Tru Fru - Real Strawberries in Dark Chocolate - Dec. 15, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Tru Fru, LLC
Real Strawberries freeze-dried fresh and immersed in Dark Chocolate
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 4.2 oz. (119 g.) in total package
Calories: 150 calories in 1/4 package
Cost: $5.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Fresh berries are harder to find in December, which is why freeze-dried fruits and powders adorn many seasonal chocolate bars. Freeze-dried fresh fruit can perk up confections as well.

Tru Fru, LLC (South Jordan, UT) offers an entire line of freeze-dried fresh fruit pieces ensconced in glossy chocolate. Today's Real Strawberries freeze-dried fresh and immersed in Dark Chocolate from Tru Fru, LLC (South Jordan, UT) yielded bursts of slightly crunchy, pleasantly tart, fresh strawberry flavor. 

Cavalier Belgian Chocolatier - Dark Berries bar - Dec. 14, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Cavalier Belgian Chocolatier
Dark Berries bar
Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Fruit Week.

Today's Dark Berries bar was from Cavalier (Eeklo,  Belgium)
This Non GMO dark chocolate bar, made with UTZ certified cocoa, was made without conventional sugar. Instead, the relatively smooth bar incorporated "sweeteners with stevia.*"

The sweetener blend was relatively natural tasting; although the ingredients list was a bit long. And with increased processing and each added ingredient, in any bar, there's a possibility natural cocoa notes will be muted. The balanced berry flavor blend included raspberry, blueberry and black currant.

*Ingredients: Unsweetened Chocolate, Dextrin, Erythritol, Cocoa Butter, Inulin, Oligofructose, Dried Raspberries, Dried Blueberries, Dried Blackcurrants, Soy Lecithin as an emulsifier, Vanilla Flavor, Steviol Glycosides as a sweetener.

Chocolove - Filled Strawberry in Dark Chocolate bar - Dec. 13, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolove 

Filled Strawberry in Dark Chocolate bar

Good +

Weight: 1.6 oz. (45 g.) / 3.2 oz. (90 g.) in total bar

Calories: 210 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $2.95 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Chocosphere, online order

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

Today's Filled Strawberry in Dark Chocolate bar was from Chocolove (Boulder, CO). 

This semisweet dark chocolate (55% cocoa) bar was filled with pillows of strawberry marmalade.

The chocolatier's description included these words: "The subtle fruity notes of African cocoa beans playfully swirl together with the sweet tart flavors of fresh ripe strawberries."

This week is focused on fruit. However, if this was a chocolate and poetry themed week, then Chocolove bars and confections would certainly be highlighted. The company has included printed verse on the inside of their chocolate wrappers almost as long as they've been in existence (1996).

Today's piece: "Sonnet 49: Against That Time, If Ever That Time Come" by William Shakespeare. Not exactly a joyous ode to strawberry picking and chocolate sampling on a light summer's day. It was more like spotting approaching dark winter* clouds; but it was thought-provoking nonetheless.

*We're bracing for winter here in Northern California. Winter is only 8 days away; but the palm trees outside betrayed no trace of the season's change today. 

Royal Hawaiian - Macadamia Nut - Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Mango - Dec. 12, 2018

Chocolate of the Day:

Royal Hawaiian - Macadamia Nut, Inc.

Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Mango 

Good

Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) in total package

Calories: 200 calories in 1 package

Cost: $0.50 for 1 package (2 for $1.00 sale)

Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

At the heart of today's Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Mango pieces were roasted, Hawaiian-grown macadamia nuts from Royal Hawaiian Macadamia Nut, Inc.

These "mac" nuts were covered in dark chocolate and infused with pomegranate and mango flavor.

Royal Hawaiian - Macadamia Nut - Dark Chocolate Blackberry Goji - Dec. 11, 2018

Chocolate of the Day:

Royal Hawaiian - Macadamia Nut, Inc.

Dark Chocolate Blackberry Goji 

Good

Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) in total package

Calories: 200 calories in 1 package

Cost: $0.50 for 1 package (2 for $1.00 sale)

Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Fruit Theme Week.

Today's Dark Chocolate Blackberry Goji pieces were made possible by the Royal Hawaiian Macadamia Nut, Inc.

Roasted, Hawaiian-grown macadamia nuts were covered in dark chocolate and infused with tart blackberry and tropical goji.

A fruity, berry aroma wafted up to greet the taster, after this snack-size package was opened. The macadamia nut centers were mild and had a soft crunch. 

RAD Chocolate - Vegan Organic Milk Chocolate made with Coconut Sugar - Dec. 10, 2018

Chocolate of the Day:

RAD Chocolate
Vegan Organic Milk Chocolate made with Coconut Sugar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35.5 g.) / 2.5 oz. (71 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.50 for 1 bar
Purchased at Nibble Chocolate, Old Town, San Diego, CA location

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

Today's RAD Chocolate Vegan Organic Milk Chocolate made with Coconut Sugar was affiliated with Nibble Chocolate (San Diego, CA).

This sweet chocolate bar, clad in recycled brown paper, had a uniform rich, fudge texture and flavor with underlying coconut sugar notes. (The makers used single origin Trinitario cacao from the Dominican Republic to craft this bar.) Some of the rich flavor and texture was enhanced by the inclusion of finely ground almond and cashew (butters).*

Ingredients: cocoa, coconut sugar, almonds, cashews, vanilla extract, sea salt

RAD Chocolate - Vegan Organic Creamy Coconut Chocolate made with Maple Sugar - Dec. 9, 2018

Chocolate of the Day:

RAD Chocolate
Vegan Organic Creamy Coconut Chocolate made with Maple Sugar
Good
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35.5 g.) / 2.5 oz. (71 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.50 for 1 bar
Purchased at Nibble Chocolate, Old Town, San Diego, CA location

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

Today's RAD Chocolate Vegan Organic Creamy Coconut Chocolate made with Maple Sugar was affiliated with Nibble Chocolate (San Diego, CA).

Finding new chocolates was one goal of a recent trip south to San Diego. Nibble Chocolate has a location in the Old Town historic location north of downtown San Diego. And thanks to the help of a sign (shown at right), we found this shop, among the whitewashed Spanish style buildings, red tile roofs, sounds of Folklorico dancers and smells of homemade tamales.*

Today's bar had a pleasing chocolate and coconut aroma, and a creamy initial melt one might mistake for a dark milk chocolate bar. It also had a satisfying, sweet chocolate flavor, a very subtle hint of maple sugar and a very slight fine grained texture in the finish.

*If you're unable to travel to San Diego, check out the RAD Chocolate website for information on how to obtain a bar.