Post Consumer Brands, LLC - Mom's Cocoa Marshmallow Safari - Mar. 5, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Post Consumer Brands, LLC
Mom's Best Cereals
Cocoa Marshmallow Safari
Good - Good+
Weight: .53 oz. (15 g.) / 14 oz. (396 g.) in total box
Calories: 60 calories in 1/2 serving
Cost: $1.49 for 1 box of cereal
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate Breakfast Cereal Week.

Get out your machete (and a spoon). We're headed deep into the sugared cereal jungle for the next few days.

Today's gluten-free Cocoa Marshmallow Safari cereal from Mom's Best Cereals, Post Consumer Brands, LLC (Lakeville, MN ) was made of "...sweetened corn puff cereal with real cocoa and marshmallows."

This reasonably-priced cereal was made without synthetic colors or flavors, hydrogenated oils or high-fructose corn syrup*.

And, I liked it. It delivered on its promise; and though it was sweet, in small quantities—I had a bit less than 1/2 cup (1/2 serving)—it was just fine. The marshmallows and cereal were relatively light in texture. Yet the cereal was satisfying with a pleasant cocoa taste.

And it was gluten free. I'm repeating myself here, because those who really need to avoid gluten find it tough to eat a standard American breakfast with cereal, toast, pancakes or waffles. It's nice not to have to worry about a gluten exposure that may slow you down later.

*Cocoa Marshmallow Safari cereal does contain corn syrup, but not high-fructose corn syrup. We're making progress.

Open Nature - Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Heaven - Mar. 4, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Open Nature
Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Heaven
Good
Weight: 2.12 oz. (60 g.) / 12 oz. (340 g.) total package
Calories: 260 calories in 2 servings (1/2 cup)
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: Safeway (missing location information)


Welcome to the second day (Day #2) of Chocolate Breakfast Cereal Week.

There are many ways to enjoy a chocolate breakfast; and granola with chocolate and nuts is certainly a category worth exploring.

Oat-based/muesli cereals were staples for centuries in Europe. Cacao beans from the Americas were first brought to Europe by the Spanish in the early 1500s, and gradually spread to other countries, primarily as drinking chocolate.

Oat cereals and chocolate eventually became available in merged form by the 1800s in Europe and elsewhere. In some cases, early commercial chocolate was diluted with cereal grains, starches or flours. Although I'm sure Europeans with access to hot chocolate might have poured some into their oat cereals earlier than the 1800s. (I think I would have.)

The Maya and Aztec peoples mixed cacao with corn/maize and cereal grains in Central and South America for centuries before Europeans arrived.

Today's Open Nature Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Heaven granola distributed by Lucerne Foods, Inc.* (Pleasanton, CA) was crunchy and surprisingly light in mouthfeel and texture. It was sweet, but slightly less so than other prepared granola cereals (thank you).

When it came to the inclusions, dark chocolate (chips) and hazelnut bits, these were also on the light side, that is they were very subtle accent flavors and not the main attraction. However, it's easy to add a few toasted hazelnuts (I did) or some dark chocolate shavings/chips (I did not) to amp up these flavors if desired.

Note: While no wheat ingredients were listed, it was not advertised as a gluten free cereal. And, as I found out later, it did contain barley malt syrup.

*Lucerne Foods, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Safeway.

Van's - Double Chocolate granola clusters - Mar. 3, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Van's International Foods
Double Chocolate soft baked whole grain granola clusters
Good
Weight: 2.12 oz. (60 g.) / 11 oz. (311 g.) total package
Calories: 240 calories in 2 servings
Cost: $3.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Good morning and welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Breakfast Cereal Week.

For a gluten-free person, breakfast cereals present a challenge. Happily, there are many more gluten free cereals on the market now, including several with chocolate.

I don't eat cereal often. We'll see if I can do so for a whole week without feeling over-sugared.

Today's Double Chocolate soft baked whole grain granola clusters from Van's International Foods (Phoenix, AZ) delivered on their promise.

