Isey Skyr - Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Skyr - Dec. 13, 2022

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Isey Skyr
Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Skyr 
Good - Good +
Weight: 6 oz. (170 g.) in one container
Calories: 173 calories (estimate) in 1 container
Cost: 232 ISK (approx.) (145 ISK (Icelandic Kronur) = $1 USD)
Purchased from: Bonus (store), Reykjavik (Harbor area), Iceland 

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

Today's Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Skyr was from Isey Skyr (Reykjavik, Iceland).

Skyr is an Icelandic cultured dairy product that is high in protein. It is similar to Greek-style yogurt in the U.S., but it's less tart and has a thick, almost silky texture and creamy flavor. (The heirloom Icelandic cultures used to make skyr are said to date back several centuries.*)

I enjoyed the skyr offerings in Iceland--none more so than a bowl in a small restaurant in the middle of the countryside. After that experience, I bought four types of skyr for a side-by-side breakfast tasting--including this Isey Skyr single-serving container with chocolate.

This skyr (made with skimmed milk) was flavored with dark chocolate and vanilla. Small chocolate flavored pieces/flecks contributed light chocolate chip type flavor. And faint vanilla added warmth and implied sweetness.

 Overall, this skyr was creamy and smooth and not too sweet (thank you).

See the next two posts for the 2nd (lunch) and 3rd (dinner) chocolates I also enjoyed today (Dec. 13, 2022).

Ingredients: Skimmed milk, chocolate chips (3%) (cocoa, cocoa butter, sugar), corn starch, binder (pectin), flavoring, sweetener (sucralose, acesulfame-K), vanilla bean, skim bacteria.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk. Does not contain wheat. (Contains artificial sweeteners: sucralose, acesulfame-K.)

Note: This post was delayed due to international travel in Iceland and elsewhere.

* Isey Skyr uses the "original Icelandic skyr cultures from MS Iceland Dairies," a large dairy co-op with more than 500 farms.

Ritter Sport - Marhaba - Yogurt Honey Hazelnuts bar - Sept. 5, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Ritter Sport
Marhaba - Yogurt Honey Hazelnuts bar
Good +
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 288 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing store information

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

Today's Ritter Sport Marhaba Yogurt Honey Hazelnuts Bar was from Alfred Ritter GmbH and Co. KG (Waldenbuch, Germany).

Aroma notes for this fun confection of a bar included sweet hazelnut nougat and milk chocolate. 

Flavor notes included: upticks of milk chocolate, honey sweetened plain yogurt and hazelnut. I really enjoyed the well-orchestrated complexity of this filled bar. Texturally, it was also a multi-layered blend of creamy milk chocolate "shell" with a light, sweet creamy yogurt filling that incorporated small, crunchy, honey-ed and hazelnut bits.

Ritter's product description: "Milk chocolate with a lowfat yogurt filling, hazelnut pieces and honey-crisp."

Ingredients: Sugar, (certified sustainable) palm fat, cocoa butter, hazelnuts, chocolate liquor, milk, lowfat yogurt powder (milk), lactose (milk), honey, skim milk, maltodextrin, butterfat (milk), cream (milk), soy lecithin, sodium alginate. 

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of peanuts, other tree nuts, wheat and egg."

 

Yasso - Coffee Chocolate Chip Frozen Greek Yogurt (bars) - July 14, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Yasso, Inc. 
Coffee Chocolate Chip - Frozen Greek Yogurt (bars)
Good ++
Weight: 3.5 fl. oz. (103 mL) / 14 fl. oz. (414 mL) in total package of 4 bars
Calories: 100 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $5.50 (2 for $11.00) for 1 package/box of 4 bars
Purchased from: Safeway, Mountain View, CA

Yasso, Inc.
Coffee Poppables - Naturally Flavored Frozen Greek Yogurt
Good ++
Weight: .68 fl. oz. (20 mL) / 4.08 fl. oz. (120 mL) in total package of 6
Calories: 50 calories in 1 piece
Cost: $5.50 (2 for $11.00) for 1 package of 6 pieces
Purchased from: Safeway, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Coffee Theme Week, and Happy Bastille Day* to all who celebrate this holiday. Summer weather has prompted a series of items this week from the frozen/ice cream sections of local stores.

