Seattle Chocolate Co. - Maeve - Maple Bourbon with Maple Sugar and Crunchy Toffee (bar) - Sept. 13, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Seattle Chocolate Co.

Maeve Chocolate - Maple Bourbon Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar with Maple Sugar and Crunchy Toffee
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Farm Fresh to You, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Spirits Theme Week.

Today's Maeve Chocolate - Maple Bourbon Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar with Maple Sugar and Crunchy Toffee (bar) was a trademark of Seattle Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA).

Aroma and flavor notes included: sweet dark chocolate (roasted cacao), brown/maple sugar, vanilla and very faint spirits.

Texture: soft, creamy texture with just the right amount (a light smattering) of crunchy toffee bits.

While this dark chocolate truffle bar was relatively sweet, I enjoyed the rich complexity of the sweet flavor inclusions and ingredients. Roast-y cacao, toasted brown sugar toast, sweet brown sugar, caramel, maple, vanilla and faint woodsy/oak, bourbon-like notes. A touch of salt helped balance the sweetness and  the whole bar was somewhat addicting.

Ingredients: dark chocolate (cocoa mass, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter, organic soy lecithin, natural vanilla), toffee (beet sugar, glucose syrup, cream, butter, skim milk powder, salt), coconut oil, maple sugar, organic natural flavor, organic natural flavor, sea salt.

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk and Soy. "This product is manufactured in a plant that processes milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, and wheat products." "sorry, this bar does not contain alcohol"; Kosher Dairy.

*Maeve Chocolate is a trademark of Seattle Chocolate Co.

Gnosis Chocolate - Everything Will Be Ok! raw, vegan botanical truffle bar - Dec. 28, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Gnosis Chocolate 
Everything Will Be Ok! raw vegan infused botanical truffle bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 g.) /3 oz. (84 g.) in total bar
Calories: 232.5 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $17.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Gnosis Chocolate, online order 

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate Truffle Bars Week.

Today's "Everything Will Be Ok!" raw vegan infused botanical truffle bar was created by Vanessa Berg (aka Chocolate Girl) at Gnosis Chocolate (NYC, NY). Vanessa is a passionate certified health practitioner.

Aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate; very faint, diffuse fruits and light herbs; very faint coconut; and, oddly, a breath of fresh air in a pine forest. 

Texture: a solid, raw* dark chocolate shell gave way to a soft, fudge-y, truffle-style filling.

Flavor notes included: very smooth dark chocolate, faint, fleeting dried fruit (fig, date), sweet herb, nut (walnut), and diffuse, very subtle fresh fruit (red apple, berry), sweet root, and light earth. The flavors were smooth, well-balanced and harmonized with a slightly undulating complexity.

I really enjoyed the gentle, yet rich and transporting, flavors in this truffle-style filled bar.

Ingredients: "raw cacao beans, raw blue agave nectar, virgin coconut oil, coconut sugar, Lung Blend (elecampane, grindelia, horehound, lobelia, mullein, osha, pine bark, pleurisy, yerba santa), Immunity Blend (burdock, cat's claw, echinacea purpea (sic), echinacea angustifolia, elderberry, ginger, pau d'arco, shilajit), Medicinal Mushroom Blend (chaga, cordyceps, reishi), Adaptogenic Herbs (ashwagandha, rhodiola, schizandra) Calming Herbs (passionflower, tulsi, valerian), Vitamin C Blend (camu camu berry, rose hips), chlorella, spirulina, Love."

Allergen-related information: (None listed on packaging.) "Free of Dairy, Soy, Gluten, GMO, Refined Sugar"

*The cacao used to make this chocolate was not heated above 118 degrees (F) to "maintain integrity of flavor and nutrition." Well-executed raw chocolate tends to be a little smoother than cacao processed at higher temperatures. I've found high-quality raw chocolates to be less bitter, with fewer "roasted" notes. (Think: very light roast coffee vs. intense espresso roast.)

K+M Chocolate - Milk Chocolate Truffle Fries 55% Bean to Bar - June 28, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

K+M Chocolate
Milk Chocolate Truffle Fries 55% (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .95 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.9 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 148 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sweet Shop, Los Altos, CA 

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Venezuela Theme Week. 

Today's Milk Chocolate Truffle Fries 55% Bean to Bar (bar) was from K+M Chocolate (Napa, CA). The company was formed by Chef Thomas Keller and Armando Manni.

