Taza Chocolate - Organic Chocolate Covered Nuts - April 26, 2024

 Chocolate of the Day

Taza Chocolate 
Organic Chocolate Covered Nuts
Good ++

Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 16 oz. (453 g.) in total package
Calories: 160 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $8.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market 

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Haiti Theme Week.

Today's Organic Chocolate Covered Nuts were from Taza Chocolate (Somerville, MA). 

While the cacao origin wasn't explicitly stated on the package, there was an image of a woman cacao farmer in Haiti; and the company sources cacao from the Dominican Republic, Ghana and Haiti (PISA* in the Acul du Nord District).

Aroma notes included: bold chocolate-y chocolate (extra dark brownies); faint roasted nuts; (almonds); very subtle and balanced earth; very faint vanilla; and very faint sweet/tart green-citrus (oxalis) and red fruit.

Texture: smooth, chocolate coating over softly crunchy (whole) nuts.

Flavor notes included: deep, dark bold chocolate (with a very slight, well-balanced earthiness); authentic, whole nut (almond, cashew and hazelnut) centers; and a faint trace of vanilla.

Maker's notes (for Haiti cacao): Dried fig, tart cherry, roasted nuts.

Ingredients:  Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cacao Beans, Organic Almonds, Organic Cashews, Organic Hazelnuts, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Vanilla Beans, Sea Salt.

Allergen-related information: Contains Almonds, Cashews and Hazelnuts. May Contain Traces of Other Tree Nuts and Sesame.

*Taza has been working with Produits Des Iles SA, or PISA, since 2015. PISA represents over 1,300 cacao farmers and works with farmers to develop high-quality cacao that can be sold to specialty markets, including bean-to-bar chocolate makers, such as Taza Chocolate. Most of the cacao in this week's Haiti bars come from PISA.

Weinrich's - Wodka Lemon Vollmilch Schokolade (bar) - July 27, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Weinrich's 1895 Finest Chocolate
Wodka Lemon Vollmich Schokolade
(Milk Chocolate with Vodka Lemon Truffle Filling)
Good +
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 3.53 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 219 calories (estimate) in 40 g. serving (2/5 of bar)
Cost: $2.89 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Crossroads Specialty Market, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Fruits Week, featuring chocolates (mostly bars) with a variety of fruit flavor inclusions. Many of the fruits mirror or complement fruit notes found in cacao fruit pulp.

Today's Milk Chocolate with Vodka-Lemon-Truffle-Filling (bar) from Ludwig Weinrich GmbH & Co. KG (Herford, Germany) was made in Germany.

Aroma notes included: chocolate, very faint alcohol (vodka), citrus (lemon) and a slight bitterness consistent with dark chocolate, lemon peel and vodka.

This 40% milk chocolate had a creamy, buttery texture and melt. The milk chocolate was infused with sweet citrus flavor (lemon chiffon pie with a nut crust). A 36% milk chocolate filling with hazelnut paste providing subtle, layered flavors.

I enjoyed this creamy, lemon milk chocolate confection--part dessert and part sweet cocktail. But, it may be too sweet and buttery for some dark chocolate fans. Any alcohol flavor (vodka) likely dissipated 

Ingredients: Milk chocolate: sugar, cocoa butter, skimmed milk powder, cocoa mass, butterfat (milk), whey powder (milk), hazelnut paste, emulsifier: soy lecithin; flavour: vanilla extract. Filling: sugar, milk chocolate [sugar, cocoa mass, whole milk powder, cocoa butter, whey powder (milk)], 12% Vodka 60% vol., butterfat (milk), glucose syrup, cocoa powder, lemonoil (sic), humectant: invertase. Cocoa: 30% minimum. Milk solids: 15%. 

Allergen-related information: (Contains milk, soy and tree nuts (hazelnuts)). "May contain traces of almonds, egg and wheat."

