Celebrating 12 Yrs. of Chocolate - Kakawa Chocolate House - Chocolate - Sept. 16, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Kakawa Chocolate House
Aztec Warrior (Unsweetened)
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 6 oz. (170 g.) (estimate) in total package
Calories: unknown (estimate: between 150–170 calories per serving)
Cost: $ N/A - gift (Thank you Anne!)
Purchased from: N/A gift

Welcome to Day #6 of Celebrating 12 Years of Chocolate Series

Today's Aztec Warrior chocolate granules were created by Kakawa Chocolate House (Santa Fe, NM). The company specializes in authentic, historic drinking chocolate (elixirs).

The Aztec Warrior dairy-free chocolate blend included: "unsweetened chocolate (cacao solids, cacao butter), organic herbs, flowers, organic nuts, organic spices, chile and vanilla." It had a moderately bitter flavor with subtle star anise flavor note and low chile heat.

After adding hot water, I tried frothing this beverage with a hand-powered molinillo (modified wood chopstick rotated or rolled back and forth between two hands (palms)). My improvised tool wasn't really up to the job, but it was fun to indulge in a bit of imaginary time travel** and re-experience some traditional drinking chocolate and chocolate-making techniques and tools.

If you're not feeling your inner warrior and want something more friendly, you might also experiment by adding to this blend corn masa, ground roasted (unsalted) almonds and orange (peel), vanilla and cinnamon, to slightly warm and de-acidify the unsweetened base flavor of this blend. You could also add honey or sugar and milk, but I preferred experimenting with these other inclusions first.

Thank you again to Anne for bringing this blend back from Santa Fe, NM.

*Kakawa was an ancient name for cacao.
** Chocolate beverage making dates back more than 4,000 years in Mesoamerica/South America.

Celebrating 12 Years of Chocolate - Chocolate Hazelnut Trail Truffles - Sept. 15, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Trail Truffles
Chocolate Hazelnut
Good
Weight: 1.26 oz. (36 g.) / 5.1 oz. (144 g.) in total package
Calories: 150 calories in 3 truffles
Cost: $6.59 for 1 package
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA


Welcome to Day #5 of Celebrating 12 Years of Chocolate Series.

Today's Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles were from Trail Truffles (Draper, UT).

Like most other items that contain dates, these truffles have a moist, naturally slightly acidic fruit sweetness and cohesiveness. However, the hazelnut and chocolate did participate in this blend of  flavors. And their texture was great for a hike outside.

The Trail Truffles were taken up to a park in the hills to enjoy a great view of San Francisco Bay. They had a bit of oily sheen to them.; but they did not melt or fall apart.

I found this added extra virgin coconut oil* very helpful as an active person. (And the founders at Trail Truffles are active trail users from what I read.) A little fat is great for breakfast before a walk or hike—to stave off hunger before lunch.

Ingredients: dates, hazelnuts, organic cacao powder, organic coconut nectar (syrup evaporated), organic extra virgin coconut oil, sea salt

Jade Chocolates - 7-piece Assortment - Sept. 14, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Jade Chocolates
Assortment box
1.) Masala Chai - Good ++
2.) Bittersweet with Ajwain (think caraway) Seeds - Good
3.) Coconut Honey Meltaway (dairy free) - Good
4.) Olive Oil Cardamom - Good
5.) Lychee Rose Green Tea - Good
6.) Curry Caramel - Good + - Good ++
7.) Ginger Tumeric (sic) Meltaway - Good ++

Weight: 2.7 oz. (76 g.) (estimate) in 7 pieces
Calories: 405 calories (estimate) in 7 pieces
Cost: $21.95 for 1 package of 7 pieces
Purchased from: Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Celebrating 12 Years of Chocolate Series.

I wanted to enjoy a variety of chocolates this week to celebrate eating a different chocolate every day for 12+ years (4,414 days). And this beautiful 7-piece assortment from Jade Chocolates (San Francisco, CA) with creamy centers and exotic flavors was just the ticket.

Jade Chocolates is a small batch chocolatier specializing in chocolates (blended with
teas, spices and tropical fruits) with Asian and Pacific Islands origin stories.

Celebrating 12 Yrs. of Chocolate - O Organics Chocolate French Truffles - Sept. 13, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

O Organics
Organic Chocolate French Truffles
Good ++
Weight: 1.13 oz. (32 g.) / 5.3 oz. (150 g.) in total box
Calories: 200 calories in 4 pieces
Cost: $3.99 for 1 box
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Celebrating 12 Years of Chocolate Series.

Many chocolate confections are called truffles; but there's nothing like well-made, traditional truffles (called so because of their resemblance to the treasured, roundish, fungus by the same name)—made from a short list of high-quality ingredients (chocolate, butter, cream, cocoa powder).

Today's O Organics* Chocolate French Truffles were relatively close to this concept in appearance, taste and texture. They were made with chocolate and dusted with cocoa powder. However, coconut oil and cocoa butter were used instead of butter and cream; and soy lecithin was part of the mix.**

These truffles had a cocoa aroma and were soft, creamy and chocolatey. They had a very pleasing mouth-feel and melt that was almost velvety.

