Parliament Chocolate - Redlands Citrus bar; Michael Mischer Orange chocolates - April 12, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Parliament Chocolate
Redlands Citrus 70% bar
Good +
Weight: .85 oz. (24 g.) / 1.7 oz. (48 g.) in total bar
Calories: 127.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Orange Theme Week. We risked citrus overload today with a double dose: one citron and two orange chocolates. It was worth it.

Today's Redlands Citrus 70% dark chocolate bar was crafted by Parliament Chocolate (Redlands, CA).

This ebony-colored bar was chock full of tiny, embedded pale yellow, citron particles. The chocolate offered an enjoyable full, nuanced citrus flavor ride.

Michael Mischer Chocolates
Orange chocolates
Very Good
Weight: .75 oz. (21.2 g.) (estimate) in 2 pieces
Calories: 113 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $4.00 for package of 2 pieces
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Michael Mischer of Michael Mischer Chocolates (Oakland, CA) is a true craftsman offering fine, high-end bars and filled chocolates.

Today's heart-shaped Orange Caramels consisted of silky smooth, high-quality chocolate covering a creamy chocolate center infused with just the right amount of natural orange flavor. Definitely a keeper, and a cut above your average filled chocolate.

The Tea Room - Orange Almond Vanilla dark bar - April 11, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

The Tea Room

Orange Almond Vanilla 60% Cacao Organic Dark Chocolate bar

Good - Good +

Weight: .9 oz. (25.5 g.) / 1.8 oz. (51 g.) in total bar

Calories: 146 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $2.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Orange Theme Week.

Today's Orange Almond Vanilla 60% Cacao Organic Dark Chocolate bar from The Tea Room (San Leandro, CA).

The bar was part of the company's Chocolate Fusion line of chocolate containing tea.

The dark chocolate had a bittersweet dark aroma with a hint of citrus, and roasted almond (extract) notes, with a dose of vanilla sweetness.

The company's chocolate bars are USDA Organic, Non-GMO verified and gluten free and made with Fairtrade chocolate.

*Ingredients: "Organic Unsweetened Chocolate, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cacao Fat, Organic Roasted Almonds, Organic Black Vanilla Tea, All Natural Orange Flavor"

Elements Truffles - Orange Pistachio Turmeric bar - April 10, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Elements Truffles
Orange Pistachio infused with Turmeric
Good+
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total package
Calories: 130 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.99 for 1 bar/package
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Orange Theme Week.

Today's Orange Pistachio infused with Turmeric bar was created by Elements Truffles (Kearny, NJ). The company produces a line of "Ayurveda Inspired Artisanal Chocolate."

This 70% cacao dark chocolate had a balanced, complex and intriguing orange (orange essential oil) spice aroma, and soft, smooth texture and creamy melt (like a truffle).

Organic, raw cacao butter (Peruvian Criollo) was the first ingredient listed and helped create the creamy texture. The cacao used to make this bar was: "Fair Trade organic cacao ethically sourced from Peru."

Refined sugar does have a powerful ability to attract (or repulse). And chocolates (like this one), made with raw honey instead of refined sugar, do have a different, more relaxed feel to them.

Honey scores lower on the glycemic index than refined sugar, and this chocolate scored a bit better on our (granted, somewhat subjective) perceived sugar buzz index.** If you're seeking to be more centered and balanced, this is a good thing.

This bar was made without dairy, soy/emulsifiers, preservatives, and/or gluten-containing ingredients; and made with a purpose: A percentage of the profits of these bars "go towards education of underprivileged children (www.careforchildren.org)"

*The word Ayurveda comes from Ayur (life) + veda (knowledge)
** After sampling 4,000+ chocolates, one can sense a difference within the first few minutes between a dark chocolate bar made with refined white sugar and sweeteners such as coconut palm sugar, honey or stevia.

Trader Joe's - Dark Chocolate Orange Sticks - April 9, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Trader Joe's 

Dark Chocolate Orange Sticks

Good

Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 10 oz. (284 g.) in total package

Calories: 120 calories in 5 sticks (1 serving)

Cost: $3.99 (estimate) for 1 package

Purchased from: Trader Joe's, Menlo Park, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Orange Theme Week.

Today's Dark Chocolate Orange Sticks were from Trader Joe's (Monrovia, CA). 

