Pumpkin Bread + Hershey's Chocolate Chips - Oct. 25, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Hershey's
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Good
Weight: 1/2 cup total for entire mix
Calories: 395.6 calories (estimate) in 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Cost: $1.99 (estimate) for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Pamela's Products
Pumpkin Bread Mix
Good++
Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) / 16 oz. (454 g.) in total package of dry mix
Calories: 320 calories in 2 servings (1/8 package, baked) -- 369 calories with added chocolate chips
Cost: $3.99 (estimate) for 1 package
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate, Sugar and Spice Theme Week.

Pamela's Pumpkin Mix was redolent with the smell of real, dried pumpkin; and the finished mix was quite good. I made this mix earlier this month with a mixture of butter and coconut oil that was delicious (without nuts or chocolate). Today, I added chocolate chips from Hershey's (Hershey, PA).

The sweet smelling and tasting semi-sweet chocolate chips also had a very faint wax crayon aroma. Although these chips did have an fairly creamy melt and mouthfeel.

Sugar and Spice Cookie Plate - Oct. 24, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

The Phoenix Pastificio
1.) Best-Ever Macaroons (2) - Very Good
2.) Pecan Chewies (Chocolate) (1) - Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: unknown
Calories: unknown
Cost: $11.50 for 3 cookies
Purchased from: Grand Lake - Oakland Farmers Market, Oakland, CA

Walkers Shortbread
1.) Gluten Free Pure Butter Ginger and Lemon Shortbread (1) - Good++
2.) Gluten Free Pure Butter Chocolate Chip Shortbread (1) - Good++
Weight: 1.09 oz. (31 g.) in 2 cookies
Calories: 160 calories in 2 cookies
Cost: $3.98 (estimate) for 2 boxes of cookies
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate, Sugar and Spice Theme Week. We're celebrating today with a cookie plate.

I like cakes and cookies; however, to avoid sugar overload, I save these sweet baked good items for the holidays. Oh, and look at that. It's almost Halloween; so what are we waiting for.

The Phoenix Pastificio
The first cookies I tasted were macaroons and pecan chewies from The Phoenix Pastificio (Berkeley, CA)—a company that specializes in organic pasta, sauces and baked goods. And a few of their offerings are gluten free.

However, these were not delicate, pastel-colored, filled French macaron rounds. Nor were they cloyingly sweet coconut macaroons.

The Phoenix Pastificio's "Best-Ever Macaroons" (regular and chocolate) were decadent and delicious. A "bitter" almond paste center (that maintained a moist, sweet almond brownie-like texture) was surrounded by a firmer, attractive extruded pastry shape. And the whole cookie was dusted with a liberal amount of powdered sugar.

The company's flourless chocolate Pecan Chewy had a meringue-like lightness, and yet maintained a satisfying, chewy chocolate texture with a hint of pecan nut flavor). The Phoenix Pastificio cookies held up commendably well, given that they'd spent some time in my refrigerator since my trip to Oakland where I bought them.

Walkers Gluten Free Shortbread
Walkers* (Aberlour-on-Spey, UK/Scotland) has been producing shortbread and biscuits (cookies) for decades. I was delighted when they started offering gluten-free versions of their rich, buttery shortbread rounds, a few years ago.

No doubt, the shortbread is the star. However, tiny bursts of chocolate in the Chocolate Chip version gave these rich cookies a little extra flavor oomph. And the Ginger and Lemon Shortbread cookie was also nice. Ginger is always a welcome, warming holiday spice, and a sparkle of lemon added additional flavor.

A five cookie-plate was fun, but too much sugar for one day. (Hey, I said I was gluten free. I didn't say I was glutton free.)

*Founded in 1898 by Joseph Walker, not only is Walkers well-known, but (according to one source I found) they're also Scotland's largest exporter of food items.

Wine Country Chocolates - Sesame Ginger Bar - Oct. 23, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Wine Country Chocolates
Sesame Ginger Chocolate Bar
Good+
Weight: .78 oz. (22 g.) / 2.35 oz. (66.5 g.) in total bar
Calories: 117 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $7.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Wine Country Chocolates, Tasting Room, Glen Ellen, CA

Welcome to the last day (Day #4) in this week's Chocolate and Sesame Series, and the first day of Chocolate, Sugar and Spice Theme Week.

Being located in Northern California, it's easy to find local wineries to visit. In the case of Wine Country Chocolates, located near several wineries in Sonoma County, they operate tasting rooms filled not with bottles, but rather chocolate confections, barks and bars.

I found today's Sesame Ginger Bar after after taking a wrong turn while driving in the Sonoma area. Happily, this led to discovering Wine Country Chocolates' Glen Ellen location on a tree-lined, meandering country road.

This Sesame Ginger dark chocolate bar was sprinkled with small pieces of candied ginger and toasted white sesame seeds. Ginger is a great spice and complement to chocolate. And this bar achieved a nice, balanced blend of flavors.

Zayna Dates; Sesame Items - Oct. 22, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Signature Snacks LLC
Zayna Dates (Milk Chocolate)
Good +++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 3.53 oz. (100 g.) total package of 10 pieces
Calories: 132 calories in 3 pieces
Cost: $1.99 for 1 package of 10 pieces
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of A Series of Sesame Chocolates.