Their chocolately granola was formed into pliable clumps vs. crispy chunks, with a texture more similar to a whole grain cookie bar. This recipe did not scrimp on the chocolate content. The granola clusters contained both chocolate chips with cocoa butter and cocoa powder.

My human and squirrel testers also approved of this ebony-hued, double chocolate granola, thanks in part to the bits of almonds, pecans and walnuts they contained.

The dense clusters of nuts, oats and a light touch of salt helped prevent runaway sweetness. The bowl of two servings (2/3 cup) I had with milk was a bit sweet, but also quite filling and satisfying.

Van's* has been making gluten-free waffles, blueberry waffles, and pancakes for many years. They were some of the earliest gluten-free offerings I found in local grocery stores in the early 1990s.

*Van's International Foods operates as a subsidiary of Tyson Foods, Inc. This particular granola was manufactured for Van's in a facility in Vernon, CA.

Moo Free Chocolates - Rosie Rabbit Bunnycomb Bar with Rice - Mar. 2, 2017

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Moo Free Chocolates
Rosie Rabbit - Bunnycomb Bar
Good
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 143 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $5.50 for 1 box of 4 different bars
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to the last day (Day #7) of Chocolate and LMNOPQR Theme Week.

Today I focused on the letter "R" as in rice, rabbits, rum and raisins—in the form of two different chocolate items.

Rosie Rabbit and Rice Milk
The Rosie Rabbit Bunnycomb (Crunch) Bar from Moo Free Chocolates (Reading, UK) was a dairy free, gluten free and vegan chocolate bar, that was part of a holiday "Merry Moos" assortment box that contained four different bars, all made with rice powder.

Today's bar also had crunchy bits (honeycomb toffee) crunchy bits on on side. The chocolate was sweet and smooth; and the "Bunnycomb" toffee bits provided a bit of crunchy texture and contrast. The packaging was festive and fun with cartoon animal characters that may appeal to kids of all ages.

Rum Raisin Rice Pudding with Chocolate Earl Grey Tea

The second chocolate-related item I tried today was an invented concoction of rum raisin rice pudding, infused with Chocolate Earl Grey Tea from Numi Organic Tea/Numi, Inc. (Oakland, CA).

A handful of raisins were soaked in Meyer's Dark Rum first, then combined with cooked rice and milk. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and a tiny splash of orange flower water added some pleasant flavor. (I did not add any sugar or sweetener.)

I'll continue to work on this rice pudding blend latter, as it lacked a little something. Perhaps some cocoa butter, orange, and/or honey. Or, maybe I just have to admit that I'm not used to rice pudding without all the sugar.

Another interesting flavor I infused into the milk for the rice pudding: gluten-free Chocolate Earl Grey tea, described by Numi as an aged Assam black tea having "rich cacao with citrus highlights."

The first Chocolate Earl Grey tea bag ingredient listed was organic cocoa powder, although the flavor was almost all black tea. The bergamot and orange flavors were very subtle compared with other Earl Grey teas. (Adding milk softened the harsher black tea and unsweetened cacao flavors a bit, but some may need a bit of sweetener as well.)

The packaging was attractive and eco-friendly. The individually-wrapped tea bags was slightly oversized, and were Non GMO and biodegradable.

Trader Joe's - Quasar bar - Mar. 1, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Trader Joe's
Quasar bar
Good
Weight: 1.8 oz. (51 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 220 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $0.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Trader Joe's store in Bay Area, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of LMNOPQR Theme Week. "Q" is for Quasar (more about that below). It also is the name of a candy bar from Trader Joe's (Monrovia, CA).

Quasars are, according to definitions I found: "massive celestial objects emitting exceptionally large amounts of energy, and typically having a star-like image in a telescope" and "it has been suggested that quasars contain massive black holes and may represent a stage in the evolution of some galaxies."

Yes, quasars are associated with enormous amounts of energy. On a smaller scale, today's Quasar candy bar supplied me with sugar, chocolate and energy in the form of calories. This bar contained approximately 220 calories, and a cosmically impressive 44 g. of Carbohydrates.

