Endangered Species - Dark Chocolate Cherries bar - Feb. 17, 2014

Chocolate of the Day:

Endangered Species Chocolate, LLC
Dark Chocolate with Cherries bar
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $3.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's, San Mateo, CA

Today was Day #13 of Chocolate and Cherries Theme Weeks.

Eating this relatively new Dark Chocolate (72% cocoa) with Cherries bar from Endangered Species Chocolate (Indianapolis, IN) reminded me of drinking a dark cup of hot chocolate around a campfire. That is to say, there was a very subtle flavor note that reminded me of wood burning in a campfire. This faint flavor, neither good nor bard, could have been introduced in the drying, roasting, or other, phase of the chocolate-making process.

The bits of dried cherry were natural tasting, relatively small and non-intrusive, allowing the main focus to be on the dark chocolate.

Endangered Species highlights a given bird or animal as part of each bar they create, to help raise awareness. A story about Puffins, or "Sea Parrots," accompanied this bar (printed inside the wrapper). The company has dedicated 10% of their net profits to organizations that promote species conservation, habitat preservation and humanitarian efforts. Best wishes to the puffins; may your numbers and colonies be restored/protected.

Mariette - Cherry chocolates - Feb. 16, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mariette Chocolates
1.) Cherry Jubilee
2.) Cordial Cherry
3.) Sour Cherry Cluster
Good
Weight: 1.6 oz. (45.2 g.) (estimate) for 1 piece
Calories: 240 calories (estimate) for 3 pieces
Cost: $5.25 total purchase
Purchased from: Mariette Chocolates, San Jose, CA

Today was Day #12 of Chocolate and Cherries Theme Week.

What amazes me most about eating more than 2,700 different chocolate items in the past 7 1/2 years? The fact that I am still finding 100s of new chocolates every year, where I live in the San Francisco Bay Area still surprises me.

The bustling and innovative metropolis that is Silicon Valley is fertile ground for a high number of new products being introduced each year, for technology and chocolate. So, I wasn't surprised to find two more new chocolate sources this weekend while on a walk through the Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose, CA, with my friend Laurie.

Mariette Chocolates (San Jose, CA) had several chocolates with cherries in their display case. So, I picked up four of them, and sampled three of them today.

The Cherry Jubilee was a generously sized domed truffle, with a cute cherry stem "pigtail." The chocolate ganache (filling) contained a red cherry, reminiscent of the kind you'd pluck out of a Shirley Temple (non-alcoholic drink) as a child.

I bit carefully into the Cordial Cherry; the center was a deep red pool of cherry liquid. (Eat with caution or you may end of with cherry cordial spillage on your clothes.)

The Sour Cherry Cluster was an irregular shaped chocolate with small chunks of natural tasting, dried sour cherry.

I also picked up some (red coated) chocolate covered cherries at Mariette's; however I'll wait to feature those later.

Barlovento - 80% bar with dried cherries - Feb. 15, 2014

Chocolate of the Day:

Barlovento Chocolates
80% Extra Dark Chocolate Bar with Dried Cherries
Good +
Weight: .7 oz. (19.8 g.) / 3.5 oz. (99 g.) in total bar
Calories: 105 calories in 1/5 bar
Cost: $7.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Barlovento Chocolates, Palo Alto Farmers Market

Today was Day #11 of Chocolate and Cherries Theme Weeks.

This extra dark beauty from Barlovento Chocolates (Oakland, CA) was crafted from 80% Venezuelan chocolate.

The back side of this bar was covered with neat rows of dried, moist cherries from Hidden Star Orchards (Clements, CA). I could smell the rich, natural aromas from this bar as soon as I lifted up the gold foil wrapping. Each square packed in satisfying chocolate and cherry flavor.

Bixby - Heart's Delight bar - Feb. 14, 2014

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Chocolate Cherry Cocktail
Made with: Talenti Black Cherry gelato

Bixby and Co.
Heart's Delight
Good
Weight: .75 oz. (21.2 g.) / 1.5 oz. (42.45 g.) total bar
Calories: 110 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Abe's Market (online order)

Hope you all had a great Valentines Day. I decided to keep it simple -- a modified Chocolate Gatail (cocktail with dark rum, cherry brandy and creme de cacao) and 1/2 of a Heart's Delight bar from Bixby and Co. (Belfast, ME).

The Heart's Delight bar was jammed with large pieces of dried strawberries, and bits of almond, giving the dark chocolate (72%) bar, with a very mild hint of Ceylon Cinnamon, a slightly chewy texture.

Today was Day #10 of Chocolate and Cherries Theme Weeks, and the sight of cherry and other fruit tree blossoms against blue sky was a lovely reminder that Spring was already waiting in the wings.

Kind - Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew bar - Feb. 13, 2014

Chocolate of the Day:

Kind, LLC
Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $1.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, Los Altos, CA

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

The Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew bar from Kind, LLC (New York, NY) was a perfect choice for Valentines Day Eve. It was a healthy amalgam of dark chocolate, sweet/tart dried cherries, crunchy nuts (almonds, cashews and peanuts), and all good. The gluten free, low sodium bar was also a welcome break from solid chocolate and candy hearts.

Sugar, a touch of honey, glucose, and a few raisins and dried cranberries sweetened up this bar, and yet, surprisingly, it didn't seem overly so. The nuts and fiber helped balance the sweetness level.

Not all the Kind bars are drizzled with dark chocolate, but I've relished all the company's fruit and nut bars I've tasted so far. These gluten-free, Non-GMO bars were easy to tuck into a pocket, or pocketbook, for a snack on the go.

Theo Chocolate - My Cherry Baby bar - Feb. 12, 2014

Chocolate of the Day:

Theo Chocolate
My Cherry Baby bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 3 oz. (85 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 440 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $3.69 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, Los Altos, CA

Today was Day #8 of Chocolate and Cherries Theme Weeks.

Two great Limited Edition bars for Valentines Day from Theo Chocolate (Seattle, WA):

1.) Today's My Cherry Baby 45% Milk Chocolate bar
2.) The Cinnamon Love Crunch 70% Dark Chocolate bar (that I'll feature later)

Both bars were made from organic and fair trade ingredients.

The Cherry Baby bar was devilishly good. The kind of creamy, tasty milk chocolate, enhanced with natural cherry bits, that gets gobbled up gleefully and quickly. So beware all virtual eaters, and dieters out there. You may be tempted to fall off the wagon, just a little.

Happy Valentines Day Week to all.

Bohme - Cherry and Brandy Filled Chocolates - Feb. 11, 2014

Chocolate of the Day:

Delitzscher Schokoladenfabrik GmbH
Weinbrand Kirschen
Good+
Weight: .353 oz. (10 g.) / 5.3 oz. (150 g.) total box of 15 pieces
Calories: 42.5 calories in 1 piece
Cost: $3.90 for 1 box of 15 pieces
Purchased from: Gourmet Haus Staudt (store), Redwood City, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Cherries Theme Weeks.

It was cold this evening -- a good opportunity for a hot brandy with Kirsch (cherry brandy), and a German Bohme Weinbrand Kirschen -- a Cherry and Brandy Filled Chocolate.

A simple drink + dessert, with a pleasing flavor combination.