ChocolateBet: September 7, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

2 pieces
Surfin' Ass Coffee/Keoki's Big Island
Dark Chocolate Donkey Balls
Very Good+
Weight: ~1.32 oz. for 2 pieces /4 oz. (114 grams) total package
Calories: 200 calories (estimate) for 2 pieces
Cost: $5.95 total package
Purchased from: Lava Java*, in Kihei, Maui; Hawaii

We discovered these Donkey Balls after seeing a banner hanging outside Lava Java*, while vacationing on the island of Maui (Hawaii). These chocolates came in many different flavors, some with humorous names. Most were large (almost jawbreaker sized orbs) with a macadamia nut in the middle; some had a coffee bean in the middle.

The dark chocolate coating was rich, smooth and delicious; but it was a bit difficult to bite into. Better to be patient; but you could also (carefully) cut one in half with a knife I suppose.

*In the true spirit of Hawaiian entrepreneurship, Lava Java was selling coffee, chocolates, cigars -- and also Internet access. Thank you to Dan who helped ship an order of various flavors of Donkey Balls back to California. 

ChocolateBet: September 6, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Hawaiian King
Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) in 1 piece
Calories: 75 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: ~$7.00 total box/package (sale)
Purchased from: Airport gift shop, in (Oahu?), Hawaii

Each of the 8 pieces in this box of Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts from Hawaiian King Candies (Honolulu, HI) consisted of two chocolate coated, dry roasted mac nuts stuck together, forming a chubby chocolate eight shape. These nuts provided a nice salt + sweet flavor that complemented the chocolate nicely.

ChocolateBet: September 5, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Godiva Chocolatier
Dark Chocolate Marzipan Heart
Very Good +
Weight: .6 oz. (estimate)
Calories: 90 calories (estimate)
Cost: $1.93 (estimate)
Purchased from: Godiva Chocolatier, in Palo Alto, CA

Nice flavor combination; and this Dark Marzipan Heart from Godiva would be a fun chocolate to share with someone special as well.

ChocolateBet: September 4, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Godiva Chocolatier
Hazelnut Chocolate Caramel Cluster
Good + - nice design; can't really taste hazelnut flavor that much
Weight: .75 oz. (estimate)
Calories: 112 calories (estimate) in this piece
Cost: $1.93 (estimate) (I took the total price paid for 4 pcs bought in bulk, and divided the total price by 4 to get an average cost per piece. This piece was bigger, so it may be more expensive than $1.93.)
Purchased from: Godiva Chocolatier, in Palo Alto, CA

I am eating this chocolate in Hawaii, in the early morning (my body is still in the Pacific Time Zone).

It's nice to be on vacation, in a place where there are chocolate options to explore. I may have to eat more than one chocolate today if we locate a piece of chocolate macadamia nut pie I keep hearing about. We'll see.

ChocolateBet: September 3, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Godiva Chocolatier
Raspberry Star
Good
Weight: .5 oz. (estimate)
Calories: 75 calories (estimate) for 1 pc.
Cost: $1.93 (estimate)
Purchased from: Godiva Chocolatier, in Palo Alto, CA

I took this Raspberry Star (and two other Godiva chocolates) with me on vacation; and I ate this one before departing on the plane for vacation in Hawaii. I wasn't sure how difficult it would be to find chocolates in Hawaii.

Not to worry. I'm here in Maui and there will be plenty of chocolate-related items to sample this week from what I've seen so far.

I liked the design and the shape of this Raspberry Star from Godiva; however, it tasted somewhat blander or grainier than expected. It may have just been the white chocolate.

ChocolateBet: September 2, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Snickers (Mars)
Rockin' Nut Road bar
Very Good - nice variation on regular Snickers; I generally like rocky-road-like combinations.
Weight: 1.83 oz. (51.9 grams) in 1 bar
Calories: 240 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $? (need to find receipt)
Purchased from: ? (need to find receipt)

I'm fond of Snickers (Mars) bars, as candy bars go; and I've enjoyed all the variations on the popular bar that parent company Mars has turned out so far (usually available for a limited time). Today's Snickers Rockin' Nut Road Limited Edition bar was no exception.

The bar contained: "Almonds, caramel and marshmallow-flavored nougat, wrapped in dark chocolate."

ChocolateBet: September 1, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

2 servings (~ 8 small cookies)
Pamela's Products
Extreme Chocolate Mini Cookies (gluten-free)
Very Good - nice small size
Weight: ~ 2 oz. (56 grams) for 2 srvgs; 7 oz. (198 g.) for total package
Calories: 260 calories for 2 srvgs.
Cost: $ 2.99 for total package
Purchased from: Piazzas Fine Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

It's amazing how easy it is to justify having several little tiny cookies, due to their small size. Two servings? No problem.

Also, of all the different gluten-free chocolate cookies I've tried, these seem to be the best for making a chocolate cookie crust, and/or for crumbling/mixing into ice cream.