*O Organics is an Albertsons/Safeway brand
** Ingredients: organic cocoa mass, organic coconut oil, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic cocoa powder, soy lecithin (emulsifier).

Celebrating 12 Yrs. of Chocolate - Better Bites Bakery - Mostess Mini-Cupcakes - Sept. 12, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Better Bites Bakery
Mostess Mini-Cupcakes
Good - Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) / 6 oz. (170 g.) in total container of 6
Calories: 220 calories in 2 cupcakes
Cost: $11.99 for 1 container of 6 cupcakes
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Celebrating 12 Years of Chocolate Series.

Today's container of 6 Mostess "chocolate mini-cupcakes with coconut cream filling dipped in a chocolate ganache" were from Better Bites Bakery (Austin, TX). This refrigerated, allergen-free* mini-cupcake resembled an upscale version of a popular chocolate cream-filled cupcake with white icing.

Smaller-sized desserts like this sweet chocolate morsel are convenient, allowing one to sample three different miniature treats if desired, instead of one larger item.

*Founder, Leah Lopez developed a line of gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free baked goods based on the needs of her son, Gabriel. These small cupcakes were also free of other 4 other common allergens (peanuts, soy, shellfish, fish).

Celebrating 12 Years of Chocolate - Hazelnut bonbons - Sept. 11, 2018

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Timothy Adams Chocolate
1.) Hazelnut Praline bonbon - Good - Good +
2..) Dairy Free bonbon (made with hazelnut milk) - Good
Weight: .78 oz. (22 g.) (estimate) in two bonbons
Calories: 117 calories (estimate) in two bonbons
Cost: $5.50 for two chocolate bonbons
Purchased from: Timothy Adams Chocolate, Palo Alto, CA

Oh, happy day. Welcome to a Special Celebration Chocolate Series, featuring a baker's dozen of bonbons, truffles, confections, baked goods, and ice creams over the next 12 days (with a heavy hint of hazelnuts).

What's the occasion? We're celebrating 12 years of chocolate, beginning today with two glossy, hazelnut bonbons made by the creative duo behind the Timothy Adams Chocolates shop in (Palo Alto, CA).

Visit this well-designed chocolate store (accented with hot pink and bright turquoise blue) and your mood will be lifted. The staff are friendly and helpful. The chocolates and beverages are well-made and will satisfy a sweet tooth.

The Hazelnut Praline had a sweet, dark chocolate (72% outer shell) aroma with hazelnut notes. It was topped with a small dollop of hazelnut praline, and had a tasty, creamy 58% middle.

The sweet Dairy Free chocolate also had a 72% dark chocolate shell (couverture) and a 58% ganache. Made with hazelnut milk, this alternative milk chocolate was a more convincing dairy free chocolate than most. It had a milk chocolate aroma, and a dairy-like creaminess to it. The uniform sweetness overshadowed chocolate and hazelnut flavor nuances; however, this Dairy Free bonbon offered a great milk chocolate alternative.

Celebrating 12 Years of Chocolate
Twelve years ago, on September 11, 2006, yours truly committed to eating a different chocolate every day for a year. The adventure began with a cup of Haagen Dazs chocolate ice cream in Amsterdam, Netherlands; and this was the beginning of Chocolate Banquet.

Did I know I'd still be eating a different daily chocolate 12 years later? No. I wouldn't have thought that possible.

Many things have happened in the chocolate world since 2006, even in my home town of Palo Alto. Timothy Adams Chocolates shop was once occupied by Monique's Chocolates. And down the street, a lovely place called The Chocolate Garage closed its doors to the public just a few weeks ago, after several years of supplying excellent craft chocolates to an appreciative following.

Perhaps the biggest trend over the past dozen years: the growth in the number of new artisan and bean-to-bar chocolate makers. (Long may they thrive. Like many passion-driven craft industries, profits can be hard-earned.) And customers have learned to appreciate higher-quality chocolates, now that they are more available.

How long will I continue to eat a different daily chocolate? If you believe one has to do something 10,000 times to be an expert, I'll need to eat a new daily chocolate for another 15.4 years.

We'll see. There are many other tempting personal research projects to pursue.

Hu Kitchen - Hazelnut Butter Dark Chocolate bar - Sept. 10, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Hu Kitchen / Hu Chocolate
Hazelnut Butter Dark Chocolate bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA


Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week.

Today's Hazelnut Butter Dark Chocolate bar was from Hu Kitchen (New York, NY).

Hu Kitchen is a paleo-oriented restaurant in New York City. The founders and their team also make and sell their own chocolate bars and coffee.

This filled dark bar had a smooth, fairly creamy texture and melt. And the paleo vegan chocolate (made with organic house-ground cacao) had aroma and flavor notes of true dark chocolate, roasted hazelnuts, and very faint roasted coffee.