Today's Coffee Chocolate Chip Naturally Flavored Frozen Greek Yogurt (bars) and Coffee Poppables were manufactured for Yasso, Inc. (Boulder, CO). The company produces a line of frozen snacks including bars (plain and chocolate covered), ice cream-style sandwiches and poppables.

Coffee Chocolate Chip bar

The frozen coffee bar had a light coffee/mocha scent, an easy melt and creamy texture. An authentic coffee flavor lingered into the finish. The generous smattering of small chocolate chips had just the right melt and accessible chocolate flavor. (The chips were neither too hard or waxy, nor too soft). 

Coffee Poppable

The second yogurt treat--a dome-shaped, frozen Coffee "Poppable"--had more textural contrast than the Coffee bar. It had a thin, softly crunchy outer dark chocolate shell (with just the right texture), a creamy coffee frozen yogurt interior, and some crispy quinoa bits. 

At 50 calories a pop, these were a relative caloric bargain.

Both these Yasso coffee + chocolate greek yogurt treats ("ice cream upgraded") were creamy, appealing and sweet, without being too sugary. 

Coffee Chocolate Chip (bar) Ingredients: Nonfat milk, greek yogurt (nonfat milk, ultrafiltered nonfat milk, cultures), sugar, chocolate flavored chip (powdered sugar (sugar, cornstarch), coconut oil, cocoa processed with alkali, cocoa, soy lecithin, vanilla extract), milk protein concentrate, maltodextrin, cream, coffee extract, locust bean gum, guar gum, natural flavor.

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk and soy." "Processed in a facility that uses tree nuts, eggs, peanuts and wheat."

Coffee Poppables Ingredients: Nonfat milk, dark chocolate flavored coating (coconut oil, sugar, cocoa powder processed with alkali, chocolate liquor, soybean oil, soy lecithin, vanilla extract), sugar, greek yogurt (nonfat milk, ultrafiltered nonfat milk, cultures), cream, milk protein concentrate, crisp quinoa, maltodextrin, coffee extract, locust bean gum, guar gum, natural flavor.

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk and soy." "Processed in a facility that uses tree nuts, eggs, peanuts, and wheat."

*Bastille Day, also known as French National Day (La Fete Nacional), is a holiday celebrated in France and many of its territories, to commemorate the storming of the Bastille (prison) on July 14, 1789. This event is often cited as a turning point in the French Revolution. Similar to the 4th of July (Independence Day) in the U.S., this public holiday is often celebrated with fireworks in the evening.

Libeert - Organic Milk Chocolate - Coconut and Yoghurt (bar) - Apr. 13, 2020

Chocolate of the Day:

Libeert
Organic Milk Chocolate - Coconut and Yoghurt (bar)
Good
Weight: 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 540 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $2.99 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

Today's Coconut and Yoghurt Organic Milk Chocolate (bar) was manufactured by Libeert s.a. (Comines, Belgium).

This creamy milk chocolate with crunchy flecks of coconut had a coconut aroma; sweet milk chocolate and coconut flavor with a slight nuttiness; and a light, lingering coconut finish. Yogurt flavoring added a very subtle sweet tartness that helped balance out a relatively high sugar content.

Leaving aside the coconut for a moment...Not only do many milk chocolate bars have a lower percent of cocoa in them, but they also, by definition, have a higher percentage of milk and sugar. Milk and sugar often introduce caramel or candy notes and can mute or mask cacao flavor constituents, such as: fruit, nut, earth, spice, green or dark brownie/fudge notes. These flavor notes often correspond to cacao species, geological origin, soil and fermentation characteristics. (Adding milk and sugar might improve poor quality or bitter cacao, but as a rule fine cacao will be less adulterated.)

