GoodOnYa - Superhero bar - August 16, 2014

Chocolate of the Day:

GoodOnYa
Superhero bar
Good ++
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 283 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $4.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate, Coconut and Vanilla Theme Week.

There are many bars now made with raw, organic, gluten free and other natural ingredients. Coconut oil/butter, and shredded or toasted coconut*; cacao nibs or dark chocolate; and vanilla, are popular inclusions.

It's hard to put a name to this growing category of all natural bars that has encompassed energy bars, health or healthy snack bars, protein bars and granola bars in the past. The newest generation of bars often offer more nutrient dense ingredients (often raw or less processed, with no/fewer preservatives) and gluten-free formulations that also taste good. (All welcome trends for someone like me who wants to eat whole foods and can't tolerate gluten.)

I'm thankful for bars like today's Superhero bar from GoodOnYa (Encinitas, CA); it seemed very satisfying to me. Made with raw ingredients, this gluten-, dairy- and soy-free, Non-GMO bar contained cashew butter, honey, coconut flakes, chia seeds, goji berries, and lucuma, as well as ground vanilla pods and maca. (Yes, whole vanilla pods in the mix!) It was the kind of bar I'd feel confident eating during a long hike on a hot (or cold) day.

And speaking of "kind," I paired this GoodOnYa bar with an Almond and Coconut bar from Kind LLC (New York). While this bar packed a sweeter, coconut crunch, this Non-GMO, gluten and dairy free bar was made with whole, identifiable ingredients (I didn't need a label; I could see the ingredients); and it was marketed as very low sodium, and low-glycemic. Again, not your father's candy bar. (Note: There was no chocolate in this fruit and nut bar; but dipping pieces of this bar into chocolate fondue is not out of the question.)

*Note: In fact, this is third coconut-related theme week this year (2014) on ChocolateBanquet.com

Timothy Adams - Coconut Bonbons - Aug. 15, 2014

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Guppy's Chocolates
Dark Chocolate with a hint of Raspberry bar
(See yesterday's entry)

Timothy Adams Chocolates
Coconut
Good +
Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.) (estimate) in 1 piece
Calories: 60 calories in 1 piece
Cost: $2.25 (estimate) for 1 bonbon
Purchased from: Timothy Adams Chocolates

Coconut Caramel
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.) (estimate) in 1 piece
Calories: 60 calories in 1 piece
Cost: $2.25 for 1 bonbon
Purchased from: Timothy Adams Chocolates

Today was the last day of Chocolates of Northern Yorkshire Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate, Coconut and Vanilla Theme Week.

Guppy's Chocolates, Yorkshire Puddings
I used yesterday's Guppy's Chocolates (York, Northern Yorkshire, U.K.) dark raspberry bar as the basis for a chocolate sauce over gluten-free Yorkshire puddings. I added smoke-infused olive oil and sea salt to the puddings. And to the chocolate pieces I melted for the sauce, I added fresh English lavender buds, lemon infused olive oil and butter, to this chocolate to make a fruit and floral warm chocolate sauce. Apologies to those who find this California deviation from the original Yorkshire puddings offensive. But, they did taste good.

Timothy Adams Chocolates
And now, I move on to chocolate, coconut and vanilla. A holy trinity to some, and not so much to others (who dislike coconut). Timothy Adams Chocolates, a new shop in Palo Alto, CA, had on display several interesting chocolate covered bonbons.

Two coconut flavors caught my eye. The Coconut bonbon, drizzled with a slender thread of white (vanilla?) icing offered a concentrated tasty burst of finely shredded tropical coconut flavor and texture.

And the Coconut Caramel chocolate had a wonderful layering of fresh caramel, chocolate and coconut flavors. I commented to Timothy Woods (the "Timothy" in Timothy Adams) that I loved the layering of these flavors and he mentioned his background as a chef. No surprise then. I look forward to trying other flavors soon.

Guppy's Chocolates - Dark Raspberry bar - August 14, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Guppy's Chocolates
Dark Chocolate with a hint of Raspberry bar
Good +
Weight: .82 oz. (23.3 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) total bar
Calories: 123 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $ N/A - gift from relatives (Thank you Wendy!)
Purchased from: N/A - gift from relatives, York, North Yorkshire, U.K.

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolates of North Yorkshire Theme Week.

