ChocolateBet: December 11, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:
1 Large Cup
Tea Era
Chocolate Milk Tea with Pearls
Good + - Very Good
Weight: Large (approx. 20 oz.)
Calories: 270 calories? (guess)
Cost: $ NA (gift - thank you Megan)
Purchased from: Tea Era, in downtown Mountain View, CA

Tapioca pearls added some nice chewy texture to this (cold) chocolate milk tea. Flavors were mixed and cups sealed on the spot, making these drinks easier to transport if you take them to go. (Just punch the special extra-wide straw through the top to sip up pearls and tea.)

ChocolateBet: December 10, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:
1/4 bar
Valor Chocolates
Dark Chocolate with Marcona Almonds (bar)
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 2.18 oz. (61.9 g.)/8.75 oz. (250 g.) in total bar
Calories: 327 calories
Cost: $4.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: T.J. Maxx, in San Francisco, CA

It is difficult to convey the size of this Valor dark chocolate bar from Spain, from looking at the (scanned) image shown. This bar weighed in at a mammoth 8.75 oz. (250 grams). More than enough to share with friends, or to melt down for fondue.

And, thus ends Day #7 of Chocolate and Nut Theme Week (2009). Nuts included this past week included various types of almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts and pecans. My apologies to Brazil nuts and other nuts that were left out. I'm sure there will be another Chocolate and Nut Theme Week in 2010.

ChocolateBet: December 9, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1 oz.
Fancy's Candy's, Inc.
Sin in a Tin - Dark Chocolate & Hazelnut Toffee
Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 150 calories (estimate)
Cost: $19.00 (online)
Purchased from: Blue Frog Chocolates, in New Orleans, LA

Today was
Day #6 of Chocolate and Nut Theme Week (2009).
Sin in a Tin. What a great name. Dark chocolate, hazelnut and toffee: a recipe for success.

ChocolateBet: December 8, 2009

Chocolate of the Day #2:
1 serving
Manresa (Restaurant)
Chocolate and hazelnut feuillentine, olive oil with
Bitter chocolate sorbet with sea salt
Very Good + - Yum
Weight: ~ 4 oz. (estimate)
Calories: ~ 200 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ NA (company holiday dinner)
Purchased from: NA - served at Manresa, in Los Gatos, CA

Oh wait. One more chocolate to add today. A bonus entry for Chocolate & Nut Theme Week, this chocolate dessert was worthy of note. It was the last dish in a multi-course holiday dinner. Two small pieces of velvety soft dark ganache/mousse were coated with finely ground cacoa powder, and topped with a dark chocolate sorbet. (I donated the very thin chocolate crisps, i.e. with wheat in them, to Alec.)

ChocolateBet: December 8, 2009

Chocolate of the Day #1:

1 package (3 pieces)
DeMet's Candy Company
Turtles ("Original - Pecans~Chocolate~Caramel")
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total package
Calories: 260 calories
Cost: $1.79
Purchased from: 7-Eleven store in midtown, Palo Alto, CA

I knew these were going to be good, because the fancy turtle with the top hat and the monocle told me so. (He's on the package -- the one with the bow tie.)

So it is that we close Day #5 of Chocolate and Nut week with a talking cartoon turtle.

ChocolateBet: December 7, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving
7-Eleven, Inc.
Chocolate Covered Almonds
Good +
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.)/2.5 oz. (70 g.) total bag
Calories: ~220 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $1.49 for total bag
Purchased from: 7-Eleven, in midtown Palo Alto, CA

Day #4 of Chocolate and Nut Theme Week (2009) seemed like a great time to try some convenience store chocolates. One of the biggest chains in the U.S., 7-Eleven is where I get my annual low-calorie Crystal Light frozen Slurpee drink and lottery ticket. Two foolish pastimes. I figured, why not make it a third? And the chocolates there are reasonably priced.

ChocolateBet: December 6, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 bar
B.T. McElrath Chocolatier, Inc.
Prairie Dog Chocolate Bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 g.)/3.0 oz. (85 g.) total bar
Calories: 220 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.69
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Nut Theme Week (2009). I was inspired to try B.T. McElrath's Prairie Dog (40% milk) chocolate bar with almonds, after enjoying their Salty Dog (70% dark) chocolate bar. Both bars contain quality ingredients, butter toffee pieces, and nuts; but the Salty Dog bar won.

Cold weather (in California that means it is in the low 40s (F.) today, and the threat of rain, forced me inside (yes, like a prairie dog), giving me an opportunity to play chocolate mad scientist. A portion of this bar was eaten plain, and a portion was heated with leftover pecan pie and coffee liqueur. All that remains of the latter experiment in sugar and nut overload is an empty plate (see image) and fork.