Perugina - Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts bar - Dec. 20, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Perugina
Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts bar
Good - Good +
Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.) / 3.5 oz. (99.2 g.) in total bar
Calories: 115 calories in 2 squares/ 1/3 bar
Cost: $1.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: IKEA, East Palo Alto, CA

Benvenuto a (Welcome to) Day #1 of Italian Holiday Chocolate Series; and happy holidays to all.

When I think of Italian chocolates, I think about creamy milk chocolates with hazelnuts.

Today's Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts from Perugina* (Italy) honors that tradition. The bar's packaging displayed a gold (Perugina Product of Italy) seal over a green, white and red ribbon—colors from the Italian flag that also seem holiday appropriate.

The relatively thin, smooth milk chocolate bar (no cacao percent listed) contained a tiny sea of roasted and sugared hazelnut bits. While the chocolate was fairly sweet, a faint taste of hazelnut came through.

This gluten free bar was also made without artificial flavors, colors or preservatives.

*Perugina, established in 1907, is now part of Nestle (Switzerland). Perugina bars are made in Italy by Nestle Italiana S.P.A.

bobbilicious - b. chocolate chip walnut cookie - Dec. 19, 2016

Chocolate of the Day:

bobbilicious baking company
(for Whole Foods Market)
b. chocolate chip walnut (cookie)
Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) in total cookie
Calories: 280 calories in 1 cookie
Cost: $2.49 for 1 cookie
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, Los Altos, CA

Welcome to the last day (Day #5) of Chocolate and Walnut Series.

Today's "b. chocolate chip walnut" (cookie) from bobbilicious baking company (for Whole Foods Market) came individually packaged.

It was, what I call, a contradiction cookie. It was generously sized but slim; it was healthy but tasted rich (slightly oily), moist and slightly chewy. It looked robust, but was somewhat crumbly; it was sweet, but somehow managed not to be too sweet.

What was clear: it was made with almond flour and all natural ingredients, with no hard to decipher or pronounce artificial substances. And precautions were taken to segregate ingredients "in a facility that processes dairy, eggs, soy, peanuts and tree nuts." (Hurray, no wheat flour, which tends to get everywhere.)

If I understand correctly, bobbilicious baking company (created by bobbi cohen) supplies Whole Foods Gluten-Free Bakehouse (Morrisville, NC) with gluten-free and dairy-free cookies and bars for distribution in Whole Food Market stores. I bought this cookie at the local Whole Foods Market in the Bay Area (California). (Please feel welcome to correct me if this is incorrect.)

Cohen has developed relationships with quality suppliers. She uses Guittard chocolate, Bob's Red Mill gluten-free offerings (e.g. steel-cut oats), and has come up with her own almond flour blend.

Ingredients: almond flour, organic agave nectar, chocolate chips, organic sunflower oil, walnuts, vanilla extract, almond emulsion, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Philip Marks - Milk Chocolate Walnut and White and Dark bars - Dec. 18, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Philip Marks Chocolates
Milk Chocolate with Whole Walnuts bar(s)
Good +
Weight: .2 oz. (5.6 g.) / 2.9 oz. (82 g.) in total package of 2 bars
Calories: 48 calories (estimate) for 1 bite of 1 bar
Cost: $7.49 for 1 package of 2 bars
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA


Philip Marks Chocolates
White and Dark Marbleized Chocolate bar(s)
Good - Good +
Weight: 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total package of 2 bars
Calories: 380 calories for 2 bars
Cost: $6.99 for 1 package of 2 bars
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of this year's Chocolate and Walnut Series.


Today's Milk Chocolate (36 percent "Carmelito") with Whole Walnuts bar created by Philip Marks Chocolates (Burlingame, CA) came in an attractive package that contained two bars. adorned by carefully placed walnut halves.

I also sampled a Philip Marks White and Dark Marbleized Chocolate bar. This stylish bar was a blend of 36 percent "Edelweiss" and 88 percent "Maracaibo" dark chocolate. 

Trader Joe's - Dark Walnut Bar; Loard's Walnut Sundae - Dec. 17, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Trader Joe's
Dark Chocolate, Walnut, Peanut, Fig and Date Bar
Good
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $1.99 (guess?) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Trader Joe's, Alameda? or Mountain View?, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Walnut Series. Today I celebrated with two chocolate items.