Cacao Crudo - Raw Organic Chocolate Unroasted Criollo Cacao, Hazelnuts 65% (bar) - Sept. 27, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao Crudo 

Raw Organic Chocolate Unroasted Criollo Cacao, Granella Nocciole (Hazelnuts) 65% (bar)

Good ++ - Good +++

Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar

Calories: 280 calories (estimated) in 1 bar

Cost: $6.49 (estimate) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Rainbow Grocery, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Raw Organic 65% Cacao Granella Nocciole (Hazelnut) bar from Cacao Crudo (Italy) was made from fine, non tostado (unroasted) criollo cacao from the Peruvian* Amazon and Italian hazelnuts.

My first impression: unroasted, delicate Criollo cacao with clean, green aroma and flavor, and low bitterness and acidity and a very slight, dry (green tea) astringency. Cacao Crudo bars offer a different way to enjoy chocolate, in the same way that a fine oolong tea is different than a fine black tea. I felt transported to eating chocolate by a pool, surrounded by green bamboo forest.

The texture was chocolatey with slight courseness due to a generous helping of chopped Italian hazelnuts (Tonda Gentile Romana, an Italian hazelnut cultivar, with trees usually found in Central Italy).

I could taste the slightly fibrous, flavorful essence of each unroasted hazelnut, because the entire bar was unencumbered by extra roasting and sugar. Much as I love the smell and flavor of toasted nuts and cacao, conventional chocolate bars often suffer from over-roasted ingredients (with an accompanying loss in subtle flavors and natural textures) and are drowning in sweetness. (This chocolate was sweetened with touch of coconut flower sap.)

The finish had light, lingering green and very faint, clean floral notes and a subtle (tea/tannic) astringency.

Today's chocolate was a welcome change of pace, offering a high-quality, raw chocolate tasting experience. I've described this 65% cacao chocolate bar as "light," but it also felt very satisfying--possibly because unroasted elements retain a higher percentage of their antioxidants or because the coconut sugar (lower on the glycemic index than processed cane sugar) did not spike my blood sugar. 

If you prefer a strong espresso and like to get a buzz from plant alkaloids like caffeine and theobromine, go for a conventional 70% cacao (roasted) bar with plenty of sugar. If you feel like a high-quality alternative, try Cacao Crudo's line of bars.

Ingredients: Organic unroasted Criollo cacao (beans) paste, organic "Tondo Gentile Romana" chopped hazelnuts (18%) criollo cacao, and organic concentrated coconut flower sap.

*Cacao Crudo is a project by Daniele Dell'Orco, a food "anthropologist and researcher" in Italy who wanted to improve on other raw/unroasted cacao offerings. In so doing, he created one of the first raw cacao manufacturing companies in Italy. The cacao used to craft this bar (and others) comes from the Junin Region (mountainous Central Highlands, westernmost area of the Peruvian Amazon), in Satipo Province, in Peru. This cacao is cultivated at high altitudes (600-1,200 meters) by small producers (native Ashanika people). The coconut palm sugar came from a co-op of Indonesian women. The hazelnuts came from the Latium plain area (of west-central Italy). 

Homemade Chocolate Ginger Spumoni - Jan. 15, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

California Spumoni desserts
1.) Homemade Chocolate Ginger fudge sauce - Good - Good +
2.) Signature Select Ginger Zinger Trail Mix - Good
Weight: 4 oz. (113.2 g.) in 1 serving (small bowl)
Calories: 226 calories (estimate) for 1 small bowl
Cost: $N/A - various ingredients
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Theme Week and Day #1 of Chocolate and Ginger Theme Week.

Today's ice cream might be best described as California spumoni ice cream, with cherries (fresh and dried) nuts and chocolate...and with a wake-up zing of spicy ginger.

Authentic spumoni ice cream is often a layered parfait of cherry pinks, pistachio greens and cream-colored chocolate (and possibly vanilla), interspersed with bits of fruits and nuts.

Today's homemade ice cream sundae with Ginger Zinger Trail Mix and chocolate ginger sauce, as well as a homemade frozen parfait could be considered California-style Spumoni deserts.