This Truffle Fries bar was inspired by the namesake side (dish) at Chef Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bistro (Yountville, Napa County, CA).

My two favorite foods, potatoes and chocolate, both originated in South America. Today's chocolate was made with cacao grown in Ecuador and Venezuela, and contained bits of potato ("truffle fries") (terroir not known).

Full disclosure: I really enjoy trying chocolates with savory/umami flavor inclusions. Today's bar included flavors that were not only an homage to a chef's signature dish, but were also flavor notes naturally found in cacao (slight vegetable/potato and earth).

Aroma notes for this 55% dark milk included: dark milk chocolate; subtle, savory potato dish; and very faint truffle. 

The melt and mouthfeel were creamy; and the tiny pieces of shoestring potato added a lightly salted, crunchy textural element.

Flavor notes included rich and satisfying dark milk chocolate malt with faint potato and even fainter slightly loamy earth (similar to some cacaos and black or white truffles).

I'd hoped for a fun and delicious tribute to two of my favorite foods. And this well-executed, balanced blend in a chocolate bar delivered.

Ingredients: Cacao, organic cane sugar, RBST-free whole milk powder (milk), organic cocoa butter, truffle oil (pure olive oil, white truffle aroma), shoestring potato (potato, cottonseed oil, salt), organic sunflower lecithin, sea salt.

Allergen-related information: (Contains milk.)

 

Godiva - Limited Edition Assorted Chocolates; Butlers - Irish Whiskey Milk & Dark Chocolate Truffles - Dec. 25, 2022

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Godiva 
Limited Edition Assorted Chocolate Collection
1.) Salted Caramel Lion of Belgium - Good +
2.) Midnight Swirl - Good ++
3.) Dark Chocolate Ganache Bliss - Good +
Weight: 1.325 oz. (37.5 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in total box of 8 piece box
Calories: 180 calories in 3 piece(s)
Cost: N/A - holiday gift (Thank you Milo and family!)
Purchased from: N/A - holiday gift

Butlers Chocolates
Irish Whiskey Milk and Dark Chocolate Truffles
Good + 
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 4.41 oz. (125 g.) in total box of 10 pieces
Calories: 115 calories in 2 truffles
Cost: $5.99 for 1 box of 10 pieces
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Spirits Theme Week.

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate. May your days be merry and bright--and filled with good chocolate.

Today's Christmas Day chocolate line-up included: 1.) three filled chocolates from Godiva (U.S. headquarters: New York City, NY) and 2.) Irish Whiskey Milk and Dark Chocolate Truffles (one of each flavor) from Butlers Chocolates UC (Dublin, Ireland). 

These two companies have been producing chocolate confections for more than 96 years and 90 years, respectively.

Godiva

Godiva was founded in Belgium in 1926. The following three chocolates were enjoyed from a holiday assortment box.

The regal-looking, shield/crest shaped "Salted Caramel Lion of Belgium" was covered in sweet, smooth dark chocolate with a soft, flowing lightly-salted caramel filling inside.

The "Dark Ganache Bliss" had a dark chocolate shell filled with a fudgey, sweet 72% cacao dark chocolate filling (ganache).

The "Midnight Swirl" ultra-dark chocolate had an 85% cacao dark ganache center, and had aroma and flavor notes that included: fudge brownie, very faint fruit, warm spice and earth.

The Midnight Swirl was my favorite of the three pieces, largely because more of the cacao flavors were detectable. (Less sugar generally results in more complex underlying flavors shining through, as does less-alkalized cacao.) It was great to see this higher-percent cacao filled chocolate in the dark chocolate Godiva line-up.

Ingredients: Ingredients list for assortment box not separated by flavor. 

Allergen-related information: (May contain traces of milk and nuts.)

Butlers Irish Whiskey Milk and Dark Chocolate Truffles

Butlers Chocolates (founded by Marion Butler in 1932 and originally called Chez Nous Chocolates) has been making chocolates in Ireland since then, and is still family owned.

Aroma notes for today's spirited milk chocolate and dark chocolate truffles included: sweet whiskey and sweet milk and/or dark chocolate.

The texture for the relatively thick (outer) dark and/or milk chocolate shells surrounding the softer chocolate centers was smooth and creamy. And the sweet, mellow, Irish whiskey aroma and taste perfumed both milk and dark truffles and lightly lingered into the finish.

