: Dried Blenheim Apricot (prepared with sulfur dioxide), glace apricot, marzipan, and chocolate

Allergen-related information: (none listed on small label/tag)

*Andy" of Andy's Orchard is Andrew Mariani -- part of a famous California fruit growing family.

Torn Ranch Signature Reserve Chocolate Covered Apricots - Dec. 18, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Torn Ranch
Signature Reserve Chocolate Covered Apricots
Good - Good +
Weight: 3.18 oz. (90 g.) / 9.5 oz. (269 g.) in total tin
Calories: 300 calories in 2 pieces
Cost: N/A - gift
Purchased from: N/A - gift

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

Today's Signature Reserve Chocolate Covered Apricots were from Torn Ranch (Petaluma, CA).

An embossed tin contained six, large (whole) California glace apricots covered in signature dark chocolate. Each plump, premium apricot was wrapped in gold foil.

The inner fruit was the best part. Only slightly tart, these sweet, moist fruits (think fresh apricot nectar, in the flesh) were completely covered in a chocolate shell. (Torn Ranch also offered/offers half-dipped apricots and oranges.)

Located in the Napa-Sonoma wine country, the self-professed foodies at Torn Ranch have been specializing in fruit, nut and chocolate offerings for decades (40 years). And it shows.

World Market - Bark Dark Chocolate with Everything - June 16, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Cost Plus, Inc.
World Market Bark - Dark Chocolate with Everything... (bar)
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 146.6 calories (per label) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: World Market, Mountain View, CA

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

Today's "Bark - Dark Chocolate with Everything..." bar was distributed by Cost Plus, Inc. (Oakland, CA).

The "everything" in the title here I'm guessing is derived from the expression "everything but the kitchen sink."

The Belgian dark chocolate bark came in rectangular bar form and was adorned with five flavor inclusions: pieces of coconut, cashews, bits of dried cranberries and apricots, and a pinch of chipotle chili powder that gave the chocolate a few bursts of spicy flavor.

It was a bit of a jumble, but it was interesting to try.

Her Coconess - Apricots with salted caramel, chocolate - Sept. 15, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Her Coconess Confections
Apricots with caramel, chocolate
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 g.) (estimate) in 1 package of 2 pieces
Calories: 220 calories (estimate) for 1 package of 2 pieces
Cost: $7.00 for package of 2 pieces
Purchased from: Her Coconess (herself), Palo Alto Farmers Market, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Pistachio Theme Week.

It made my mouth water to hear Her Coconess (Shelley Seward) describe these plump sweet Blenheim apricots, half-covered in dark chocolate with a layer of homemade caramel. I ran into her at the Palo Alto Farmers Market a few days ago, and picked up a few items from the Her Coconess Confections (Belmont, CA) table/booth.

And these generous apricot confections did not disappoint. Visually attractive, each piece was enveloped in purple foil and yielded tart, fresh apricot flavor. The vanilla salted caramel and bittersweet chocolate balanced the sweet apricot fruit flavor.

A handful of pistachios and salted mixed nuts provided complementary flavor (salt, protein) and crunchy texture. Pistachios (and most nuts) do pair well with fruits and chocolate.

Enric Rovira - Trufa Day - Feb. 20, 2013

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Enric Rovira

Trencadis Gaudi - chocolate blanco con trufa al aguardiente de albaricoque
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 6.7 oz. (190 g.) in total box
Calories: 150 calories (estimate)
Cost: $34.50 for 1 box
Purchased from: Alegio Chocolate, Palo Alto, CA

Mini Hexagons
Good+
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.)/2.1 oz. (60 g.) total box
Calories: 148 calories (estimate) in 1 oz. serving
Cost: $ 12.95 in 1 box of 10 pieces
Purchased from: Alegio Chocolate, Palo Alto, CA

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

Roundish dark chocolate truffles likely acquired their name because of their likeness to black truffles, the fungi found nestled underground in what remains of great oak forests. This week I'm combining both types of truffles.

Today I traveled -- virtually, via chocolate -- from Italy (yesterday's destination) to Barcelona, Spain, to sample two chocolates in Enric Rovira's (Barcelona, Spain) Barcelona collection -- heavily influenced by Spanish architect Antonio Gaudi, who often incorporated tile and glass mosaic art into his work.

