ChocolateBet: February 6, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Vosges Haut Chocolat
Blush caramel
Good+ - Very Good
Weight: .15 oz. (4.25 g.)/ 5.4 oz. (152.8 g.) total 18-pc. assortment box (estimate)
Calories: 25 calories (estimate) in 1/2 piece
Cost: $29.00 for 18-pc. box
Purchased from: Vosges.com

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Hawaii/Islands Theme Week.

I continued to work my way through an exotic caramel assortment box from Vosges (Chicago, IL).

Today's Blush caramel contained Hawaiian red sea salt in the caramel, and the chocolate covering was sprinkled with Li Hing powder -- that provided a pink blush color as well as a slightly tart, fruity taste. These Vosges caramels offer layers of identifiable flavors like (rather than one homogeneous mixture), so that each flavor has a turn to shine for a few seconds.

ChocolateBet: February 5, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Madre Chocolate
Passion Fruit bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 1.5 oz. (43 g.) total bar
Calories: 75 calories (estimate)
Cost: $12.00 (estimate)
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, in Palo Alto, CA

Today I continued the Hawaii/Islands Theme Week that I started yesterday with a Passion Fruit dark bar from Madre Chocolate (Honolulu, HI).



Made from Big Island Hawai'i cacao beans and passion fruit, the bar had a rich, dark chocolate base, with faint earth and coffee notes, paired with the slightly acidic taste of dried passion fruit bits. It was an interesting mix, perhaps not for everyone; but it grew on me. It was lovely to taste some chocolate grown in Hawaii -- the only U.S. state where (as far as I know) it's possible to grow cacao outdoors.

ChocolateBet: February 4, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Madre Chocolate
rosita de cacao bar
Very Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.)/ 1.5 oz. (43 g.) total bar
Calories: 75 calories (estimate)
Cost: $12.00 (estimate)
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was the last (Day #7) day of Chocolate + Hearts and Flowers Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Islands Theme Week. And what a beautiful intersection of these two worlds this 70% dark bar was from Madre Chocolate (Honolulu, HI).

The rosita de cacao bar was made with rich, dark, fair trade Dominican cacao, with earthy and floral (rosita de cacao) notes. I could easily imagine being in the middle of a tropical jungle when I took a bite of this bar.

ChocolateBet: February 3, 2012

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Vosges Haut Chocolat
1.) Sunshine caramel - Very Good
2.) Rosey caramel - Good + - Very Good
Weight: .6 oz. (16.98 g.) (estimate for 2 pieces)
Calories: 90 calories
Cost: $29.00 for 18-pc. box
Purchased from: Vosges, Chicago, IL

Today was Day # 6 of Chocolate + Hearts and Flowers Theme Week -- with an emphasis on the flower side. These two chocolate covered caramels from Vosges (Chicago, IL) were part of a larger, exotic caramel assortment box.

The "Sunshine" caramel contained Tupelo honey, bee pollen and milk chocolate. The bee pollen topping flavors came through first, and then the honey notes kicked in. It was a very nice tasting experience.

The "Rosey" featured rose water, pink peppercorn and dark chocolate topped with a red rose petal. I liked the fairly strong, yet authentic rose flavor, which shaded into pink peppercorn flavors and texture. My only quibble, it was just a little too sweet for me. But, that is always a risk (or a benefit, depending on your perspective) of trying to make the perfectly balanced, flavored caramel.

ChocolateBet: February 2, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

York (The Hershey Co.)
Peppermint Pattie Heart
Good +
Weight: .48 oz. (13.6 g.) /8.5 oz. (240 g.) total bag
Calories: 50 calories
Cost: $3.49 total bag
Purchased from: Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate + Hearts and Flowers Theme Week.

York Peppermint Patties came in a special flavor this month -- Peppermint Pattie Hearts. These dark chocolate covered, heart-shaped pieces came individually wrapped in a larger plastic bag. The conventional white peppermint centers were colored pink to match the occasion -- a celebration of Valentines day/month.

ChocolateBet: February 1, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Moonstruck Chocolate Co.
Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Bark
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 3.56 oz. (101 g.) total tin
Calories: 150 calories
Cost: $9.99 total tin
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate + Hearts and Flowers Theme Week.

Bark? Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Bark? OK, but only if it's decorated with red and pink heart shapes. I didn't really say that, but I could have. I broke off a piece of this bark bar from Moonstruck Chocolate Co. (Portland, OR), revealing a dense mesh of finely chopped hazelnut pieces.

And, to pack in more Oregon nut goodness, I paired this bark with a handful of dry roasted hazelnuts from Freddy Guys Hazelnuts (Monmouth, OR). Did you ever notice that hazelnuts are the most heart-shaped nut around?

ChocolateBet: January 31, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Vosges Haut Chocolat

1.) Blood Orange Campari caramel - Good + - Very Good
Weight: .3 oz. (8.49 g.)/ 5.4 oz. (152.8 g.) total 18-piece assortment box (estimate)
Calories: 45 calories (estimate)
Cost: $29.00 for 18-piece box
Purchased from: Vosges.com (Chicago, IL)

2.) Barcelona Milagro Heart - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.)
Calories: 150 calories (estimate)
Cost: $4.00 1 heart
Purchased from: Vosges.com (Chicago, IL)

Today's two treats from Vosges (Chicago, IL) reminded me of warmer times and places.

The Barcelona Milagro Heart of Love looked like it belonged in a Mediterranean jewelry box. This chocolate embraced hickory smoked almonds and grey sea salt in a base of 45% cacao "deep milk chocolate." I've liked this term since I first saw it in a Vosges catalog several years ago. And deep milk chocolate certainly mixes well with salt, smoked nuts, caramel/toffee, and savory items.

The second item was from a Vosges exotic caramel assortment; the tarte taste from the red hibiscus (flower) powder topping, Campari and blood orange made this dark chocolate-covered caramel more colorful and lively.

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate + Hearts and Flowers Theme Week.