ChocolateBet: February 21, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Luca Chocolate
Cherry Almond Cordial
Good +
Weight: .35 oz. (9.9 g.) (estimate) for 1 piece
Calories: 48 calories for 1 piece (estimate)
Cost: $16.95 total for 12 piece assortment box (3 different flavors)
Purchased from: Luca Chocolate via Foodzie.com site

In honor of George Washington's birthday this week, I'm embarking on a chocolate and cherry theme week, or at least series of chocolates. This is the second chocolate and cherry theme week on this blog. Another indication of how abundant the chocolate world is. (This is also the second box of Luca chocolates I'm tasting. The first box, opened last week and identical from the outside, was the bacon box.)

ChocolateBet: February 20, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2 pieces
Luca Chocolate
Bourbon and black pepper truffles
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .65 oz. (18.4 g.) for 2 pieces (estimate)
Calories: 97.5 calories (estimate)
Cost: $16.95 total for small "bacon box" that includes these, and 2 other chocolate items
Purchased from: Luca Chocolate via Foodzie.com site

These two pieces made up the last of three items in the Luca Chocolate "bacon box" assortment. They were tasty; however, I was a little unsure about whether these were bourbon and black pepper truffles, as I tasted neither bourbon nor black pepper. (My favorite item in this bacon box assortment was the chocolate dipped bacon - which was excellent.)

Hats off to chocolatiers who have mastered the art of flavoring chocolate. Too much can overpower and render an item inedible, and not enough can be frustrating. And there is such a fine line between the two.

ChocolateBet: February 19, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
4 pieces
Luca Chocolate
Bacon Caramels
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.2 oz. (33.9 g.) estimate for 4 pieces
Calories: 180 calories (estimate) for 4 pieces
Cost: $16.95 total for bacon box assortment (3 diff. items)
Purchased from: Luca Chocolate via Foodzie.com site

These bacon caramels were the second of three items in the "bacon box" assortment (box pictured). Yesterday, I enjoyed the chocolate dipped bacon (very much). I could taste the quality ingredients in these caramels, including some small pieces of crispy bacon, which I thought were great. My only complaint: these were too sweet. Or, perhaps I was eating these too early in the day (morning).

ChocolateBet: February 18, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
12 pieces
Luca Chocolate
Chocolate Dipped Bacon
Very Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 g.) (estimate)/2 oz. (56.6 g.) total for 16 pieces (estimate)
Calories: 290 calories (guesstimate)
Cost: $16.95 total for bacon box assortment
Purchased from: Luca Chocolate (North Carolina) via foodzie.com

I'm not a big meat eater, but I was so excited to get my Luca Chocolate bacon box that I ordered...OK, those who find this disgusting need read no further, and to others, please continue... that I forgot to photograph and weigh the chocolate dipped bacon pieces before eating them for brunch this morning. These crispy bacon pieces, covered in just the right amount of dark chocolate, were relatively small and light (2-3 inches long). I enjoyed being able to really taste the bacon. Tomorrow, I'll try the bacon caramels.

Luca Chocolate is based in Ramseur, North Carolina, and is one of many small businesses that Foodzie brings together on their site, for our eating pleasure. (Luca is the name of a lovely brown horse.)

ChocolateBet: February 17, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

Go Max Go Foods, LLC
Twilight (candy bar)
Good +
Weight: 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 250 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $1.99 (sale)
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

I ate this vegan, dairy-free Twilight bar with a handful of almonds. While I think this bar might have been a little less sweet than many bars (a good thing), at more than 2 oz., some raw nuts and water helped to balance out the sugary taste.

Note: This is a delayed post due to an all-day power outage in my neighborhood yesterday.

ChocolateBet: February 16, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 bar
Go Max Go Foods, LLC
Mahalo candy bar
Good +
Weight: 2.0 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 280 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $1.99 (sale)
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

This Hawaiian* themed, dairy-free, vegan candy bar contained coconut, almonds, and had a "rice-milk chocolatey coating." (*The Hawaiian word Mahalo signifies gratitude, respect, and/or admiration.) The packaging also assured me that there was no trans fats, hydrogenated oils, no cholesterol, and "nothing artificial."

ChocolateBet: February 15, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

9 pieces/truffles
Socola Chocolatier, LLC
Aphrodite's Delight Assortment box
1.) Burnt caramel and dark chocolate w/ sea salt truffles - Very Good +
2.) Raspberry pate de fruit w/ champagne ganache truffles - Very Good +
Weight: 3 oz. (84 g.) (estimate) for 9 pcs./3.996 oz. (113 g.) total box of 12 pcs.
Calories: 426 calories (estimate) in 9 truffles
Cost: N/A - Valentines Day gift from Alec
Purchased from: N/A - gift

Thank you to Alec for this very nice box of truffles for Valentines Day. It was a good thing he had three truffles from this box, otherwise I might have eaten all of them myself. Both flavors were very good.