ChocolateBet: September 26, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
fleurir
Ginger Rogers
OK + - Good
Weight: .39 oz. (11 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 59 calories (estimate)
Cost: $34 for a box of 18 different pieces
Purchased from: fleurir - via foodzie.com

Ginger Rogers was a lively and engaging dancer, heavily linked with famous dance partner Fred Astaire in the mid-1900s. Today's Ginger Rogers chocolate was infused with a lively assortment of flavors -- spearmint, peppermint, crystallized ginger, almond amaretto and almond extract. Unfortunately, these flavors all wanted to dance off in different directions in my mouth; and they never really completely synched up with each other. Fun combination to try, but it didn't quite work for me.

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

ChocolateBet: September 25, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Wei of Chocolate
Wei Love - chili-infused
Very Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 70 calories (estimate)
Cost: $1.98 for 2 pieces
Purchased from: Ferry Building, in San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Spicy Pepper Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Ginger Theme Week. This little Organic, flower-shaped dark chocolate (74% cacao) from Wei of Chocolate (Phoenix, AZ) was infused with a subtle blend of cinnamon, ginger, cayenne pepper, and flower essences. It was a great choice for a contemplative Sunday at home, spent recovering from a cold. Hot soup and ginger honey tea soon followed.

Oh, did I mention this Wei Love was gluten-free, Fair Trade and Vegan as well? The question I really want to ask though is how does Wei make chocolate in a city as hot as Phoenix? Hats off to them.

ChocolateBet: September 24, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

2 pieces
fleurir
1.) Pink Peppercorns - Very Good
2.) Brandy Alexander - Good +
Weight: .78 oz. (22 g.)
Calories: 117 calories (estimate) for 2 pieces
Cost: both were part of a larger 18-piece assortment box
Purchased from: fleurir hand grown chocolates, via foodzie.com

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Spicy Pepper Theme Week. Sadly the Pineapple Habanero chocolate from a few months ago had expired. However, I found this pair of truffles from fleurier.

Fleurir's Pink Peppercorn contained tiny chunks of Brazilian pink peppercorn and white peppercorn pieces; this coarse grind contributed some crunch, textural variety and a bit of a spicy kick.

The Brandy Alexander piece covered all the chocolate bases. It contained white, milk and dark chocolate; and it was flavored with creme de cacao, brandy and nutmeg -- making it a pleasant nightcap.

ChocolateBet: September 23, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/3 bar
Olive and Sinclair Chocolate Co.
Cinnamon Chili Chocolate bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .9 oz. (26 g.) / 2.75 oz. (77.8 g.) total bar
Calories: 137 calories (estimate)
Cost: $8.00
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, in Palo Alto, CA

Olive and Sinclair's Mexican Style Cinnamon Chili chocolate bar can be enjoyed by itself, or can be melted down and made into a satisfying cup of hot chocolate. The company's artisan, slow-roasted, stone-ground bar included cacao beans (from Ghana), sugar, cocoa butter, Organic Ceylon cinnamon, Kosher salt, and cayenne pepper. The texture is a little bit more granular, but not unpleasant; and the flavors tasted very fresh. The cayenne pepper yielded a very mild kick.

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Spicy Pepper Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: September 22, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

2/5 bar
Artisan du Chocolat
Mole Chili bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .636 oz. (18 g.) / 1.59 oz. (45 g.) total bar
Calories: 95 calories (estimate)
Cost: $6.00 (estimate)
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Spicy Pepper Theme Week. This Mole Chili dark chocolate (70% Cocoa) bar from Artisan du Chocolat (London) contained a mix of ingredients found in mole sauce: chile mulato, chile ancho, chile pasilla, chile chipotle, ground almonds, tortilla, thyme, and other spices. Despite all the different peppers, this bar was not too spicy.

I suspect if you melted this bar in with some red or enchilada sauce and baked it with poultry, you'd have an interesting chicken/turkey dish with mole sauce -- a delicious way to incorporate chocolate into sweet and savory dishes.

ChocolateBet: September 21, 2011

Chocolate of the Day: 

1 piece
Chocolat Moderne
Havana Heat
Very Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) total package of 5
Calories: 74 calories (estimate)
Cost: $15.00 for package of 5 different bonbons
Purchased from: Fog City News, San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Spicy Pepper Theme Week.  I have a cold, so I'm bringing the heat today! A Havana Heat with dark ganache and habanero pepper -- in your face, cold! OK, it's actually in my face/mouth, but roll with me here. This heart-shaped bonbon from Chocolat Moderne, part of the company's "Devotion" collection, helped me get my mind off the sniffles for a while.

ChocolateBet: September 20, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Lake Champlain Chocolates
Dark Spicy Aztec bar
Very Good
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $2.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Spicy Pepper Theme Week. This Dark Spicy Aztec bar (55% cocoa content) from Lake Champlain Chocolates reminded me of a very good, spicy drinking chocolate in bar form. I could taste the cayenne pepper (not too strong), a hint of cinnamon and vanilla; and some pumpkin seeds added a bit of textural crunch.