The latter contained dried cherries, hazelnuts and candied ginger (provided by the same Ginger Zinger Trail Mix + some chopped frozen cherries).

Ghirardelli Chocolate - Milk Chocolate Caramelized Hazelnuts - Jan. 13, 2020

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Ghirardelli Chocolate Company
Milk Chocolate Caramelized Hazelnuts
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) 4.8 oz. (136.2 g.) in total package
Calories: 150 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $7.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Michael's, Mountain View, CA

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

Today's Milk Chocolate Caramelized Hazelnuts from Ghirardelli Chocolate Company (San Leandro, CA) were an addictive blend of sweet rich milk chocolate, nuts, and a wee bit of salt.

The nuts had a slightly roasted flavor and a soft crunchy texture, contrasting with smooth chocolate coatings.

Experimental research...
Other chocolate research is frequently being conducted at Chocolate Banquet headquarters. For example, two experimental batches of pumpkin ice cream blended with pie spices, toasted hazelnuts and almonds, and chocolate fudge pieces, were created today. (The "fudge" pieces were created using melted, untempered dark chocolate and coconut oil.)

The verdict? More research is needed to perfect this ice cream. (I might try vanilla bean and honey ice cream next time.)

We'll stick to polishing off the Milk Chocolate Caramelized Hazelnuts today.

The Market's Tart Cherry and Hazelnut bark - May 5, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

The Market at Edgewood
The Market's Tart Cherry and Hazelnut bark
Good+
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.45 g.) / 13.28 oz. (375.82 g.) in total container
Calories: 225 calories (estimate) in 1.5 oz. serving
Cost: $14.10 for 1 container of pieces
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's The Market's Tart Cherry and Hazelnut Bark from The Market at Edgewood (Palo Alto, CA) was made with smooth, and not too sweet (thank you!), dark chocolate seasoned with pieces of dried, tart cherries and whole hazelnuts.

The darker chocolate (percent not listed) in these slabs of bark helped balance the concentrated tart sweetness of the cherries. And the hazelnuts paired very nicely with both the dark chocolate and the cherries.

Caffarel - milk and dark gianduia chocolates - March 7, 2019

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Caffarel
Creamy Gianduia Pralines
Good
Weight: 1.48 oz. (42 g.) / 4.41 oz. (125 g.) in total package
Calories: 240 calories in 5 pieces
Cost: $5.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA

Caffarel
Piemonte Gianduia assortment milk and dark with Italian hazelnuts
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.37 oz. (39 g.) / 4.41 oz. (125 g.) in total package
Calories: 240 calories in 3 pieces
Cost: $5.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA

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

What's better than an Italian chocolate with hazelnuts? Two different Italian chocolates with hazelnuts.

Both these individually-wrapped chocolates had a great nutty aroma and flavor. But the highlight was the creamy melt and mouthfeel, characteristic of gianduia from northern Italy, made with chocolate and finely ground hazelnuts.

The Piemonte pieces also included Italian hazelnuts which helped balance out the sweetness and created a pleasing textural contrast between creamy and crunchy.

Caffarel began making chocolate in northern Italy (Turin) in the 1820s. The company still maintains operations there. However, it is now a subsidiary of Swiss chocolate maker Lindt and Sprungli.

Ghirardelli - Intense Dark Hazelnut Heaven bar - March 6, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Ghirardelli Chocolate
Intense Dark Hazelnut Heaven - Dark Chocolate with Roasted Hazelnuts bar
Good
Weight: 1.34 oz. (38 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1 serving (3 sections of) bar
Cost: $2.50 (sale) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA

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

Intense Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Heaven - Dark Chocolate with Roasted Hazelnuts bar was manufactured by Ghirardelli Chocolate Company (San Leandro, CA).

This bar was part of the "Intense Dark" family of dark chocolate bars produced by Ghirardelli. Today's Hazelnut Heaven flavor was a relatively new addition to the lineup.

