ChocolateBet: June 8, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1/2 bar
chocri
Sizzling Bacon Breakfast (Bar)
Very Good +
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar (estimate)
Calories: 253 calories (estimate)
Cost: $12.10 total bar
Purchased from: chocri (http://createmychocolate.com)

Today's choice for (Day #4 of) Create Your Own Chocolate Theme Week was an excellent choice for breakfast, if I do say so myself. But, then again, I chose the ingredients because I thought I might enjoy the combination of dark chocolate (64% cacao), cornflakes, organic sesame seeds, imitation bacon bits, peanut butter drops, and sizzle rocks. I think I'll have the remaining half for breakfast tomorrow morning.

ChocolateBet: June 7, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1/3 bar
chocri (meine schokolade)
Carrot Cake (bar)
Very Good
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) in 1/3 bar / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar (estimate)
Calories: 170 calories (estimate)
Cost: $12.95 for total bar
Purchased from: chocri (based in Berlin, Germany)

Well, I can't have carrot cake -- as it is usually made with flour (wheat). But, that was the beauty of designing my own chocolate bar(s). I could have a chocolate bar facsimile of carrot cake. This dark chocolate (64% cacao) bar contained ginger, cinnamon, walnuts, marzipan carrots, and pineapple bits.

Today was Day #3 of Create Your Own Chocolate Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: June 6, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1/3 bar
chocri
La Corinne Bar
Very Good +
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) in 1/3 bar / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar (estimate)
Calories: 170 calories (estimate)
Cost:  $14.40 for total bar
Purchased from: chocri (based in Berlin, Germany, now in the U.S. as well)

Today was Day #2 of Create Your Own Chocolate Theme Week. Last month, I created and ordered several chocolate bars online by using the chocri website (http://createmychocolate.com). I loved putting together odd combinations of ingredients that I thought might be fun together. Oh yes, and you get to "name" your chocolate bars. The bar arrives with the name printed on the packaging.

I really enjoyed this dark chocolate (64% cacao) bar with candied ginger, rose petals, organic mint leaves, lemon chocolate drops, and candied (purple) lilacs. I felt like I had taken a quick trip to Paris.

ChocolateBet: June 5, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1/6 bar
chocri (mein schokolade)
"Surprise Chocolate Bar"
Very Good
Weight: .583 oz. (16.5 g.) in 1/6 bar/ 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 85 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ n/a - buy some, get one surprise bar free offer (approximately $11.79 value)
Purchased from: chocri (bars made in Berlin, Germany)

At last, my shipment of create-your-own chocolate bars from chocri arrived today. This novel company started in Germany, and expanded to the U.S. in early 2010. Through an easy-to-use, online chocri ordering system, customers can design (and name) their own chocolate bars. I first decided on a chocolate base (milk, dark or white). Chocri uses organic, fair trade chocolate from Belgium. I then moved on to toppings.

Customers can choose from a  long list of possible (up to five different, additional) ingredients -- including spices, dried fruits, nuts, and other confections. If you order a certain number of bars, you may get a surprise bar like this for free.

The ingredients I could identify in my surprise chocolate bar were: dark chocolate (64% cacao) base, with candied (pink) lilac, ginger, and ground coffee beans. 

Today was Day #1 of Create Your Own Chocolate Theme Week. More chocri bar flavors will follow this week.

ChocolateBet: June 4, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2 pieces
V Chocolates
Sea Salt Caramels
Very Good
Weight:  1.125 oz. (31.8 g.) for 2 pieces/4.5 oz. (127.5 g.) total box of 8 pieces
Calories: 165 calories (estimate)
Cost: ($11.00 = estimate)
Purchased from: The Candy Store, in San Francisco, CA

These V Chocolates Sea Salt Caramels (without nuts) were covered in (milk and dark) chocolate, and were topped with different kinds of salts -- making them a good choice for Day #7 of Chocolate and Salt Theme Week. 

However, the main attraction was the substantial caramel filling. As recommended by the owner of The Candy Store, I had stowed these caramels in my freezer until I was ready to eat them.  I liked the hard-toffee-like (frozen) texture more than the sugary gooeyness that usually exists with large pieces of caramel. (Note: eat frozen caramels carefully to avoid a possible trip to the dentist.)

ChocolateBet: June 3, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:
1 oz. (1/3 of 3 different bars)
Michael Mischer Chocolates
1.) Milk Chocolate - 38% Cacao with Murray River Salt - Very Good - Very Good +
2.) Dark Chocolate - 65% Cacao with Murray River Salt - Very Good - Very Good +
3.) Dark Chocolate - 72% Cacao with Murray River Salt - Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: 3 oz. (84.9 g.) for a package of three 1-oz. bars
Calories: 145 calories (estimate) for 1/3 of 3 different bars
Cost: $12.95 for total pack of 3 bars
Purchased from: Fog City News, in San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Salt Theme Week. Today's chocolate of the day was actually a  three-pack of small (1 oz. each) milk and dark chocolate bars, all flavored with Murray River Salt (just the right amount of salt -- enough to impart a little flavor, but not too much).

I find the only reliable way to taste or compare different chocolates is to taste them in a small group like this. The differences become more detectable and, presumably, you're eating them all at the same time of day, at the same temperature, with the same time between meals, etc. - yielding a more consistent taste experience. That said, all these bars were good, with subtle differences in the flavor and texture.

The most pronounced flavor arc, with subtle hints of dirt (oh sorry, I'm supposed to say earth) was with the 72% bar. I enjoy richer flavors, but for those desiring a smoother, more uniform flavor, the 65% single origin criollo bar doesn't disappoint; it was firmer, and I felt like I needed to warm it a bit in my mouth and/or to eat it a bit more slowly to get a bit of flavor uptick about 2/3 the way through. The 38% (also single origin criollo) chocolate bar is sweeter, but was very good for milk chocolate.

My favorite part: the tiny little squares that allowed for breaking off and sharing; helpful for portion control as well.

ChocolateBet: June 2, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2/5 bar
World Market (Cost Plus)
Sea Salt Dark Chocolate (bar)
Very Good
Weight: 1.2 oz. (33.9 g.)/ 3 oz. (85 g.) total bar
Calories: 176 calories in 2/5 bar
Cost: $1.99 total bar
Purchased from: World Market (Cost Plus) store in Mountain View, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Salt Theme Week. I've been enjoying all the different ways that chocolate creators are incorporating sodium chloride (salt) into bars, truffles, caramels, and other treats. Today's sea salt bar had crunchy crystals of salt incorporated into (64% cacao) dark chocolate. Others use colored salt as a decorative garnish. There are lots of savory chocolates and different flavors of sea salts being combined with chocolate these days. I may have to extend this theme week for, well, another week.

I give points to World Market for having one of the most accessibly priced savory chocolate bars. At $1.99, this is a bar that most people can afford.