Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates - Candied Coconut + Makrut Lime (bar) - May 30, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates
Candied Coconut + Makrut Lime (bar) - 43% Madagascar Couverture
Good ++ 
Weight: 2.6 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 403 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Farm Fresh, online order 

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

Today's Candied Coconut and Makrut Lime (bar) with 43% Madagascar Couverture was from Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates, Inc. (Sacramento, CA).

Today's lime flavor was from lime leaves and lime oil. The Makrut Lime leaves from Beck Grove Farm in Southern California (Fallbrook, CA).

Aroma notes for this 43% bar included: dark milk chocolate, fruit (lime, very faint sweet melon/cacao fruit), and very faint coconut and vanilla.

Texture: smooth dark milk chocolate and tiny, chewy/crunchy shreds of coconut.

Flavor notes included: dark milk chocolate; lilting, pleasingly complex lime; light vanilla; and very subtle coconut.

Flavors and textures were well-balanced and executed. Warning: the complex, slightly fruity sweet, milky cocoa and caramel notes made this bar slightly addictive, especially if you're hungry.

Maker's notes: "This custom single origin 43% chocolate from Madagascar is blended to have a higher amount of cocoa than traditional milk chocolate. Candied coconut and Makrut lime pair perfectly with the delicate acidity and soft caramel notes of this beautiful chocolate."

Ingredients: Milk Chocolate (Cocoa beans from Madagascar, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Whole Milk Powder, Dried Skimmed Milk, Vanilla Extract, Soya Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavor), Cocoa Paste (100% Cocoa Beans from Madagascar), Organic Coconut, Cane Sugar, Organic Makrut Lime Leaves, Cold Pressed Lime Oil.

Allergen-related information: "This product contains milk, soybeans and coconut. This product may contain traces of wheat, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts."

Lindt - Excellence - Lime Dark Chocolate (bar) - May 29, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Lindt 
Excellence - Lime Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1 serving (30 grams)
Cost: $4.89 for 1 bar 
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Excellence - Lime Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Lindt -- distributed by Lindt and Sprungli (USA) Inc. (Stratham, NH).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate and citrus (lime). 

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with tiny (slightly crunchy) freeze-dried lime bits--that hydrated in my mouth and tasted like flecks of pleasant (not bitter) lime fruit and peel.

Flavor notes included: smooth, relatively sweet dark chocolate and small sparkles of authentic (freeze-dried) lime fruit/rind. 

Many chocolates with fruit flavor inclusions start to taste more like candy. They often contain a higher percentage of sugar, and a lower percentage of cacao. 

While this 47% cacao chocolate was sweet (sugar was the first ingredient listed), the dark chocolate and lime both helped balance the sweetness; and the bitterness level was fairly low. The blend was well-balanced and executed.

I also liked that the smooth yet hearty (and less sugar-y tasting) dark chocolate with authentic lime also harmonized with the naturally occurring "fruit" flavors (e.g. "citrus" notes) found in cacao. 

Ingredients: Sugar, Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Milk Fat, Freeze-Dried Lime, Natural Flavor, Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier).

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk, Soy. May Contain Sesame and Tree Nuts.

Holm Made Toffee Co. - Marionberry - Oregon Hazelnut Toffee - May 28, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Holm Made Toffee Co.
Marionberry - Oregon Hazelnut Toffee
Good ++  
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) / 4 oz. (114 g.) in total package
Calories: 310 calories (estimate) in 1/2 package
Cost: $10.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Farm Fresh, online order/add-in

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

Today's Marionberry - Oregon Hazelnut Toffee was from Holm Made Toffee Co. (Bend, OR). 

Aroma notes included: sweet berry (fruit, jam), faint chocolate, and berry (somewhere between sweet black raspberry and ripe blackberry) jam shortbread cookie (with nuts, berries and vanilla). 

Texture: crunchy toffee core with creamy (dark and white chocolate)

Flavor notes included: sweet, crunchy, buttery toffee; nut and berry "cookie" with smooth/creamy rich chocolate and cocoa texture and flavor; and finely chopped hazelnuts that added a crunchy, nutty texture.

I liked that this rich toffee was made with real marionberries*, real butter, and no gluten, soy or corn syrup. Dark/flavor fans may prefer a version with more dark chocolate and less white chocolate, and more berry flavor. (Try the company's Vanilla and Cardamom toffee--my favorite Hold Made Toffee flavor--for a bit more chocolate flavor.)

This toffee confection was tasty, and it captured Oregon flavors like hazelnuts, marionberries and berry pie. 

Ingredients: Butter [cream (milk) & salt], pure cane sugar, Oregon hazelnuts, dark chocolate [unsweetened chocolate, sugar, sunflower lecithin, and vanilla], white chocolate [palm kernel and palm oils, whey, nonfat milk], blackberry oil [oils of natural flavors], freeze-dried Oregon marionberries.

Allergen-related information: Contains tree nuts (hazelnuts) and dairy 

*The Marionberry was created at Oregon State University in 1948. Considered a type of blackberry (a cross between Chehalem and Olallie blackberries), it also has some Himalaya blackberry and red raspberry heritage.

