ChocolateBet: November 25, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
B. T. McElrath Chocolatier
Sweet Potato Pave
OK+ - Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70.9 g.) total package of 5 pieces
Calories: 75 calories (estimate)
Cost: $10.99 (estimate)
Purchased from: Draegers, in San Mateo, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Fall Flavors Theme Week. Expect to see chocolate combined with pumpkins and other fall flavors this week.

Happy Thanksgiving to all. Today was a day for giving thanks over turkey, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin and pecan pie. Sampling a B.T. McElrath Sweet Potato Pave (pave is French for paving stone) was in order. I have to admit sweet potatoes are not my favorite food, but sometimes things do taste better when covered in dark chocolate.

ChocolateBet: November 24, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Michael Mischer Chocolates
Pumpkin Spice/Jack-O-Lantern filled chocolate
Very Good +
Weight: .45 oz. (12.7 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 65 calories (estimate)
Cost: $2.00 (estimate)
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA; Michael Mischer Chocolates, based in Oakland, CA

It was delightful to bite into this grinning dark chocolate jack-o-lantern made by Michael Mischer Chocolates. It was filled with pumpkin (pie) spice(d) caramel. I loved the way that the two halves (front and back) of this molded chocolate pumpkin were perfectly put together.

Today was Day #1 of Chocolate and Fall Flavors Theme Week. And not a moment too soon to celebrate Fall as temperatures plummeted into the 30s (Farenheit) this week.

ChocolateBet: November 23, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

1.) 1 piece
Gateau et Ganache
"Le Gingembre" (Ginger) chocolate bonbon
Very Good
Weight: .45 oz. (12.7 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 63 calories (estimate)
Cost: $15.00 for box of 8 pieces (Autumn collection)
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Gingerbread Theme Week. I picked up an Autumn collection box of assorted chocolates from Gateau et Ganache, after sampling their "Le Gingembre" dark chocolate and ginger chocolate at the San Francisco Luxury Chocolate Salon recently. Garnished with two small bits of candied ginger on top, this was a rich and tasty bonbon.

And just in case this fine ginger chocolate doesn't count as "gingerbread" I also had a bite of a tiny gingerbread cake -- cookie actually. See below.

2.) 1 small bite of one cookie
Enjoy Life
Soft Baked Gingerbread Spice Cookies
(topped with chocolate and gingerbread sauce)
Good +
Weight: .25 oz. (7 g.) for 1 bite/ 6 oz. (170 g.) total box
Calories: 30 calories
Cost: $3.69 total box of cookies
Purchased from: Whole Foods, in Los Altos, CA

These small gluten- and nut-free gingerbread cookies from Enjoy Life were a treat, especially when decorated with a drizzle of homemade chocolate and gingerbread sauce (dark cocoa powder, brown sugar, molasses, ginger and spices). My only complaint: a somewhat gummy texture in my mouth that showed up only after I'd chewed up a bite of cookie.

ChocolateBet: November 22, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

1.) 1 serving
Almond Dream Almond Drink
+ Valrhona Cocoa Powder + Molasses and Gingerbread Spices
= Chocolate Gingerbread Almond Smoothie
Very Good
Weight: 5 oz. (140 g.) serving
Calories: 85 calories (estimate)
Cost: $1.99 (Almond Drink) + other ingredients
Purchased from: The Almond Drink was from Whole Foods in Los Altos; Valrhona Cocoa Powder was from Whole Foods in Redwood City; and spices were from my kitchen cabinets.

2.) One .5 fluid oz. sip
World Market
Gingerbread Cocoa Mix
Good ++
Weight: .5 fl. oz. (14 g.) serving/ 8 oz. (226 g.) total container (cocoa mix)
Calories: 20 calories (estimate)
Cost: $5.99 for total container (dry mix)
Purchased from: World Market, in Mountain View, CA


Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Gingerbread Theme Week, and today I tried one cold smoothie and 1 hot beverage that incorporated chocolate and gingerbread flavors.

The cold chocolate gingerbread almond smoothie drink, was surprisingly good. And, no blender to wash. I was able to use the half-full container that held the Almond Dream Almond Drink (aka almond milk) as a blender -- i.e. to shake these ingredients together and make this smoothie. I followed the recipe on the carton for a chocolate smoothie, substituting Valrhona dark cocoa powder in place of chocolate syrup, and adding a 1/2 teaspoon of gingerbread "sauce" (molasses, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and other spices) to the mix. Just shake and you've got a healthy version of a chocolate gingerbread almond milkshake.

The hot beverage was made from World Market's Gingerbread Cocoa Mix. It was a bit sweeter than my non-dairy almond smoothie (above), and quite good as well.

ChocolateBet: November 21, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 small piece
Vosges
Gingerbread Toffee
Good
Weight: .3 oz. (45 g.) 4 oz. (113 g.) ttl box
Calories: 45 calories (estimate)
Cost: $13.00 for 1 box
Purchased from: Vosges store, in Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, NV

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Gingerbread Theme Week, and I tried the second of two Vosges entries in this category: the company's Holiday Gingerbread Toffee. (I had tried the Vosges Gingerbread Toffee Bar earlier this week.)

Small bark-like pieces of Holiday Gingerbread Toffee contained, (according to the label on the silver box): "Sweet butter toffee with ginger, Ceylon cinnamon, Grenadian nutmeg, Jamaican allspice, and 65% cacao dark chocolate." The toffee pieces were coated with pecan and walnut crumbs. The description sounded great; however, I think I preferred the Vosges Gingerbread Toffee Bar over this toffee.

ChocolateBet: November 20, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Max Brenner
Chocolate Truffles with gingerbread spices
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .45 oz. (12.7 g.) (estimate) / 2.8 oz. (79 g.) bag (estimate)
Calories: 66 calories (estimate)
Cost: $14.50 for 1 bag of 9 truffles
Purchased from: Max Brenner, Ceasars Palace, Las Vegas, NV

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Gingerbread Theme Week. Last weekend I bought a small bag of dark chocolate truffles with gingerbread spices at Max Brenner's shop, in the Forum Shops area of Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.

These Max Brenner truffles (carefully hand-crafted, judging from the style and the price) had dark chocolate whipped cream centers and were rolled in cocoa powder. These truffles were on the bittersweet side -- which is great if you're not fond of overly sweet chocolates. My only complaint: the gingerbread spices were barely detectable.

The Las Vegas location, contained both a shop, a small bar/counter, and cafe, and opened a few months ago. "Max Brenner, the bald man, is creating a new chocolate culture," we're told on the company's website. I did not have time to investigate the sit-down menu or to fully experience this new culture. But, I look forward to doing so the next time I visit Las Vegas.

ChocolateBet: November 19, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Hotel Chocolat LTD
Gingerbread Truffle
Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: .41 oz. (11.6 g.)/ 12.36 oz. (350 g.) total box of 30 pieces
Calories: 61.5 calories (estimate)
Cost: N/A - evaluation sample
Purchased from: N/A - From Hotel Chocolat LTD, London, England

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Gingerbread Theme Week.  Each chocolatier or chocolate maker this week has successfully put their own unique spin on their gingerbread-inspired chocolates. Chocolate and Gingerbread entries this week (will) include: gingerbread truffles, bars, toffees, hot cocoa, and cookies.

The Hotel Chocolat  Gingerbread Truffle, from the company's Sleekster Classic Christmas collection, had a sweet gingerbread center that reminded me of being a young child in the kitchen, getting a lick of gingerbread batter. Wonderful.