The large, slim, Intense Dark Chocolate bar (with deeply roasted nibs) contained bits of crunchy, roasted hazelnuts. The marketing pitch: "A little sophisticated, a little nutty, this is the perfect bar for dreamy picnics and elegant nibbling." It was a bit sweet. (There was no percentage listed; I'm guessing in the sixties.) The bar had a balanced roasted mocha and roasted hazelnut flavor and finish.

This bar contained no gluten containing ingredients. Ghirardelli is working to remove gluten from their chocolates and hope to make almost all products gluten free by the end of next year (2020).

Trader Joe's - Nothing but Fruit and Nuts: Date - Hazelnut - Cacao - Sept. 7, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Trader Joe's
Nothing but Fruit and Nuts - Date - Hazelnut - Cacao
Good
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 7.04 oz. (200 g.) in package
Calories: 80 calories in 1 piece
Cost: $3.99 for 1 package of 8 pieces
Purchased from: Trader Joe's, Mountain View, CA

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

Today's package of individually-wrapped "Nothing but Fruit and Nuts: Hazelnut - Date - Cacao" pieces were from Trader Joe's (Monrovia, CA).

Dates tend to impart a distinctive fruity sweetness and moist, dense texture. The cacao and hazelnuts took a back seat to the dates.

These flavorful snack rounds were "nothing but" three ingredients: dates (date paste), hazelnuts and cacao. Refreshing (and unusual for packaged foods).

Cadbury - Dairy Milk Whole Nut bar - Oct. 1, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mondelez UK
Cadbury Dairy Milk Whole Nut bar
Good
Weight: 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 246 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $2.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Rocket Fizz, Palo Alto, CA

Happy October to you all, and welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Cadbury Theme Week.

The Cadbury chocolate brand is owned by a large corporation (Mondelez International, fomerly Kraft). However, it was founded in the 1800s by members of the Cadbury family, who made some substantial contributions to chocolate. I've chosen to feature Cadbury items this week because of their history* as well as their market reach.

The Cadbury Dairy Milk product line has been a chocolate bar staple for many years in many countries. Today I sampled the Cadbury Milk Whole Nut bar, a sweet, segmented milk chocolate bar studded with whole hazelnuts.

It also had a long list of ingredients (including emulsifiers, chemicals and flavors) that made me a little uncomfortable, even if they weren't identifiable when tasting this chocolate. I doubt most of these were around in the 1800s or even when some of the original candy/chocolate bar formulas were created. Things do evolve over 100+ years.

Companies in the 19th century were using cereal fillers and other substances in their chocolate (some less palatable than those listed in today's bar); but the early Cadbury founders often felt that their recipes for their chocolate were purer than others.

*For anyone wanting to know more about Cadbury history, check out the book Chocolate Wars by author Deborah Cadbury. (And yes, Deborah happens to be related to the famous family, but she's also an author of many interesting non-chocolate, non-fiction books.)

In Chocolate Wars, the author chronicles the origins of the chocolate industry in the 1800s, particularly in England, at a time when the race was on to find formulas for dark and milk chocolate, and Cadbury company practices were swayed by both by Quaker traditions and corporate imperatives. The discussions about wanting to create better labor conditions for workers and farmers echo conversations still going on today.

GuyLian - Signature Hazelnut bar - Sept. 26, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

Chocolaterie GuyLian N.V.
Signature Hazelnut bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.24 oz. (35 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $0.99 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Signature Hazelnut bar was from GuyLian Belgian Chocolate, aka Chocolaterie GuyLian N.V. (Sint-Niklass, Belgium).

It might be dismissive to call this attractive bar a candy bar. So I won't. It was more like four pretty confections that were merged into a bar.

The bar had four joined segments or squares. Each square was adorned with a different small, but detailed "white" chocolate, sea-themed creature—such as a seahorse or sea shells. These marine morsels also served as "signature" shapes for the company. These same shapes can also be found on other GuyLian chocolates.

