Fruition Chocolate - Orange Cranberries - November 12, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Fruition Chocolate
Dark Chocolate Coated Orange Scented Cranberries
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 5 oz. (141 g.) total package
Calories: 135 calories (estimate) for 1 oz. serving
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bag
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #12 of Chocolate and All Things Orange Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.


The stars of today's chocolate were the orange scented cranberries, from bean-to-bar maker Fruition Chocolate (Shokan, NY). These tart, sweet, slightly chewy red bursts of holiday-appropriate flavor were surrounded by a coating of 66% cacao, orange-infused chocolate from Peru.

Fruition makes chocolate in small batches, from organic, fair trade cacao beans.

SF Chocolate Salon - Nov. 11, '12

San Francisco Fall Chocolate Salon
Nov. 11, 2012

Yesterday I spent hunting for new chocolates at the Fall Chocolate Salon in San Francisco. This event, one of two annual Chocolate Salons in the city, was held at Fort Mason. We were so focused on tasting, we scarcely gazed up at the sailboats and blue sky outside. Such is the power of chocolate.

I enjoyed attending parts of three talks. The first talk was about decorating chocolates, followed by Art Pollard (Amano Chocolate) speaking about Organic and Fair Trade. Pollard shared some of the challenges associated with certification and pricing.

Third, Elyce Zahn (CocoTutti) demonstrated the significance of ingredients in fresh and flavorful truffles/bonbons by handing out small tasting experience kits with starter components such as small discs of dark and milk chocolate, a fresh raspberry, a dab of sweet raspberry puree (yum); and finished raspberry and coffee flavored truffles.

Speaking of fruit, we marveled at some giant caramel and chocolate covered apples from Rachel Dunn Chocolates (Concord, CA), and some beautifully decorated, sizable dessert bowls made entirely of chocolate.

Newcomers to this Fall Show included Smitten Truffles (Portland, OR) and Marti Chocolatt (Los Angeles, CA).

Otho at Smitten handed us samples from 4 tiny vats of ganache used to fill 4 different truffles: Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Bean; Water Avenue Brazilian Coffee; Kalamansi (Lime) and Creme Honey; and Vanilla Caramel and Tahitian Vanilla Sea Salt.

Marti Chocolatt Chocolatier, Tonet Tibay, presided over a variety of exotic and well-executed flavored truffles -- that included Durian, Ube, Pandan, Pina, and Calamansi lime.

Socola delivered a few wonderful new flavors, as always. Their mint truffles were the epitome of fresh and natural tasting mint leaves harvested from the garden.


Snake and Butterfly (a Bay Area bean-to-bar maker) and Tea Room Chocolates (organic, tea infused bars, based in Novato, CA) had tables full of good chocolate choices, as did Amano Chocolate (single origin bars and drinking chocolate).

Saratoga Chocolates (Saratoga, CA) had a good line-up, including their Blueberry-tini chocolates (blueberries infused with blueberry vodka and coated with dark chocolate), and assorted truffles, dipped apricots and toffee squares.

Sixth Course's Wine and Spirits collection (sold out) was wonderful, as were their caramels, with skillful incorporation of local ingredients (St. George Single Malt whiskey), herbs (rosemary, and sage and brown butter caramels). A new line of candy bars will incorporate favorite flavors.

The selections at the Feve Chocolatier (San Francisco) table looked great, but at least 3 of their truffles contained wheat (a lovely thin wafer) -- that I can't have; so I had to pass on these.

Attractive bags of fresh toffee were available from several vendors -- such as Toffeeology and Toffee Talk, most with nuts, some with nibs.

Thank you to organizers and vendors and local chocolate Meetup group. Those chocolatiers mentioned above were a small sampling of the total; apologies to those I've not mentioned by name. Thank you to Elise for tasting company and good conversation throughout the day.

CocoTutti - Pumpkins, Leaves - November 11, 2012

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

CocoTutti
1.) Pumpkins with raspberry ganache - Good + - Very Good
2.) Dark chocolate autumn leaves - painted different colors - Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) (estimate) for 3 truffles and 6 leaves /(total box contained approximately 12 pieces)
Calories: 300 calories for approx. 3 truffles and 6 leaves
Cost: $19.00 (+ tax, shipping) for Autumn Leaves Chocolate Collection box of 12 pieces
Purchased from: sneakpeeq.com

Today was Day #11 of Chocolate and All Things Orange.

It's not every day that one gets to eat specific chocolates and then stroll into The Fall Chocolate Salon in San Francisco, to visit the maker and thank her for these same chocolates.

Earlier in the morning I'd enjoyed a few Pumpkins with raspberry ganache and some realistic looking dark chocolate leaves, painted in beautiful fall colors, from CocoTutti's Autumn Leaves Chocolate Collection, that also included the company's Chocolate Orange Caramels (very nice, and previously featured on this site). Wonderful, natural orange flavors in these caramels -- and the Orange Confit chocolates.

So, I had a chance to thank Elyce Z. at CocoTutti in the afternoon, and re-sample some of CocoTutti's other very tasty house made caramels. (More about the Fall Chocolate Salon in San Francisco in the next post.)

Newman's Own - Orange bar - November 10, 2012

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

1.) Newman's Own Organics, Inc.
Orange Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good
Weight: 1.07 oz. (30.36 g.) / 3.25 oz. (92 g.) total bar
Calories: 155 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $2.99 in 1 bar
Purchased from: Sprouts Farmers Market, Mountain View, CA

I bought, and ate, this Newman's Own Organics Orange Dark Chocolate (54% cocoa) bar today; however, it had bloomed a bit and was somewhat brittle. That said, it was still good, and the natural orange flavor was very pleasant. I usually salvage good chocolate with bloom* by melting it and pouring it on ice cream, or making hot chocolate with it. Both options worked with this bar -- made with organic and Rainforest Alliance Certified Cocoa.

