Nutiva - Organic Hazelnut Spread - Sept. 27, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Nutiva
Organic Hazelnut Spread
Good - Good +
Weight: .78 oz. (22 g.) in 1 packet
Calories: 120 calories in 1 packet
Cost: $1.29 for 1 packet
Purchased from: Sprouts Market, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Theme Week.

Today's Organic Hazelnut Spread was from Nutiva (Richmond, CA).

This organic, vegan and certified gluten free chocolate hazelnut spread had "40% sugar than the leading brand." What's not to like?

The creamy, oily spread with cocoa did have a more natural, satisfying taste than most spreads. It was chocolate and sugar forward, but lacked the consistency of hydrogenated fat with additives or emulsifiers (thank you).

The ground hazelnut flavor was less pronounced, in part due to subtle flavors of the oils (palm, coconut, chia seed) and other ingredients (flaxseed and carob flours).

The single-serving packet was a good size for a snack or lunch or trial taste. However, I was reminded, open packets with care or you may have a spray of tiny dots of Nutiva spread (or the oil portion if it's separated) on your shirt/pants.

GuyLian - Signature Hazelnut bar - Sept. 26, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

Chocolaterie GuyLian N.V.
Signature Hazelnut bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.24 oz. (35 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $0.99 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Theme Week.

Today's Signature Hazelnut bar was from GuyLian Belgian Chocolate, aka Chocolaterie GuyLian N.V. (Sint-Niklass, Belgium).

It might be dismissive to call this attractive bar a candy bar. So I won't. It was more like four pretty confections that were merged into a bar.

The bar had four joined segments or squares. Each square was adorned with a different small, but detailed "white" chocolate, sea-themed creature—such as a seahorse or sea shells. These marine morsels also served as "signature" shapes for the company. These same shapes can also be found on other GuyLian chocolates.

The milk chocolate bar was described as having a praline filling (with finely ground hazelnuts); however, the chocolate (that had a relatively smooth, creamy melt) was blended so thoroughly that the hazelnut flavor was relatively mild.

Chocolat Frey AG - Dark Crunchy Nut - hazelnut bar - Sept. 25, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolat Frey AG
Dark Crunchy Nut Bar - with hazelnuts
Good ++
Weight: 1.59 oz. (45 g.) / 6.3 oz. (180 g.) in total bar
Calories: 285 calories in 3 squares of (1.5 serving) bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to the 2nd day of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Theme Week.

I have a fondness for hazelnut chocolates from Europe, so today's Swiss-made dark chocolate bar chock full of hazelnuts (31% nuts) made the "must try" list some time ago.

The Dark Crunchy Nut bar from Chocolat Frey AG (Switzerland) was both dark and milk chocolate. The bar contained milk and buttery, sugary crunchy bits, that added crunchy texture and sweetened up the unsweetened dark chocolate.

It was a very edible and satisfying bar.

Tillamook - Oregon Hazelnut Chocolate Gelato - Sept. 24, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Tillamook
Oregon Hazelnut Chocolate Farmstyle Gelato
Good +
Weight: 1/2 cup (99 g.) / 15.5 fl. oz. (458 mL) in total container
Calories: 290 calories in 1/2 cup serving
Cost: $1.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Theme Week. When summer turns to fall, I think of hazelnuts, and the Willamette Valley region of Oregon—where most hazelnuts in the U.S. are grown.

When I peeled off the lid of today's Oregon Hazelnut Gelato from Tillamook* (Tillamook, OR) I was greeted with a visual feast of nuts and chocolate.

The top layer was so generally loaded with chopped hazelnut bits and fudge that you may want to mix this ice cream up a bit if you're sharing with friends. The first scoop had almost all the goodies.

I prefer some layering of flavors—more than over-homogenized blends—so that individual flavors have room to shine, as they did today. The mouthfuls of chopped nuts contained authentic, somewhat bittersweet, hazelnut flavor; and the ice cream and fudge layers were tasty.

*The Tillamook County Creamery Association is a 108-year old dairy farmer-owned cooperative based in Oregon that distributes dairy products including ice cream and gelato.

Fruition Chocolate - Heirloom Costa Rica Dark 74% bar - Sept. 23, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Fruition Chocolate
Heirloom Costa Rica Dark 74% bar
Very Good
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 159 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week.

Today's Heirloom Costa Rica bar from Fruition Chocolate (Shokan, NY) was a well-balanced, well-executed dark bar, made with heirloom-designated cacao beans from the canton of Coto Brus in Puntarenas Province, in southern Costa Rica.

Chocolate maker Bryan Graham performs his magic in the company's workshop in the Catskill Mountains. The chocolate results over the years have been consistently good.

Today's soy free, gluten free 74% bar offered a full, flavorful ride, aroma-to-finish, with dried fruit (cherry and light hints of apricot and raisin), citrus, very light bittersweet earth and umami notes, followed by more cherry and citrus and a very faint touch of coffee in the finish.

Frederic Blondeel - Costa Rica 70% Dark Chocolate Bar - Sept. 22, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Frederic Blondeel
Tablette VI - Costa Rica 70% Chocolat Noir (Dark Chocolate) Bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .636 oz. (18 g.) / 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 90 calories (estimate) in 2 strips (pieces) of bar
Cost: $6.99 (plus any applicable shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Stars USA, online order

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week.

Today's featured chocolate: the Tablette VI, Costa Rica 70% Dark Chocolate Bar made by Frederic Blondeel (Veurne, Belgium). Blondeel produces bean-to bar chocolate bars, including a series of single origin tablettes (bars).*

From the first whiff, this Costa Rica bar had interesting complexity, with an aroma containing fleeting hints of sweet coffee latte, green tea, and olive. The chocolate also had floral flavor notes with a light, lingering quality. There were no bitter or heavy notes that dragged this down.

*Yesterday Frederic Blondeel's Tablette I, Costa Rica 40% Milk Chocolate bar was featured.

Frederic Blondeel - 40% Costa Rica Milk Chocolate Bar - Sept. 21, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Frederic Blondeel
40% Costa Rica Milk Chocolate Bar
Good - Good +
Weight: .8.36 oz. (18 g.) / 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 90 calories in 2 strips (2/5 bar)
Cost: $6.99 (plus shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Stars USA, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week.

Today's 40% Costa Rica Milk Chocolate Bar was manufactured (from bean-to-bar) by Frederic Blondeel (Veurne, Belgium) and imported to the U.S. by Chocolate Stars USA (Fairfield, NJ).

The bar was "Tablette I," the first of a series of single origin (milk and dark) tablettes (bars) from Frederic Blondeel. (Tomorrow we'll feature Tablette VI, a 70% Costa Rica Blondeel bar.)

Back to today's bar...This sweet chocolate bar had an aroma with hints of berry pie, raisin pie and vanilla caramel, a slightly gummy-creamy melt, and a sweet aftertaste.

The bar was comprised of five thin, monogrammed, horizontal "strips" that allowed for maximum access to flavor and texture.

With its high sugar content (#1 ingredient) and added vanilla—and relatively low cocoa mass content (#4 ingredient listed, after sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder)—this chocolate also conjured up the notion of a high-end candy bar.