Looking for subtle chocolate flavor characteristics in bars with less than 40% cocoa solids becomes quite challenging. Today's milk chocolate contained 38.5% cocoa solids. The chocolate flavor that did poke through seemed rich and mild. (No cacao origin was specified on the packaging for this bar.)

Ingredients: milk chocolate (organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic dry whole milk, organic chocolate liquor; organic coconut flakes; coconut and yogurt flavor.

Clio - Strawberry Greek Yogurt Bar wrapped in chocolate - Feb. 15, 2020

Chocolate of the Day:

Clio Snack Company
Strawberry - Greek Yogurt Bar wrapped in chocolate
Good +
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

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

Today's chilled Strawberry Greek Yogurt Bar wrapped in chocolate were made by Clio Snack Company (Roselle, NJ).

The company's line of chocolate covered bars are described as: "greek yogurt (with a cheesecake texture and a sweet and tart flavor) meets chocolate in a bar." Indeed, all this was true, and the strawberry greek yogurt complemented the chocolate quite nicely.

This bar was marketed as containing "billions of probiotics" and 8 grams of protein. It was very tasty, although a bit on the sweet side for me. However, if you're looking for an elevated, gluten free dessert with some extra health benefits sprinkled in, this would be a great choice.

Note: Photos that accompany this entry have been delayed.

Chocolate Filled Raspberries; Cheesecake Cups; Raspberry Almond Yogurt; small desserts - Dec. 7, 2019

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

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

Greetings busy people. Here is a trio of small, easy to make chocolate and raspberry desserts 1.) Dark Chocolate Filled Fresh Raspberries, 2.) chocolate and raspberry Cheesecake Cups and 3.) Raspberry Almond Milk Yogurt with chocolate shavings.

Dark Chocolate Filled Raspberries

Dark Chocolate Filled Raspberries
Good +++
Weight: unknown - less than 1 oz. (28.3 g.)
Calories: 35 calories (estimate) in 5 berries
Cost: $5.00 (estimate) for organic, fresh raspberries and dark chocolate

Simple is better. A shout out to Robyn Stone's recipe for chocolate filled fresh raspberries (found on her Add A Pinch website).

This is an easy, fresh way to combine berries and chocolate. Even though finding fresh berries in December required a fairly extensive search, it was worth the drive to be able to create these flavorful little beauties.

Melt a little dark chocolate with a bit of coconut oil and either carefully spoon the melted chocolate* into individual berries, or put this chocolate a plastic bag and cut off a small corner to pipe warm chocolate into each berry. Chilling these for even a few minutes firms up the chocolate.

Philadelphia Cheesecake Cups

Kraft Heinz
Philadelphia Cheesecake Cups
(chocolate and raspberry)
Good
Weight: 3.25 oz. (92 g.) / 6.5 oz. (184 g.) in 1 package of 2 servings
Calories: 240 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $3.99 (estimate) for 1 package of 2 servings
Purchased from: Missing information

This off-the-shelf snack dessert package of Philadelphia "cheesecake cups" (contained two serving containers and) was made with a pocket of chocolate cream cheese and a pocket of raspberry sauce, and no artificial flavors or colors (thank you!).

A consumer can mix the chocolate and raspberry pockets or sides together as they wish. Just grab a spoon and eat.

Raspberry Yogurt with Dark Chocolate Shavings

Kite Hill 
Raspberry Artisan Almond Milk Yogurt (dairy free)
Weight: 5.3 oz. (150 g.) in 1 container + dark chocolate shavings
Calories: 150 calories in 1 container + dark chocolate shavings
Cost: $0.89 for 1 serving
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Kite Hill Raspberry Artisan Almond Milk Yogurt—distributed by Lyrical Foods, Inc. (Hayward, CA)—with dark chocolate shavings was the third small dessert for the day.

