flying noir - honey honey - Nov. 27, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

flying noir
honey honey
Good ++
Weight: .35 oz. (9.9 g.) (estimate) for 1 piece
Calories: 55 calories (estimate) for 1 piece
Cost: $N/A - part of a 6-piece "spirited" assortment box
Purchased from: flying noir table at Fall Chocolate Salon, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Holiday Spirits Theme Week.

The red and gold "honey honey" filled chocolate from flying noir (Oakland, CA) was a carefully crafted, arrow point-shaped jewel. Small, but with concentrated bittersweet dark (and slightly bitter) honey gin flavor, this piece was very lightly sweetened with orange blossom honey. It was the perfect apertif after yesterday's Thanksgiving feasting.

I'm very thankful for chocolates like this that aren't too sweet, and that are more on the bitter end of the spectrum. Just one bite was very satisfying.

Hope your holidays will be up and to the right.

Lake Champlain - Milk Chocolate Turkey - Nov. 26, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

Lake Champlain Chocolates
Placesetting Milk Chocolate Turkey
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in 1 turkey
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1 turkey
Cost: $3.99 for 1 turkey
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Thankful Week, and Day #3 of Chocolate and Holiday Spirits Theme Week. It's wonderful to have a day dedicated to feeling grateful (and full). Happy Thanksgiving to all.

I'm enjoying two turkey, cranberry and pumpkin soup/dessert meals with family and friends today.

I started this morning with a miniature Chocolate Banquet Thanksgiving breakfast that included a chocsimile* of a milk chocolate "placesetting" turkey from Lake Champlain Chocolates (Burlington, VT); cranberry chocolates; and a small handful of tasty White Chocolate Pumpkin Pie Almonds from California Sungold (Oakhurst, CA).

The convincing-looking milk chocolate turkey tom was individually wrapped in a small plastic bag secured with a twist tie and seasonal pumpkin-colored ribbon enabling me to admire his composure in the past few days leading up to...the inevitable. There was no need to stuff this hollow turkey—each milk chocolate faux feather was fine as it was.

For adults, you might pair your chocolate Thanksgiving meal with a doll-sized portion of Wild Turkey, or your favorite American whiskey (or whisky, as you prefer).

*A chocsimile is a three-dimensional chocolate facsimile of a real person, place or thing.

flying noir - "the few" truffle - Nov. 25, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

flying noir
"the few" truffle
Good++ - Very Good
Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.) (estimate) in 1 piece
Calories: 60 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $12.00 (estimate) for 1 6-piece "spirited" assortment box
Purchased from: flying noir table at Fall Chocolate Salon, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Thankful Theme Week, and Day #2 of Holiday Spirits Theme Week.

Today I enjoyed "the few"— another piece in the flying noir (Oakland, CA) 6-piece "spirited" collection assortment box. This round truffle was flavored with Few bourbon—"a three grain recipe from a small batch distillery in Illinois." A roll in sugar gave the truffle a holiday sparkle.

Feeling thankful about life, and that there are so many interesting chocolates and creative chocolatiers and chocolatemakers in the world. Happy Thanksgiving Eve to all.

flying noir - NY black rye; cynara - Nov. 24, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

flying noir
1.) NY black rye - Good ++
2.) cynara - Good ++ - Very Good

Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.) (estimate) for 1 piece
Calories: 120 calories (estimate) for 2 pieces
Cost: $12.00 (estimate) for 1 box of 6 pieces
Purchased from: flying noir, at Fall Chocolate Salon, San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Thankful Theme Week; and Day #1 of Chocolate and Holiday Spirits Theme Week.

The Thanksgiving-to-Christmas holiday period is festooned with sweets. Sometimes I'm very thankful for smaller, high-quality chocolates that are layered with interesting, less sweet flavors.

Today's pair of filled chocolates, from flying noir (Oakland, CA) were part of the company's "spirited" collection: one part eye-catching miniature art pieces, and two parts artful flavor layering.

NY black rye
The NY black rye chocolate from flying noir was an artful gem, painted in shades of burgandy-red, orange, yellow and blue. A piece of dried Bing cherry at the center was surrounded by a bittersweet ganache (filling) that was flavored with Michter's single barrel US*1 Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, and a hint of Kauai guava smoked sea salt.

