Sonoma Latina Grill - Mexican Chocolate cupcake - April 25, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Sonoma Latina Grill
Mexican Chocolate cupcakes
Good + - Very Good
Weight: Not known
Calories: Not known
Cost: $8.65 for 3 cupcakes (1 regular, 2 small)
Purchased from: Sonoma Latina Grill, Novato, CA

Today was Day #5 of Mexican Chocolate Theme Week.

I was happy to find both a "Mexican Chocolate" items for this week, and also one that was gluten free. I picked up today's regular and tiny-sized Mexican Chocolate cupcakes at the Sonoma Latina Grill, in Novato, CA.

These cupcakes were chocolatey and flavorful, with a touch of cinnamon; and the thick swirl of white icing was buttery soft and sweet.

Cocopotamus - Naked Hottie Fudge Truffles - April 24, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

NYDC Chocolate, LLC
Cocopotamus
Naked Hottie
Good ++
Weight: 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in package of 5 pieces
Calories: 247 calories in 5 truffles
Cost: $10.00 for a box of 5 truffles
Purchased from: NYDC Chocolate, online order

Today was Day #4 of Mexican Chocolate Theme Week. Sticking with the Earth Day theme of chocolates round and green, I chose these kelly green-foil wrapped orbs of goodness.

Today's sassy, "Naked Hottie" take on Mexican Chocolate was brought to you Max and Ally Sinclair, at NYDC Chocolate (Albuquerque, NM). The company's Naked Hottie Dark Chocolate Fudge Truffles were imbued with warm cinnamon, and had an uplifting, light mint flavor note.

Each truffle was a successful blend of wonderful textures -- creamy dark chocolate core, soft fudge mantle "shell," and a very light crust of sugar.

Thank you to Elana at SweetE Organic for introducing me to NYDC's gluten-free Cocopotamus line. The Rosie Posie fudge truffles infused with rose water hooked me.

Three Twins - Mexican Chocolate ice cream - April 23, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Three Twins
Sergio Romo's Mexican Chocolate ice cream
Good +
Weight: 1/2 cup (85 g.) / 1 Pint (473 mL) total container
Calories: 210 calories in 1/2 cup serving
Cost: ?
Purchased from: ?

Unfortunately, I don't remember where I bought this creamy, organic Mexican Chocolate ice cream made by Three Twins  Ice Cream (Petaluma, CA), but I know it was in the San Francisco Bay Area -- because of the tribute to/tie-in with Sergio Romo, a pitcher for the championship-winning San Francisco Giants baseball team.

What is Mexican Chocolate ice cream? Chocolate ice cream infused with cinnamon and vanilla. I felt like I was savoring a dish of frozen, Mexican horchata (cinnamon and vanilla flavored milk drink) -- a chocolate version, that is.

Because yesterday was Earth Day, it's also worth mentioning the Three Twins land conservation initiative called Ice Cream for Acres. The company donates money to land preservation efforts (36 million square feet and counting...).

Today was Day #3 of Mexican Chocolate Theme Week.

Taza Chocolate Mexicano - April 22, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Taza Chocolate
Chocolate Mexicano - Guajillo Chili
Good+ - Very Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14.4 g.) / 2.7 oz. (77 g.) total package
Calories: 75 calories in 3 wedges
Cost: $5.00 (estimate)
Purchased from: Soto's, Cambria, CA

Today was Day #2 of Mexican Chocolate Theme Week.

Taza Chocolate (Somerville, MA) offers a line of Mexican-style, stone-ground chocolates. This circular package of Guajillo Chili dark chocolate contained 2 discs. These discs were wrapped in paper and were easily broken into wedges. Taza chocolates have become popular enough that they can be found in numerous locations, including Soto's market in the small coastal town of Cambria, CA.


Today's Taza Guajillo Chili Mexican Chocolate was flavored with just the right amount (not too hot, not too mild) of dried mirasol chili, widely used in Mexico. And each of the three wedges that I ate (that spelled out the name of one of my favorite cartoon characters -- T-A-Z) were bursting with sparkling flavor.

Happy Earth Day. Enjoying something round and green (in the literal and figurative sense) did fit the occasion. As did Taza's efforts in organic and fair trade/direct trade.

This chocolate was also certified gluten-free, dairy and soy-free, and pareve.

Sweet Offerings - Mexican Chocolate truffle - April 21, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Sweet Offerings
Abuelito's Mexican Hot Chocolate truffle
Good - Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) (estimate) for 1 truffle
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) for 1 truffle
Cost: $ ?
Purchased from: Sweet Offerings, Cambria, CA

Hola, y bienvenidos a dia numero uno de la semana de Chocolate Mexicano.
(Translation: Hello, and welcome to Day #1 of Mexican Chocolate Theme Week.)

During a recent trip to the Central Coast region of California (about 4 hours south of the San Francisco Bay Area), a friend and I stopped at Sweet Offerings Confections, in downtown Cambria -- a small village on the coast where the pace was a bit slower and the people seemed a bit friendlier than in the big, bustling cities.

Even the chocolate seemed friendlier, if that's possible. This Mexican Hot Chocolate truffle from Sweet Offerings was a gentle giant (close to a full ounce, or 28.3 grams each) that imparted a soft spicy glow of chili (Hatch green chilies) and cinnamon in each bite.

Bovetti Chocolats - Dark bar with dried fruits - April 20, 2014

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Bovetti Chocolats
Dark Chocolate Bar with Dried Fruits
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1 oz. (28.3 g.) piece
Cost: $9.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Draeger's Market, San Mateo, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Pistachio Theme Week.

Happy Easter Sunday to those who celebrate this spring holiday that speaks of resurrection. Today we celebrated with a great lunch, colorful fruit sorbets, and pieces of this Dark Chocolate (73% cocoa) with Dried Fruits and Nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios) bar from Bovetti Artisan Chocolatier/Bovetti Chocolats (France). It was all good. I felt thankful to be able to sit down with family and enjoy a meal together.

Earlier in the day I also sampled a lovely pastel green-colored pistachio gelato (that likely had a little almond extract in it as well), with some gluten-free pistachio and cranberry biscotti, and pistachio nuts. Perhaps having three Easter Sunday desserts today was excessive, but small portions allowed for more variety.

Fiorello's - Toni Spumoni Gelato - April 19, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Fiorello's Artisan Gelato
Tony Spumoni gelato
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1/2 cup (130 g.) / 1 Pint (473 mL) container
Calories: 320 calories in 1/2 cup serving
Cost: $7.99 for 1 Pint container
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Pistachio Theme Week.

This pint container of "Tony Spumoni" gelato contained a melange of chocolate, almond and pistachio gelato(s) from Fiorello's Artisan Gelato (San Rafael, CA). A pistachio butter (with ground pistachios and almonds) provided a rich, sweet, nutty flavor to the combined flavor mixture.

I sprinkled my little dish of gelato with some green, shelled, lightly salted pistachio nuts and a spritz of rosewater, and I had one heckavu Tony Spumoni sundae.