It's nice to have a non-dairy yogurt alternative that can be eaten plain or incorporated into some dessert like this. The texture was smooth and velvety. The raspberry flavor was authentic and the yogurt had a very faint plant/nut taste at the end.

And dark chocolate shavings seem to be right at home with any yogurt, or ice cream.

*Note: An 80% cocoa dark chocolate single origin bar, and a Tart Raspberries + Dark Chocolate 72% Cocoa bar (featured earlier version of this site) from Endangered Species (Indianapolis, IN) were also used to make these desserts.

Chobani flip - Almond Coco Loco - Feb. 6, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chobani, LLC

Chobani Flip - Almond Coco Loco

Good

Weight: 5.3 oz. (150 g.) in total container

Calories: 230 calories in 1 container

Cost: $0.69 for 1 container

Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week.

Today's  Chobani flip* Almond Coco Loco Greek yogurt was from Chobani, LLC (New Berlin, NY).

Coconut low-fat (1.5 % milkfat) Greek yogurt was paired with pieces of honey roasted salted almonds and dark chocolate.

This coconut yogurt was not quite as sweet as its caramel yogurt and peanut milk chocolate sibling (featured yesterday). I liked today's blend of coconut, almonds and dark chocolate a bit better than the peanut caramel and milk chocolate.

This Greek coconut yogurt, like its caramel sibling, was less tangy (than conventional, non-Greek style yogurt)—allowing the flavors to harmonize more smoothly. (Overly tangy yogurt pulls me out of the tasting experience.)

*The flip in the Chobani flip name referred to the bending and flipping over of a smaller compartment (of milk chocolate and peanut pieces) into a larger yogurt compartment. The peanuts likely stay crunchier this way.

Chobani flip - Peanut Caramel Satisfaction - Feb. 5, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chobani, LLC

Chobani Flip - Peanut Caramel Satisfaction

Good

Weight: 5.3 oz. (150 g.) in total container

Calories: 200 calories in 1 container

Cost: $0.69 for 1 container

Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

This week we have two more yogurt with chocolate entries, starting with today's Chobani flip* Peanut Caramel Satisfaction Greek yogurt from Chobani LLC (New Berlin, NY).


Caramel low-fat (1.5 % milkfat) Greek yogurt was paired with roasted peanuts, milk chocolate and "chewy caramel bits."

Ole! Was this the milk chocolate and caramel candy of the yogurt world? Fortunately not. It was sweet, but not that sweet.

And, it was less tangy (than conventional, non-Greek style yogurt)—allowing this yogurt to harmonize more smoothly with the other flavors/inclusions.

*The flip in the Chobani flip name referred to the bending and flipping over of a smaller compartment (of milk chocolate and peanut pieces) into a larger yogurt compartment. The peanuts likely stay crunchier this way.

The Greek Gods - Chocolate Strawberry yogurt - Jan. 31, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.

The Greek Gods - Chocolate Strawberry Yogurt

Good

Weight: 1 cup (227 g.) / 24 oz. (680 g.) in total container

Calories: 300 calories in 1 (cup) serving

Cost: $1.99 for 1 container

Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Fruit Theme Week.

Today's Chocolate Strawberry Yogurt made for and distributed by The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (Lake Success, NY/Boulder, CO).

The chocolate-colored yogurt was rich and had an almost velvety creaminess and uniformity after being stirred.

Chocolate yogurts, even Greek style, tend to have a certain tanginess that may be off-putting to some. However, if you love yogurt and you love chocolate and fruit, then today's Chocolate Strawberry yogurt might make a great addition to a fresh strawberry fruit plate.

Or add a fresh banana, and a dollop of vanilla yogurt and enjoy a yogurt version of a banana split. 

The Hain Celestial Group - Chocolate Mocha Greek Style Yogurt - June 9, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.
The Greek Gods - Greek Style Yogurt
Chocolate Mocha flavored with other natural flavor
Good - Good +
Weight: 1/2 cup (113.5 g.) / 24 oz. (680 g.) in total container
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 cup serving
Cost: $1.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's chocolate and coffee flavored item was a yogurt. The Greek Gods Chocolate Mocha Greek Style Yogurt was Manufactured for and Distributed by The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (Lake Success, NY).