The first was a Dark Chocolate, Walnut, Peanut, Fig and Date Bar from Trader Joe's (Monrovia, CA). The bar was nutty, sweet, chocolatey and slightly chewy.

Loard's Ice Cream
Ice Cream Sundae
Black Walnut, Maple Walnut, chocolate sauce
(Walnut and Cherry Sundae)
Good +
Calories: unknown (750 calories is my guesstimate)
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: Loard's Ice Cream, Alameda, CA

Loard's Ice Cream is a local (San Francisco Bay Area) chain of ice cream stores, that first opened in 1950. I left their Alameda location with a smile on my face.

After a hike and holiday shopping, I had a hankering for ice cream, and the counter staff at this 1900s style ice cream shop fixed me up with a three-scoop (Black Walnut, Maple Walnut and Cherry) ice cream sundae with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. It hit the spot

Flour Craft - Walnut Raisin Nib Granola - Dec. 16, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Flour Craft Bakery
Walnut Raisin Cacao Nib Granola
Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.45 g.) / 12 oz. (340 g.) in total package/bag
Calories: 202 calories in 1.5 servings
Cost: $7.99 for 1 package
Purchased from:

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Walnut Series.

Today I enjoyed a bowl of Walnut Raisin Cacao Nib Granola from Flour Craft Bakery (San Anselmo, CA), a company that offers gluten-free* baked goods.

I added some warm, toasted hazelnuts and almonds to this certified gluten-free, vegan, and slow-roasted granola mix to make it a bit a more hearty for cold weather breakfast; however, it was perfectly fine by itself. While this granola was light on the chocolate and sugar (a plus), the nibs provided rich, cacao flavor and depth to this mix.

*The Flour Craft Bakery team made this granola in a "100% gluten-free environment."

Feel Good Bakery - Nina Triple Chocolate Cookie - Dec. 15, 2016

Chocolate of the Day:

Feel Good Bakery
Nina Triple Chocolate (Walnut) Cookie
Good+++
Weight: 5 oz. (141.5 g.) (estimate) for 1 large cookie
Calories: 400 calories (estimate) for 1 large cookie
Cost: $3.00 (estimate) for 1 cookie
Purchased from: Feel Good Bakery, Alameda, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Walnut Series. I'll be featuring chocolate items with walnuts.

People often ask where I find all these chocolates featured on Chocolate Banquet. I found today's hefty Nina Triple Chocolate Cookie at Feel Good Bakery (Alameda Marketplace, Alameda, CA) while out walking the Bay Trail—a trail that circles the San Francisco Bay, and runs through 9 counties and 47+ cities. (The Bay Trail also creates almost unlimited opportunities for chocolate field trips.)

I bought two of these gluten-free cookies the night of my walk. The first served as 90% of my dinner that evening.

And a few days later (today), I'm featuring the second cookie, that will serve as lunch. Yes, this thick and rich, chocolatey cookie with a generous helping of walnuts was a full meal. Perfect for a 6-mile walk stop, but if you're sitting at home or office, I'd share this with a few fortunate friends.

Neo Cocoa - Dark chocolate toffee brittles with seeds - Dec. 14, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Neo Cocoa

Spiced Pumpkin Seed Toffee Brittle
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) total package
Calories: 225 calories (estimate) for 1/2 package
Cost: $N/A - gift from client/friends
Purchased from: N/A - gift



Pistachio, Anise, Orange Toffee Brittle
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) total package
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) for 1/3 package
Cost: $N/A - gift from friends
Purchased from: N/A - gift

Welcome to the last day (Day #7) of Chocolate and Seeds Theme Week.

Our grand finale for this week featured two items with dark chocolate and seeds: 1.) Spiced Pumpkin Seed Toffee Brittle and 2.) Pistachio, Anise and Orange Toffee Brittle, both from Neo Cocoa (Belmont, CA).

The predominant flavors from these svelte but substantial sheets of toffee came from thin layers of crunchy, buttery, almost rustic brittle made with brown sugar and butter, layered between 72% dark chocolate.

However, the different inclusions in both these toffees made them each unique. The flavors between the chocolate, toffee and seeds, nuts, spices/fruits were very well balanced, natural tasting and satisfying.