ChocolateBet: August 24, 2011

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

fleurir
1.) Lemon Honey - 1/2 piece
Good - Good +
Weight: .2 oz. (7.05 g.) for 1/2 piece (estimate) / 9 oz., 18-pc. assortment box
Cost: $34.00 box of 18 pieces 
Calories: 30 calories for 1/2 piece
Purchased from: fleurir hand grown chocolates via foodzie

2.) Grand Marnier, Orange Blossom - 1 piece
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .4 oz. (14.1 g.) (estimate) / 9 oz., 18-pc. assortment box
Cost: $34.00 box of 18 pieces 
Calories: 60 calories for 1 piece
Purchased from: fleurir hand grown chocolates via foodzie

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Honey Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Orange Theme Week. The first of two chocolates from fleurir (Washington, D.C.), a Lemon Honey Truffle, was an all-white chocolate truffle flavored with lemon juice and buckwheat honey from Virginia. The lemon flavor helped balance out the sweetness.

The second piece from the same fleurir 18-piece assortment box (decorated with a tree pattern across the top) was a truffle flavored with Grand Marnier and orange blossom water, leaving a slightly floral aftertaste. Both orange flavorings paired well with the chocolate.

ChocolateBet: August 23, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Honey Stinger
Rocket Chocolate Energy Bar
Good +
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.)
Calories: 190 calories
Cost: $0.99
Purchased from: REI, in Mountain View, CA

Nothing like a good rocket with your chocolate -- and by that I mean a Rocket Chocolate Energy Bar from Honey Stinger (Steamboat Springs, CO).

This bar would be a good snack for hiking or other sports, or for those busy days when you might have missed breakfast or lunch. These bars had an almost cereal-bar like top, with a "chocolatey soy coated bottom" layer (not visible in picture to the right). The first ingredient listed was a "Honey Stinger" blend of honey, sea salt and water, followed by soy nuggets, almonds and semi-sweet chocolate chips, rolled oats and soy protein, and topped off with vitamins and minerals.

Note for those who are gluten-sensitive, there is a small quantity of malt in this bar.

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

ChocolateBet: August 22, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 packet
Honey Stinger
Chocolate Energy Gel
Good +
Weight: 1.3 oz. (37 g.) total packet
Calories:
Cost:
Purchased from: REI, in Mountain View, CA

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Honey Theme Week. This evening's chocolate came in the form of a packet of chocolate honey energy gel from Honey Stinger (Steamboat Springs, CO). Perfect choice for this week, and for restoring energy after an summer evening walk by San Francisco Bay. And the best part, other than some added vitamins and a touch of salt, this gel was made up of just honey and cocoa. I loved that short ingredient list.

ChocolateBet: August 21, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/4 truffle
beekind
Milk Chocolate Honey Truffle
Good - Good +
Weight: .15 oz. (4.8 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 23 calories (estimate)
Cost: $3.00 for 1 truffle
Purchased from: beekind, Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA

beekind (Petaluma, CA) sells jars and bottles of local, raw and varietal honey. Other "gifts from the hive" offer dark and milk chocolate honey truffles. beekind's oversized truffles are wrapped and then placed into chocolate colored paper cups -- very handy if you have to transport these and they get jostled against something else in a bag.

Yesterday I sampled beekind's dark chocolate honey truffle; and today I tried their sweet, milk chocolate honey truffle, filled with a very creamy, rich smooth ganache. These generously sized chocolates can easily be sliced down the middle and shared.

My only quibble: With this style truffle, I couldn't taste the wildflower honey.

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

ChocolateBet: August 20, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 truffle
beekind
Dark Chocolate Honey Truffle
Good +
Weight: .3 oz. (9.43 g.) (estimate for 1/2 truffle)
Calories: 45 calories
Cost: $3.00 for 1 truffle
Purchased from: beekind, Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA

This big, fat dark chocolate honey bumblebee of a truffle from beekind (Sebastopol, CA) was all about the rich, creamy dark ganache -- akin to a rich, chocolate creme brulee. I did not, however, taste any distinct honey taste. Tomorrow

I'll try the milk chocolate version of this same truffle to see if I can taste a bit o' the bee.

Hats off to the Saffron and Acacia Honey (see yesterday's post) that I bought at beekind, along with these dark and milk chocolate honey truffles. The combination of the saffron and the honey yesterday was amazing, especially with some lavender buds over vanilla ice cream.

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Honey Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: August 19, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/4 bar
Rococo Chocolates
Lavender (bar)
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .62 oz. (17.5 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) total bar
Calories: 89 calories (estimate)
Cost: $12.00 total bar
Purchased from: Miette Bakery, Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA

Another dispatch from the land of milk and honey. Today's report: saffron honey and vanilla ice cream star in a chocolate sundae topped with dried lavender buds, and lavender dark chocolate sauce (made from a few small squares from a Rococo Chocolates Lavender dark chocolate bar, melted in the microwave oven).

Saffron honey* is one of the most decadent substances I've tasted in a long while (since rose petal preserves). Saffron blends fairly well with chocolate. And the bright orange saffron color of this liquid honey contrasted nicely with the slightly crunchy, dried purple lavender buds. My only complaint about this chocolate bar was that the chocolate was a little too rich, and too dark, at least for this sundae that was filled with beautiful, subtle flavors that were worth savoring on their own.

*Note: Saffron and Acacia Honey was purchased from beekind (Sebastopol, CA) at their Ferry Building, San Francisco location.

ChocolateBet: August 18, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Moonstruck Chocolatier
Dark Chocolate Daisies
Good +
Weight: 4.45 oz. (126.1 g.) total package
Calories: 50 calories (estimate)
Cost: $10.95 total package (Moonstruck website)
Purchased from: Farm Fresh store, Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA

Greetings from the land of milk and honey -- a place that always sounds bountiful and pleasant in story books. Well, if I can't live in such an imaginary place, I can create a reasonable facsimile, or should I say chocolate facsimile (chocsimile), of such a place.

Welcome to the last, extended day (Day # 9) of Chocolate and Flower Theme Week, and the first day of Chocolate and Honey Theme Week. Today's combination of Fage Lowfat (2%) Yogurt with Honey -- poured over the top -- was garnished with a realistic-looking, molded, solid dark chocolate daisy from (Portland, OR based) Moonstruck Chocolatier.