Lillie Belle Farms - Sicilian bon bon - July 19, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Lillie Belle Farms
"Sicilian"
Very Good
Weight: .8 oz. (22.64 g.) (estimate) in 2 pieces
Calories: 115 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $4.00 (estimate) for 2 pieces
Purchased from: Lillie Belle Farms, Central Point, OR

This orange-foil wrapped, hat-shaped "Sicilian" bon bon from Lillie Belle Farms (Central Point, OR) unexpectedly transported me back to Southern Europe to a summer evening many years ago, where I first tasted some heavenly amaretti (almond cookies) with Sherry and Port.

The well matched layers of sweet almond paste and cherry mingled with dark chocolate. These were very satisfying, and took me even further south -- to Italy, where marzipan and Sicilian almond cookies topped with candied cherries are popular, and possible inspirations for today's chocolate.

What a great start to to (Day #1 of) Chocolate and Italy Theme Week.

Madecasse - Pink Pepper and Citrus bar - July 18, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Madecasse LLC
Pink Pepper and Citrus bar
Good+ - Very Good
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) in 1 small bar
Calories: 132 calories (estimate) in 1 small bar
Cost: $ part of a larger tasting pack (previously recorded)
Purchased from: online order

Madecasse.com

Today was the last day of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week.

"Surprises" can be a mixed blessing. This morning, I found a few chocolates that were either past their prime or inedible for various reasons. (Surprise clean-out!)

However, I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that I had this Pink Pepper and Citrus bar from Madecasse, that I hadn't tasted yet.

This small-sized, 63% cocoa bar had an unexpected flavor mix, with a subtle blend of sweet pink pepper and exotic combava fruit. (I've included a screen shot of the larger version of this Madecasse bar that shows a picture of a combava, a close relative of the lime.)

This was a delightful fresh-tasting bar, with a very slight hint of molasses and a bright exotic citrus finish. For those who don't care for spicy hot, not to worry. There was just enough sweet pink peppercorn taste to make it interesting, without being hot.

Madecasse makes bean-to-bar chocolate in Madagascar (Africa). The company founders were Peace Corps volunteers in Madagascar, fell in love with the country, and wanted to work with farmers to help them get a fair price for their cacao. Making chocolate in-country (rather than overseas) allows Madecasse to make a more positive impact on the local economy.

Creme Brulee Cart - Kentucky + Chocolate - July 17, 2014

Chocolate of the Day:

The Creme Brulee Cart
Kentucky + Chocolate
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 1 serving
Calories: 500 calories (estimate)
Cost: $5.25
Purchased from: The Creme Brulee Cart, San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week.

After reviewing a few ancient items in my Chocolate Vault, and deeming them unsuitable, I took a walk through the Mission District of San Francisco to hunt for a chocolate I hadn't had yet. After walking in a methodical grid pattern, I was pleasantly surprised to discover The Creme Brulee Cart (storefront -- I had previously seen only their food truck).

They had an array of creamy brulee possibilities. I ordered up a "Kentucky" creme brulee (with a sugary top torched to perfection). This vanilla creme brulee base was enhanced with bourbon butterscotch, chopped candied pecans, and added chocolate sauce. Very tasty.

Island Princess - Dolphins with macadamia nuts - July 16, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Island Princess
Dolphins - Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts
OK++ - Good
Weight: .49 oz. (14 g.) / 4 oz. (113 g.) total box
Calories: 77 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $ (unknown)
Purchased from: (unknown)

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week.

What a pleasant surprise reminder of a (past) Hawaii trip it was, when I found this shimmering blue box of Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts (Hawaii Dolphins) from Island Princess (Honolulu, HI) -- way in the back of my chocolate vault.

Molded into small, milk chocolate dolphins, each piece in this box harbored a dry roasted macadamia nut in the center. 

Pacari - Raw Maca (bar) - July 15, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pacari
Raw Maca (bar) - 70% cacao
Good++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) total bar
Calories: 300 calories (estimate per label) in 1 bar
Cost: $ N/A - gift
Purchased from: N/A - gift

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week.

What's surprising about today's chocolate? Sometimes the ingredients of a bar are themselves unique or unusual, like today's Raw Maca (bar) from Pacari Chocolate (Quito, Ecuador), made from 70% Ecuadorian Arriba Nacional cacao and maca.

What is maca? This radish relative, with a butterscotch-like aroma, is a tuber native to South America that has been cultivated for its medicinal properties for several centuries. It's also been called "Peruvian Gingeng." Maca is considered a "superfood" by some and has been recently marketed as a way to help balance hormones and increase energy. I don't know about all that, but it gave this chocolate a pleasant slightly sweet, almost earthy flavor, and was surprisingly good.

Pacari Chocolate crafts bars and other chocolates (raw and roasted) from Ecuadorian organic (and kosher) chocolate, and often includes anti-oxidant rich, local/regional ingredients such as Andean blueberries, salt and maca.

Baba Joon's - Coconut Almond Chocolate Chewies - July 14, 2014

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Baba Joon's Chocolate Chewies
Coconut Almond
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.07 oz. (30 g.) for 2 / 7.5 oz. (212 g.) for 14
Calories: 130 calories (guesstimate) for 2 cookies
Cost: $ N/A - gift
Purchased from: N/A - gift

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week.

It was a week of beautiful, warm summer evenings. Perfect for picnics, walks and generally having a relaxing good time. Last Saturday, I enjoyed an outdoor concert with friends. One friend (thank you Elise!) brought a surprise gift -- these Coconut Almond cookies to share from Baba Joon's. And I'm featuring them today.

These Coconut Almond Chocolate Chewies were part of a line of "little chocolate miracles" from Baba Joon's (Morgan Hill, CA) -- that were gluten free, dairy free and preservative free. (I'd tried their apricot and walnut flavors before.) They were fresh, chewy, light and tasted satisfying and full of chocolate and coconut flavor, without being cloyingly sweet (as some macaroon style cookies can be).

These two-bite sized snacks were good hiking snacks as well. I tested them myself, and shared with others today.

Surprise - Second Chocolate
And, speaking of hiking, I was surprised to find a great ice cream treat from a local ice cream store in the middle of a redwood forest (Henry Cowell State Park), at a park store.

The Nutty Bar from Marianne's Ice Cream (Santa Cruz, CA) was delicious. A generous block of vanilla ice cream was coated with dark chocolate and smothered in chopped nuts. Yum.

Surprise. Chocolate is everywhere.

Mars - Birthday Cake MandM's - July 13, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mars Chocolate
Birthday Cake MandM's*
Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 g.) / 8 oz. (226.8 g.) in total package
Calories: 210 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $3.00 for 1 package (sale)
Purchased from: CVS Pharmacy, Palo Alto, CA

Each year I've featured some type of Chocolate Surprise theme week. This year's chocolate surprise items are surprise finds, gifts or other discoveries of sorts. It's almost always nice to be presented with, or surprised by, a new chocolate.

I thought I'd tried every flavor of MandM's chocolate candies years ago. But, surprise, I was wrong. These Birthday Cake MandM's, in bright primary colors (red, blue and yellow), would be a good, festive fit for a birthday party. The generous sized bag was designed to be resealable, to keep any left-overs fresh and/or secure. And, while they may have contained artificial color and flavor, these candy-coated pieces stamped with the iconic "m" were made with real milk chocolate.

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week.

*My apologies to Mars. I can't spell the MandM's brand correctly here, due to blogger's dislike of the ampersand sign.