Fjak Sjokolade - Brunost Karameller Med Sjokolade - June 8, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Fjak Sjokolade
Brunost Karameller Med Sjokolade 
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in total box of 8 pieces
Calories: 136 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $26.00 for 1 box of 8 caramels
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Brunost Karameller (Brown Cheese Caramels and Milk Chocolate) confections were made by Fjak Sjokolade (Hardanger, Norway). 

Norwegian brown cheese* already has a bit of caramel flavor, so it seemed like a natural complement to a chocolate caramel in the hands of a skilled maker. (It was.)

These square caramels were a study in artful contradiction. Uniform but layered, harmonious yet complex. These milk chocolate caramels were silky smooth, yet also had a brief, very slightly granular (cheese) phase--that melted and morphed back to satin smooth. A bit of a magic trick.

Flavor notes: Sweet caramel and flavorful 45% milk chocolate. And the maker(s) successfully incorporated a third element: a balanced, very slightly savory note (brown cheese), without the end product being too sweet or salty. There's no need to over-season great, high-quality flavors. (Fjak used single origin cacao, and local dairy/Norwegian brown cheese products.)

These caramels were well executed, fun to try, and tasty. They were great by themselves. One or two of these rich caramels filled me up. They also would be interesting to try on a fruit and cheese plate, and possibly with other sweet and savory (cheese) pairings.

Ingredients: Milk chocolate (cocoa beans*, sugar*, dry milk*, cocoa butter*), sugar*, cream*, butter*, brown cheese*, glucose, invert sugar, sea salt*, baking soda (*organic).

Allergen-related information: Allergens: lactose (contains dairy)

*Brown cheese is made by boiling whey (a liquid, cheese by-product) down to thick, sweet caramelized form. It is uniquely Norwegian, and is difficult to find elsewhere. It is often cut off a block, into thin slices, and served on bread/toast. It may be eaten as part of a breakfast sandwich of toast, brown cheese and jam, or as part of a snack.

Vosges - Parmesan Walnut and Fig 67% Cacao (bar) - June 7, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Vosges IP, LLC
Parmesan Walnut and Fig 67% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Vosges website, online order

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

Today's Parmesan Walnut and Fig 67% Cacao (bar) was created by Vosges IP, LLC (Chicago, IL).

Aroma notes included: chocolate, faint dried fruit, saltines (crackers) and nuts.

As with yesterday's Vosges 45% Cheddar and Apple chocolate bar, today's 67% aged Parmigiano Reggiano, California walnut and Turkish fig chocolate was smooth with a soft crunch. Particles of authentic cheese and dried fruit items were fully incorporated into a chocolate base.

Flavor notes included sweet dark chocolate, parmesan cheese, walnuts and dried fruit (figs). Very subtle spices (salt, pepper, peppercorns) rounded out this savory chocolate blend.

The complexity was enjoyable, flavors were well balanced and this chocolate was not too sweet (thank you!).

Hats off to Vosges for continuing to create new and wonderful flavor combinations, including a line of chocolates blended with cheeses (parmesan, cheddar, manchego, other). Some of these "cheese" bars also have fruits and/or nuts. 

I love sampling savory chocolate flavors, and creating chocolate and cheese pairings. Blends like this are hard to find.

Ingredients: Bittersweet chocolate (unsweetened chocolate, cane sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla bean seeds), chocolate (unsweetened chocolate, cane sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla bean seeds), walnuts, dried figs, parmesan cheese (raw milk, rennet, salt enzymes), sea salt, pepper, pink peppercorns.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk, walnuts. "Processed on equipment that also processes milk, soy, wheat, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts."

 

Vosges - Cheddar and Apple 45% Cacao (bar) - June 6, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Vosges IP, LLC
Cheddar and Apple 45% Cacao (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Vosges website, online order

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

Today's Cheddar and Apple 45% Cacao (bar) was created by Vosges IP, LLC (Chicago, IL).

Aroma notes included: chocolate, diffuse fruit(s), and subtle savory (cheese).