The milk chocolate bar was described as having a praline filling (with finely ground hazelnuts); however, the chocolate (that had a relatively smooth, creamy melt) was blended so thoroughly that the hazelnut flavor was relatively mild.

SOMA - Birch branch filled with hazelnuts, cherry jam - Dec. 2, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

SOMA Chocolate
Birch Branch with Hazelnut Crunch, Montmorency Cherry Jam
Very Good
Weight: .25 oz. (7 g.) / 11.3 oz. (320 g.) in total box
Calories: 37.5 calories (estimate) in 1 small piece
Purchased from: N/A - gift from Megan (Thank you!)

Welcome to hazelnut heaven, and Day #7 of Chocolate, Almond and Hazelnut Theme Week.

Today's chocsimile* of a birch branch from SOMA Chocolatemaker (Toronto) looked very much like the real thing, because it was carefully crafted from a real birch branch.

A mold was made from a special branch, and the mold is carefully "lined" with chocolate, and stuffed with a soft hazelnut crunch filling with Montmorency Cherry Jam in the center.

The result was magical—the envy of every squirrel and snowman in the forest I'm sure. And it tasted as wonderful as it looked. This very special treat would be great for a holiday party or sharing with others. It's likely to be seasonal, so check with SOMA (and/or their website) about availability.

Where's the Almond you say?
Funny you should ask. I also enjoyed another slice of heaven found in a Barre Infernal (Dark) from Francois Pralus** (France). I tasted the first of these Infernale bars (there's a milk and a dark version, and the dark version has hazelnuts and almonds) five years ago in 2011 at The Chocolate Garage (Palo Alto, CA).

This substantial Pralus bar reminded me of today's hazelnut Birch Branch from SOMA. This dark Pralus bar was large enough to be sliced and contained a hazelnut (and almond) filling. (Picture of bar at right is from the Francois Pralus website.)

*Chocolate facsimile
** Francois Pralus is a Master Chocolatier and chocolate maker based in France who makes single origin and bean-to-bar chocolate.

***Note: This item was not gluten-free. There was some flour involved in making the hazelnut filling crunchy. And while the type of flour was not specified, I'm assuming it was conventional (wheat) flour. 

Trader Joe's - Crunchy Toffeed Hazelnuts - Nov. 29, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Trader Joe's
Crunchy Toffeed Hazelnuts
Good
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $7.99 for 1 pack of 12 mini bars
Purchased from: Trader Joe's, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate, Almonds and Hazelnuts Theme Week.

For those who like to sink their teeth into crunchy, nutty toffee-like items, today's Crunchy Toffeed Hazelnuts mini bar from Trader Joe's (Monrovia, CA) might be of interest.

This milk chocolate mini bar was thick; and it contained crunchy bits of caramelized hazelnuts (hazelnuts, sugar).

I paired this bar with some True North small, lightly sweetened, Almond Pecan Crunch clusters to enhance the nuttiness.

This bar was part of a Trader Joe's "Milk Chocolate Portfolio*" assortment box—with five other milk chocolate, individually-wrapped mini bar flavors (Butterscotch, Cocoa Nibs, Coffee, Caramelized Sunflower and Sesame Seeds, and Orange).

*The milk chocolate bars were manufactured in England and distributed and sold exclusively by Trader Joe's. All appeared to to gluten-free except the Butterscotch flavor which contained glucose (wheat).

Nirvana - Crispy Almonds bar + SOMA Gianduja drinking chocolate - Nov. 28, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Nirvana Belgian Chocolates
Organic Belgian Dark Chocolate
Crispy Almonds bar
Good++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 230 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

SOMA Chocolatemaker
Gianduja Roasted Hazelnut drinking chocolate
Good ++
Weight: 1.325 oz. (37.5 g.) / 2.65 oz. (75 g.) in total package
Calories: 188 calories (estimate per label) in 1/2 package
Cost: $8.00 for 1 package
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate, Almonds and Hazelnuts Theme Week.

