Celebrating 12 Yrs. of Chocolate - Better Bites Bakery - Mostess Mini-Cupcakes - Sept. 12, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Better Bites Bakery
Mostess Mini-Cupcakes
Good - Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) / 6 oz. (170 g.) in total container of 6
Calories: 220 calories in 2 cupcakes
Cost: $11.99 for 1 container of 6 cupcakes
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Celebrating 12 Years of Chocolate Series.

Today's container of 6 Mostess "chocolate mini-cupcakes with coconut cream filling dipped in a chocolate ganache" were from Better Bites Bakery (Austin, TX). This refrigerated, allergen-free* mini-cupcake resembled an upscale version of a popular chocolate cream-filled cupcake with white icing.

Smaller-sized desserts like this sweet chocolate morsel are convenient, allowing one to sample three different miniature treats if desired, instead of one larger item.

*Founder, Leah Lopez developed a line of gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free baked goods based on the needs of her son, Gabriel. These small cupcakes were also free of other 4 other common allergens (peanuts, soy, shellfish, fish).

Patti's Lemon and Chocolate Cupcakes - LMNOPQR Week - Feb. 24, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Patti's Perfect Pantry

1. Lemon Curd Cupcake
2. Lemon Cheesecake Cupcake
3. Chocolate Fudge Cupcake
4. Chocolate Chip Cupcake

Welcome to the first day (Day #1) of LMNOPQR Theme Week. We'll be continuing to work our way through the chocolate alphabet this week, starting with the letter "L."

What starts with "L" that blends well with chocolate? Answer: Lemon. I've always enjoyed bars and confections made with dark (or dark milk) chocolate and lemon.

Limoncello, lemon custard or lemon curd in a dark chocolate shell is like a little black dress in a woman's wardrobe that's simple, elegant, and always in fashion.

Today's find of the day was Patti's Perfect Pantry (Morgan Hill, CA). Their bakery, cafe and take-out offerings were all made in a dedicated gluten-free kitchen. It's not every day I can enjoy a "Mad Hatter" sandwich (honey ham, Swiss cheese and pineapple) on gluten-free pumpernickel bread. (Thank you Don for finding this place.)

Chef Patti has created a series of gluten-free cupcakes, including ones with lemon and and chocolate. The two made with lemon curd were particularly delicious. I wouldn't suggest eating four whole cupcakes at one sitting. But, I did have a slice of all four mentioned above, for scientific research purposes.

I'll likely go back to Patti's to try other gluten-free chocolate cupcake flavors: brownie, chocolate peanut butter and Boston cream cupcakes, to name a few.

Heartland - red velvet cupcake mix - Jan. 11, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Heartland Gourmet
Gluten Free Red Velvet Cupcake Mix
Good - Good ++
Weight: 2.5 oz. (estimate) for 1 finished cupcake /16 oz. (454 g.) in total box
Calories: 250 calories (estimate) for 1 finished cupcake
Cost: $2.98 (sale) for 1 box of mix
Purchased from: Burlington, San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate Baked Goods Theme Week. Somehow a warm oven and kitchen in the middle of winter is very appealing. And it's hard to imagine a baked goods week without including at least one chocolate cupcake in the mix.

I eat only gluten-free items; however, I don't always have time to bake from scratch. Happily there are now several gluten-free mixes available.

This Gluten Free Red Velvet Cupcake Mix from Heartland Gourmet (Lincoln, NE) offered a convenient cupcake solution. (The cream cheese frosting was not included, but the box did include a helpful recipe for it.)


These red-tinged* red velvet cupcakes had an appealing cake texture, and were moist and tasty. I cut back on the sugar a bit in the cream cheese frosting and enjoyed the whole frosted cupcake experience. If you prefer a lighter frosting, a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream on each cupcake would've worked well also.

*In some recipes I located, the red coloring in red velvet cupcakes comes from beets; artificial food coloring was used here.

Sonoma Latina Grill - Mexican Chocolate cupcake - April 25, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Sonoma Latina Grill
Mexican Chocolate cupcakes
Good + - Very Good
Weight: Not known
Calories: Not known
Cost: $8.65 for 3 cupcakes (1 regular, 2 small)
Purchased from: Sonoma Latina Grill, Novato, CA

Today was Day #5 of Mexican Chocolate Theme Week.

I was happy to find both a "Mexican Chocolate" items for this week, and also one that was gluten free. I picked up today's regular and tiny-sized Mexican Chocolate cupcakes at the Sonoma Latina Grill, in Novato, CA.

These cupcakes were chocolatey and flavorful, with a touch of cinnamon; and the thick swirl of white icing was buttery soft and sweet.

ChocolateBet: March 2, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 cupcake
"Crave - A San Francisco Bakery"
Confetti Cupcakes (chocolate with chocolate frosting, and some sprinkles)
Very Good - and Very Good + if warmed slightly in the microwave oven
Weight: 3 oz. (85 grams) per cupcake / (12 oz. (342) grams total for total package of 4)
Calories: 240 for 1 cupcake
Cost: $9.99 for a container of 4 cupcakes
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, in Cupertino, CA

I made my first trip into the Whole Foods Market in Cupertino - a huge (68,000 square foot) store that opened in 2007 and was built across the street from their old store. It was impressive.

There were lots of chocolates (conveniently located close to the front entrance). And, equally important for me, there were lots of gluten-free chocolates to choose from -- including these gluten-free and milk-free, chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting from Crave (San Francisco, CA). These Confetti Cupcakes were topped with festive sprinkles.

The cupcakes were even better, if that's possible, when warmed very slightly in the microwave oven.