Proving that my Spanish is very rusty, I bought this creamy, Trencadis Gaudi white chocolate creation thinking it contained white or black truffle (the fungi). However, the "trufa" in the Spanish name here referred to an apricot brandy truffle filling inside this beautifully patterned square of white chocolate.

However, my "mistake" was quickly remedied, when I dipped a triangular piece of this white Trencadis (from the Catalan word, trencat, for broken) mosaic into some Italian truffle honey that I'd opened yesterday. If you want to try something truly decadent and wonderful, these two items were made for each other.

Mini Hexagons 
Since, I don't normally "count" white chocolate as my Chocolate of the Day, I also sampled some Enric Rovira dark chocolate (70%) mini hexagons, modeled after special six-sided pavement pieces that might be found on the streets of Barcelona. These would look very nice on any dessert plate or tray.

Thank you to Panos at Alegio Chocolate for pointing out the Barcelona Collection.

ChocolateBet: November 4, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Patric Chocolate
Anya Apricot Bar
Good+
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1 oz.
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and All Things Orange Theme Week.

Apricots and plums (prunes) were farm crop royalty back in the days of "The Valley of Heart's Delight" where I live. Today this area is largely paved over, and better known as the Silicon Valley. The old apricot trees are all but gone, but thankfully this sweet orange fruit with a zing still shows up in jams and confections -- and in bars like today's Anya Apricot Bar from Patric Chocolate (Columbia, MO).

Fortunately, a few months ago, I squirreled away this seasonal bar, made with Anya apricots that were meticulously placed on a base of subtley salty milk chocolate. While this milk chocolate was better than most available, I still found myself missing the flavor arc in Patric's slightly darker bars.

I was inspired, to at least think about, other chocolate and apricot combinations; e.g., pairing lightly infused apricots (with orange blossom water or brandy) with one of Patric's salty signature 70% bars, alongside a small bowl of toasted, very lightly salted, marcona almonds and hazelnuts. Once again, the combinations with chocolate are almost endless.

ChocolateBet: November 4, 2011

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

1.) 1/8 bar
NewTree
Apricot - Cocoon (Milk Chocolate) bar
Good
Weight: .22 oz. (6.2 g.) / 1.76 oz. (49 g.)
Calories: 35 calories
Cost: $N/A - sample
Purchased from: N/A - sample from Chocolate event


2.) 1/2 piece
Baba Joon's Chocolate Chewies/C'est Si Bon
California Apricot Chocolate Chewies
Good
Weight: .22 oz. oz. (6.5 g.) / 7.5 oz. (212 g.) total bag of 14
Calories: 18 calories
Cost: $6.99 for total bag of 14 pieces
Purchased from: De Martini Orchard, in Los Altos, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Garden Grown Theme Week.

I grew up in a sub-division (residential neighborhood) that had been carved out of an old apricot orchard. And I remember eating freshly picked (as well as chocolate-covered) apricots; prunes were also big


in the "Valley of Hearts Delight" -- the agriculturally rich area which is now known as Silicon Valley.

So, it was fitting that chocolate and apricots were part of this week's garden grown theme -- in the form of 1.) a NewTree Apricot milk chocolate bar, and 2.) a gluten-free, apricot and egg white chewy cookie with cocoa powder from California.

ChocolateBet: December 21, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2 pieces
DeMartini Orchard
Chocolate Dipped Glace Apricots (milk and white chocolate)
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) in two pieces/ 4.5 oz. (127 g.) total box of 11 pieces
Calories: 200 calories in two pieces
Cost: N/A  - Holiday present
Purchased from: N/A - Holiday present

DeMartini Orchard's website has a big fruit basket on their top page -- brimming with apples, pears and other seasonal fruits. This local fruitstand-style store was the perfect choice for Day #7 of Chocolate and Fruit Bowl Theme Week. A gold foil covered box contained both milk chocolate and white chocolate dipped, sweet glace apricots. I had one of each. The apricots were very moist and delicious, and reminded me of the apricot orchards in this area (Los Altos, CA) years ago.

