chocolate review
Chocolate Raspberry Drink with Stevia
June 13, 2011
I recently attended an outdoor BBQ and at the “drink station” was a pitcher of ice water with an assortment of small bottles sitting next to it. Each bottle had a dropper style lid and inside was flavored liquid sweetened with stevia. The host encouraged me to create my own sugar-free beverage.
I was intrigued, of course, and poured myself a glass of water. Then, as instructed, put 6 to 8 drops of liquid flavoring into my glass. This was a starting point as more can be added according to individual preference.
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Cocoacara Orange and Chili
June 6, 2011
The Terravita Chocolate Company is a Polish chocolate manufacturer making some uniquely flavored chocolate. I recently tasted the 77% Orange and Chili Dark Chocolate.
The Terravita line of dark chocolate uses 77% cocoa as a bold, chocolate base. The added, exotic flavor combinations include orange peels and chili, as well as coffee and cardamom.
What I like most about the orange and chili combination is the intense chocolate and orange up front when you first bite into it, and then just when you think you have finished, the heat from the chili kicks in. It is a pleasant finish albeit a surprise!
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Equal Exchange Chocolates
May 30, 2011
The Equal Exchange Co-op sells organic, fair-trade, premium chocolate bars. The chocolate is purchased from small-scale farmers and their families. The chocolate is made in the Swiss tradition from co-operatives in the Dominican Republic, Panama, Peru, and Ecuador.
You can go online to buy their products but chances are you will see them being sold as fundraisers for faith-based organizations, at community events, holiday bazaars and fairs, and even in farmers’ markets.
I was given a mini-sized 55% dark chocolate bar for a tasting sample at a volunteer fair last week. It was delicious! (I bought a full-size 71% dark for later!)
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Mint Chocolate Rooibus
May 23, 2011
Rooibus (Rooibos) tea (pronounced roy-bos) means “red bush” in Afrikaans. Rooibus is herbal, caffeine-free, and contains powerful antioxidants. It is also lower in tannins than green or black tea.
Rooibus is grown only in a small area of South Africa. It is slowly becoming more popular in the U.S. for the health conscious.
I recently bought a specialty Rooibus tea from a company called Christiani-Tea. I chose a flavor infused tea called Chocolate Mint. The ingredients are organic Rooibus, organic cacao nibs, and organic peppermint leaf. Added to those main flavor ingredients are apple and orange peel.
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Chocolate Lava Cake
May 16, 2011
I remember a certain look on my babies’ faces after they finished filling their tummies with milk. Their sleepy smiles were a mixture of deep satisfaction and complete happiness. Life was good.
I think I had a similar look on my face one evening while enjoying a molten chocolate lava cake for dessert. After finishing our meals at a local restaurant (D Mo's Pasta & Chop House at The Clarke Hotel), my husband suggested we try this dessert. Ah, life was good.
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Godiva Chocolatier Gems
May 9, 2011
Godiva chocolate makes three varieties of Gems™, individually wrapped bon bons.
I just finished eating a dark chocolate French Vanilla Truffle Gem described on the package as a dark chocolate with a creamy french vanilla filling. The filling is a vanilla cream center like a butter cream only sweeter. This filling is thinner than frosting but the texture and consistency reminds me more of frosting than a smooth melting truffle.
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Endangered Species Chocolate Bar
May 2, 2011
The All-Natural, 72% Dark Chocolate with Cranberries and Almonds bar is oh-so good in oh-so many ways. First of all, the flavor is excellent. The chocolate is bold with soft earthy notes. These flavors blend perfectly with the chewy cranberry pieces and crunchy almond bits.
Endangered Species brand chocolates promotes awareness and conservation of at-risk species of animals. This particular variety (cranberries and almonds) is surrounded by a wrapper that, when you read the inside, increases your knowledge about the struggles of the Gray Wolf.
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Grandessa Irish Chocolate
April 26, 2011
I didn’t know that there were “Irish style” chocolates until I saw a box of chocolates from Grandessa. This box claimed an Irish assortment of filled milk, white, and dark chocolate. To satisfy my curiosity, I bought a box.
The chocolates are uniquely shaped in a square “cup” that holds caramel, lemon meringue, and strawberry truffle. The molded piece is open at the top. The Caramel Sensation is a smooth caramel inside a milk chocolate cup sprinkled with dark mini chocolate chips on the top. The Lemon Supreme is also inside a milk chocolate cup sprinkled with crystalline sugar on the top. And the Sumptuous Strawberry is dusted with a sweet red powder and tucked inside a white chocolate cup.
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Xyla Sugar-free Chocolate
April 18, 2011
I don’t have a dietary need to eat sugar-free chocolate, so I rarely do. I am not an expert when it comes to reviewing these types of product. I was thinking, however, that if something sugar-free tastes pretty close to the “real thing” than it’s gotta be pretty good. Right?
Right! I just finished eating a Xyla™ brand Healthy Chocolate™ sugar-free dark chocolate tasting square, and I thought it was delicious. The chocolaty flavors start out bold then the fruity, citrusy, and soft earthy notes show throughout. The texture is mostly smooth but there is an occasional gritty crunch of (I would guess) the xylitol.
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Mayan Superfood – Sweet Raw Cacao Nibs
April 11, 2011
Theobroma cacao is the scientific name for Cocoa Beans. After the cocoa beans are harvested, fermented, dried and shipped to the chocolate manufacturer, they are stripped of their outer-most coating, called the shell, and roasted before being ground into chocolate liquor (unsweetened baking chocolate).
These shelled beans are called nibs. Almost all nibs are roasted. Roasting brings out flavor and color development. Roasting also drives off moisture and undesirable “volatiles.”
I wanted to share this brief story about bean processing because RAW nibs are not roasted, and I’d like you to see where they come from and why they stand out even more as a superfood than the already proclaimed superfood-ness (is this a word?) of chocolate.
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