ChocolateBet: July 26, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Ethel's Chocolate
Good - Good +
Weight: .28 oz. (8 g.)/ 4.5 oz. (127 g.)
Calories: 42 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ info not available
Purchased from: Ethel's Chocolate, Henderson, NV

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Cherries Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and "Tout Sweetener" Theme Week.

Despite the "No Sugar Added" description, these chocolate-covered cherries were quite sweet. So, those who cannot have sugar, but like sweet things, shouldn't feel deprived. The cherry in the middle was dried-fruit chewy, but not tough; however, I couldn't taste much of the natural cherry taste.

While white cane sugar is the most common sweetener included in chocolate, I'll be exploring other sweet substances combined with cacao this week, including, but not limited to: honey, maple sugar, raw sugar and -- such is the case  today -- no sugar, and/or artificial sweeteners.

ChocolateBet: July 25, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bottle
Honest Tea Inc.
Honest CocoaNova
Cherry Cacao Infusion
Good +
Weight: 10.1 fl. oz. (300 mL)
Calories: 50 calories in 1 bottle
Cost: $1.05 (sale)
Purchased from: Andronico's, in Stanford Shopping Center; Palo Alto, CA

Cherry Cacao Infusion is a USDA Organic, Gluten Free and Dairy Free beverage in a bottle from Honest Tea Inc. Made from natural cherry juice, cacao, roasted chicory and carob, and a small amount of cane sugar, this drink is refreshing when chilled, and not too sweet. The additions of chicory and carob mask the cacao taste, but help to create a richness that balances with the cherry juice.

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

ChocolateBet: July 24, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
L.A. Burdick Chocolate
Richelieu
Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: .39 oz. (11 g.) (estimate) for 1 piece (part of an assortment box)
Calories: 58 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ part of previous assortment 
Purchased from: L.A. Burdick Chocolate, online order

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Cherries Theme Week.

Fortunately, I was able to reach into my chocolate vault to pluck out a Richelieu -- an "amuse bouche" (small, bite-sized truffle) from an L.A. Burdick Chocolate assortment box. Burdick's description of the Richelieu follows: "...a milk and dark chocolate interior with cherry liquor, cherries and cumin seeds."

The chocolate ganache was creamy and smooth. My favorite part of the tasting experience: the cherry on top and cherry elements in the truffle -- which added complex bursts of concentrated natural cherry throughout. I wanted to taste the cumin seeds mentioned above, but while I thought I detected some seed texture, any cumin flavor escaped me. Either it was lost in an artful seamless merger of ingredients, or perhaps this tiny truffle missed having its full allotment of cumin.

ChocolateBet: July 23, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

.2 oz. serving
Vervacious
Chocolate Balsamic
(with fresh cherries and ice cream)
Good+
Weight: .2 fl. oz. (5.8 mL) (estimated) / 3.4 fl. oz. (100 mL) total bottle
Calories: 20 calories (estimate)
Cost: $10.95 total bottle
Purchased from: Williams-Sonoma, in Palo Alto, CA

Today, on the 4th Day of Chocolate and Cherries Theme Week,  I topped a small dish of ice cream with three fresh cherries and a drizzle of Chocolate Balsamic sauce from Vervacious. I look forward to trying this original topping on other fruits and with other items in the future.

ChocolateBet: July 22, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar/piece
Idaho Candy Co.
Owyhee Cherry Cocktail
Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 g.)
Calories: 215 calories
Cost: $1.29
Purchased from: Raleys, in Newark, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Cherries Theme Week. This sweet little chocolate mound, with a hint of almond flavor, contained crushed peanuts which added crunchy texture, and was stuffed with cherry goodness: a sugary cherry creme, cherry syrup, and an actual cherry in the middle.

This classic packaged candy was from Boise-based Idaho Candy Co., a company that also offers the Idaho Spud -- another classic. While I don't remember eating this candy as a child, it's fun to conjure up a pretend scenario where I did -- sitting out on a porch on a summer day, with cherry syrup dripping onto my shirt no doubt.

ChocolateBet: July 21, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving
Baskin Robbins
1.) Cherries Jubilee - Good +
2.) Jamoca Almond Fudge - Good +
Weight: 4 oz. (1/2 cup)/ 1 pint of each flavor
Calories: 250 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ not available
Purchased from: Baskin Robbins, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Cherries Theme Week. I made a miniature parait/ice cream sundae that incorporated two Baskin Robbins Classic Flavors: 1.) Cherries Jubilee, and 2.) Jamoca Almond Fudge.  The small glass cup I used was filled to overflowing after I added whipped cream and a cherry. These ice cream flavors were sweet and refreshing, but the hand-packed pints had also been, to be fair, sitting in my freezer for a few weeks, which may have dulled the flavors and textures a bit.

ChocolateBet: July 21, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

2 oz.
ChocoVivo
Cherries, Almonds and Black Peppercorns bar
Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) / 2.6 oz. (74 g.) total bar
Calories: 292 calories
Cost: $7.00 total bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage

I tried another stone-ground rustic chocolate today, for Day#7 of Chocolate and Pepper Theme Week. This Cherries, Almonds and Black Peppercorns bar from ChocoVivo was made from Trinitario beans from Tabasco, Mexico, and was described on the package label as "chunky and minty." Each bite of this dark bar had slightly chewy (bing cherries) and crunchy (almonds) elements. The black pepper was barely detectable in the bar that I had. The texture of this chocolate bar was less than silky smooth (as expected), but was not unpleasant. The maker claims that more of the nutritional elements are preserved with less processing.