Westminster - Lucy's Brownie Crisp Triple Chocolate gluten-free crisps - Aug. 9, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Westminster Cracker Company, Inc.
Lucy's Brownie Crisp Triple Chocolate gluten-free crisps
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 4.5 oz. (127 g.) in total package
Calories: 100 calories in 1 serving (3 pieces)
Cost: $4.29 for 1 package
Purchased from: Sprouts Farmers Market, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate Brownie Theme Week.

Today's Lucy's Brownie Crisp Triple Chocolate Gluten Free Crisps were from Westminster Cracker Company, Inc. (Rutland, VT).

These Brownie Crisps had an aroma and flavor that were part brownie and part chocolate cookie. They were made with 72% chocolate chunks, 46% chocolate chips, sugar and a gluten-free flour blend, and they were, as advertised, light and crunchy.

In addition to being gluten-free, these brownie crisps were certified vegan and kosher; and contained no peanuts, tree nuts, milk or eggs; however, they did contain soy, oats and fava.* They were also Non-GMO Certified.

*Ingredients: Organic Cane Sugar, Flour Blend (Gluten-Free Oat, Garbanzo/Chickpea, Sorghum, Tapioca and Fava Flours), Vegan Chocolate Chips and Chunks (Sugar, Unsweetened Chocolate, Dextrose, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Extract), (Organic) Soy Milk (Contains Carageenan, Cocoa, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Potato Starch, Leavening (Calcium Lactate, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Bitartrate), Cellulose Gum, Modified Cellulose), (Organic)Vanilla Extract, Baking Soda, Xanthan Gum, Salt.

Flour Chylde - Buche de Noel cake - Dec. 22, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Flour Chylde Bakery
Buche de Noel cake
Good ++
Weight: unknown
Calories: unknown 
Cost: $32.00 for 1 cake
Purchased from: Flour Chylde Bakery (phone order, farmers market pick-up)

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate, Smoke and Fire Theme Week.

Today's chocolate was a holiday treat—a Buche de Noel from Flour Chylde Bakery (Novato, CA). This gluten-and dairy-free version of a holiday classic was a carefully rolled chocolate sponge cake filled with vanilla frosting and drizzled with fudge icing.

The Buche de Noel (or yule log) cake is designed to look like a large wooden log that traditionally is burned on Christmas Eve. The chocsimile of this log may have a "branch" or two (or candy mushrooms) sprouting from its cake form. The frosting is often textured to look more like tree bark; and the cake is occasionally dusted with powdered sugar "snow."

I've wanted to make this Buche de Noel cake; however, its roll-and-fill construction process looked daunting. I decided it would be better to buy one from an experienced gluten-free bakery like Flour Chylde.

Well balanced chocolate and vanilla flavors dominated, but there was a faint twinkle of holiday spice that I couldn't quite pin down—pumpkin spice, rum raisin, or sugar plum dust? I'm not sure. (The cake did contain some pumpkin.)

Happy Winter Solstice to all! Progressively lighter days will be here soon.

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

Schar - Chocolate Sandwich Cremes - Oct. 11, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Schar
Chocolate Sandwich Cremes
Good - Good +
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 5.3 oz. (150 g.) in total package
Calories: 130 calories in 2 cookies
Cost: $3.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #11 of Chocolate and Gluten Free Cookie Theme Week.

These gluten-free, chocolate flavored* cookies from Schar (Germany/Lyndhurst, NJ) were crunchy and fresh tasting. Sweet and a bit starchy (corn starch) they were not overly so on either count.

These are the kind of cookies I would have loved in my lunch in grade school. I would have loved their smaller size, embossed detail and inherent cuteness -- then as now. (And there would have been no side effects from gluten**.)

*Both the biscuit and the filling contained cocoa powder. 
** Schar cookies are made in a dedicated (gluten-free) facility.

Amella - Roasted Almond Caramels - December 26, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Amella Caramels
Roasted Almonds Caramel(s)
Good
Weight: .932 oz. (26.4 g.) in 2 pieces / 8.4 oz. (238.1g.) total box of 4 flavors
Calories: 139 calories (estimate) for 2 pieces
Cost: $18.00 total cost for 1 box
Purchased from: sneakpeeq.com

Amella (a family run business in El Segundo, CA) claimed to have made the "World's First Cocoa Butter Caramels." I don't know if this statement was true or not, but I know that Amella caramels had a unique taste and creamy texture that I hadn't encountered before.

Today's Roasted Almonds caramels were part of an agave caramel assortment box that contained 4 different flavors. I reviewed the three other flavors (Original, Double Dark Chocolate, and Gray Sea Salt caramels) on this site earlier this month (December 2012).

Made with gluten-free ingredients, including organic blue agave nectar and the aforementioned cocoa butter, the two caramels I tried today had a silky smooth dissolve, and were coated with dark chocolate and topped with a sprinkle of crunchy, roasted almond bits. (They were also Kosher.)

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

ChocolateBet: May 29, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 cupcake
Kara's Cupcakes
Chocolate Velvet (gluten-free) cupcake
Very Good
Weight: 2.5 oz. (70.75 g.) (estimate) in 1 cupcake
Calories: 350 calories (estimate)
Cost: $3.25 for 1 cupcake
Purchased from: Kara's Cupcakes store in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Salt Theme Week -- and, also, a big, double-milestone birthday celebration (for my dad and my daughter); so there was a lot of and eating, music, dancing, and general family fun. On the dessert menu this evening were some gluten-free cupcakes. Thank you to Kara's Cupcakes for offering this non-wheat option. I ate this Chocolate Velvet cupcake with some slivered almonds and just a hint of salt, along with some fresh strawberries and a little bit of ice cream.

It was a good thing I got up early this morning to go walking up in Napa wine country. Even so, as I write this, I feel as if I'm about to drop off into a food coma right...about...now.....