ChocolateBet: September 7, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

3/4 bar
Chuao Chocolatier
Caracas - Milk Chocolate Bar with Almonds, Hazelnuts and Pistachios
Very Good
Weight: 2.625 oz. (75 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 393 calories (estimate)
Cost: $5.99 total bar
Purchased from: Piazzas Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today's "Caracas" milk chocolate (41% cacao) bar (from Chuao Chocolatier based in Carlsbad, CA) was filled with whole roasted almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios. A base of rich, smooth, deep milk chocolate  complemented crunchy bites of nuts.

Previously, I tried the Chuao dark chocolate (60% cacao) version of the  Caracas bar.  I've found 40-60% cacao is a good range for certain nut, bacon, and savory flavored bars.

Today was Day #9 of Chocolate and Almonds Theme Week; and Day #5 of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week. 

ChocolateBet: Sept. 6, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 mendiant
La Chatelaine Chocolat Co.
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .55 oz. (15.6 g.)/ 6.1 oz. (172 g.) total package
Calories: 79 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ 14.75 (approximately)
Purchased from: La Chatelaine Chocolat Co., via Foodzie.com

More European style chocolates with hazelnuts and almonds. Today's choice: a thin, round, mendiant-style chocolate topped with a thin strip of candied citrus peel; hazelnuts; almond and pecan pieces that might have been too small to see; pumpkin seeds; and a light sprinkle of sea salt -- with a fancy embossed wavy pattern on the backside. These mendiants would look at home anywhere on a dessert plate.

La Chatelaine Chocolat Co., a French Chocolaterie, is based in Bozeman, Montana.

Today was Day #8 of Chocolate and Almonds Theme Week, and Day #4 of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: Sept. 5, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/8 bar
Francois Pralus
Barre Infernale Noir
Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: .705 oz. (20 g.) / 5.64 oz. (160 g.) total bar
Calories: 106 calories (estimate)
Cost: $16.00 (estimate)
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, in Palo Alto, CA

This unique, elegant bar from Patisserie Chocolaterie s.a.s. Pralus (Roanne, France) can be cut into rectangular pieces and shared with friends. Think sliced truffles.

Covered in dark chocolate, and filled with hazelnut praline and toasted almonds from Valencia, this delicious confection is one of two "infernal" bars (there is also a milk chocolate version with toasted hazelnuts) from chocolatier Francois Pralus. Despite being transported in warm weather, it was still very good.

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Almonds Theme Week, and Day #3 of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: Sept. 4, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

3/5 bar
Mink Chocolates
The Girls' Favourite (bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.056 oz. (30 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) total bar
Calories: 180 calories
Cost: $7.00
Purchased from: Mink Chocolates, in Vancouver, B.C., Canada

From my Mink Chocolates vault comes: "The Girls' Favourite" -- a great, original name for a chocolate bar. What is it exactly? A milk chocolate (38% cacao) bar that contains French Hazelnut and Almond Praline filling inside each segment.

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Almonds Theme Week, and Day #2 of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: September 3, 2011

 
Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 bar
Quaranta Sofficione
Nougat Passion - Dark Chocolate Soft Nougat
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar/package
Calories: 236 calories
Cost: $3.59
Purchased from: Crossroads Market, in Palo Alto, CA

The Italians do wonderful things with chocolate, almonds and hazelnuts. Today's Nougat Passion from Quaranta Sofficione (made in Caravaggio, Italy) contained a soft, sugar-sweet nougat embedded with chopped almonds and hazelnuts, and topped with a layer of small, dark chocolate pieces. The nougat was a bit sweet for me, but the chopped nuts and the chocolate pieces were heavenly.

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Almonds Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: September 2, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Mink Chocolates
A.B. & J. Bar
Very Good
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) total bar
Calories: 250 calories
Cost: $7.00
Purchased from: Mink Chocolates, Vancouver, B.C., Canada

This Almond Butter and Organic Grape Jelly (A.B. and J.) milk chocolate (38% cacao) bar from Mink Chocolates (Vancouver, B.C.) took me directly back to my elementary school lunchroom -- where I was eating a nut butter and jam sandwich that had been carefully wrapped and tucked into my lunch, by my mom. Such is the power of food to transport.

Each rectangular section of this bar was filled with layers of almond butter and grape jelly.

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

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Coracao Confections
Rawmond Butter Bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 2.5 oz. (71 g.) total bar
Calories: 360 calories (estimate)
Cost: $11.99 (estimate)
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Almonds Theme Week; and instead of a bar embedded with almonds or almond pieces, I had this dairy and gluten free Rawmond Butter Bar from Coracao Confections. This "81% raw cacao" dark chocolate "Mama" Size bar was filled with almond butter.