It's not always easy to blend chocolate and yogurt. The slightly acidic tangy flavor of yogurt can clash with chocolate. Today's Chocolate Mocha yogurt was successful in making this mix work.

The yogurt was smooth and creamy and the mocha blend was flavorful without being too sweet.

While it did contain vegetable gums, the ingredients list was relatively straight-forward, mercifully short and "natural," with no starches or artificial colors or flavors added.

Chobani Simply 100 - Raspberry Chocolate Twist - Aug. 23, 2016

Chocolate of the Day:

Chobani, LLC

Chobani Simply 100

"Crunch" Raspberry Chocolate Twist

Good

Weight: 4.2 oz. (119 g.) in total container 

Calories: 100 calories in 1 container

Cost: $missing information

Purchase from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Back on Aug. 26, 2013, I featured a Chobani (Norwich, NY) "Bite" 100-calorie offering with raspberry yogurt and chocolate chips. I'm not sure the smaller-sized (3.5 oz. or 100 g.) "Bite" line of flavors are still sold.

Today's newer Select 100 "Crunch" Raspberry Chocolate Twist (yogurt) flavor, also was only 100 calories and had flavors that included raspberry and chocolate. However, today's "Crunch" also contained acai and coconut, giving it a bit more varied texture (creamy, chewy and slightly crunchy).

Raspberry Acai non-fat Greek yogurt was blended with "Raspberry Milk Chocolate and Toasted Coconut."

The two-compartment yogurt snack was naturally sweetened (with monkfruit and stevia) and made from Non-GMO ingredients. The natural sweetener blend was quite good compared to artificial sweeteners or sugar and corn syrup blends of the past.

Today was Day #16 of Chocolate, Fruit and Botanicals Month.

Chobani - "flip" yogurt Chocolate Haze Craze - July 11, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chobani, LLC
Chobani Greek Yogurt "flip" Chocolate Haze Craze
Good
Weight: 5.3 oz. (150 g.) in total container
Calories: 240 calories in 1 container
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: Safeway

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week.

Today's Chocolate Haze Craze yogurt from Chobani, LLC (New Berlin, New York) was packaged with two compartments.

One was filled with chopped hazelnuts and chocolate chips that could be "flipped" onto a second, larger compartment of slightly tangy chocolate, hazelnut flavored low-fat yogurt.

Chobani is a U.S. based strained (or Greek) yogurt maker that got its start in 2005 and now is a top-selling brand with many different flavors of yogurt, including at least two with chocolate that I've tasted.

Foxy's - Fancy Pash Dark Chocolate Tangerine yogurt - June 21, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Foxy's Frozen Yogurt
Fancy Pash - Dark Chocolate and Tangerine Zest
Good - Good +
Weight: 1/2 cup (118.25 mL) / 1 Pint (473 mL) total container
Calories: 120 calories in 1/2 cup serving
Cost: $2.99 (estimate)
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Orange Theme Week.

The 1950s era couple on this Foxy's Frozen Yogurt container looked fun. They looked like they might enjoy a cocktail now and then in addition to their serving of Fancy Pash Dark Chocolate and Tangerine Zest frozen yogurt.

The lack of fat in frozen yogurt (vs. in cream-based ice cream) meant that the flavors were clear and discernible - fresher tasting tangerine citrus flavor and sweet chocolate texture and flavor. I amped this up with a drizzle of Cointreau (orange liqueur) and a few toasted walnuts because I thought the Fancy Pash couple wouldn't mind. Cheers.

Happy Summer Solstice Day and Father's Day to those in the U.S.

Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate + Fig + Rose - Nov. 27, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Trader Joe's
Organic Dark Chocolate 73% Cacao Super Dark bar
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 158 calories for 1 oz. (14.1 g.) piece of chocolate
Cost: $1.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Trader Joe's, Palo Alto, CA

Happy Thanksgiving to all in the U.S. I'm thankful for time spent with family, and for all the people growing cacao and making great chocolate.