Flavor notes included: sweet milk chocolate (sweet cocoa), with fine particles of diffuse fruit (dried apple) and authentic (12-month aged Vermont) cheddar cheese. Subtle warm spices included: vanilla, cinnamon (and very faint (imagined) allspice).

Hats off to Vosges for creating chocolates blended with various cheeses (cheddar, manchego, parmesan, other). Some of these bars also have fruits and/or nuts. I love sampling savory chocolate flavors and creating chocolate and cheese pairings. 

Ingredients: Milk chocolate (cane sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, vanilla bean seeds), Cabot Cloth Bound Cheddar (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes, annatto (if colored), dried apples (apples, sulfur dioxide), cinnamon.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk. "Processed on equipment that also processes milk, soy, wheat, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts."

Kasama Chocolate - Trust Single Cask Madeira Whiskey 75% Cacao Barrel Aged Dark Chocolate (bar) - June 5, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Kasama Chocolate
Trust Single Cask Madeira Whiskey 75% Cacao Barrel Aged Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +++
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 225 calories in 3/4 bar
Cost: $18.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate, Spirits and Savory Snacks Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Cheese Week.

Today's Special Release Trust Single Cask Madeira Whiskey 75% Cacao Barrel Aged Dark Chocolate was created by Kasama Chocolate (Vancouver, B.C.) in collaboration with The Liberty Distillery (Granville Island, B.C.) that makes spirits from "grain to glass."

Aroma notes included: faint, sweet boozy (sherry) infused dark chocolate, and brown sugar.

This chocolate had a smooth texture and flavor. And the creamy melt slowly released luxurious layers of warm, aged whiskey flavor notes, and very faint wood/oak and caramel.

The cacao used to make this bean-to-bar 75% cacao dark chocolate was from the Philippines. And, as mentioned above, The Liberty Distillery helped elevate this chocolate with their Trust Single Cask Whiskey that was aged for three years in Madeira barrels.

I highly recommend savoring this dark chocolate slowly, by itself, to fully enjoy the complex and sophisticated flavors (all very skillfully harmonized) in this special release, three-ingredient bar. 

After several bites, this chocolate also paired nicely with a cheese plate (goat cheese, aged blue cheese and manchego).

Ingredients: "Madeira Barrel Aged Cacao Nibs, Unrefined Cane Sugar*, Cacao Butter*" (*Organic)

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that contains nuts."

NearyNogs Chocolate Makers - Old Fashioned (bar) - June 4, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

NearyNogs Chocolate Makers
Old Fashioned (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .706 oz. (20 g.) / 1.41 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 109 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate, Spirits and Savory Snacks Theme Week.

Today's Old Fashioned 70% Dominican Republic (Zorzal) bar was crafted by NearyNogs Chocolate Makers* (Mourne Coast, Ireland), and was part of the company's Irish Collection--itself a nod to traditional Irish "songs and stories, on walks, in homes, pubs and now in a chocolate factory."

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, faint orange and even fainter sweet whiskey.

This bar had a smooth and satisfying texture and melt. The tiny crystals of burnt sugar embedded in the 70% dark chocolate were a fun and tasty touch.**

The flavors were thoughtfully balanced. The orange bitters (dried orange, bitters) and Irish Whiskey flavors were quite subtle, and seamlessly integrated with a smooth, but flavorful, (70%) dark chocolate base (that had true chocolate notes: dark fudge brownie with ground, roasted nibs). 

I suggest savoring this bar first, by itself, to appreciate the more subtle flavor nuances. Savory snacks (Irish cheddar, blue cheese, chips and savory nuts) followed today's chocolate.

Ingredients: "70% Organic Dominican Republic Chocolate (70% Organic Dominican Republic Chocolate (70% cacao beans and sugar), burnt sugar, dried orange, bitters, irish whiskey, cacao nibs"

Allergen-related information: None listed on packaging. (No common allergens listed in ingredients list.)

*"Neary" comes from a family name and "Nogs" is from Gaelic roots; and roughly translates into English as "the land of the youth, or the eternal land."