*A bar that gets too hot or too cold on the way to your table may result in cocoa butter separating from the cocoa solids resulting in whiteish coloring/spots.

A big toast to Day #10 of Chocolate and All Things Orange Theme Week. The toast, in this case, was a plate loaded with toasted, gluten free whole grain bread, with a variety of orange-related spreads, jams and preserves.

This plate included: a delicious, not-to-sweet Organic Sicilian Orange Fruit Spread from bionaturae (made in Italy); a Provencale Tomato - White Nectarine Jam from Blue Chair (Oakland, CA); a Dalmation Fig Orange spread; and a kumquat, chocolate and coffee spread from Lemon Bird Design (Wrightwood, CA). See below for details on the latter.

2.) Lemon Bird Design
kumquats with dark chocolate and coffee
Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 6 oz. (169.8 g.) in 1 jar

Calories: 65 calories (estimate) in 1 Tablespoon
Cost: $12.00 for 1 jar
Purchased from: Golden Gate National Park Conservancy, Land's End Lookout, San Francisco, CA

This exotic spread tasted like breakfast in a jar. The tart sweet strip-lets of orange kumquats imparted a citrus note (similar to orange marmalade) to a rich, dark pesto of dark chocolate and strong coffee flavors. This spread made an interesting sandwich spread with nut butters, and also a filling for small homemade chocolate cups* with a splash of Cointreau (or homemade orange liqueur).

*Chocolate cups are very easy to make. Melt chocolate in a microwave oven for a minute or two, until it can be stirred. Once softened, spread/brush the chocolate into a small silicone candy cup forms, covering all sides of the cup. Set aside to cool/harden. Gently remove chocolate cups from cup forms. Fill with desired fillings -- pudding, fresh fruit, liqueurs, jams, lemon curd, nuts, ice cream, sorbet, whipped cream, etc.

ChocolateBet: November 9, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Florida Tropic/SweetWorks, Inc.
Milk Chocolate Orange
Good
Weight: .19 oz. (5.5 g.) in 1 piece / 5.3 oz. (150 g.) total bag
Calories: 28.3 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $3.99 total package
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today's Milk Chocolate Orange (A L'Orange Chocolat Lait) chocolates were from Florida Tropic/SweetWorks (Buffalo, NY). I don't associate Buffalo, NY, with the tropics this time of year, but the brightly colored orange packaging and the little palm tree logo were enough to suspend disbelief.

These festive, shiny orange foil-wrapped, gumball-sized, milk chocolate orbs were smooth in texture and naturally orange flavored. One chocolate ball was quite satisfying, and a caloric bargain at only 28 calories per citrus "fruit," making it easier to justify carefully unwrapping and eating a small handful if you're hungry.

Today was Day #9 of Chocolate and All Things Orange.

ChocolateBet: November 8, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Chocolove
Peach and Pecan in Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good
Weight: 1.03 oz. (28.7 g.) in 1/3 bar / 3.1 oz. (87 g.)
Calories: 159 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $2.89 total for 1 bar
Purchased from: New Leaf Community Markets, Santa Cruz, CA

Today was Day #8 of Chocolate and All Things Orange. With all the orange fruit and vegetables vying for one's eye and attention, peaches are sometimes overlooked. They have a regal beauty and are wonderful to eat fresh, in season. However, their flavor is not as bold as the apricot, orange and tangerine, or even the persimmon with its almost glowing orange, sometimes gooey pulp. The peach is easily overwhelmed by chocolate.

Today's Peach and Pecan in Milk Chocolate (33% Cocoa Content) bar from Chocolove (Boulder, CO) was made with Belgian chocolate and studded with nice pecan pieces; but, consistent with comments above about the gentle flavor of peach, I couldn't really taste the freeze dried peach pieces in this bar. I did enjoy eating this bar with a bowl of peaches and yogurt with a little cinnamon.

Chocolove supplies an added bonus with its bars: a love poem printed on the inside of the wrapper. Today's bit of poetry was taken from William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet...The last line read "Tempering extremities with extreme sweet." Words fitting for chocolate as well.

ChocolateBet: November 7, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Arctic Zero, Inc.
Frozen Desserts
Chocolate Dipped Bars - Orange Cream flavor
Good
Weight: 2.1 fl. oz.  in 1 bar / 8.4 fl. oz. (248 mL) total box of 4 bars
Calories: 85 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $5.39 in 1 box of 4 bars
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and All Things Orange. Normally this would be the last day of a theme week. However, this week will be extended by a few more days, as there were too many chocolate + orange items to include in a conventional 7-day week.

I went with a healthy version of a frozen dessert bar today, despite the cooler weather. The relatively light and low calorie (85 calories per bar), gluten free, chocolate dipped orange cream bar from Arctic Zero, Inc. (Escondido, CA) contained a mild, relatively natural tasting orange frozen center. And the chocolate coating was made without milk. (The orange filling did include some whey protein. The product was labeled "Lactose Intolerant Friendly.") Happily, this bar was also made without artificial colors, flavors or artificial sweeteners.

Speaking of sweeteners, this bar had a touch of organic cane sugar, boosted with monk fruit concentrate. It was just about the right sweet level for me, although it may lack a little of the zippy sugar buzz that comes with most frozen sugary desserts on a stick. Monk fruit is a naturally sweet, green melon-shaped fruit from Asia, also known as luo han guo (Siraitia Grosvenorii).

This box of 4 frozen items included 2 Strawberry and 2 Orange Cream chocolate dipped bars. I tried both; but featured just the Orange Cream bar (my favorite of the two) today.