Amella - Gray Salt and Double Dark Caramels - December 2, 2012

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Amella (Caramels)
1.) Gray Sea Salt Caramel - Good +
2.) Double Dark Chocolate Caramel - Good +
Weight: .932 oz. (26.4 g.) for 2 pieces/ 8.4 oz. (238.1 g.) for 18-piece box
Calories: 140 calories for 2 pieces (estimate)
Cost: $18.00 (estimate) for 18-piece box 
Purchased from: sneakpeeq.com

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

Yesterday, I sampled a Classic Caramel from the 18-piece, Agave Collection assortment box from Amella Caramels. This box contained four flavors of caramel -- all covered in dark chocolate.

Today I tried two more flavors: the Gray Sea Salt Caramel and a Double Dark Chocolate Caramel from this same collection. The fourth flavor, a Roasted Almonds caramel will be featured later, during an upcoming Chocolate and Almonds Theme Week.

Amella uses cocoa butter in their caramels giving them a less chewy and more "melty" consistency -- a mouth feel somewhere between a caramel and a truffle. This was especially true for the Double Dark Caramel; the chocolate caramel center had more of a creamy ganache taste and texture.

The Gray Sea Salt Caramel was a well-balanced execution between twinkles of sea salt, caramel and dark chocolate.

Amella - Classic Caramel - December 1, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Amella Caramels
Classic Caramel
Good
Weight: .466 oz. (13.2 g.) / 8.4 oz. (238.1 g.) total 18-piece box
Calories: 70 calories (estimate) for 1 piece
Cost: $18.00 (estimated discounted cost)
Purchased from: sneakpeeq.com

Today's Classic Caramel -- part of Amella Caramels' 18-piece, dark chocolate Agave Collection assortment box -- was made with cocoa butter (in addition to cream, butter, and soy lecithin), and sweetened with sugar and organic blue agave nectar, instead of corn syrup.

Caramel varies. This golden goo can be stiff and chewy or semi-liquid. The mix of ingredients (above) in these Amella chocolates yielded a caramel center with a unique texture. It was very smooth and dissolved rapidly, giving it had a uniquely quick melt for a caramel. I'm assuming this is due in part to the company's use of cocoa butter. The card described the consistency as being a cross between a caramel and a truffle.

I look forward to tasting the Gray Sea Salt and Double Dark Chocolate caramels tomorrow, and the Roasted Almonds flavor for an upcoming week that will focus on Chocolate and Almonds.

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

Marich - Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels - November 30, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Marich Confectionery Co.
Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels
Good - Good +
Weight: .10 oz. (2.8 g.) (estimate) for 1 piece / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) total bag
Calories: 15 calories (estimate) for 1 piece
Cost: $
Purchased from: Miki's Farm Fresh Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

This evening I enjoyed a gluten free cupcake making fest with friends. Thank you to everyone who brought cupcakes, or helped frost pumpkin, chocolate brownie, lemon coconut, and red velvet cupcakes with pumpkin cream cheese frosting, vanilla buttercream frosting, and fresh whipped cream.

Creative decorating ensued, with glazed walnuts, candied ginger, carrot marmalade, vodka soaked lemon zest, lavender sugar, coconut palm sugar, and other items.

I used a dark chocolate covered caramel with sea salt, from Marich Confectionery Co. (Hollister, CA), to top one these little cakes. The sea salt was detectable, and relatively uniform throughout the caramel, and was balanced by the dark chocolate.

Unreal Brands - Chocolate Caramel bar - November 29, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Unreal Brands, Inc.
Unreal 5 - Chocolate Caramel Nougat Bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.6 oz. (45 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $1.09 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Miki's Farm Fresh Market, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Caramel Theme Week, and today's chocolate covered caramel came in bar form.

A relative newcomer (2010) to the chocolate candy market, Unreal Brands is based in Boston, MA. The company's Chocolate Caramel Nougat Bar looked like an ordinary candy bar, but the company refers to their offerings as "Unjunked" -- made without artificial ingredients, preservatives, GMOs, hydrogenated oils and corn syrups frequently found in store-bought caramels and candy bars.