The Irish whiskey added some flavor depth and interest to these sweet, substantial chocolate truffles.

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, invert sugar syrup, Irish whiskey (5%), sweetened condensed milk (milk, sugar), emulsifier (soya lecithin), natural flavoring. (Dark chocolate contains: 58% cocoa solids minimum. Milk chocolate contains: 32% cocoa solids minimum, 20% milk solids minimum).

Allergen-related information: Contains milk and soya. May contain traces of tree nuts. Alcohol by volume: 2.15%

Exquisito Chocolates - "Rumbelievable" Flor de Cana Rum Truffles - Dec. 27, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Exquisito Chocolates

"Rumbelievable" Flor de Cana Rum Truffles

Good +

Weight: .98 oz. (27.7 g.) / 3.92 oz. (110.9 g.) (estimate) in total box of 8 truffles 

Calories: 147 calories (estimate) in 2 truffles

Cost: $24.00 for 1 box of 8 truffles

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Holiday Spirits Theme Week.

Today's "Rumbelievable" Flor de Cana* Rum Truffles were from Exquisito Chocolates (Little Havana, Miami, FL). Located in South Florida, Exquisito sources cacao and other ingredients from the Caribbean and Central and South America.

These hand-painted, single origin dark chocolate (Ecuador) confections were colored a beautiful, swirling turquoise sea blue. Nestled inside was a creamy, chocolate ganache (filling) infused with Flor de Cana* premium rum from Nicaragua. 

These truffles had a rich, dark chocolate (almost brownie) flavor with a hint of rum--more satisfying, layered flavor than alcohol.

Ingredients: (No ingredients list with box). Ingredient description included: organically cultivated cacao, unrefined cane sugar, fair trade cocoa butter, cream.

Allergen-related information: (None printed on confection box.)

*"Flor de Cana" (Spanish for sugarcane flower) is a brand of premium rum manufactured and distributed by Compania Licorera de Nicaragua (Managua, Nicaragua)--a company with origins that stretch back to the late 1800s.

Haagen-Daza - Spirits Bourbon Vanilla Bean Truffle Ice Cream - Aug. 12, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Haagen-Dazs
Spirits - Bourbon Vanilla Bean Truffle Ice Cream
Good ++
Weight: 2/3 cup  (132 g.) / 14 fl. oz. (414 mL) in total container
Calories: 340 calories in 1 (2/3 cup) serving
Cost: $4.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Spirits Theme Week.

Today's Spirits - Bourbon Vanilla Bean Truffle Ice Cream was from Haagen-Dazs* (Minneapolis, MN).

This ice cream, laced with soft bits of dark chocolate, had creamy rich texture and flavor with a hint of bourbon and vanilla. (Brown sugar, molasses, maple, vanilla bean and coconut oil also gave the taste some natural flavor depth.)

*The Haagen-Dazs ice cream brand originated with Reuben and Rose Mattus in Brooklyn Heights, New York, in 1961. The couple started with three flavors: vanilla, chocolate and coffee, and opened their first retail store in Brooklyn, NY, in 1976. 

The brand was acquired and is now associated with two larger corporations (Nestle and General Mills). Somehow, thankfully, against all odds, the ingredients list has for a growing number of ice cream flavors been kept relatively short, and is usually of a higher quality than most large brand name ice creams. (Haagen-Dazs is also one of the few brands that doesn't add a lot of vegetable gums. Thank you!)

Celebrating 12 Years of Chocolate - Hazelnut bonbons - Sept. 11, 2018

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Timothy Adams Chocolate
1.) Hazelnut Praline bonbon - Good - Good +
2..) Dairy Free bonbon (made with hazelnut milk) - Good
Weight: .78 oz. (22 g.) (estimate) in two bonbons
Calories: 117 calories (estimate) in two bonbons
Cost: $5.50 for two chocolate bonbons
Purchased from: Timothy Adams Chocolate, Palo Alto, CA

Oh, happy day. Welcome to a Special Celebration Chocolate Series, featuring a baker's dozen of bonbons, truffles, confections, baked goods, and ice creams over the next 12 days (with a heavy hint of hazelnuts).

