ChocolateBet: November 25, 2011

Chocolate of the Day: 

1 oz.
B.T. McElrath Chocolatier
Passion Fruit and Tangerine Bar
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.)/ 3 oz. (85 g.) total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ Lost info
Purchased from: Lost info


I'm interested in combinations of chocolate and passion fruit. It's hard to make this mixture work. This Passion Fruit and Tangerine bar from B.T. McElrath (Minneapolis, MN) was a good attempt, but swirling white and dark chocolate together confused my taste buds. White chocolate is a good base to let citrus flavors shine through; a heavier solid base of dark chocolate might have wiped out the fruit flavors. However, the two chocolates (and two fruits) might have been one flavor too many.


Change of Subject: Cookies Anyone?
Since today was also Day #1 of Chocolate and Gluten-Free Cookie Week, I took the rest of this bar and cut it up into chunks -- to mix into a gluten-free cookie mix, and added some tangerine olive oil to boost the citrus/fruit flavor. The result: some interesting tasting cookies, studded with passion fruit-tangerine chocolate chunks. There must be an infinite number of variations on chocolate chip/chunk cookies.

My apologies to purists, but recycling chocolate bars to make cookies and chocolate fondue/sauce is a great way to experiment and prevent chocolate from going to waste.

ChocolateBet: November 24, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 bar
Vosges Haut Chocolat
Organic Peanut Butter Bonbon bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) total bar
Calories: 250 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.50 total bar
Purchased from: Vosges.com; Chicago, IL

Happy Thanksgiving to all in the U.S. and to those who celebrate by enjoying a large meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and, oddly, very little chocolate. I had planned to make a Kahlua pecan pie, or a chocolate walnut pie, but ran out of time.

Instead, before spending time with family, I gave thanks for a world full of chocolate -- and showed further gratitude by trying a Vosges Organic Peanut Butter (45% cacao) bar three different ways: 1.) by itself; 2.) with some sliced, fresh banana; and 3.) as part of a bacon and lettuce sandwich on toasted multigrain (gluten-free) bread.

Today was Day #9 of Chocolate and Bacon Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: November 23, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

4 pieces
Christopher Michael Chocolatier
Piggy Caramels in Dark Chocolate
Very Good
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) (estimate) / 3 oz. (84.9 g.) package/box of 6 pieces (estimate)
Calories: 300 calories (estimate)
Cost: $10.00
Purchased from: Christopher Michael Chocolatier

Today was Day #8 of Chocolate and Bacon Theme Week.

Doth not the name "Piggy Caramel" speak for itself? Well, I'll spell it out anyway. These were bacon caramels covered in dark chocolate; and while I normally like pairing bacon with a deep milk chocolate, these darker versions were just fine, with small flecks of bacon embedded in a caramel center.

ChocolateBet: November 22, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1.) Norcal Gourmet LLC (see also Truffili di Pelligrini)
Dark Chocolate Mousse Truffles - with Himalayan Sea Salt
1 piece
Good
Weight: .35 oz. (10 g.)/ 1.76 oz. (50 g.) total package of 5 pieces
Calories: 60 calories
Cost: $ (lost info)
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Bacon Theme Week.

These Dark Chocolate Mousse Truffles were sprinkled with pink Himalayan sea salt. They had a smooth chocolate filling with a thin wafer layer at the base of the truffle. I ate around the wafer layer (to avoid possible wheat ingredients), and replaced with a layer of bacon lollipop. Here's where the bacon comes in today...

2.) Das Foods LLC
Maple Bacon Lollipop(s)
2 lollipops
Good
Weight: .6 oz. (16 g.) for two
Calories: 50 calories
Purchased from: Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA

These maple-based lollipops, from Das Foods LLC, had tiny, visible flecks of bacon embedded in them, and were not bad -- a refreshing change from fruit flavored 'pops -- and much more appealing than the suckers with the (gummy and real) bugs/worms in them.

3.) Accoutrements
"Bacon" Breakfast Floss
1 foot piece
Weight: N/A
Calories: N/A
Purchased from: Fremont Diner, Sonoma, CA

There was no real bacon taste that I could detect when I used this Bacon floss, but the 3-piece Breakfast Floss set (Waffles, Bacon, and Coffee) was a clever offering.

ChocolateBet: November 21, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

2/3 bar
Christopher Michael
Sizzling Bacon Bar
Weight: 1.848 oz. (52.8 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) total bar
Calories: 277 calories
Cost: $7.00 total bar
Purchased from: Christopher Michael, Newport Beach, CA

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

This Sizzling Bacon Bar -- made with milk chocolate, bacon, popping candy and sea salt -- from Christopher Michael (from Newport Beach, CA) was great. Nicely balanced bacon, milk chocolate and salt flavors. There was no sign of the popping candy -- that was to supply the "sizzling" part, but I didn't miss it that much.

ChocolateBet: November 20, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 bar
Xocolatl de David
Bacon + Chocolate bar
Very Good
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31 g.) / 2.2 oz. (62 g.) total bar
Calories: 159 calories (estimate)
Cost: $8.95 total bar
Purchased from: Fog City News, San Francisco, CA

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

Xocolatl de David (Portland, Oregon) makes several interesting bars -- among them, this Bacon + Chocolate bar, made with 72% Cacao from Ecuador.  You could see identifiable pieces of bacon, with a recognizable bacon bite -- not too fatty, not too dry and chewy. Close to just right. The chocolate was quite good, with a very faint nutty taste. (Although my preference with bacon would be a deep milk with just a hint of salt.) Often cacao with "nutty" flavor comes from Ecuador and Peru.

ChocolateBet: November 19, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

3 pieces
Snake and Butterfly
Maple and Bacon Caramels
Very Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) total package of 4 pieces (estimate)
Calories: 225 calories (estimate)
Cost: $6.00 total package of 4 pieces
Purchased from: Snake and Butterfly, Campbell, CA (at Chocolate Salon, in Francisco, CA)

These chocolate coated caramels from bean-to-bar chocolate maker Snake and Butterfly (Campbell, CA) had serious tiny hunks of bacon and genuine maple syrup and butter flavor -- in short, what I want to experience in confections and truffles with fun add-in ingredients.

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