Lake Champlain - Apple Cider Caramels - Nov. 2, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Lake Champlain Chocolates
Milk Chocolate Apple Cider Caramels
Good ++
Weight: 2.4 oz. (68 g.)
Calories: 245 calories (estimate) in 1 package
Cost: $15.25 for 1 box of 7 caramels
Purchased from: Draegers Market, San Mateo, CA

Colorful leaves, crisp fall weather and apples marked this week's progression into autumn -- as did today's Milk Chocolate Apple Cider Caramels "grown, fermented, and crafted in Vermont" by Lake Champlain Chocolates (Burlington, VT).

Coated with 34% milk chocolate, the flavors in these rectangular-shaped treats sprang from a blend of tart Citizen Cider apple cider and Happy Valley Orchard apple pressings -- in a soft caramel with hints of brown sugar, butter and organic cinnamon.

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Holiday Spices Theme Week.

The Oakland Choc. Co. - Pumpkin truffle - Nov. 1, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

The Oakland Chocolate Company
Pimento Pumpkin Truffle
Good ++
Weight: .49 oz. (13.8 g.) (estimate) in 1 piece
Calories: 72 calories (estimate) for 1 piece
Cost: $N/A - sample (Thank you Nancy)
Purchased from: N/A - sample, The Oakland Chocolate Company, Oakland, CA

Today was Day #1 of Holiday Spice Theme Week.

I had the good fortune to visit Nancy Nadel, the creative force behind The Oakland Chocolate Company (Oakland, CA) today. When I arrived at her relatively new facility and tasting room, I donned a hairnet and interviewed her while she was roasting beans, pouring liquid chocolate into containers, and making caramels.

Nancy is a bean-to-bar-to-bonbon chocolate maker and chocolatier (one of the few women to make chocolate from scratch in the San Francisco Bay Area). She has a relationship with the farmers in and buys her beans from St. Mary Parish in Jamaica.

Toward the end of my visit with Nancy, I sampled a few holiday-relevant* offerings, including today's Pimento Pumpkin Truffle. The dark (Jamaican) glossy, pumpkin-shaped chocolate shell enclosed a spiced pumpkin (white chocolate) filling.

The "Pimento" in this Pimento Pumpkin Truffle didn't refer to a pimento as we know it in the U.S., but rather to an allspice berry blend. The filling was infused with a subtle hint of Berry Hill pimento allspice liqueur from Wray and Nephew (Kingston, Jamaica).

The pumpkin and spice flavors were well balanced, and not overpowering, and stood up nicely to the rich, dark chocolate couverature.

*I also sampled a juniper berry truffle (think a tall, cylindrical flavored truffle, like a gin and tonic glass) that I hope to feature in the future.

Charles Chocolate, Atelier d' Isabelle - Oct. 31, 2014

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Charles Chocolate
Candied Valencia and Almond bar
Good
Weight: 1.34 oz. (38 g.) in 1 small bar
Calories: 200 calories (estimate) in 1 small bar
Cost: N/A - gift from a friend
Purchased from: N/A - gift from friend

Happy Halloween to all! One of the big chocolate holidays of the year in the U.S. Today was also Day #7 of Chocolate and Orange Theme Week.

I'd like to think I would have appreciated finding a small bar like today's Candied Valencia and Almond bar from Charles Chocolates (San Francisco, CA) in my trick-or-treat bag when I was a child. I've always liked nuts, and this bar contained not only almonds, but also pistachios, sultanas (raisins) and pine nuts, giving it a fine crunchy nut and fruit taste and texture. Bits of candied Valencia orange peel gave this 41% milk chocolate bar a subtle citrus flavor.

Atelier d' Isabelle, LLC
Peru 64% Single Origin bar
Good +
Weight: 1.3 oz. (38 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 240 calories in 3 squares (1.3 oz.) of bar
Cost: $7.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

My second Halloween treat today: part of a Peru 64% single origin dark chocolate bar from Atelier d' Isabelle, LLC (Burlingame, CA). This smooth dark chocolate bar was made in Belgium (by KC Chocolatier) but the design and lovely, vintage Halloween wrapper (featuring a young witch with pumpkins and a whisp of glitter) was provided by Atelier d' Isabelle.

Truffettes de France - Orange Mallows - Oct. 30, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocmod USA
Trufettes de France
Orange Mallows Dipped in Dark Chocolate
Good
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 7 oz. (200 g.) in total package
Calories: 120 calories in 3-piece serving
Cost: $4.99 for 1 package/box
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Truffettes de France brand products come from Chocmod Chocolatier Confiseur (Roncq, France).


These Orange Mallows Dipped in Dark Chocolate had a very sweet filling comprised of a fluffy marshmallow layer topped with an "orange jam" layer. (The company also makes Cherry Mallows and Pear Mallows.)

Tomorrow is Halloween in the U.S., a holiday known for chocolates and candy for trick-or-treaters and spooky things. In keeping with these traditions, I tried something a little scary. I toned down the sweetness a bit by giving these mallows a sprinkle of black pepper and salt -- and it wasn't bad. 

Endangered Species - Dark Orange bar - Oct. 29, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Endangered Species Chocolate
Organic Dark Chocolate and Organic Orange Flavor bar
Good +
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $2.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Chocolate and Orange land -- also known as Day #5 of Chocolate and Orange Theme Week on ChocolateBanquet.

Yes, in addition to jack-o-lanterns, pumpkin lattes, citrus fruit, and lots of people wearing orange and black clothes to support the San Francisco Giants baseball team (who won the World Series this evening), there have been numerous combinations of chocolate and orange fruit/oil to celebrate this week.

Today's Organic Dark Chocolate and Organic Orange Flavor 70% cocoa bar was from Endangered Species Chocolate (Indianapolis, IN). The company donates 10% of net profits to species and habitat conservation. This 1.4 oz. bar is one in a line of 4 organic bars -- all picture an animal. This one features a zebra.

Caffarel - Cioccolato e Mandarinello - Oct. 28, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Caffarel
Cioccolato e Mandarinello
Good - Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) (estimate) in 2 pieces
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $2.60 for 2 pieces
Purchased from: Jacuzzi Family Vineyards, Sonoma, CA

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

These Cioccolato e Mandarinello chocolates were from Caffarel (Italy). Caffarel is a subsidiary of Lindt and Sprungli.

Their dark chocolate domed shells were filled with a mandarin orange liqueur* infused, soft flowing center. It felt like a grown-up treat after all the sweet milk chocolates this week.

*Mandarinello is a mandarin orange liqueur similar to Limoncello

jcoco orange bar, Whetstone milk oranges - Oct. 27, 2014

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

jcoco
cayenne veracruz orange bar
Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in 1 small bar (1 of 6 in set)
Calories: 150 calories in 1 small bar
Cost: $ N/A - from a friend (Thank you Toni!)
Purchased from: N/A - from a friend

This cayenne veracruz orange jcoco bar (affiliated with Seattle Chocolates) was what I'd call excellent white chocolate. The orange taste and spicy kick created a sweet, rich and well balanced flavor blend.

Because this chocolate did not contain cocoa solids (a requirement for my daily chocolate), I also had the following orange milk chocolates.

Whetstone Candy Company
Milk Chocolate Oranges
Good
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) in 4 pieces
Calories: 201 calories in 4 pieces
Cost: $ lost information
Purchased from: $ lost information

This bag of tiny, solid milk chocolate "oranges" with a hint of vanilla from Whetstone Candy Company, Inc. (St. Augustine, FL) were individually wrapped in orange foil. I'd been storing these in my chocolate vault, just for this very theme week.


Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Orange Theme Week.