**"The old fashioned is a cocktail made by muddling sugar with bitters, adding whiskey and garnishing with a twist of orange rind. It is traditionally served in an old fashioned glass, which predated the cocktail."

Charbonnel et Walker - Dark Sea Salt Caramel Truffles - June 3, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Charbonnel et Walker 
Dark Sea Salt Caramel Truffles
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.26 oz. (26 g.) in total box of three truffles
Calories: 195 calories (estimate) in 3 chocolates/truffles
Cost: $10.95 for 1 box of 3 truffles
Purchased from: Charbonnel et Walker, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate, Spirits and Savory Snacks Theme Week.

Today's Dark Sea Salt Caramel Truffles were from Charbonnel et Walker (London). Previously, truffles sampled from this historic chocolatier included four spirit-infused flavors: champagne, gin, rum and whisky. (No spirits today; but I did enjoy these with wine and cheese.) 

Aroma notes included: chocolate (cocoa).

The relatively thick outer dark chocolate shell was crunchy, the inner filling was creamy, and the entire truffle was chocolate-y (hot chocolate, drinking chocolate, chocolate mousse). The ganache (filling) also had a subtle salt caramel flavor.

These creamy, crunchy and chocolate-y truffles went well with wine and cheese(s); but would also have been good with savory nuts, sliced fruit, and a sip of salted mocha latte spiked with Amaretto.

Maker's description: " A beautiful mini-heart with three of our delicious Dark Chocolate Truffles with a Sea Salt Caramel center."

Note: There was also an ordering option to add a gift card with a personalized message.

Ingredients: Bittersweet chocolate (unsweetened chocolate, sugar, cocoa fat, soy lecithin), salted caramel (glucose syrup, sweetened condensed nonfat milk, palm kernel oil and palm oil (from a sustainable source), mono and diglycerides of fatty acids, sea salt), cocoa powder (cocoa powder, potassium carbonate).

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk and soy. May contain tree nuts and wheat.

  

Rimini - Banana-Rum and Salt Caramel chocolates - June 2, 2023

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Rimini
1.) Banana Rum - Good ++
2.) Maple-Bourbon - Good ++
3.) Salted Caramel - Good ++ - Good +++

Weight: 3 pieces out of a total 25-piece box
Calories: (No information; was a gift)
Cost: $ N/A - gift from family (Thank you Megan!)
Purchased from: N/A - Mother's Day gift

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate, Spirits and Savory Snacks Theme Week.

Today's Banana-Rum, Maple-Bourbon and Salted Caramel chocolates were from Rimini Chocolate (Colorado). 

After spending time in Rimini, Italy, owner and chocolatier Michael Schneider opened two Italian-inspired gelato and chocolate shops in Vail and Beaver Creek (CO) in the U.S.

Aroma notes for these chocolates included: faint chocolate, warm spice, salt caramel, and very faint spirits.

These attractive filled chocolates were skillfully executed with great blends of texture and taste. Flavor notes included rich, smooth dark/bittersweet chocolate and delicious soft, flowing salt caramel/ganache flavored centers. 

The Banana-Rum chocolate had subtle tropical fruit (banana) and faint salted butter rum flavoring. The Maple-Bourbon filled chocolate had faint, authentic maple and bourbon flavor notes. 

The centers were flavorful (and just a little bit salty). And the flavors were high-end, fresh and authentic.

Last, but not least was the Salted Caramel piece. I paired all of today's chocolates with a savory snack plate (homemade salted potato with cheeses, artichoke, savory almonds); but even so, the salt level in the Salted Caramel was very satisfying even on its own. A dark chocolate shell surrounded a beautifully silky salt caramel center. 

These were my kind of filled chocolates. They were well-executed, likely by a trained chef/chocolatier. The couverture thicknesses were just right (not too thick). Everything was well-balanced--smooth yet flavorful. Not too sweet; and well balanced with salt. And their elegant, hand "painted" appearance made them well-suited for gifts.

Ingredients: (Received as a gift; outside packaging/information had been removed.)

Allergen-related information: (May have contained milk.) (No information.)