ChocolateBet: September 28, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 bar
Chocolat Moderne LLC
Moderne Chocolate and Toffee Bar - Lime
Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 280 calories (estimate) for 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.25 total bar
Purchased from: Draegers, in San Mateo, CA

Today's chocolate game score: Hot Sun: 1; Chocolate: 0.

A late season hot spell this week turned any chocolate that was situated too close to bright, sunny windows into fondue. I will spare you the tragic picture of this slightly misshapen chocolate bar in its pretty gold foil inside wrapper. Thankfully today's heat did not impact the flavor of this 65% cacao bar, described on the packaging as follows: "Butter Toffee Infused with Fresh Lime Crumbled into Fine Dark Chocolate." The subtle lime taste was indeed very fresh and natural tasting, and stood up as a nice accent flavor to the toffee and dark chocolate.

One addition that you may notice in the background: a glass of homemade iced ginger tea, sweetened with agave syrup. Today was Day #1 of Chocolate and Lime + Ginger Theme Week. Lime and Ginger each deserve their own theme week, but this week I'll be combining the two.

ChocolateBet: September 27, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

2 small pieces, or "bites"
Brandini Toffee
Brandini Bites (Toffee)
Good +
Weight: .7 oz. (19.6 g.)/ 8 oz. (226 g.) total container/round tin
Calories: 112 calories (estimate) for 2 small pieces
Cost: $12.00 for 1 container/round tin
Purchased from: Domaine Carneros (winery), Napa, CA

I think chocolate and travel go well together, which is why I liked the story behind Brandini Toffee.

Apparently, Leah Post and Brandon ("Brandini") Weimer started selling toffee to help finance a student trip to Italy. Based in La Quinta, CA, the company produces these small square toffee, or Brandini, Bites (which must be difficult to cut into these precise little pieces), and other toffee products.

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Toffee Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: September 26, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving
Brown and Haley
Almond Roca - Buttercrunch Toffee
(chopped, with vanilla ice cream, nuts, whipped cream, nuts, other additions)
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .4 oz. (9 g.)/ 1.2 oz. (35 g.) total package of 3 pieces
Calories: 400 calories (estimate) for sundae
Cost: $?
Purchased from: Longs Drugs (now CVS Pharmacy)

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Toffee Theme Week.

It was also very hot outside, with temperatures well in into the 90's (in degrees Farenheit that is). This called for extreme measures -- adulteration of chocolate with ice cream. The result: an Almond Roca sundae, made with vanilla ice cream, topped with chopped pecans, cocoa, whipped cream, and a few whole raw almonds (for something healthy).

ChocolateBet: September 25, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

1 oz. serving
Marich Confectionery Co.
Triple Chocolate Toffee
Good - Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) total bag
Calories: 146 calories
Cost: $?
Purchased from:?

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Toffee Theme Week. And, fittingly, today's bag of individual chocolate pieces consisted of hand-made toffee centers -- surrounded by different layers of milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and marbled dark and white chocolate.

ChocolateBet: September 24, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

1/4 bar
Michael Mischer Chocolates
Dark Chocolate - Single Origin Criollo - 65% Cacao Toffee and Salt (bar)
Very Good
Weight: .25 oz. (7 g.) / 1 oz. (28.3 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 37 calories (estimate)
Cost: $3.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Michael Mischer Chocolates, in Oakland, CA

Today's Michael Mischer 65% dark toffee and salt bar was similar to the 72% dark version I tried yesterday. However, I think this 65% toffee bar comes in a close third behind the 38% milk chocolate and 72% dark versions. Of course, given how wonderfully great those other two bars were/are, this was was still a great rating. The small bar size was nice as well.

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Toffee Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: September 23, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

1/4 bar
Michael Mischer Chocolates
Toffee and Murray River Salt (bar); 72% Dark Chocolate
Very Good +
Weight: .75 oz. (21.25 g) / 3 oz. (85 g.) total bar
Calories: 109 calories (estimate) in 1/4 bar
Cost: $9.95
Purchased from: Michael Mischer Chocolates, in Oakland, CA

This proved to be another in a series of great Toffee and Murray River Salt chocolate bars from Michael Mischer Chocolates (Oakland, CA). Yesterday's chocolate was the incredibly smooth and addictive 38% milk chocolate version. Today it was the 72% dark chocolate version, also made from Single Origin Criollo beans/chocolate. Today's chocolate base was, no surprise, darker and richer, and also had a harder snap to it than it's milk chocolate cousin.

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Toffee Theme Week. Thank you to Susan for tasting help.

ChocolateBet: September 22, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

2.4 oz. serving
Michael Mischer Chocolates
Toffee and Murray River Salt (bar); 38% Milk Chocolate
Very Good + - Yum
Weight: 2.4 oz. (69 g.)/ 3 oz. (85 g.) total bar
Calories: 360 calories
Cost: $9.95 total bar
Purchased from: Michael Mischer Chocolates, located in Oakland, CA

When I see this Michael Mischer bar label (pictured above, right), my advice is to hide. By that I mean, either hide the chocolate in a cool, dark place from yourself, or others if necessary, to avoid accidental over-consumption and/or spontaneous combustion.

The second image (at right) is a picture of this bar in its hiding place in a back bedroom, moments before being eaten. My second piece of advice: do not attempt to eat just part of one of these bars if you are overly hungry.

These toffee bars are made with a very fine, smooth base of single origin Criollo milk chocolate (38% if you're counting). This is a creamy, delicious milk chocolate I can get behind. Add to that a topping of high-end toffee pieces and Murray River salt, and the result is a highly addictive chocolate bar.

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Toffee Theme Week.