I enjoyed getting less of a sugar/corn syrup buzz with this Unjunked bar, as I have from other Unreal bars. My favorite Unjunked item so far has been Unreal's caramel bar with peanuts (similar to a Mars Snickers bar), but that may have more to do with my love of nuts, and preference for Snickers bars (over other bars without nuts) when I was young. I still eat a handful of nuts to help balance out sweet items.

Chocolaterie Robert - Caramelo - November 28, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolaterie Robert - Madagascar
Caramelo
Good - Good +
Weight: .8 oz. (22.6 g.) in 2 pieces/ 16-piece assortment box
Calories: 120 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $ N/A - gift
Purchased from: N/A - gift (Madagascar)

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

A big thank you to Toni and Paul for this assortment box of chocolates from Chocolaterie Robert - Madagascar (Antananarivo, Madagascar).

In cacao-growing regions, cacao beans are often shipped to other countries (like Europe or the U.S.) to be made into chocolate. Therefore, it was wonderful to taste some finished chocolates made and sold in Madagascar. Chocolaterie Robert cacao is from the Sambirano River region in Northern Madagascar.

This assortment box contained several flavors, including today's Caramelo (soft caramel with Madagascan Bourbon vanilla pod and cashew nut pieces coated with dark chocolate). Other pieces contained praline, nougatine, ginger, tamarind, brandy, and other flavors.

In sampling this chocolate, and chocolate bars, from Chocolaterie Robert (originally founded by a French couple between 1937 and 1940), I couldn't help but notice what a difference a good quality vanilla makes. Madagascar is known for its vanilla, a member of the orchid family. The sweet, floral flavor of a great Madagascan Bourbon vanilla beats the heck out of lesser substitutes. 

Happy Goat - Chocolate and Sea Salt Caramels - November 27, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Happy Goat
Goat Milk + Chocolate with Sea Salt Caramels
Good
Weight: .57 oz. (16.17 g.) in 2 pieces / 4 oz. (113 g.) total package
Calories: 84 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: N/A - gift
Purchased from: N/A - gift


Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Caramel Theme Week. These individually wrapped chocolate caramels with sea salt, from Happy Goat (San Francisco, CA), were made in copper kettles and had a bit of taffy chew. However, their most unique attribute was: they were made with goat milk. I detected a very slight goat milk/goat butter taste, but nothing too objectionable.

For a bit of an exotic or tropical twist, try Happy Goat's Goat Milk Caramels flavored with coconut and hint of lime juice (no chocolate in these).

Why goat milk you ask? Sometimes goat milk is easier to digest than cow's milk. The company uses "Grade A goat milk that is Kosher certified," and growth hormones or antibiotics are not allowed. Milk comes from free range goats raised on small California farms.

At the bottom of the "About Us" Happy Goat web page, readers are asked what makes them happy. Today's answer: Eating Happy Goat caramels on a boat on the San Francisco Bay this afternoon.

Thank you to Sunita for gifting me these caramels to feature today. Thank you to Ken for the boat ride.

Smitten Truffles - Vanilla Caramels - November 26, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Smitten Truffles
Vanilla Caramel and Tahitian Vanilla Bean Sea Salt
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .8 oz. (22.6 g.) (estimate) for 2 pieces
Calories: 120 calories (estimate) for 2 pieces
Cost: $24 (estimate) for 12 pieces (custom box)
Purchased from: Smitten Truffles, at Fall Chocolate Salon in San Francisco, CA

This week features some great salt caramels. From relative newcomer, Smitten (Artisan) Truffles (Portland, OR), came today's Vanilla Caramel and Tahitian Vanilla Bean Sea Salt chocolates, filled with sweet, vanilla bean flavored liquid gold, balanced with sea salt, and covered in dark chocolate.

Today was Day #3 or Chocolate and Caramel Theme Week.