The Trader Joe's Quasar Bar contained "whipped chocolate nougat and rich caramel enrobed in dark chocolate." It was quite sweet, as one might expect. The caramel was satisfying without it being so gooey as to make a mess.

The milk chocolate and nougat were primarily about the sugar; so any chocolate flavor nuances were lost, in space. And speaking of space, the Quasar bar reminded me of another candy bar inspired by a heavenly body: The Milky Way.

Note: The Quasar bar is not gluten free. While it does not contain wheat (or may contain only trace amounts), malted barley is listed as an ingredient.

Raaka - Pine Needle bar; Peeps - Feb. 28, 2017

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Raaka Chocolate
Pine Needle bar
Good
Weight: .9 oz. (25.4 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50.9 g.) in total bar
Calories: 135 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Raaka, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of LMNOPQR Theme Week. Just another day in the chocolate alphabet; and today "P" stands for Pine, and Peeps.

Pining for Chocolate
I've enjoyed all the pine-infused chocolates* I've featured on Chocolate Banquet thus far, and was excited to try this Pine Needle (Bolivia) bar from Raaka Chocolate (Brooklyn, NY).

Today's bar had a dark chocolate and slight "dirt" aroma. This slight earthiness (occasionally accompanied by very light smoke and/or espresso notes)** is not necessarily a flaw. I've been known to like what I'd call perfectly good dirt bars. And when one is making a bar inspired by a tree in a forest, perhaps a certain hint of earthiness is appropriate.

However, I wondered whether I'd be able to taste the subtle floral, lemony-citrus notes of the Douglas Fir tips used to impart flavor to this Pine Needle bar. In fact, it did take a few bites for this lovely flavor to shine through. Once it did materialize, this pine flavor was lovely, but fleeting.

Peeping for Chocolate
I appreciate the memories I have of certain candy items. So, I felt compelled to include another significant "P" item from my childhood: a marshmallow "Peep."

These Peeps were made (hatched?) by Just Born, Inc. (Bethlehem, PA) and were first created many years ago as marshmallow chick shapes. They're now available in many bird and animal shapes, colors and flavors—including a few with chocolate or cocoa.

Today's attractive Red Velvet Limited Edition Peeps were red on the outside and cocoa-colored on the inside and were sitting on a white base.

I'm afraid the sugar, corn syrup and gelatin didn't have quite the charm it did in my childhood, but this marshmallow chick was still fun to try.

*Yes, believe it or not, there are several pine flavored chocolates and confections out there. My first one was a Douglas Fir truffle at SOMA Chocolatemaker (shop) in Toronto, Canada several years ago. I was hooked.

**These characteristics often start back in the fermentation and drying phases (on farms, before most bean-to-bar makers receive the cacao beans and start to make them into chocolate). And because Raaka creates their chocolate from unroasted cacao, I'm assuming these are not flavors associated with a roast profile.) 

Cerreta - Olive Oil Dark Chocolate Bar - Feb. 27, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Cerreta Candy Company
Olive Oil Dark Chocolate Bar with Sea Salt
Good - Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $4.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Queen Creek Olive Mill store, Scottsdale, AZ

Welcome to Day #4 of LMNOPQR Theme Week. Today "O" stands for olive.

This Olive Oil Dark Chocolate Bar with Sea Salt was made by Cerreta Candy Company (Glendale, AZ) with/for Queen Creek Olive Mill (Queen Creek, AZ).

I bought this bar at a Queen Creek Olive Mill marketplace location at the Kierland Commons shopping area in Scottsdale, AZ, thanks to the help of a friend who lives nearby. (Thank you Joy!)

Cerreta included Queen Creek's cold pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) in this dark chocolate bar. The resulting chocolate had a thick and pleasant mouthfeel and melt. The EVOO and cocoa butter give the bar a rich, smooth texture and mellowed any harsh or acidic chocolate notes (of which there were none, from what I could tell).

About mid-way into the first bite, the sweetness kicked in and then the hint of sea salt. It was a fun and interesting bar to try.