Today's Zayna Dates (Milk Chocolate) were made by Signature Snacks LLC (Dubai, United Arab Emirates), and were one of several dessert tapas arranged on small plates.

Zayna Dates were created, according to the description on the packaging, after "world-renowned Suisse Chocolatiers visited Mediterranean regions" in the 1990s. Long story short, sweet, rich, hand-picked dates were stuffed with a roasted almond and covered in milk chocolate. I have to agree, after tasting today's dates, this is a winning combination.

And, consistent with a Mediterranean dessert tapas theme, other items included sesames seeds, nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios), pieces of sesame rice cakes, and Joyva Sesame Crunch candies, and melted chocolate (fondue).

What chocolate paired best with sesame items? I tried pairing sesame candies and seeds with two very different chocolates: one bright, fruity and complex Venezuelan chocolate, and one deeper, darker, slightly earthier and African chocolate.

The Venezuelan choice was a great chocolate, but was a little too acidic and bright for this pairing. And the latter African chocolate was a little too dark (78 percent cacao) and "dull."

A nuttier 70 percent chocolate that was in between these two extremes, or perhaps a 65 percent dark milk bar with chopped almonds might be a good fit.

Chosen Foods - Chocolate Bites with Chia - Oct. 21, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chosen Foods
Chocolate Bites with Chia!
Good +
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) in 1 packet
Calories: 190 calories in 1 packet
Cost: $5.99 for 1 box of 12 packets
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of A Series of Sesame Chocolates.

This week people are watching the World Series (baseball play-off) games. However, I'm focused on a series of a different sort: 4-5 chocolate items with sesame seeds.

Today's Chocolate Bites with Chia! were made in Mexico and distributed by Chosen Foods, LLC (San Diego, CA).  The small, crunchy, gluten-free cubes, or bites, inside each packet were made with nuts (pecans and almonds), chia (organic chia seeds), and cacao nibs. However, the first ingredient listed was organic sesame seeds.

These bites were relatively high in protein (5 g.) and fiber (4 g.), and were very lightly sweetened (cane sugar (3 g.) was number five on the ingredient list), making them a relatively healthy snack choice.

Neo Cocoa - Black Sesame Seed Brittle - Oct. 20, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Neo Cocoa
Black Sesame Seed Brittle
Very Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total package
Calories: 225 calories (estimate) in 1/2 package
Cost: $8.00 for 1 package of brittle pieces
Purchased from: Neo Cocoa table at Palo Alto Farmers Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of A Series of Sesame Chocolates.

Another great blend of flavors and textures from Neo Cocoa.

One of the joys of the modern world is the melding of food items from different continents over time by creative chefs of every kind: cacao from Central and South America, made into chocolate in North America; and flavor inclusions from around the world.

Today's chocolate contained sesame seeds (originally from Asia and East Africa). Rich in flavor and crunchy texture, sesame can go sweet or savory, and can pair nicely with chocolate.

Neo Cocoa Black Sesame Seed Brittle
Beware. Today's Black Sesame Toffee Brittle from Neo Cocoa (Belmont, CA) would be a spookily addictive Halloween treat. It will disappear before your very eyes.

Upon opening the sealed pouch of brittle, I detected a promising light sesame and chocolate aroma.

At the heart of this carefully crafted brittle was a thin* layer of light, crunchy sweet toffee brittle riddled with toasted black sesame seeds. The brittle was covered (on both sides) with a thin* coating of 72 percent dark chocolate and then sprinkled with white sesame seeds. The results: an intoxicating, crunchy sweet and slightly salty treat.

*I'm not sure how they managed such delicately thin layers, but I'm glad I didn't have to attempt making this at home.

Neo Cocoa - Dark Chocolate Mustache; Teaspoon - Oct. 19, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Neo Cocoa
Dark Chocolate Mustache with Pistachios
Good +++
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31.1 g.) (estimate) for 1 mustache
Calories: 165 calories (estimate) in 1 piece/mustache
Cost: $5.00 for 1 chocolate mustache
Purchased from: Neo Cocoa table/booth (at Palo Alto Farmers Market, Palo Alto, CA)

Welcome to Day #7 of And Now for Something Completely Different Theme Week.

Today's Dark Chocolate Mustache from Neo Cocoa (Belmont, CA) was studded with green, pistachio nut pieces and was quite delicious.

I imagine the Minister of Silly Walks, and others who love fun and chocolate might also approve.

hank you very much dear readers for accompanying us on this week filled with unique and unusual chocolates. We will be returning to more conventional programming tomorrow with a series of sesame chocolates.

In other green + chocolate news...

Later today, I also tried a California Snow Ice special with avocado snow, almonds, mochi, condensed milk and a drizzle of chocolate sauce at Teaspoon (Los Altos, CA location). The large "Husky" cup serving size looked quite large, but this shaved snow style frozen dessert was lighter and less overly sweet than it looked, and was a refreshing late afternoon treat.

"Serving the most unique bubble tea and snow ice desserts" is the Teaspoon (company) motto. And I couldn't I resist one last unique item this week.