Cabruca - Lime Caramels - April 13, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Cabruca Chocolates
Lime Caramels
Good ++
Weight: .8 oz. (22.64 g.) (estimate) in 2 pieces
Calories: 120 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $34.00 for 15-piece assortment box (includes shipping)
Purchased from: Cabruca Chocolates, online order

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Brazil Theme Weeks.

These pretty, button-style, chocolate covered, flowing caramels from Cabruca Chocolates (Winchester, OR) were infused with just the right amount of tart-sweet lime flavor.

Cabruca Chocolates makes a line of Brazil-inspired chocolates, including Brigadeiro style truffles, caramels and filled chocolates with traditional ganaches. These caramels were part of a dark assortment box that included flavors like Rapadura and Brazil Nuts, Brown Butter and Pink Pepper, and Acai and Honey.

Cabruca Chocolates - Acai and Honey - April 12, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Cabruca Chocolates
Acai and Honey
Good - Good +
Weight: .8 oz. (22.6 g.) (estimate) for 1 piece
Calories: 120 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $34.00 for 15-piece assortment box (includes shipping)
Purchased from: Cabruca Chocolates, online order

Today I'm featuring another chocolate from Cabruca Chocolates (Winchester, OR). Owner and chocolatier, Juliana Renno Bounds, who grew up in Brazil, created today's Acai and Honey chocolate.

Acai berries grow on a type of palm tree in Brazil. The only acai berries I've located in the San Francisco Bay Area have been frozen*. The resulting dense, icy inky purple pulp I found was slightly tart, heavily sweetened, and designed for smoothies. (I asked Juliana about acai. She confirmed that most people use frozen acai berries for smoothies and acai bowls, even in Brazil.)

Acai fruit, and acai bowls (often topped with fruit and granola), have become popular in U.S. cities in the past few years -- in part due to the berry's high polyphenol and antioxidant content.

The Acai flavor in this chocolate was subtle and pleasant, and not too sweet (which I liked).

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Brazil Theme Weeks.

*Similarly, the only cacao fruit pulp I've been able to find in the U.S. has also been frozen. The cacao fruit starts to ferment quickly, after picking, especially in a warm tropical climate where its grown. A pity, as the fruit pulp has a pleasing fruit (ranging from citrus to watermelon) and floral flavor. 

Cabruca - Brown Butter and Pink Pepper - April 11, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Cabruca Chocolates
Brown Butter and Pink Pepper
Good - Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) (estimate) in 1 piece
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $34.00 for 15-piece assortment box (includes shipping)
Purchased from: Cabruca Chocolates, online order

Bem-vindo!* to Day #4 of Chocolate and Brazil Theme Weeks.

Today's Brown Butter and Pink Pepper was created by Juliana Bounds at Cabruca Chocolates (Winchester, OR). Juliana grew up in Brazil, and incorporates Brazil-inspired flavors into her line of Brigadeiro and Caramel Ganache truffles, as well as several traditional filled chocolates.

This generously-sized chocolate covered square was filled with dark chocolate and caramel ganache (made with brown butter), and sprinkled with tiny flecks of pink peppercorn (baies roses de Bourbon, aka Brazilian pepper, from Brazil). Creamy chocolate caramel and brown butter textures and flavors dominated this confection.

*Bem-vindo means welcome in Portugese.

Cabruca Chocolates - Rapadura and Brazil Nuts - April 10, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Cabruca Chocolates
Rapadura and Brazil Nuts
Good - Good +
Weight: .68 oz. (19.2 g.) (estimate) in 1 piece
Calories: 102 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $34.00 for 15-piece assortment box (includes shipping)
Purchased from: Cabruca Chocolates, online order

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Brazil Theme Weeks.

Nothing says Brazil like Brazil nuts. Today's Rapadura and Brazil Nuts truffle from Cabruca Chocolates (Winchester, OR) was filled with a dark chocolate and caramel ganache made with Brazilian whole cane sugar (rapadura), and was sprinkled with toasted Brazil nut pieces.

Cabruca Chocolates - Super Cocoa - April 9, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

Cabruca Chocolates
Super Cocoa Brigadeiro Truffle
Good ++
Weight: .65 oz. (18.4 g.) (estimate) in 1 piece
Calories: 97 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $34 for a 15-piece assortment (includes shipping)
Purchased from: Cabruca Chocolates, online order

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Brazil Theme Weeks. As with most countries, Brazil is full of life and chocolate. It's a big country, and I found it easy to find several Brazil-inspired chocolates and confections.

Brigadeiros literally translates as brigadier. I'm not sure how the this term evolved from a military to a culinary one. But, today when someone offers you a Brigadeiro, say yes!

These sweet, soft, round confections are usually cooked with condensed milk and cocoa; and everyone seems to have their own creative variation.

Today's Super Cocoa Brigadeiro Truffle from Cabruca Chocolates (Winchester, OR) had a wonderful, sweet and creamy dark chocolate ganache (filling), and was rolled in crunchy cocoa nibs. 

Cabruca Chocolates - Coconut Kiss - April 8, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Cabruca Chocolates, llc
Coconut Kiss
Good - Good +
Weight: .7 oz. (19.8 g.) (estimate) in 1 piece
Calories: 105 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $ box includes other flavors; 14.00 for a box of 6 chocolates
Purchased from: Cabruca Chocolates, online order

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Brazil Theme Weeks.

Happily there are several talented chocolatiers from Brazil in the U.S. who are incorporating Brazil-inspired flavors into confections.

Today's Coconut Kiss Brigadeiro Truffle was part of an assortment box from Juliana Bounds, chief chocolatier for Cabruca* Chocolates (Winchester, OR). Juliana grew up experimenting with chocolate and food recipes in the family kitchen in Brazil. She produces chocolates with caramel ganaches, Brigadeiro truffles, and chocolates with traditional ganaches.

A white chocolate coconut core was surrounded with chocolate; and the outside was sprinkled with coconut flakes, creating some layered tropical flavor.

*"Cabruca" is a Brazilian (Portugese) term that refers to growing cacao in a forest -- a shaded canopy setting -- that helps preserve natural ecosystems (wildlife, other trees).

Momotombo - Coconut - April 7, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Momotombo Chocolate
Coconut
Good ++
Weight: .45 oz. (12.7 g.) (estimate) in 1 piece
Calories: 68 calories (estimate) for 1 piece
Cost: $N/A - cost of larger assortment previously recorded
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Nicaragua Theme Week. I'm finishing this off with a coconut bonbon from Momotombo Chocolate (Managua, Nicaragua) that had been carefully stored away in our chocolate vault.

I had previously sampled a trio of these bonbon style chocolates made with Nicaraguan cacao, in Nicaragua, back in 2012; but I hadn't featured the Coconut flavor, that was rolled in toasted coconut bits.

Flavorful, and temporarily transporting... I enjoyed imagining I was on vacation near the ocean and coconut trees in Central America.