Today was the last day of Chocolate and Fig Theme Week, and the first day of Chocolate and Rose Theme Week.

With this many food and chocolate flavors intersecting today (I'm giving pumpkin a rest this year), I decided to make a trio of small shotglass desserts with chocolate. What's better than one dessert? Desserts that are so tiny, you can have more than one.

All three of these desserts incorporated chocolate from today's Organic 73% Super Dark bar from Trader Joe's (Monrovia, CA).

The first dessert, served warm, consisted of brandy-marinated figs, atop a layer of chopped bacon, topped with a layer of melted dark chocolate in a shotglass.

The second tiny dessert was a fig bread pudding -- with chopped figs and gluten-free raisin cinnamon toast, topped with chopped pecans, cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, and chocolate shavings.

Last but not least, the third small glass was filled with greek yogurt flavored with rosehip jam, rosewater and cardamom, and topped with chopped, roasted and salted pistachio nuts. and chocolate shavings.

The Trader Joe's Super Dark bar was smooth, dark fun, with fudgy and nutty flavors. This organic bar was perfect by itself, or for livening up a dessert.

One Planet Granola - Sept. 18, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

One Planet Granola
Chocolate Jubilee Organic Granola
Good - Good +
Weight: 1/4 cup / 12 oz. total bag/package
Calories: 120 calories in 1/4 cup serving
Cost: $6.98 (sale price)
Purchased from: Raley's supermarket, Incline Village, NV

I needed a breakfast this morning that would fuel my planned mountain hike. This called for... chocolate granola! -- paired with some strawberry rhubarb yogurt.

The Chocolate Jubilee organic granola mix was introduced by the mother-daughter team at One Planet Granola (Larkspur, CA) at their Ross, CA, cafe.  This chocolate flavor, one of several flavors in their granola line-up, contained dark chocolate; large, whole dried cherries; almond bits; oats; coconut; and other ingredients.

This crunchy, flavorful cereal paired well with the smooth, creamy strawberry rhubarb yogurt (also available in blueberry) from Noosa yogurt. I used this yogurt instead of milk. Happily this granola was not overly sweet, nor was it overly chocolatey -- making it easier to enjoy the individual constituents in the mix.

And, the granola-powered hike was a great success.

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Berry Theme Week.

Note: This post was delayed (posted a day late) due to out-of-state travel and limited Internet access.

Chobani greek yogurt - August 26, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chobani, Inc.
Greek Yogurt - Bite - Raspberry with dark chocolate chips
Good
Weight: 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in 1 yogurt / part of a larger 4-pack
Calories: 100 calories (plus cream cheese and crust for "shotglass cheesecake")
Cost: $3.49 for 1 4-pack of yogurt
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

A raspberry flavored Greek Yogurt "Bite" (small container) with flecks of dark chocolate chips might be healthier than ice cream, but I probably downgraded the health benefits a bit by mixing this yogurt with some cream cheese. I poured this cheesecake-like filling over a ground nut (almond, pecan, walnut and date) crust -- to make shotglass and miniature ersatz cheesecakes.

I also made a similar pineapple cheesecake with Chobani's pineapple and caramel flavored Bite yogurt.

Neither one was as rich as a full fat New York style cheesecake, but they were tasty all the same. And, small portion sizes work well for me (and my test kitchen).

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Cheese Theme Week.

Chobani bite, vanilla yogurt - March 16, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chobani, Inc.
"bite" coffee yogurt with dark chocolate chips
Good
Weight: 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in 1 serving / 14 oz. (400 g.) in total 4-pack
Calories: 100 calories for 1 serving
Cost: $3.79 for 4-pack
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Vanilla Theme Week.

