ChocolateBet: February 9, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Harry London
Cappuccino Truffle
Good+
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) for 1 box of 4 (different) pieces
Calories: 95 calories (estimate) for 1 piece (seems like a lot, but fat content was high)
Cost: $5.00 for a 4-piece assortment box
Purchased from: Macy's, Palo Alto, CA

These were nicely packaged and flavored truffles from Harry London. The Cappuccino Truffle had a coffee infused center, was coated with white chocolate, and dusted with cocoa powder. My only issue: I don't care for hydrogenated oils in chocolate.

ChocolateBet: February 8, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Harry London
Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream
Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) total for 4-piece assortment box
Calories: 95 calories (estimate) for 1 piece (This seemed like a lot of calories for just one .5 oz. piece, but the fat content is high.)
Cost: $5.00 for 1 box of 4 pieces
Purchased from: Macy's, Palo Alto, CA

These were nicely packaged in a black box with beige/gold script and the four (different) chocolates looked nice. And, I like peanut butter with chocolate. The only down side: I don't like chocolate with hydrogenated oils (palm, others). It may be psychological, but I can almost imagine these oils clogging up my arteries.

ChocolateBet: February 7, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1/4 bar
Godiva
Sugar-free chocolate with almonds bar
Good - Very Good - almost tasted too sweet to me, even though it was sugar-free
Weight: .375 oz. (~11 grams) in 1/4 bar; 1.5 oz. (43 grams) total
Calories: 50 calories in 1/4 bar; 200 calories total
Cost: $3.50
Purchased from: ? (purchased last year - last few months of 2007?)

ChocolateBet: February 6, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:
1 serving
Ben & Jerry's
Karamel Sutra ice cream
Very Good - sweet, gooey and chocolatey (caramel and chocolate ice cream with caramel swirl)
Wt.: 1/2 cup serving (107 grams)
Calories: ~ 270 calories for 1 serving
Cost: $4.49 for one pint, entire container
Purchased from: Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA

ChocolateBet: February 5, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 serving
Williams-Sonoma
The Original Peppermint Hot Chocolate - Bittersweet Chocolate Shavings Infused with Peppermint Oil
Very Good
Weight: ~ 20 grams (2 1/2 Tbs.) for 1/2 serving. Total container = 14.5 oz. (410 g.)
Calories: from cocoa/choc shavings = 105 + large glass milk = 350 calories
Cost: $19.50 for a large tin
Purchased from: Williams-Sonoma, San Francisco, CA

I bought this hot chocolate a few months ago in a Williams-Sonoma store in San Francisco. It was a cold evening and the holiday decorations were out, and it was a great time to buy hot chocolate. I'm enjoying it a lot this evening too. All that was lacking was a fire in the fireplace.

ChocolateBet: February 4, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece (individually wrapped to look like a $500 poker chip)
Vegas Image
Texas Hold 'Em Chocolate (chips and holder)
Good - Very Good - clever packaging with $5, $10, $25, $50, $500 and $1000 stacks of chips
Wt.: 4.8 oz. total container
Calories: 65 calories (estimate) for 1 piece/poker chip
Cost: $14.99 for whole container
Purchased from: Las Vegas, NV, airport gift shop (name? C? concourse? where SW air flights depart?)

Yes, you can craft chocolate into just about any shape or facsimile (chocsimile) of any object, which is why I enjoy seeing what creative chocolatiers will come up with next.

Today's chocolates were chocsimiles of poker chips, which is appropriate for something I found in a gift shop at the Las Vegas airport. Viva Las Vegas.

ChocolateBet: February 3, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving (3 pieces)
(The) Cocoa Deli (a Kinnerton Confectionary brand)
Rocky Road Clusters
Good - Very Good
Weight: 40 grams in 1 serving (total container is 8.5 oz. (240 g.)
Calories: 180 in one (3-pc) serving
$6.99 for 1 whole container
Purchased from: Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA

Today's blend of Belgian milk chocolate, marshmallows, raisins and caramelized hazelnut bits from Cocoa Deli (London, UK), was definitely rocky road inspired. And I love tasting different variations on this theme.

My favorite rocky road chocolates have big chunks of nuts. I love the contrast between the sweet, soft marshmallows and crunchy nuts that balance out the sweetness.

So I found myself imagining a version of these rocky road clusters with dark chocolate, and more nuts. But then, my preference is for dark chocolate and nuts in almost any confection.