ChocolateBet: June 9, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1/6 bar
chocri (meine schokolade)
"Anise Fruitcake" (bar)
Very Good
Weight: .583 oz. (16.5 g.) in 1/6 bar/ 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar (estimate)
Calories: 85 calories (estimate) in 1/6 bar
Cost: $12.20 total bar
Purchased from: chocri (http://www.createmychocolate.com)

What is in an "Anise Fruitcake" chocolate bar? Answer: dark chocolate (64% cacao), apricot, orange, cranberries, cinnamon, and anise. I suppose if I could have piled on a few more ingredients, I might have added cherries, pineapple, cloves, and brandy flavoring. But, there's probably a limit to the number of items that one bar of chocolate can hold.

Today's chocolate fruitcake choice (on Day #5 of Create Your Own Chocolate Theme Week) was another example of designing a chocolate version of a food item I can't normally eat. (Cakes are usually made with flour, which is usually made from wheat; and I can't have wheat/gluten, and so on...). Thank you again to chocri for offering a creative outlet to would-be chocolate designers.

ChocolateBet: June 19, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Saratoga Chocolates
Le Jardin de Chocolat (dark)
Very Good
Weight: 3 oz. (~84.9 grams)
Calories: ~ 450 calories (estimate)
Cost: $7.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: (Draegers?), in CA

I am always excited to hear about a local chocolate I haven't tried yet. This dark chocolate version of the Le Jardin de Chocolat bar contains dried apricot, ginger, orange peel, almonds, and pistachio nuts. I like the combination of ingredients that all have a connection to this area of California.

For all those who roll your eyes at nostalgic food memories, you can stop reading here. But, I lived the list of local Bay Area/California ingredients in this bar.

• Apricots: I grew up on a street with remnants of apricot orchards. Apricot fights anyone?

• Almonds: I attended Almond Elementary School, located on (where else) Almond Avenue.

• Pistachios: Pistachio nuts purchased at the local supermarket back then still had shells that were dyed red, but I remember prying open these nuts and ending up with red fingers.

• Oranges: Yes, we had a big fat orange tree in our back yard. This was California after all.

• Ginger: My exposure to candied ginger came later, mostly through Asian-American friends and shops, and eating delicious Chinese food in downtown Mountain View (which was much more rustic back then).

ChocolateBet: April 6, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Marini's at the Beach/Marini's Candies
Chocolate Dipped Apricot (dark choc.)
Good + - Very Good
Weight: ~ 1.1 oz. (~30 grams)
Calories: ~ 160 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ (check receipt)
Purchased from: Marini's at the Beach/Marini's Candies

Nice big sweet apricot dipped in chocolate.

ChocolateBet: April 1, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

4 pieces
De Brito Chocolate Factory
California Apricots in Chocolate (Dark)
Very Good
Weight: ~1.6 oz. (45.28g.)/4 oz. (~113.2 g.) ttl pkg.
Calories: 240 calories
Cost: $3.34 for total package
Purchased from: De Brito Chocolate Factory, in Hollister, CA

Apricots stand up well to dark chocolate; you can still taste the fruit underneath. And starting with great apricots makes these even better.

I grew up in California, on a street that used to be an apricot orchard; and there were still apricot trees in the neighborhood. So, I have fond memories of fresh, dried, and chocolate-covered apricots. For those that grew up in Santa Clara County (before it was largely paved over and renamed Silicon Valley), you may remember Bee Ritchie's chocolate-covered/dipped prunes and apricots, Mariani dried apricots, and a host of other local names like this.

ChocolateBet: March 14, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

2 pieces (halves)
Schurra's (Fine Confections)
Zoria Farms California Dried Apricots (dark choc.)
Very Good
Wt.: ~.5 oz. (14.1 grams) (estim.)
Calories: 65 calories (estim.)
Cost: $
Purchased from: Schurra's in San Jose, CA

ChocolateBet: December 2, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

2 pieces
Saxon Chocolates
Dark Chocolate Dipped Apricots
Good +
Wt.: .7 oz. (20 grams)/3.5 oz. (100 g.) total package
Calories: 75 calories for 2 pieces/apricots
Cost: $7.99 for total package of 10
Purchased from: Loehmann's, in Sunnyvale, CA