What's the occasion? We're celebrating 12 years of chocolate, beginning today with two glossy, hazelnut bonbons made by the creative duo behind the Timothy Adams Chocolates shop in (Palo Alto, CA).

Visit this well-designed chocolate store (accented with hot pink and bright turquoise blue) and your mood will be lifted. The staff are friendly and helpful. The chocolates and beverages are well-made and will satisfy a sweet tooth.

The Hazelnut Praline had a sweet, dark chocolate (72% outer shell) aroma with hazelnut notes. It was topped with a small dollop of hazelnut praline, and had a tasty, creamy 58% middle.

The sweet Dairy Free chocolate also had a 72% dark chocolate shell (couverture) and a 58% ganache. Made with hazelnut milk, this alternative milk chocolate was a more convincing dairy free chocolate than most. It had a milk chocolate aroma, and a dairy-like creaminess to it. The uniform sweetness overshadowed chocolate and hazelnut flavor nuances; however, this Dairy Free bonbon offered a great milk chocolate alternative.

Celebrating 12 Years of Chocolate
Twelve years ago, on September 11, 2006, yours truly committed to eating a different chocolate every day for a year. The adventure began with a cup of Haagen Dazs chocolate ice cream in Amsterdam, Netherlands; and this was the beginning of Chocolate Banquet.

Did I know I'd still be eating a different daily chocolate 12 years later? No. I wouldn't have thought that possible.

Many things have happened in the chocolate world since 2006, even in my home town of Palo Alto. Timothy Adams Chocolates shop was once occupied by Monique's Chocolates. And down the street, a lovely place called The Chocolate Garage closed its doors to the public just a few weeks ago, after several years of supplying excellent craft chocolates to an appreciative following.

Perhaps the biggest trend over the past dozen years: the growth in the number of new artisan and bean-to-bar chocolate makers. (Long may they thrive. Like many passion-driven craft industries, profits can be hard-earned.) And customers have learned to appreciate higher-quality chocolates, now that they are more available.

How long will I continue to eat a different daily chocolate? If you believe one has to do something 10,000 times to be an expert, I'll need to eat a new daily chocolate for another 15.4 years.

We'll see. There are many other tempting personal research projects to pursue.

XOX Truffles - Raspberry, Coconut truffles - Sept. 26, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

XOX Truffles
1.) Raspberry truffle
2.) Coconut truffle
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) (estimate) in 4 truffles
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 4 truffles
Cost: $4.00 for 4 truffles (when bought as part of a 20-piece assortment/box)
Purchased from: XOX Truffles, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of French Chocolate Theme Week.

The consensus seems to be that the French invented the chocolate truffle in the 1890s.

The word truffle is now applied to many different types of chocolate confection and/or filled chocolate or bar. But, to enjoy a true chocolate truffle in the original French tradition, I recommend paying a visit to XOX Truffles (San Francisco, CA).

Today I'm featuring two more truffle flavors from XOX Truffles: Raspberry and Coconut.

These authentic-tasting, hand-crafted truffles were made in the French spirit ("created with French attitude") by Chef Jean-Marc Gorce and team. The truffles are hand-formed and rolled in high-quality cocoa powder and have a wonderful buttery, creamy center. No two are exactly the same shape.*

Gorce and his partner and wife Casimira N. Tobilla, founded XOX Truffles several years ago. Their truffles can be found in a small shop in North Beach (San Francisco).

*Chocolate truffles were named after a prized fungi that grows in the ground, due to their similar shape and appearance. Dogs and pigs are sometimes used to help hunt for truffles because of their more acute sense of smell. (Truffles give off a certain smell when they are ready to be harvested.) Fortunately, chocolate truffles are ready to eat and enjoy at any time.

Swanton Strawberry Truffle, Harley Farms Pumpkin Truffle - Oct. 22, 2015

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Swanton Berry Farm
Strawberry Truffle
Good
Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.) (estimate) for 1 truffle
Calories: 60 calories (estimate) in 1 truffle
Cost: $2.00 for 1 truffle
Purchased from: Swanton Berry Farm, Davenport, CA

Harley Farms Goat Dairy
Pumpkin Truffle - Good
Double Chocolate with Macadamia Nut Truffle - Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) (estimate) in 2 truffles
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 2 truffles
Cost: $6.00 for 2 truffles
Purchased from: Harley Farms Goat Dairy, Pescadero, CA


Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and The Great Outdoors Theme Week. I experienced the wide open spaces today by visiting two farms close to the Pacific Ocean. Both happened to be selling chocolate truffles.

