Madecasse - Milk Chocolate bar - Dec. 4, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Madecasse LLC
Milk Chocolate bar
Good
Weight: .44 oz. (12.5 g.) / .88 oz. (25 g.) in total bar
Calories: 66 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ (N/A - part of larger, previously recorded package)
Purchased from: (part of previous online order)

Bean-to-bar makers at Madecasse Chocolate (Brooklyn, NY; Ambanja, Antananarivo (Madagascar)) take pride in the fact that their cacao is grown on the island of Madagascar. More unique is the fact that their finished chocolate is also made in-country, in Madagascar.

Today's 44% cocoa, "silky smooth," milk chocolate bar had an "Intensity" rating of 1 out of a possible four. Intensity is a tricky rating criteria. I generally want a great chocolate to be intense enough to discern the full tasting arc, but not so strong as to be overwhelming. Whereas, a lesser chocolate is often fine if it's fairly mild. Objectionable flavors can be muted with the presence of cocoa butter, or sweeteners.

However, mild intensity works when certain notes are present that may be easily overwhelmed. Flavor Notes printed on the label for this bar stated: "a "dark" milk bar with clear notes of caramel. In this case, caramel notes paired well with a mellow milk chocolate. The texture was smooth, but slightly gummy -- a characteristic I sometimes experience when soy lecithin has been added to smooth out texture.

Overall, this bar was pleasant -- and a few squares paired well with a small dish of Three Twins (Petaluma, CA) Sea Salted Caramel ice cream.

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

Sjaak's - Caramel Bite - Dec. 3, 2013

Chocolate of the Day:

Sjaak's Organic Chocolates

Caramel Bite

Good

Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) (estimate) for 1 piece

Calories: 74 calories (estimate) in 1 piece

Cost: $0.65 (estimate) for 1 piece

Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

Today's Caramel Bite -- a bite-sized, flower-shaped chocolate from Sjaak's Organic Chocolates (Petaluma, CA) -- came individually wrapped in festive red foil. 

This chocolate covered Caramel Bite (one of several different flavors of Bites from Sjaak's) had, as advertised, a soft caramel center, and was just the right size for a small snack, or tiny gift.

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

John and Kira's Rum Pecan Caramel - Dec. 2, 2013

Chocolate of the Day:

John and Kira's
Rum Pecan Caramel
Good
Weight: .66 oz. (18.6 g.) / 3.0 oz. (85 g.) total box of 9 pieces
Calories: 99 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $29.00 for 1 box of 9 pieces
Purchased from: John and Kira's (online order)

This yellow, flower-shaped chocolate was part of John and Kira's (Philadelphia, PA) 2-flavor Wildflowers (Enchanted Garden Collection) box. (The second flavor in this box was a pink flower filled with a white tea and rose flavored ganache.)

I enjoyed the bites of this caramel-filled chocolate that included a piece of chopped pecan. Nuts are a great complement to caramel and chocolate, and help balance the sweetness level and, in my mind, help enhance the flavor.

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

B.T. McElrath - Salted Caramel - Dec. 1, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

B.T. McElrath Chocolatier, Inc.
Salted Butter Caramel
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .38 oz. (10.8 g.) / 1.9 oz. (54 g.) total box
Calories: 56 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $12.00 for 5-piece truffle assortment box
Purchased from: B.T. McElrath (online order)


Happy December 1st! I hope wherever you are, you're making plans to enjoy this last month of 2013. I'm looking forward to combinations of chocolate, caramel, sea salt, sugar and spice, and maybe some cacao nibs and coconut to keep me warm as we head into winter.

Today's chocolate could spread chocolate wings and head south if need be. This butterfly-shaped buttery milk chocolate, from B.T. McElrath (Minneapolis, MN), was filled with a silky, flowing caramel center. A hint of salt helped balance and round out the rich, smooth sweet taste.

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

Flour Craft - Salted Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies - Nov. 30, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Flour Craft Bakery
Salted Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Good - Good +
Weight: unknown
Calories: unknown
Cost: $6.00 for 1 bag of 2 cookies
Purchased from: Flour Craft Bakery, Marin Civic Center Farmers Market, San Rafael, CA

Today was Day #1 Chocolate and Caramel Theme Week, and I enjoyed a Salted Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie, from gluten free Flour Craft Bakery (San Anselmo, CA), with a cup of caramel tea. The cookie also had a hint of caramel flavor.

It is hard to go wrong with a mixture of salted caramel + chocolate.

St. Amour Chocolate Wafers - Nov. 29, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

St. Amour
Gluten Free Chocolate Wafers
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.09 oz. (30.9 g.) / 6 oz. (170.09 g.) in 1 package/bag of cookies
Calories: 110 calories for 2 cookies (plus lavender and rose ice cream filling)
Cost: $4.99 total package
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Flower Theme Week. Lavender, rose, saffron -- these are some of my favorite floral flavorings. Today, I made ice cream sandwiches (using gluten-free cookies) that incorporated these flavors.

To make bite-sized chocolate cookie sandwiches with lavender rose ice cream* filling, I used Gluten Free Chocolate Wafers from St. Amour (Costa Mesa, CA). These small chocolate cookies stayed crispy and crunchy after being topped with ice cream.

I also experimented with Lemon Lavender cookies from The Inspired Cookie, filled with saffron ice cream, and chocolate cookies from Grindstone Bakery filled with kewra (pandan) flower infused vanilla ice cream. All good.


*I was inspired to make this lavender rose ice cream when I stumbled upon this lovely recipe on Elizabeth LaBau's site SugarHero.com. 

Sjaak's Almond and Peanut Butter Bites - Nov. 28, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Sjaak's Organic Chocolates
1.) Almond Butter Bites - Good - Good +
2.) Peanut Butter Bites - Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) in 2 pieces
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $1.71 for 2 pieces (with discount)
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

Happy Thanksgiving to all in the U.S.!

I'm now completely stuffed. The Thanksgiving feasting started with breakfast, and a small bag of chocolates.

Breakfast consisted of a tiny gluten-free pumpkin pie from Natural Decadence (Eureka, CA), topped with a mini-scoop of homemade saffron vanilla ice cream with freshly grated nutmet; toasted almonds and walnuts; and two flower-shaped Almond Butter (silver foil) and Peanut Butter (gold foil) chocolate "bites" from Sjaak's Organic Chocolates (Petaluma, CA).

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