Butlers - Irish Whiskey Truffle bar - March 12, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Butlers Chocolates
Irish Whiskey Truffle bar
Good
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 2.64 oz. (75 g.) in 1/3 bar
Calories: 116.6 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $4.89 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Abe's Market (online order)

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

This Irish Whiskey Truffle bar from Butlers Chocolates (Dublin, Ireland) was infused with Jameson Irish Whiskey. When I opened the gold foil liner wrapping paper, a fragrant whiff of whiskey greeted my nostrils.

The dark chocolate covered truffle bar was easily broken into six segments; and it was filled with a smooth, creamy milk chocolate ganache center.

Cocopotamus - Kiss Blarney - March 11, 2014

Chocolate of the Day:

Cocopotamus
Kiss Blarney
Good +
Weight: .988 oz. (27.8 g.) in 2 pieces / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) total box of 5
Calories: 150 calories in 2 truffles
Cost: $12.00 for 1 box of 5 pieces
Purchased from: NYDC Chocolate, online order

Saint Patrick's Day is next week, when we celebrate all things Ireland. Rather than a solemn tribute to Saint Patrick, who was a Christian missionary and ambassador to Ireland in the 5th century, this holiday is more likely to involve being festively assaulted by the color green in stores, bars and restaurants.

In the U.S., St. Patrick's Day has become affiliated with saucy leprechauns wearing green derby hats and jackets, green beer, and green and gold chocolates, coins, and candies.

In the late 1900s, I remember watching green-tinted television commercials for Irish Spring* soap and Lucky Charms* cereal. If you crossed grandma's fudge with these two products, you might get something dark and sweet, refreshing and charming, and a bit whimsical, like today's Cocopotamus "Kiss Blarney**" peppermint and rum dark chocolate truffles from NYDC Chocolate (Albuquerque, NM). These creamy, hand-dipped fudge truffles were covered in dark chocolate, individually wrapped in handsome teal green foil, and were magically delicious (and gluten free).

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

*Colgate's Irish Spring soap was first marketed by Colgate-Palmolive in the 1970s. Lucky Charms is a cereal brand produced by General Mills.
** The Blarney stone resides in Blarney Castle in Ireland. Legend has it that those who kiss this stone will have the gift of gab (the ability to persuade, flatter or charm others with your speech)

OCD - Irish Caramel Bomb - March 10, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Obsessive Confection Disorder
Irish Caramel Bomb
Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) (estimated) for 1 piece
Calories: 74 calories (estimate) for 1 piece
Cost: $1.95 (estimate) for 1 piece
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Green Theme Week. And, for the next few days, the "green" tie-in will be with Ireland and St. Patrick's Day.

Obsessive Confection Disorder (Fairfax, CA) makes great caramels. The company's Irish Caramel Bomb was a crunchy caramel center (on a sucker stick) made with sugar and coconut butter, flavored with Jameson Irish whiskey and vanilla bean, and covered with bittersweet chocolate.

This never really had a chance as a sucker. It was devoured in a few delectable bites by leprechauns.

Thank you to Melodi Brooke Donahue, the force behind OCD's vegan caramels and other treats.

Montezuma's Sea Dog bar - March 9, 2014

Chocolate of the Day:

Montezuma's Chocolate
Sea Dog bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.165 oz. (33 g.) in 1/3 bar; 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 174 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $5.00 for 1 bar (part of a larger order)
Purchased from: Abe's Market (online order)

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

Limes were brought aboard ships and eaten by sailors to provide Vitamin C (to avoid scurvy) during long voyages at sea. Lime and other citrus flavors, when blended skillfully with chocolate, can be wonderful. A light sprinkle of sea salt can also be very nice with chocolate. I had not, however, had both of these flavor additions together, in one bar, until today.

The Dark Chocolate "Sea Dog" bar with lime (oil) and sea salt from Montezuma's Chocolate (West Sussex, UK) was made with 70% Peruvian Cacao. The dark chocolate flavor was smooth, and the very subtle hints of lime and salt were just right for me. (The innovative British company, founded by Helen and Simon Pattinson in 2000, also makes a milk chocolate bar with lime and chili, as well as a large assortment of other flavored dark and milk bars.)

Talenti - Mediterranean Mint gelato - March 8, 2014

Chocolate of the Day:

Talenti
Mediterranean Mint gelato
Good - Good +
Weight: 1/4 cup / 1 Pint container
Calories:  100 calories (per label) in 1/4 cup serving
Cost: $6.79 for 1 Pint container
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, San Mateo, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Green Theme Week. I enjoyed seeing green scenery in San Francisco today, thanks to some late winter rain, including green grasses, flowers and members of the mint family.

Fresh green mint and chocolate pair famously well together in desserts, hot or cold.

This evening, I enjoyed another cold, mint chocolate treat --  a small scoop of refreshing Mediterranean Mint gelato from Talenti (Minneapolis, MN). Flecks of bittersweet chocolate were swirled into a creamy mint-flavored base.

Powell's - Bavarian Mint Gelato - March 7, 2014

Chocolate of the Day:

Powell's Sweet Shoppe (Gelato Classico)
Bavarian Mint Gelato
Good - Good +
Weight: 4 oz. (estimate) - 1 scoop in cup
Calories: 240 calories (estimate)
Cost: N/A - sample ($2.99 for 1 scoop in cup)
Purchased from: Powell's Sweet Shoppe, San Jose, CA

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

The small raft of green leprechauns and shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day were almost lost in the crush of chocolate rabbits, eggs and other Easter candy.

Powell's Sweet Shoppe in the Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose, CA, had a small Irish green display area conveniently located in front of their gelato counter. Walking inside this shop may trigger visions of sugar overload, but, thankfully, Powell's gelato and sorbetto that we sampled were not overly sweet.

It didn't take much to convince me to try the Bavarian Mint gelato, made for Powell's by Gelato Classico (Concord, CA). Soft flowing ribbons of chocolate wound through a base of creamy, pale green, natural mint tasting Italian-style ice cream.

Thank you to Alex for your great counter help!

Cocopotamus - Blimey - March 6, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

NYDC Chocolate, LLC
Cocopotamus
Blimey - Key Lime Caramel Fudge Truffles
Good
Weight: .494 oz. (14 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in 1 box of 5 pieces
Calories: 55 calories in 1 piece (per label)
Cost: $10.50 for 1 box of 5 pieces
Purchased from: NYDC Chocolate, online order

Welcome to the first day of Chocolate and Green Theme Week.

What is a green theme week? Think green limes, spring green grass and flowers, Saint Patrick's Day, four-leaf clovers and leprechauns, maybe an Easter bunny or two excited about Earth Day next month, and you've got it.


Today's gluten-free "Blimey" Key Lime Caramel Fudge Truffles were part of the Cocopotamus caramel line from NYDC Chocolate (Albuquerque, NM), and contained a subtle hint of natural key lime extract. A lively creamy caramel fudge inside was coated in dark chocolate and marked with a pale lime-lemon colored cross-hatch of frosting (a la hot cross bun).