Trader Joe's - Hazelnut chocolates - March 14, 2014

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Trader Joe's
Belgian Chocolate Shoppe assortment box
1.) Vanilla Mousse in White Chocolate with Chopped Hazelnuts
2.) Milk Chocolate with Crunchy Hazelnut Cream
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) (estimate) in 2 pieces
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $ N/A - gift
Purchased from: N/A - gift

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

Nuts add fat and flavor to chocolates. Hazelnuts have a natural sweetness that can complement milk chocolate nicely.

Ground hazelnuts and hazelnut butter added both texture and a creamy sweetness to today's chocolate confections made in Belgium. I associate a traditional "Belgian style" with longer conch times and very smooth creamy chocolate. The "American style" has often meant adding more sugar.

The white and milk chocolates from this Trader Joe's (Monrovia, CA) Belgian Chocolate Shoppe assortment box were creamy and fairly high in sugar content, and the hazelnut helped contribute to both the smoothness and balance out the sweetness from the sugar.

The chopped hazelnuts added a hint of crunchy texture to the Vanilla Mousse in the first piece.

And, ground hazelnuts added a smooth richness to the second piece, a Milk Chocolate with Crunchy Hazelnut Cream. Tiny hazelnut flecks gave the center an almost wafer-like crunch.

Gosanko - Four-Leaf Clover - March 13, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Gosanko Chocolate Art
Four-Leaf Clover
Good - Good +
Weight: .75 oz. (21 g.) in 1 piece
Calories: 112.5 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $2.95
Purchased from: Draegers, San Mateo, CA

My expectations are not always high for molded chocolates, as there can be added paraffin, wax, or other additives that help preserve/hold the shape of objects, that can make chocolates less tasty.

However, this four-leaf clover from Gosanko Chocolate (Auburn, WA) exceeded my expectations. Wrapped in shiny green foil, this solid milk chocolate clover was smooth, almost creamy, with no waxy mouthfeel. The relatively thin thickness allowed the chocolate to melt easily in my mouth and to access flavor that tasted like quality milk chocolate.

Gosanko Chocolate specializes in what I call "chocsimiles," facsimiles of animals, objects and other novelty items, crafted in chocolate; both art and technical skills are required. Gosanko uses chocolate from Guittard Chocolate (Burlingame, CA). And using quality ingredients does make a difference.

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

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.