Today's Dark Chocolate (55%) with a hint of Raspberry bar from Guppy's Chocolates (York, North Yorkshire, U.K.) was infused with natural tasting raspberry flavor (Sharp Raspberry essential oil, dried raspberry powder).

Guppy's Chocolates are produced and packaged from the home of Peter and Fran Guppy in York. I'm grateful to the Pegrams, and Wendy Pegram in particular, for hand-carrying, hand-crafted Guppy's Chocolates from York to California this past week. It's been like taking a virtual chocolate field trip to Northern Yorkshire.

Guppy's Chocolates - Milk Chocolate Smarties bar - Aug. 13, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Guppy's Chocolates
Milk Chocolate with Mini Smarties bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 3.53 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 159 calories (estimate) in 3/10 bar
Cost: N/A - gift from relatives (Thank you Pegrams!)
Purchased from: N/A - gift from relatives

Today was Day #5 of Chocolates of Northern Yorkshire Theme Week.

What are Smarties? They are brightly colored, candy covered chocolate discs (more precisely, oblate spheroids) are made by Nestle (U.K.) (formerly Rowntree and Company). Smarties are a little like m and ms, only the candy shell is a bit thinner and the colors are different. Smarties are well known elsewhere, but are not distributed in the U.S.

A festive shower of miniature Smarties adorned this Milk Chocolate with Mini Smarties bar from Guppy's Chocolates (York, Northern Yorkshire, U.K.). And the smarties gave this otherwise mild mannered milk chocolate bar a satisfying, happy crunch. The "plain" side of this bar must be jealous.

Guppy's Chocolates (Peter and Fran Guppy) must have had fun designing this suitable-for-any-party bar.

Guppy's Chocolates - Milk Chocolate Lavender bar - August 12, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Guppy's Chocolates
Milk Chocolate with a hint of Lavender bar
Good ++
Weight: .82 oz. (23.3 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 123 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $ N/A - gift from relatives (Thank you Wendy!)
Purchased from: N/A - gift from relatives

Today was Day #4 of Chocolates of Northern Yorkshire Theme Week.

Lavender is one of my favorite floral scents and flavors; and the lavender infused into this "Milk Chocolate (35%) with a hint of Lavender" bar from Guppy's Chocolates (York, Northern Yorkshire, U.K.) was wonderful.

The smooth, milk chocolate base had a nice melt and mouthfeel; and I liked the relative thinness of the bar that allowed for better and more even access to flavors. Peter and Fran Guppy at Guppy's Chocolates use a blend of selected chocolates, including single origin chocolate for their bars.

Sugar Mouse - Luxury Milk Chocolate bar - August 11, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Sugar Mouse Luxury Confectionery Ltd.
Luxury Milk Chocolate bar
Good - Good +
Weight: .53 oz. (15 g.) / 3.18 oz. (90 g.) in total bar
Calories: 80 calories (estimate) in approximately 1/6 bar
Cost: $ N/A - gift from relatives (Thank you Pegrams!)
Purchased from: N/A - gift from relatives (Sugar Mouse)

Today was Day #3 of Chocolates of North Yorkshire Theme Week.

Today's Sugar Mouse Luxury Milk Chocolate bar in the pink and cream-colored packaging got my imagination going. The name "Sugar Mouse" (and the pink mouse on the label) conjured up the image of a satisfied rosy-tinged mouse in a diamond tiara, lounging in an overstuffed velvet chair, with one paw in a box of delectable chocolates.

sugar-mouse.co.uk

Made for Sugar Mouse Luxury Confectionery Ltd. (Easingwold-York, North Yorkshire, U.K.) by a fellow York chocolatier (Choc Affair), this Luxury Milk Chocolate bar was rich, smooth and sweet (although very slightly less sweet than many American milk chocolate bars -- and that was a good thing).

Toftly Treats - Chocolate - August 10, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Toftly Treats
Chocolate Lollipop (decorated round, on a stick)
Good ++
Weight: 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in 1 lollipop
Calories: 239 calories (estimate) in 1 lollipop
Cost: N/A - gift from relatives (Thank you Pegrams!)
Purchased from: N/A - gift

Today was Day #2 of Chocolates of North Yorkshire Theme Week.

This beautifully butterfly-adorned and satisfying chocolate lollipop came from Toftly Treats (Northern Yorkshire, U.K.). Toftly Treats is a small, family business, located in an old vicarage, near North Yorkshire Moors National Park.

The company is known for their round, decorated chocolate buttons. The lollipops are an extension of this button line-up.