Cynara
I also sampled flying noir's "cynara." This chocolate-covered oval (painted in faint blue-green opal colors) was filled with a sweet, creamy caramel white chocolate ganache, and tempered with Cynar* bitters. A true study in bittersweet.

*Cynar is an Italian bitter liqueur/apertif made from 13 herbs and plants, with artichoke being one of the dominant flavors.

Hammond's - Milk Chocolate Piggy Back Pecan and Caramel - Nov. 23, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

Hammond's Candies
Milk Chocolate Piggy Back Pecan and Caramel
Good
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31 g.) / 2.2 oz. (62 g.) in 1 package
Calories: 360 calories in 1 package
Cost: $3.49 for 1 package
Purchased from: Orchard Supply Hardware, Mountain View, CA

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

Pecans continue to dominate this week's chocolate menu.

Hammond's Candies (Denver, CO) has been in the candy business since 1920. Today's Hammond's Milk Chocolate Piggy Back Pecan and Caramel was a jumbo-sized, individually-wrapped confection that contained caramel, pecan pieces and was covered in milk chocolate.

Other pecan and Thanksgiving foolishness

Thanksgiving day is three days away. My kitchen has transformed into a mad scientist food lab; and pumpkin and cranberry items abound this week.

I found myself tinkering with pumpkin soup; pumpkin and cranberry muffins with pumpkin cream cheese; and a Thanksgiving trail mix with pecans, pumpkin chips, cranberries, golden raisins, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, chocolate chips and cocoa nibs.

This blend was followed up with a second "entree" trail mix with gravy and stuffing flavored potato chips (yes there really is such a thing), salted green bean chips, pieces of turkey jerky, and orange cranberry bits, to create a portable, dried version of an iconic turkey day meal—that I'll take on a long hike this fall/winter.

Saba Saba River Pecans - Chocolate Pecan Pie In-a-Jar - Nov. 22, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

The Great Saba Saba River Pecan Company
Chocolate Pecan Pie In-a-Jar
Good - Good +
Weight: 3.6 oz. (102 g.) / 1.8 lbs. (816 g.) in total jar
Calories: 400 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $12.99 for 1 jar
Purchased from: Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, Rocklin, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Thankful Theme Week.

Today's Chocolate Pecan Pie In-A-Jar, from The Great Saba Saba River Pecan Company Inc. (Saba Saba, TX), is the kind of ingredient that begs to be experimented with.

This caramel-y and chocolate-y pecan pie filling was chocked full of pecans—the first thing I saw when I opened the large, screw-top glass jar.

I used this pecan pie filling two ways today, to create: 1.) a single serving of gluten-free chocolate pecan dessert, and 2.) a small chocolate pecan pie parfait with vanilla ice cream. Both hot and cold dessert results were good. And if you like nuts, topping these with a few more pecans may even be in order.

I also enjoyed learning more about the Saba Saba River, Texas, and pecans today. (The Great Saba Saba River Pecan Co. offers pecans, pecan preserves, toppings, candies, and other items from their 10,000 orchard of pecan trees that grow near the river in the Hill Country of Central Texas.)

This is why I love writing about a new chocolate every day on ChocolateBanquet.com. I am thankful that I get to learn something new every day.

jcoco Vanuatu Coconut Pecan bar - Nov. 21, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

Seattle Chocolates
jcoco Vanuatu Coconut Pecan bar
Good++ - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) in 1 small bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $N/A - gift (thank you Toni!)
Purchased from: N/A - gift from friend

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

Vanuatu is an island nation in the South Pacific where cacao is grown. After being being colonized by various European countries, the Republic of Vanuatu gained its independence in 1980.

Pecans are part of many U.S. Thanksgiving celebrations (pecan pie, pecans in stuffing, chopped pecans crumbled over sweet potatoes and yams, etc.).

The jcoco Vanuatu Coconut Pecan bar was a blend of international flavors and textures, including smooth and flavorful single origin milk chocolate from Vanuatu, and crunchy bits of raw pecans. Dried coconut shavings and a bit of sea salt rounded out the mix.

I'm thankful for the 1,000s of chocolatiers around the world and their chocolate creations that incorporate ingredients from around the world.

The jcoco brand is part of Seattle Chocolates (Seattle, WA).