Everything seemed diminutive about today's coffee yogurt with chocolate chips from Chobani, Inc. (New Berlin, NY). The small size was convenient for a 100-calorie snack on the go, or a lunchbox dessert. (I ate mine for breakfast.) I was happy to see a relatively small list of natural ingredients. The coffee flavor was relatively mild, and the dark chocolate chips were small -- making it easier for me to taste the non-fat, gluten free yogurt at the heart of this product.

I mixed this Chobani "bite" sized coffee and chocolate chip Greek yogurt with a slightly larger (6 oz., 170 g.) container of Chobani Vanilla Non-fat yogurt. In the future, I might sprinkle these yogurts with a pinch of cocoa powder and/or cacao nibs, if I'm in the mood for a little more chocolate flavor.

A Pie Sundae

Greek yogurt is a favorite of mine; but it's hard to compete with ice cream. Later today I was enjoying dinner at a little place known for its pies, when I was offered a special, off-menu, ice cream sundae: made with homemade, fresh ollalieberry pie filling, layered with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. Thank you to Duarte's Tavern and restaurant for this custom-made, gluten-free pie sundae with just the right amount of chocolate and vanilla, and berry pie guts. 

ChocolateBet: September 12, 2011

Chocolate of the Day: 

Stonyfield Farm, Inc.
Oikos
1.) Chocolate nonfat yogurt - OK+- Good
2.) Caramel nonfat yogurt - Good
Weight: 4 oz. (113 g.) each cup
Calories: 200 calories (total for 2)
Cost: $ not available
Purchased from: information not available

Time to get some culture today -- yogurt culture that is. New Hampshire-based Stonyfield Farm is behind the Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt brand. Today I sampled two Oikos nonfat yogurt flavors: Chocolate and Caramel.

Chocolate flavored yogurt is a bit of a challenge in my experience. Fresh, unsweetened Greek yogurt topped with dark chocolate shavings, dried figs and toasted walnuts is my favorite rendition of this flavor; and it's unfair to compare a custom favorite with any standard item purchased in a grocery store. But, you could gussy up your Oikos yogurt with your own toppings. Hats off to Stonyfield for their contribution to their contribution to sustainable and organic practices on a large scale over time.

Today was Day #1 of Chocolate and Caramel Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: May 14, 2011

Chocolates of the Day:

1.) Cafe Sophia 
Hot Chocolate
Very Good
Weight: 12 oz. (estimate)
Calories: unknown
Cost: $
Purchased from: Cafe Sophia, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #7 of Drinking Chocolate/Chocolate Beverage Theme Week; and for today's hot chocolate I consulted Sophia, of Cafe Sophia -- a neighborhood restaurant and coffee shop, serving Afghan cuisine, and hot mocha, chocolate, tea, and other beverages.

Sophia mentioned that she uses chocolate from Columbia for her hot chocolate mix, and customers can add cinnamon or other spices if desired. I enjoyed an oversized, 12-oz. cup and saucer of lovely, frothy drinking chocolate with a late lunch buffet plate of wonderful Afghan food that included kofta (meatball), chicken, a mediterranean salad, and rice flavored with sweetened orange peel and whole, green pistachio nuts.

2.) Homemade vanilla, coconut, chocolate chip yogurt shake
Very Good
Weight: 8 fl. oz.
Calories: 200 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ various ingredients from supermarket
Purchased from: Safeway, in Palo Alto, CA

As mentioned above, today was the last day of Drinking Chocolate Theme Week, but also the first day of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week. So, this evening after dinner I whipped up a small yogurt dessert shake, using vanilla yogurt, Greek yogurt, coconut flavoring, and ground chocolate. It was quite tasty if I do say so.

ChocolateBet: April 23, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:
1 serving
Colombo (frozen yogurt)
Chocolate (nonfat) and Simply Vanilla (lowfat) swirled together in a cup
Good +
Weight: ~ 8 oz. total
Calories: ~ 250
Cost: $3.39
Purchased from: RLW, Inc. Snack Bar in Mc Carran International Airport, Las Vegas, NV