These small sticks were filled with a luminous, orange, soft jelly-like center, and covered in a thin layer of dark chocolate. The naturally tart, orange flavor and dark chocolate balanced the sweetness nicely.

The Dark Chocolate Orange Sticks were also labeled gluten free.

Chloe's - Chocolate Soft Serve Fruit Pops - April 8, 2018

Chocolate of the Day:

Chloe's Soft Serve Fruit Co.
Chocolate Soft Serve Fruit Pops
Good
Weight: 2.5 fl. oz. (74 mL) / 10 fl. oz. (296 mL) in total box of 4 pops
Calories: 60 calories in 1 pop
Cost: $1.99 (estimate) for 1 box of 4 pops
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Milpitas, CA

Surprise. This is a second, bonus chocolate entry for today (April 8, 2018).

Occasionally, there are too many chocolate items to fit in one day; or a planned chocolate may not have turn out exactly as planned. Either way, sampling and featuring another chocolate is the solution.

This evening's Chloe's Soft Fruit Pops (New York, NY) were made with just a few ingredients: fruit (bananas), cocoa and organic cane sugar. The Chocolate pop had an authentic cocoa flavor, and was smoother than one would expect given the lack (hurray) of vegetable gums or dairy.

These Chloe's pops were a great way to enjoy chocolate on a warm day—at only 60 calories per pop.

And, joining the Chocolate flavor, were two more Chloe's flavors: Strawberry and Tangerine (with orange). The fruit flavors were light, authentically flavored and delicious.

These Soft Serve Fruit Pops also served as a bridge between Day #7 of Chocolate and Strawberry Theme Week and Day #1 of Chocolate and Orange Theme Week. And they provided a refreshing end-of-day snack after a hike in the hills.

Godiva - Milk Chocolate Strawberry bar - April 8, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Godiva Chocolatier, Inc.

Milk Chocolate Strawberry bar

Good

Weight: .375 oz. (10.75 g.) / 1.5 oz. (43 g.) in total bar

Calories: 52.5 calories in 1/4 bar

Cost $2.96 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Kohl's, Mountain View, CA

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

This very sweet* Milk Chocolate Strawberry Flavored with Other Natural Flavors bar was from Godiva Chocolatier, Inc.** (New York, NY). 

Scored into four squares (with each square stamped with a "G" for Godiva), the milk chocolate contained a creamy strawberry flavored filling. This bar may appeal to those who like chocolate candy and sweet fruit flavors.

A note about this week's outdoor photos of chocolates...Green spring grass lasts but a few months in the arid west, and it makes a good backdrop for early morning photographs of chocolate when the sun hasn't found its way inside yet.

*This bar contained sugar, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup and invertase (an enzyme produced by yeast that helps break down sugar) commonly used in the candy industry with liquid fillings, to help prevent crystallization. An unintentional situation that seemed to prove this point: this Godiva bar we bought had obviously been exposed to heat and was covered with white patchy "bloom" spots as a result; however, it still had a flawless, unified flowing strawberry cream center. 

**Godiva was founded in Belgium in 1926; and the Godiva brand has been owned by a few different large companies in recent decades (including Campbell Soup and Turkish Yildiz Holding—owner of the Ulker Group).

Larabar - Limited Edition Strawberry Chocolate Chip bar - April 7, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Small Planet Foods, Inc.
Limited Edition Larabar Strawberry Chocolate Chip bar
Good+
Weight: 1.6 oz. (45 g.) / 8 oz. (226 g.) in total box of 5 bars
Calories: 190 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $3.99 (estimate) for 1 box of 5 bars
Purchased from: Target Stores, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Strawberry Theme Week.

Today's Larabar Limited Edition Strawberry Chocolate Chip bar from Small Planet Foods, Inc. (Minneapolis, MN) was constructed with a relatively short list of ingredients: Dates, Almonds, Semisweet Chocolate Chips, Strawberries, Apples, Cocoa Powder and Sea Salt.

The original Larabar fruit and nut bar line was launched in May 2000 by founder Lara Merriken.

Natural tasting, not too sweet and very satisfying, this gluten-free, dairy-free, Non-GMO and vegan bar had balanced, rich dried fruit, cocoa and strawberry flavor.