Mama Ganache - Cherry Almond Bark - May 27, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Mama Ganache
Cherry Almond Bark
Good ++

Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 oz.) / 4 oz. (113 g.) in total package
Calories: 310 calories in 1/2 package 
Cost: N/A - gift from a friend
Purchased from: N/A - gift from a friend (Thank you Eric!)

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

Today's Cherry Almond Bark was from Mama Ganache, a Stafford's Chocolates Company (San Luis Obispo, CA).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (chocolate-y with very subtle loamy earth and oxalis*), and faint fruit (cherry) and nut.

Texture: smooth, relatively thick and creamy, chocolate bark with embedded pieces of dried cherries and almonds.

Dark chocolate and authentic Bing cherries are a reliably tasty blend. And roasted almonds are an excellent complement to chocolate and cherries. I enjoyed this combination.

Ingredients: Organic Dark Chocolate (Organic Fairtrade Chocolate, Chocolate Liquor, Organic Fairtrade Cane Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Fairtrade Vanilla Extract), Bing Cherries, Almonds

Allergen-related information: Contains nuts (almonds). "Manufactured in a factory that handles tree nuts."

*Oxalis is a slightly tart green plant (also known as common yellow wood sorrel, and sour grass) that contains oxalic acid (aka Oxalates)--naturally occurring compounds in many plants such as leafy greens and seeds (including cacao). These compounds also can impart a faint lemon-green herb and/or citrus note(s) to greens, and to chocolate.

Andy's Orchard - Cherry Chocolate Fantasy - May 26, 2024

 Chocolate of the Day

Andy's Orchard
Cherry Chocolate Fantasy  
Good ++
Weight: 3.5 oz. (100 g.) / 7 oz. (200 g.) (estimate) in total container
Calories: 465 calories (estimate) in 1/2 container
Cost: $9.00 for 1 container
Purchased from: Andy's Orchard, Morgan Hill, CA 

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

Today's Cherry Chocolate Fantasy confections were from Andy's Orchard (Morgan Hill, CA).

Aroma notes included: sweet, dark chocolate (dark ganache, dark chocolate syrup and marshmallows, and brownies); and faint fruit, nut and vanilla.

Texture: blend of dark chocolate, nuts and dried cherry bits.

Tasting notes: rich jumble of chocolate-y flavors: dark chocolate surrounding chewy, authentic dried cherry pieces, pecans, and hints of marshmallow.

Ingredients: Chocolate, Marshmallows, Pecans, Dried Cherries

Allergen-related information: Contains nuts (pecans). "May Contain Pits or Pit Fragments."

Gnosis Chocolate - Date-Sweetened Earl Grey: Botanical Alchemy (bar) - May 25, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Gnosis Chocolate
Date-Sweetened Earl Grey: Botanical Alchemy (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.1 oz. (30 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $5.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Gnosis Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate and Dates Theme Week(s).

Today's Date-Sweetened Earl Grey: Botanical Alchemy (bar)was created by Gnosis Chocolate (Astoria, NYC, NY).

Aroma notes for this bar included: smooth and flavorful dark chocolate with faint citrus/oxalis and barely there fruit-floral notes. 

Texture:  smooth, appealing texture with a very faint astringency/graininess in the finish.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (brownie) with balanced earth (cream/yogurt, loamy soil (mushroom, root and green vegetables). I enjoyed the Earl Grey (black) tea that showed up in the finish.

I also appreciated that this chocolate was mindfully made with a short list of (almost all) organic ingredients--and without soy (or other) lecithins.

Ingredients: 70% raw cacao beans*, ground dates*, coconut*, Earl Grey black tea, Blue Majik (TM) spirulina**, Love (*  = organic; ** = wild-crafted)

Allergen-related information: (Contains coconut)

 

Gnosis Chocolate - A Special Date (bar) - May 24, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Gnosis Chocolate
A Special Date (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.1 oz. (30 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $5.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Gnosis Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate and Dates Theme Week(s).

Today's "A Special Date" bar was created by Gnosis Chocolate  (Astoria, NYC, NY).

Aroma notes for this bar included: rich dark chocolate and faint dried fruit (date).

Texture: Smooth, creamy dark chocolate. (The whole bar was smooth; there was no date texture or any faint date sugar crystal graininess.)

Flavor notes included: tasty dark chocolate (dark chocolate torte) with subtly complex fruit (date).

Today's bar was one of my favorite date + chocolate blends this week. My two favorites were crafted with the fewest ingredients: just dark chocolate and dates. It's led me to believe that perhaps this is one of those combinations that works fairly well and doesn't necessarily benefit from additional company. 

I enjoyed the sweet, satisfying flavor of this chocolate. And the fact that it was made (with love) and just two, organic ingredients. Thank you to chocolate girl--aka gnosis chocolate maker Vanessa Barg.

Ingredients: 70% raw cacao beans*, ground dates*, Love (* = organic)

Allergen-related information: "Carefully handcrafted in a kitchen that also uses tree nuts and coconut."