ChocolateBet: October 31, 2011

Chocolate(s) of the Day:


1.) 1 witch monster pop
Long Grove Confectionery Co.
Monster Pop
Good+
Weight: 1.5 oz. (43 g.)
Calories: 225 calories (estimate)
Cost: $3.69
Purchased from: Whole Foods, in Los Altos, CA


2.) 1 piece
Chocolate Visions
Pumpkin
Good+ - Very Good
Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.) (estimate) /piece
Calories: 60 calories
Cost: $2.00
Purchased from: Chocolate Visions, Scotts Valley, CA

Halloween is a major holiday for chocolate consumption in the U.S., so Happy Halloween all! Listed here are some items from my Halloween treat plate.


Long Grove Confectionery makes several novelty, Halloween and holiday chocolate items. This witch monster pop was good chocolate Halloween fun. I enjoyed this witch monster with two Salted Bourbon Caramels -- a carryover from Chocolate and Whisk(e)y Theme Week (from Salted Caramel, Chicago, IL).

And Pumpkin too!

The Chocolate Visions (Scotts Valley, CA) seasonal Pumpkin chocolate had a very authentic pumpkin pie taste. I wouldn't be surprised if there was some real pumpkin mixed in with pumpkin pie spices. (Postscript: They roast and puree "Cinderalla" pumpkins and mix with dark chocolate, butter, cream and spices.)

ChocolateBet: October 30, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bottle
Anthon Berg
Cutty Sark (chocolate bottle)
Good
Weight: .55 oz. (15.6 g.)
Calories: 80 calories (estimate)
Cost: $14.99 total package of 16
Purchased from: BevMo, in Mountain View, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Whisk(e)y Theme Week. This small, foil-wrapped "chocsimile" (chocolate facsimile) of a Cutty Sark bottle (from Anthon Berg) contained a whiskey-flavored filling inside a harder chocolate bottle shell.

During a visit to Amador County (California) to the historic towns of Sutter Creek, Volcano, Jackson and others small settlements dating back to the 1800s/California gold rush days, I enjoyed a stop at a cheese and wine shop, and a confectionary/ice cream store. I wanted to combine a bite of cheddar cheese with Irish Whiskey and some chocolate. But, the closest bit of cacao that I could find was a chocolate milkshake -- not the best chocolate match with this cheese. I'll try this with different chocolates when I get home.

ChocolateBet: October 29, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/5 bar
Mink Chocolates
"Open in Case of Emergency" bar
Good - Good+
Weight: .352 oz. (10 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) total bar
Calories: 46 calories
Cost: $7.00 (approx.)
Purchased from: Mink Chocolates, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

OK, it was not a true emergency. But, it was Day #6 of Chocolate and Whisk(e)y Theme Week.

So I broke open this "Open in Case of Emergency" dark (70% cacao) bar -- made with fresh mint and Kentucky Bourbon whiskey -- from Mink Chocolates (Vancouver, B.C., Canada).

I ordered a whole library of Mink bars awhile back after visiting their store in Vancouver (a few blocks up from the Convention Center). I've been gradually sampling these fun bars, in small chocolate sips. I may have to reorder the last few volumes in the cleverly titled set, as it's been a few months -- and, unlike a good hardcover book, fresh or filled chocolates are more perishable.

ChocolateBet: October 28, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Chocolate Visions
Single Malt
Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 60 calories (estimate)
Cost: $2.00
Purchased from: Chocolate Visions, in Scotts Valley, CA

Life is good when you can enjoy a theme week involving chocolate and single malt whisky.

Today's Single Malt chocolate from Chocolate Visions (Scotts Valley, CA) was gathered while on a chocolate and wine field trip in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California last weekend. (Picture from Ridge Vineyards overlooking Silicon Valley, bottom right).

Chocolate Visions makes bars and truffles with added flavors and ingredients, including several flavored with local wines. (You'll see these next week.) But the Single Malt chocolate with the red lion was the perfect choice for today (Day #5 of Chocolate and Whisk(e)y Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: October 27, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
fleurir
Irish Coffee
Good+ - Very Good
Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.)
Calories: 60 calories (estimate)
Cost: $34.00 for 18-piece box (+ any shipping)
Purchased from: fleurir, via foodzie.com

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Whisk(e)y Theme Week.

As the weather gets colder, visions of rich hot chocolate drinks spiked with whiskey start dancing in my head. And, chocolates like today's "Irish Coffee" from fleurir (based in Washington, D.C.) encourage this thinking. A milk chocolate ganache with Irish whiskey, Irish cream, and coffee, this Irish Coffee was a delicious rendition of the hot drink by the same name -- condensed down to a small square.

ChocolateBet: October 26, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
"Whisky" (filled chocolate)
Very Good
Weight: .49 oz. (13.8 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 72 calories (estimate)
Cost: $1.35 (with discount)
Purchased from: Fog City News, in San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Whisk(e)y Theme Week. Some whisky-flavored chocolates are so mildly flavored, you'd have to strain to taste any alcohol. Not so with this tiny, half-barrel shaped, foil-wrapped chocolate. I took one small bite, and quickly had to shove the rest in my mouth to prevent the authentic-tasting, liquid whisky filling from dripping onto my lap. Sadly, this meant, no picture was taken of the chocolate itself.

Note: I neglected to ask Fog City News for the maker/brand name. I will fill this in later.

ChocolateBet: October 25, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/4 bar
zotter Schokoladen Manufaktur GmbH
Scotch Whisky - Highland Harvest (bar)
Very Good - Very Good+
Weight: .62 oz. (17.5 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) total bar
Calories: 93 calories (estimate)
Cost: $7.95 total bar
Purchased from: Fog City News, San Francisco, CA

The chocolate choice for Day #2 of Chocolate and Whisk(e)y Theme Week: a blend of cacao, organic cane sugar, milk, Scotch whisky -- from the Highlands region of Scotland no less (at least I think it was). All this came in the form of an organic, filled chocolate bar from Austrian-based, bean-to-bar maker: zotter.