The Strawberry truffle from Swanton Berry Farm (Davenport, CA) was likely made with Swanton strawberry jam. There was no one to ask because the shop was operated on the honor system. Customers left their cash in the till and picked their own produce, jams, chocolates or dessert items.

After a drive up the coast, from Davenport to Pescadero along Highway 1, we made our way to a local goat dairy.

The Pumpkin and the Double Chocolate with Macadamia Nut truffles were from Harley Farms Goat Dairy (Pescadero, CA) and contained ganache style fillings that were made with goat cheese. The goat milk was provided by a herd of American Alpine goats on the property.

The content and images on this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Hagensborg - Italy bar - July 25, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Hagensborg Chocolates
Wild B(o)ar - Italy bar
Good ++
Weight: 2.3 oz. (65 g.) total bar
Calories: 380 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $7.95 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Jacksonville Mercantile, Jacksonville, OR

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Italy Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate, Smoky and Savory Theme Week.

This Wild B(o)ar "Italy" bar from Hagensborg Chocolates (Burnaby, BC, Canada) was the perfect chocolate to straddle the fence between these two theme weeks. A happy convergence indeed.

The reference to Italy came from the Ritrovo rare black truffle salt (i.e. Italian black truffle, salt and olive oil), sprinkled on roasted pieces of (California) almonds, that were incorporated into an organic* milk chocolate (39% cocoa) bar base.

However, as yummy and authentically truffle-flavored this chocolate was, what really made me smile was the bar's design. A satisfied cartoon pig reclined with a full belly, and above the pig floated words such as "chomp gobble munch" Also a few "bites" were taken from the edges as part of the design.

This Wild Boar Hagensborg Italy bar was made with "85% organic ingredients."

Fab Delights Bacon truffles - April 2, 2013

Chocolate of the Day:

Fab Delights
Agave Maple Bacon truffles
Good
Weight: 1.29 oz. (36.5 g.) (estimate) in 3 truffles / total box of 9 truffles
Calories: 194 calories in 3 pieces (estimate) in 3 truffles
Cost: $14.25 for 1 box of 9 truffles (at show)
Purchased from: Fab Delights table at SF Chocolate Salon, San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Pig Theme Week.

"Pigs" are featured (literally and metaphorically) in this week's treats. We entered into chocolate and bacon territory today with a gold box of Agave Maple Bacon truffles from Fab Delights (Oakley, CA).

I enjoyed meeting Fab Delights owner, Jen Missakian, at a recent Chocolate Salon (tradeshow); the company also produces a variety of non-porcine truffles; and they take custom orders as well.

I liked the size of these bacon truffles. They weren't tiny; and they weren't big enough to scare those who might be cautious about pigs and chocolate.

The agave and maple were effective sweeteners, helping to reduce the sugar rush a bit. Fine by me. The very subtle touch of maple was a nice complement to the bacon.

The chocolate ganache (filling) was creamy, with hints of smokey, savory flavor and texture. Each truffle was topped with a small, decorative fragment of chewy bacon. I like my bacon a bit more on the oven-baked and crisp side -- a style that may be harder to execute with bacon candy or chocolates. But, these were fun to try.

BlackTruffle Caramels - Feb. 25, 2013

Chocolate of the Day:

Liddabit Sweets

Black Truffle Caramels
Good
Calories: 175 calories (estimate) in 3 pieces
Cost: $5.00 (sale) for 1 box of 12 caramels
Purchased from: Liddabit Sweets, Brooklyn, NY

Bacon Corn
Good - Good+
Weight: 1.4 oz. (39.6 g.)/ 7 oz. (198 g.) total box/package
Calories: 158 calories
Cost: $12.00 for 1 box
Purchased from: Liddabit Sweets, Brooklyn, NY

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Umami or Bacon Theme Week.

Black Truffle Caramels

Extending Chocolate and Truffle Theme Week, from this past week, today I tried some Black Truffle Caramels, very subtlely flavored with Black Truffle oil, from Liddabit Sweets (Brooklyn, NY). Liddabit makes a variety of creatively designed and flavored treats with interesting and local ingredients.

