Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Coracao Confections
Rawmond Butter Bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 2.5 oz. (71 g.) total bar
Calories: 360 calories (estimate)
Cost: $11.99 (estimate)
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Almonds Theme Week; and instead of a bar embedded with almonds or almond pieces, I had this dairy and gluten free Rawmond Butter Bar from Coracao Confections. This "81% raw cacao" dark chocolate "Mama" Size bar was filled with almond butter.

ChocolateBet: August 31, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/4 bar
Kim's Chocolates
Cachet - Orange and Almonds (bar)
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .875 oz. (25 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 126 calories
Cost: $2.99 total bar
Purchased from: Crossroads Market, in Palo Alto, CA

What do you eat when you're too tired to cook dinner?  This evening's meal included part of a dark chocolate (57% cocoa solids) "Cachet" bar (made in Belgium by Kim's Chocolates) with orange and almonds.

The dark, smooth chocolate base was flecked with bits of almonds and candied orange zest -- although I'm not sure I would have recognized the latter bits as "orange" unless I'd read this on the label. I did detect a bit of a malt/grain flavor -- which is common with candied orange peel in chocolate.

I've experimented in the past with making/baking items with chocolate and citrus fruits, and I was surprised to find that citrus flavors dissipate more rapidly than I expected. I found including multiple sources of citrus flavor worked best to maintain some flavor: juice, rind, lemon or orange curd, liqueur, etc. In this case, the flavor dissipation culprit could also have been age. However, this bar was a bargain at $2.99, and was in excellent shape for being a few months old (and having been carted around in a bag for a few days).

Today was Day #8 of Chocolate and Orange Theme Week, and Day #2 of Chocolate and Almonds Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: August 30, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:


1 cup
Laughing Giraffe Organics
Cranberry Orange Granola
Good +
Weight: 1 cup (100 g.)/ 6 oz. (169 g.) total package
Calories: 520 calories (yikes)
Cost: $11.59 total package
Purchased from: Country Sun, in Palo Alto, CA

What does a giraffe know about cacao? Quite a bit it turns out.

Today's dose of chocolate came from a small bowl of Cranberry Orange Granola with Cacao, Cinnamon and Raisins from Laughing Giraffe (Benicia, CA).

I added a little almond "milk" and I was ready to enjoy some chocolate breakfast cereal -- although this was a far cry from most sugary crisps and flakes.

Grain free, raw, vegan and gluten free, this Organic* granola was lightly sweetened with agave (and dried cranberries and a barely detectable hint of orange); and it was studded with pumpkin seeds, walnuts, pecans and almonds. This was a hefty, satisfying cereal; and at 520 calories per cup, it was dense indeed. (*All ingredients in this USDA Certified granola were Organic, except possibly the Himalayan Pink Salt.)

Packaging for the company's granolas and "snakaroons" were adorned with a slender silhouette of a dark-chocolate-colored giraffe.  And if this giraffe could talk, it might recite the company's tagline: Eat Well. Be Well. Live Better.

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Orange Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Almonds Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: August 29, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

2 small pieces
Mink Chocolates Inc.
Peelers
Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) 4.5 oz. (128 g.) total package
Calories: 65 calories
Cost: $13.25
Purchased from: Mink Chocolates, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Orange Theme Week. Technically these dark chocolate coated, lovely long citrus peels were from oranges, lemons and grapefruits, but that was fine by me.  Dark chocolate combined with lemon can be heavenly if bitter flavors are balanced properly. (Think lemon curd in a small dark chocolate "cup", or espresso with a lemon peel.)

However, in this case, the the peels seemed a bit too bitter, at least for a breakfast chocolate this morning. These are labor-intensive chocolates, and chocolate is expensive. So, be prepared to spend some money for this type of chocolate and dried fruit treat as well. Ounce for ounce, they are about the same price as a very large high-end chocolate bar ($13.25). These might make an elegant garnish for an elaborate cake or dessert.

ChocolateBet: August 28, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/4 bar
Xocolatl de David
Orangette - 74% Cacao (Dominican Republic)
Weight: .55 oz. (15.5 g.) / 2.2 oz. (62 g.) total bar
Calories: 79 calories (estimate)
Cost: $8.95
Purchased from: Fog City News, in San Francisco, CA

The best chocolate is shared. Today's dark chocolate (74% cacao - Dominican Republic) Orangette bar from Xocolatl de David (based in Portland, OR)

was riddled with visible strips and bits of candied orange peel, and a hint of fleur de sel (salt).

I was delighted to share this bar with a group of friends during a field trip and tour today at St. George Spirits, a local craft distillery in Alameda, CA.

OK, here is where I try to tie together this field trip with (Day #5 of) Chocolate and Orange Theme Week -- showing, in the process, just how universal chocolate is..., or how far I'll go to make a connection between chocolate and just about anything else.

St. George Spirits makes/sells a single malt whisky (with chocolate and floral "notes"); mandarin (orange) blossom infused vodka; cacao perfume; and orange Qi liqueur, among other items. I will have to return to sample their TCHO chocolate and single malt whisky frozen gelato pops.

Thank you to Sueling for being a great hand model.

ChocolateBet: August 27, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/12 bar
Theo Chocolate
Orange (bar)
Good +
Weight: .25 oz. (7 g.) / 3 oz. (84 g.) total bar
Calories: 33 calories
Cost: $4.00 (sale)
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Orange Theme Week.

Theo Chocolate (Seattle, WA) produces a variety of flavored bars, confections and caramels. Today's Organic, Fair Trade, Orange dark chocolate (70% cacao) bar had an attractive sheen and a hard snap. The orange in this Orange bar was hard to detect; I would have liked a bit more of this fruit flavor and texture to balance the dark bitterness of the chocolate.

ChocolateBet: August 26, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/5 bar
Mink Chocolates
Navel Gazing (bar)
Very Good
Weight: .35 oz. (10 g.)/ 1.76 oz. (50 g.) total bar
Calories: 50 calories in 1/5 bar
Cost: $7.00 (approx. w/ tax)
Purchased from: Mink Chocolates, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Orange Theme Week. I wish I had time for a little navel gazing today. But, today's sizzling work schedule did not allow for any such thing.

So, I enjoyed taking a break in name only with an organic, dark chocolate (70% cacao) bar from Mink Chocolates. While this bar suffered a bit from some heat in the car, Mink's "Navel Gazing" barre de chocolat was still very good -- with tasty bits of candied orange zest (with just the right amount of sweetness and texture, and a pleasant, almost malty taste) embedded (by hand if I'm not mistaken) in each of its raised compartments (squares).