Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew - Orange and Geranium Milk Chocolate bar - Aug. 20, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew 

Orange and Geranium Milk Chocolate bar

Good+++

Weight: .795 oz. (22.5 g.) / 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in total bar

Calories: 126.9 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $N/A - gift (thank you Elisa!) (1.75 pounds)

Purchased from: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew - Richmond, UK

Welcome to the first day of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week.

Some chocolates on this site come from friends who have recently traveled abroad. Today's Orange and Geranium Milk Chocolate bar made for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (UK) was such a gift. Thank you Elisa for bringing back this lovely botanically-themed bar.

I love floral aromas and flavor notes, so this bar tasted like a bit of heaven to me. The underlying milk chocolate was smooth, creamy and sweet—but not so much so that the sweetness obscured the wonderful geranium and orange notes. 

TCHO - Banana Nut Organic Dark 64% Cacao bar - Aug. 19, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

TCHO 

banana nut - Organic dark chocolate with almonds and banana 64% cacao (bar)

Good +

Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar

Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $3.79 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Fruit Theme Week. The fruit inclusion of the day is banana.

Today's banana nut Organic dark chocolate with almonds and + banana 64% cacao bar was crafted by TCHO in Berkeley, CA.

The banana flavor and almond bits were balanced and subtle, allowing the smooth, creamy dark chocolate to be prominent in the tasting experience. Flip the bar over and it was bumpy with banana and nut bits—also visible in broken pieces.

TCHO - Dark Chocolate with Orange + Toffee 64% bar - Aug. 18, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

TCHO 

Dark Chocolate with Orange + Toffee 64% Cacao bar

Good 

Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar

Calories: 205 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $3.79 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Fruit Theme Week. And the fruit in focus today is orange.

This Organic, Dark Chocolate with Orange + Toffee 64% bar was crafted by TCHO in Berkeley, CA.

The orange flavor and the bits of crunchy toffee inclusions were balanced and subtle, allowing the smooth, moderately dark chocolate to be the most prominent flavor in the tasting experience. 

The texture was slightly more crumbly than expected (perhaps due to toffee bits).

Compartes Chocolatier - Fruit Cocktail 73% Dark Chocolate bar - Aug. 17, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Compartes Chocolatier

Fruit Cocktail 73% Cacao Dark Chocolate Mixed Fruits (bar)

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar

Calories: 166.66 calories in 1/3 bar

Cost: $7.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: (unknown gift shop on pier), Monterey, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Fruit Theme Week.

And what better bar to celebrate this week than a dark chocolate fruit cocktail bar?

Today's Fruit Cocktail 73% Dark Chocolate Mixed Fruits bar was created by Compartes Chocolatier (Los Angeles, CA). Jonathan Grahm, took over Compartes in his twenties. 

Grahm, a native Angelino, has created a staggering array of bars and confections with flavor inclusions since then (more than 200), all artfully designed and packaged.

"Fruit Cocktail" didn't fully describe the dazzling display of dried/crystallized fruits pressed on the back of this gluten-free dark bar. It was a fantasy fashioned from the crown jewels of fruits.

You might find any or all of the following: apples, bananas, raspberries, peach, pear, kiwi, melon, raisins, strawberries, mango, apricot, pomegranate, cranberries...and more.

Lake Champlain Chocolates - Filled Passion Fruit 80% Dark bar - Aug. 16, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Lake Champlain Chocolates

Filled Passion Fruit 80% Cocoa Dark bar

Good ++

Weight: 1.625 oz. (46 g.) / 3.25 oz. (92 g.) in total bar

Calories: 253.3 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $3.69 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA 

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

Today's Filled Passion Fruit 80% Cocoa bar from Lake Champlain Chocolates (Burlington, VT) was an intriguing combination of deep dark chocolate surrounding an creamy inner filling of tropical, tart, passion fruit.

The company has added a barely there touch of lime that also helps cut the sugar level (thank you). 

Normally, a smooth but bold 80% cocoa chocolate might overwhelm more delicate fruit flavors; but the two extremes co-existed rather beautifully and seductively in this bar.

Dove - Real Cherries in Dove Dark Chocolate - Aug. 15, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Dove*

Real Cherries Dipped in Dove Chocolate

Good - Good +

Weight: 3 oz. (~84 g.) / 17 oz. (482 g.) in total package

Calories: 400 calories in 2 servings

Cost: $8.49 for 1 package 

Purchased from: Target Stores, Mountain View, CA

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

These "Real Cherries Dipped in Silky Smooth Dove Dark Chocolate" were a slight departure from traditional Dove chocolate bars and offerings.

The slightly chewy, dried cherry centers had an authentic, slightly tart-sweet cherry flavor with chocolate richness surrounding the core fruit.

Glossy dark chocolate exteriors gave these rounds some shine and durability. Altogether, they were fairly tasty.

*The Dove brand is owned by Mars, Incorporated

Flax4Life - Dark Cherry Brownie flax muffins - Aug. 14, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Flax4Life
Dark Cherry Brownie
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 14 oz. (396 g.) in total container
Calories: 130 calories in 1 muffin
Cost: $8.99 for 1 container of 12 muffins
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate Brownie Theme Week and Day #2 of Chocolate and Fruit Theme Week.

August is a great time for fresh summer fruits, including grapes, melons, figs, peaches and cherries. Today's container of Dark Cherry Brownie flax muffins was from Flax4Life (Bellingham, WA).

These dairy free, gluten free and nut free mini brownie muffins had sweet fudge brownie flavor and texture, with subtle, natural (dried, dark cherry) fruit flavor.