Hot Buttered Rum bar; Glow Almonds bar - Nov. 29, 2015

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Seattle Chocolates
Hot Buttered Rum Milk Chocolate Truffle bar with Toffee Bits
Good
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 188 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $3.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sur La Table, San Francisco, CA

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

For those huddling around a fire in the Northern Hemisphere, the Hot Buttered Rum Milk Chocolate Truffle bar with Toffee Bits from Seattle Chocolates (Seattle, WA) may help keep you warm*.

This Non-GMO, gluten free bar was similar in formula to the company's individual Hot Buttered Rum truffles. (There wasn't a detectable alcohol taste in either of these rum chocolates as I recall.) Seattle Chocolates also makes an eggnog chocolate bar, but I couldn't locate one in time for a holiday spirits double feature today.

So, in part because this truffle bar was so close to truffles I've already tried, I'm featuring a second milk chocolate with some "warmth."

Hershey's
Milk Chocolate with Almonds bar
Good
Weight: .291 oz. (8.25 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 45 calories in 2 squares
Cost: $N/A
Purchased from: N/A

The Hershey's "Glow" Milk Chocolate with Almonds bar contained bits of chopped almonds.

To increase the warmth and glow factor (for adults only), I paired this bar with a tiny 2 oz. cup of spiced hot chocolate flavored with spiced rum, Amaretto, and Frangelico. That was enough for me. Now I'm going outdoors to warm up the old fashioned way—a walk with a good friend.

*White interior fireplace background was from a California Mantel and Fireplace, Inc., advertisement.

SOMA Chocolatemaker - The Dude White Russian - Nov. 28, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

SOMA Chocolatemaker
The Dude White Russian
Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) (estimate) for 1 container
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) for 1 oz. (28.3 g.) serving
Cost: $19.00 for 1 container
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Happily the day after Black Friday (the big shopping day following Thanksgiving) is small business Saturday. On this day, I headed to The Chocolate Garage (Palo Alto, CA) with family members to enjoy chocolate at its best.

At this small but very well-stocked, chocolate speak-easy, we found "The Dude White Russian - chocolate twig with Kahlua, Vodka and Cream" from SOMA Chocolatemaker (Toronto, Canada).

Packed inside a cardboard tube, The Dude White Russian was a very tasty chocolate implementation of a White Russian (cocktail*)— favored by protagonist Jeffrey Lebowski, aka "The Dude" (played by Jeff Bridges), in the movie The Big Lebowski. I suggest seeing this cult favorite to fully appreciate the reference.

However, movie or not, I really enjoyed eating and sharing this delicious, slightly boozy chocolate confection.

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Holiday Spirits Theme Week.

*A White Russian is made with vodka and Kahlua (coffee liqueur) over a few ice cubes, and topped with generous splash of cream.

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.