de Young Museum - Hazelnut Brownie - July 19, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

de Young Cafe
Hazelnut Brownie (gluten free)
Very Good
Weight: 3.9 oz. (110 g.) (estimate) in 1 brownie
Calories: 430 calories (estimate) in 1 brownie
Cost: $4.50 for 1 brownie
Purchased at: de Young Cafe, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate Brownie Theme Week.*

Recently, I attended a Flower Piano day in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Different pianos were available to play in the different gardens inside Golden Gate Park's Botanical Garden in San Francisco. It was a great idea, and a beautiful day outside.

Lunch at the de Young Museum's de Young Cafe followed; and I picked up a gluten-free Hazelnut Brownie "to go" that I saved for today.

This dense, fudgey, nutty brownie had a very pleasing brownie aroma, flavor and texture. It was populated with visible flecks of nut and had subtle hazelnut flavor.

I wish I could credit who made this brownie, but I don't have this information. Thank you to the Cafe team for providing gluten-free choices and great-tasting, healthy food.

*As with all chocolates on ChocolateBanquet.com, brownies and other chocolate baked goods featured are gluten free.

Small hazelnut chocolate feast - July 18, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Cloetta AB
Sperlari Grandperle
Fondente con granella  di torrone - Good
Gianduja con granella di cacao - Good
Weight: .94 oz. (26.6 g.) (estimate) in 2 pieces
Calories: 141 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $n/a from various sources
Purchased from: from various sources

Sjaak's
Hazelnut Butter Bite
Good + - Good++
Weight: .33 oz. (9.42 g.) (estimate) in 1 piece
Calories: 50 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $0.95 for 1 piece
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

After extending Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week to two weeks, this is the last day of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week(s). It's hard to abandon a great combination like this, but more good things await.

Today's two individually-wrapped chocolate and hazelnut sweets from Cloetta AB's (Kista, Sweden) Sperlari Granperle (from Italy) brand, and Sjaak's (Petaluma, CA) flower-shaped Hazelnut Butter Bite wrapped in light blue foil, were creamy, crunchy and sweet. All good for a post-lunch snack plate today.

The round Fondente con granella di torrone contained a torrone nougat with almond and hazelnut, covered in dark chocolate. (I'd had this chocolate before, but re-tasted with its Gianduja sibling.)

Underneath the sweet chocolate shell of the Gianduja con granella di cacao was a creamy chocolate center with crunchy bits of cacao (nibs I'm presuming). It was a relatively sweet confection, but it was a nice blend of creamy and crunchy. And nibs sometimes tend to balance sweetness.

I'd also sampled Sjaak's Hazelnut Butter Bite before, but it was also re-tasting. It was one luscious, creamy hazelnut butter chocolate. While one could finish this flower-shaped chocolate in one bite, I recommend savoring it and taking at least two.

Tomorrow we transition from hazelnut week to Chocolate Brownie week...with a hazelnut brownie.

NewTree - Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Pralines - July 17, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

NewTree
Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Pralines
Good
Weight: .492 oz. (14 g.) / 1.9 oz. (54 g.) in total package
Calories: 68 calories in 2 pieces
Cost: $10.50 for 1 package of 8 pieces
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week.

Yesterday I featured Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Pralines from NewTree (Belgium + San Anselmo/San Francisco, CA). And today's I'm featuring the Milk Chocolate version of these same pralines.

Made with 38% cacao (vs. yesterday's 66% cacao dark chocolate version), I expected a big increase in sweetness, but it wasn't too sugary sweet. (Thank you NewTree.)

Like yesterday's dark chocolate pralines, today's milk chocolates were attractively packaged and designed. The hazelnut flavor in this milk chocolate confection was very subtle, and the soft filling had a pleasant slight fruitiness, and a faintly boozy flavor note.

NewTree - Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Pralines - July 16, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

NewTree
Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Pralines
Good +
Weight: .492 oz. (14 g.) / 1.9 oz. (54 g.) in total package
Calories: 68 calories in 2 pieces
Cost: $10.50 for 1 package of 8 pieces
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week.

The word praline conjures up different images of confections in the U.S., drawn from many different regional traditions.

Today's box of 8 Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Pralines from NewTree (Belgium + San Francisco/San Anselmo, CA in the U.S.) were a compelling take on the praline genre.

After this week's string of gianduja milk chocolates, I half expected a strong hazelnut (butter and nut) flavor when I bit into these filled pralines.

However, these carefully crafted little bars with the NewTree leaf logo were less sweet and more complex than most hazelnut chocolates. (Hurray, less sweet. Thank you.) The hazelnut paste took a back seat to dark chocolate and slightly fruity/raisiny and almost brandy flavors.

Other ingredients included a blend of almond milk + skimmed milk powder, natural praline and vanilla flavorings, and rosemary extract.

Tomorrow I'll sample NewTree hazelnut filled Milk Pralines.

Antica Torroneria Piemontese - Quadrotta Gianduja bar - July 15, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Antica Torroneria Piemontese
Quadrotta -  Cioccolato Gianduja con Nocciole bar
(Chocolate gianduja with hazelnuts bar)
Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 6 oz. (170 g.) in total bar
Calories: 226 calories (estimate) for 1/4 bar
Cost: $13.95 for 1 large bar
Purchased from: Draeger's, San Mateo, CA

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Theme Week.

Today delivered up a large, almost geologic serving of chocolate and hazelnuts from northern Italy—home to a great many chocolate and hazelnut sweets.

The 6 oz. (170 g.) Quadrotta Cioccolato Gianduja con Nocciole bar was from Antica Torroneria Piemontese (Cuneo, Italia), a company located in the heart of the Piemonte (Piedmont) region in northern Italy known for its hazelnuts.

This thick, soft slab of gianduja—sweet milk chocolate (32% cocoa) with hazelnuts (40% of bar's content)—included a generous helping of embedded hazelnut pieces (perhaps roasted with some sugar, although I can't be sure). This chocolate confection was a bit sweet for me, but it was an effective blend of creamy and crunchy, and sweet and nutty.

Clif Bar - Organic Chocolate Hazelnut Butter bar - July 14, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Clif Bar
Organic Chocolate Hazelnut Butter bar
Good - Good+
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 230 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $1.79 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week(s).

Today's Organic Chocolate Hazelnut Butter bar was from energy bar pioneeer Clif Bar and Company (Emeryville, CA). Hidden beneath a traditional oat-based energy bar exterior was a creamy chocolate nut butter filling (chocolate + hazelnut butter, cashew butter and almond butter).

This bar was part of a new line of Nut Butter Filled bars. (There is also an Organic Chocolate Peanut Butter bar (with chocolate on the outside and peanut butter on the inside).

While not explicitly gluten-free, there were no wheat ingredients listed in this organic bar.

TCHO - Hazelnut Chunk bar - July 13, 2016

Chocolate of the Day:

TCHO
Hazelnut Chunk bar
Good
Weight: .83 oz. (23.3 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 143 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $5.29 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Draeger's, San Mateo, CA

Today's Hazelnut Chunk bar was from TCHO (Berkeley, CA)

This bar was made with organic, 53% cacao milk chocolate and it contained an even distribution of diced hazelnuts and hazelnut butter. At only 53% cocoa solids it was a bit sweet for me, but milk chocolate fans may enjoy this bar.

The texture was smooth and cohesive, with a slightly gummy melt. (The bar contained soy lecithin and whole and non-fat milk powder.)

Today was Day #11 of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week(s).