Squirrel haters should stop reading here; because I've dedicated today to these furry, nut-loving balls of mischief. Happily I may not be the only one who enjoys them. Both of today's chocolates have illustrations of squirrels on their packaging.

The first chocolate was a Crispy Almonds bar from Nirvana Belgium Chocolate (product of Belgium). The 72% cacao Organic dark chocolate base was sprinkled with a sea of caramelized almond bits. Thankfully, this well-tempered dark bar was smooth and rich, without being too sweet. The illustrated red squirrel with tufted ears in the branches of an almond tree (due to clever packaging design and cut-out above the bar) appeared to be dreaming of the chocolate and nuts inside.

SOMA Chocolatemaker (Toronto) goes one step farther, by stating its yummy Gianduja Roasted Hazelnut drinking chocolate was "approved by squirrels everywhere." That's good enough for me.

Mix a little hot water with the rich contents of this SOMA packet and you'll get a highly edible, velvety paste with concentrated chocolate hazelnut flavor that's worth sampling a la carte. And, if you must dilute it further to make a traditional cocoa, you might add some milk or cream.

However, I like the more concentrated version myself, and it's pictured here in a tiny, Italian-themed espresso cup with a Tasmanian Devil—the closest animal I had on hand that might convey a squirrel's crazy passion for almonds and hazelnuts (and chocolate* too if the truth be known).

*Rats, mice and squirrels are known to nibble on cacao pods, and chocolate and nuts if they can find them. They seem to have less trouble digesting/processing the theobromine in cacao/chocolate that upsets dogs, cats and other animals. Theobromine is an alkaloid that's a close cousin to caffeine.

Yves Thuries - Milk Chocolate Almonds, Hazelnuts - Nov. 27, 2016

Chocolate of the Day:

Yves Thuries
Milk Chocolate with Almonds, Hazelnuts (and more) bar
Good
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 270 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $2.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate, Almonds and Hazelnuts Theme Week.

Today's 34% cacao milk chocolate bar, designed by a French chef (Chef Yves Thuries)* and made with Ecuadorian cacao, was sweet enough to be a confection on a dessert tray.

In fact, the bar's clever packaging contained 12 separate compartment spaces, each filled with a separate milk chocolate rectangular segment, or bite. Each bite was an attractive tiny bar that could be lifted out and eaten (or displayed neatly on a plate if desired).

Each bite was garnished with nuts (almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios) and pastel-colored fruit gems (raspberries, blueberries, oranges). The end result was a mix of nut, fruit and almost floral flavors. A most pleasant and high-class chocolate candy.

*This bar was a Product of France, and was distributed by SALPA Inc. (Greenwich, CT).

Kind - Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Spice bar - Nov. 26, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Kind
Nuts and Spices
Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Spice bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $1.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods, Redwood City, CA

Welcome to the kick-off day (Day #1) of Chocolate, Almond and Hazelnut Theme Week.

I enjoyed today's Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Spice "Limited Batch" Nuts and Spices bar from Kind LLC (New York, NY). Most of Kind's gluten-free snack bars* are guaranteed to be packed with crunchy nuts, and not too much sodium or sugar. A dark chocolate backing and drizzle (and a dash of cocoa nibs in today's case) added chocolatey rich flavor.

This Hazelnut Spice bar contained (no surprise) hazelnuts—as well as almonds, cashews and peanuts. The hint of holiday spice was provided by nutmeg and vanilla.

*Particularly Kind's Fruits and Nuts and Nuts and Spices bars.

Cocanu - Holy Wood and Gardel bars - Sept. 5, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Cocanu Chocolate

Holy Wood
Dark chocolate and palo santo 70% bar
Good - Good +
Weight: .8 oz. (25 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 132 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $5.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Cacao at The Heathman, Portland, OR

Gardel
Dark chocolate, hazelnuts, fernet 72% bar
Good +
Weight: .8 oz. (25 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 132 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $5.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Meadow (original Mississippi location), Portland, OR

Welcome to the last day of Chocolate, Fruit and Botanicals Month, and the first day of Ecuadorian Cacao Theme Week.