Bacon Corn

I also enjoyed a small plate of the company's Bacon Corn -- not your parents' caramel corn. This batch was made with maple syrup, Bourbon whiskey, Crop to Cup coffee beans and kosher salt.



Described as "a salty, crunchy, smoky, boozy, bacony melange of awesome" on the packaging, the smoky bacon, coffee and bourbon flavors were overwhelmed by the sugar and corn syrup covering the air-popped popcorn. (I'd be curious to see how these other flavors taste if the sweetness was dialed back.) However, this doesn't disqualify this fun snack from being a "Breakfast of Heroes" -- another self-titled moniker on the box. Fun is fun. I respect that.

Espresso Roulade - Feb. 23, 2013

Chocolate of the Day:

The Plant Cafe Organic
Espresso Roulade
Good + - Very Good
Weight: unknown
Calories: unknown
Cost: $4.50 for 1 piece/container
Purchased from: The Plant Cafe Organic, Strawberry Village, Mill Valley, CA

The Plant Cafe Organic got its start in San Francisco, CA. The company recently opened a new location in Mill Valley (Marin County). No surprise that this small chain is expanding, as they offer some of the freshest, tastiest food around -- including gluten-free items, like today's Espresso Roulade. I picked up this roulade in the company's "to go" section.

To produce this lovely creation, I'm guessing The Plant Cafe's dessert chef created a moist, lighter-than-air, chocolate cake layer, frosted with a thick layer of whipped cream, then carefully rolled it up and cut it into slices.

I barely had to chew this cake. Each bite was flavorful and airy, and melted in my mouth. Generally, gluten free items are relatively heavy or dense. Not this time.

Today's flourless, chocolate dessert (lightly flavored by decaf espresso) followed a two-course pasta entree that I made at home.

Mushroom and Truffle Linguini

Since today was the last day of Chocolate and Truffle Theme Week, I made a truffle pasta dish with Viviana (gluten free) Wild Mushroom Linguini and two different sauces. The first, a white sauce, consisted of sauteed mushrooms, shallots and garlic, Fabrique Delices white truffle butter, and white truffle cream and parmesan cheese. The second was a red sauce with artichokes, walnuts and a bit of truffle butter. Fresh rosemary was a great flavor enhancer for both.

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Truffle Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Umami or Bacon Theme Week.

Hagensborg Dark Truffle - Feb. 22, 2013

Chocolate of the Day:

Hagensborg Chocolates
Truffle Pig - Dark Hazelnut (Noisette Noir)
Good
Weight: 0.40 oz. (11.5 g.) in 1 truffle
Calories: 60 calories (estimate) in 1 truffle
Cost: $0.99 in 1 truffle
Purchased from: Oceana Market, Pacifica, CA

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

I would like to honor truffle pigs everywhere -- especially live ones that help to root out black truffles. These fungi/tubers resemble chocolate truffles (the small, round chocolate variety).

I could not think of a better way salute to these pigs than a Truffle Pig'lette -- an individually wrapped, bite sized Dark Hazelnut Chocolate Truffle from Hagensborg Chocolates (Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada). Made with "All Natural European Chocolate," this little piggy had a smooth, melty texture. The hazelnut butter was very light; in fact, I'd say it was almost difficult to detect.

Love the truffle pig illustrations on the Hagensborg bars and chocolates. These pigs really do look like they're having the time of their life.

Truffle Butter Truffles - Feb. 21, 2013

Romain, La Fromagerie, SF

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

SunSpire (nSpired Natural Foods)
Organic Chocolate Chips
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.45 g.) / 9 oz. (255 g.) total bag
Calories: 210 calories (estimate) in 1.5 oz. (42.45 g.)
Cost: $ unavailable
Purchased from: unavailable

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Truffle Theme Week. It was inevitable this week that I make some truffle truffles.

Yes, you're reading that correctly. I made some homemade chocolate truffles with Black Winter Truffle Butter from Fabrique Delices (Hayward, CA), that I found at La Fromagerie in (the Dogpatch area of) San Francisco. Thank you to Romain for truffle butter and cheese selection help.

I also made a small, semi-sweet, truffle butter chocolate cup (with a white chocolate and truffle butter center) -- topped with a drizzle of black truffle honey and a few grains of truffle sea salt.


The plate of tiny truffles and the chocolate truffle cup made a great late breakfast, and disappeared quickly. The truffle butter was good enough to eat by itself, or on warm toast (gluten-free bread for me). Fabrique Delices offers a line of charcuterie and savory butters -- e.g., black truffle, white truffle, porcini mushroom, and bacon. The truffle butters were made with imported French butter.

Sadly, SunSpire (nSpired Natural Foods) in San Leandro, CA, seemed to have gone out of business. I melted a few ounces of their organic, semi-sweet chocolate chips  -- that had been stored in my chocolate vault -- to make the truffles. They were quite good.

For those who do not like truffles (the fungi/tuber) -- my sympathies, and please forgive my rapturous delight over truffle honey this week. Soon, I'll be moving ahead to Chocolate and Umami Theme Week, where I'll combine cacao with seaweed, miso, kale, mushrooms, potatoes, parmesan cheese, and other fare. I hope you'll find something you like a bit more in this list. This month has evolved into quite a savory + sweet month.

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.

Le Veneziane, Truffle Cheesecake - Feb. 19, 2013

Chocolate of the Day:

Molino di Ferro
Le Veneziane - piccoli piaceri croccanti con Cacao e Nicciole
(Gluten Free cookies with Chocolate and Hazelnuts)
Good
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 8.8 oz. (250 g.) in 1 bag/package
Calories: 130 calories in 3.5 cookies
Cost: $5.39 for 1 bag
Purchased from: Miki's Farm Fresh Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Italy is a great place to find truffle-infused favorite foods. So, I attempted to travel there, virtually, with today's pairing.

First, I baked cheesecakes with (La Tourangelle) black truffle oil, and Ritrovo Italian truffle honey -- honey infused with black truffle. Then I combined one of these creamy little cheesecakes with today's crunchy, Italian chocolate cookies.

I crumbled one La Veneziane gluten-free chocolate and hazelnut cookie from Molino di Ferro (Italy), to use as a topping for the cheesecake -- along with some truffle honey and a dab of some creme fraiche -- and enjoyed two additional cookies by themselves.

These chocolate cookies made with corn flour were fairly light in flavor -- providing a nice crunchy texture, without overpowering the black truffle oil and the truffle honey in the cheesecake. The ground hazelnut flavor was very mild. (Molino di Ferro also makes polenta and corn-based pasta.)

Note to self: Try spreading a little Nutella or peanut butter on these; this might result in a tasty sandwich cookie.

Jar Full of Cupcakes, Truffle Day - Feb. 18, 2013

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

The Grain Exchange
Jar Full of Cupcakes - Red Velvet with Vanilla
Good + - Very Good
Weight: unknown
Calories: unknown
Cost: $39.50 for total box of 6
Purchased from: Abe's Market, online

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Truffle Theme Week. Since it was a holiday in the U.S. (Presidents Day), I had time to experiment with an entire lunch flavored with black truffles.

Appetizer: Black Truffle Popcorn

First course was an appetizer -- a small bowl of Black Truffle + White Cheddar popcorn from 479 degrees Popcorn (San Francisco, CA) with an optional dark chocolate drizzle. The black truffle flavor was delicate and unique enough that I cut way back on the (melted) chocolate here. Cacao nibs might have been a better choice.

Main Course: Chicken Vegetable and Truffle Soup

The second course was a homemade bowl of chicken and vegetable soup with Infused Black Truffle Oil from La Tourangelle (Woodland, CA).

Dessert: Jar Full of Cupcakes with Truffle Salt

Dessert (Chocolate of the Day) consisted of wonderfully moist and delicious gluten-free, red velvet cupcakes and vanilla frosting in a small mason jar.

Surprisingly, this Jar Full of Cupcakes from The Grain Exchange (Doylestown, PA) was also quite good with a sprinkle of Black Truffle Sea Salt (Smith and Truslow). The salt balanced out some of the sugar, harmonized with the vanilla; and the truffle flavor provided a beautifully blended accent note with these cupcakes.

Truffle Cocktail: Heaven and Earth

Marginally successful first attempt: the "Black Cat Truffle" martini. The rim of the glass was coated with black truffle sea salt, and the drink included chilled cream, milk, vanilla, creme de cacao, and Kahlua (pictured).

Much more successful second attempt: the "Heaven and Earth": a combination of Frangelico liqueur, and honey, with a splash of milk (or cream or unsweetened coconut milk), served in a glass with the rim coated with black truffle sea salt (not pictured).