Today's two relatively sweet dark bars hailed from Cocanu Chocolate (Portland, OR). I bought them at two different specialty retail shops in Portland (Cacao and The Meadow—both great sources for interesting, high-quality chocolates).

Cocanu's 70% cacao Holy Wood bar was made with Nacional cacao from Ecuador and infused with aromatic Palo Santo wood, also from Ecuador. The wood's flavor was so subtle, I failed to detect it. Could it be that this flavor is part of the terroir that I already associate with Ecuador? Another possibility: I dulled my palette with something I ate or drank earlier.

The company's 72% Gardel bar did have a subtle, pleasing overall hazelnut taste, with a few tiny crunchy nut bits embedded in it. The "fernet"—Fernet Branca (a botanical liqueur popular in Europe— was so subtle that, like the bar above, I missed it.

Both square bars (sealed with a fleur de lis wax stamp) were thick enough to provide a substantial bite, and thin enough to make flavors accessible, in other words just the right thickness for tasting in my opinion.

Coolhaus - Chocolate Hazelnut AAlto-mond Ice Cream Bars - July 26, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Coolhaus
Chocolate Hazelnut AAlto-mond ice cream bar
Good ++
Weight: 3 fl oz. (86.6 mL) / 9 fl. oz. (266 mL) in total box of 3 bars
Calories: 290 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $6.49 for 1 box of 3 bars
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Hope you all are enjoying summer. This morning I found relief from the warm weather with the first of several cold chocolate items. It was Day #1 of Chilled Chocolate Week.

Today's box of 3 Chocolate Hazelnut AAlto-mond Ice Cream Bars from Coolhaus (Los Angeles, CA) was one of a mouth-watering array of custom-made and pre-packaged ice cream creations (sandwiches—aka sammies, bars, pints, etc.) from the company.

Co-founders (Natasha Case and Freya Estreller) create "architecturally inspired gourmet ice cream." Check out their website for a complete explanation.

Today's individually-wrapped bar started with a core of chocolate hazelnut ice cream that was dipped in salted milk chocolate, and then rolled in roasted almonds. Hard to go wrong there. The result was a well balanced blend of creamy, crunchy, chocolatey and nutty. And this rich bar was also gluten free.

Examples of what you might find in a Coolhaus Culver City (or other shop) included ice cream and cookie pies, where you select your favorite combination of cookie crust, ice cream filling and cookie crumbles (topping). Peanut Butter Captain Crunch ice cream pie anyone?

John Kelly Chocolates - Milk Chocolate Roasted Hazelnuts and sea salt bar - July 8, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

John Kelly Chocolates
(John Kelly Foods, Inc.)
Milk Chocolate Roasted Hazelnuts and Mediterranean Sea Salt bar
Good++
Weight: .766 oz. (21.6 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $7.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Studio 41, Benicia, CA

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

This Milk Chocolate with Roasted Hazelnuts and Mediterranean Sea Salt bar was from John Kelly Foods, Inc.* (Hollywood, CA).

Forty-one seems to be the magic number today. The bar was purchased at Studio 41 (Benicia, CA). And this slim, monogrammed bar had a pleasant chocolate hazelnut spread aroma and flavor.

Made with creamy 41% cacao, fair trade certified, milk chocolate, dry roasted hazelnut bits added crunchy texture throughout the gluten-free bar. The amount and distribution of Mediterranean sea salt was subtle and well balanced, i.e. there weren't areas with too much salt; however, the salt was not 100% homogeneous, so you had very tiny reminders of salt content now and then.

The bar had stayed fresh in the sealed, gold foil wrapper, which was nice as well, as it had been more than 41 days since I purchased this bar.

*Founders, John and Kelly, opened up their chocolate factory in Hollywood in 2004, armed with a fudge recipe. They've since expanded to other chocolate offerings.