chocolate review
Chocolat 229 in Galena, Illinois
February 28, 2019
A few weekends ago, I visited the historic small town of Galena, Illinois. Galena is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is nestled among the rolling hills of northwest Illinois near the Mississippi river. Galena was named after the mineral “galena” that was mined first by Native Americans and then by settlers.
44% Cacao Dark Chocolate Stracciatella
February 20, 2019
Kroger’s chain of grocery stores has a line of store brand products, Private Selection™, that includes Swiss chocolate bars. I took one home recently, a 44% Cacao Dark Chocolate Stracciatella.
In case you’re not familiar with Stracciatella, it’s an Italian gelato flavor that consists of tiny shavings of chocolate mixed into vanilla ice cream.
Montezuma’s Absolute Black
February 7, 2019
I’ve reached the top of the mountain. The end of the road. The last stop. I have eaten 100% chocolate. By that I mean chocolate with 100% cocoa solids. That's right, no sugar or any other ingredients!
Nói Síríus Icelandic Chocolate
January 30, 2019
It’s interesting that I should be writing about a chocolate bar made in Iceland when on this day, a polar vortex has swooped into Wisconsin bringing temperatures well below zero (it’s -23 F) with record breaking wind chills around -50 F. Hmm, today in the capital city of Iceland, Reykjavík, where Nói Síríus is headquartered, it’s 23 F ABOVE zero!
Valrhona Le Noir Extra Amer (Extra Bitter Black)
January 20, 2019
Sometimes people cringe when I recommend trying an 85% cacao chocolate bar. “Way too bitter,” they say, or “It’s like eating unsweetened baking chocolate.” If you’re shy about trying something on the dark side, chocolate marketing doesn’t help matters with descriptions like “Extra Bitter Black.” They might as well be saying, “I dare you to like it!”
I get it. If you have a sweet tooth, that kind of jargon only turns you off. This is unfortunate because most chocolate lovers don’t realize that higher percentage dark chocolates have the potential to provide an outstanding flavor experience.
CocoVaa Chocolatier – Chocolates Review
January 11, 2019
I want to say that I had a great start to the New Year with some amazing chocolates. But the assorted box I got for Christmas never made it to the New Year (why would it?). I probably should say it was a spectacular way to end 2018! Either way, I had a memorable chocolate experience courtesy of CocoVaa Chocolatier. Thank you, CocoVaa!
Cémoi Chocolatier Francais – Equador 50%
December 21, 2018
It’s not very often that I find a “dark milk” chocolate bar among the other chocolates in my local retail store. But today is one of those rare days when I happen upon a 50% Ecuadoran Milk Chocolate from Cémoi.
Heavenly Organics Almond Chocolate Honey Patties
December 17, 2018
Heavenly Organics products contain honey made from free-range bees living in India. They harvest all organic honey from wild beehives. The honey is sold in jars as raw white honey, but also in the form of sweet patties covered in 100% cacao chocolate (unsweetened baking chocolate) with a variety of organic flavorings added.
Tcho Bites Toffee & Sea Salt Chocolate Discs
December 9, 2018
It’s my personal mission to bring chocolate just about everywhere I go. Doesn’t matter if it’s a casual visit or a formal evening, chocolate is a welcomed gift. If it’s shared right away, I have the pleasure of discussing flavor and texture with the recipient(s) as well as learning what they think about it.
In a recent trip over to a friend’s house, I took a bag of Tcho Bites - Toffee and Sea Salt chocolate snacks. They are round bite-sized wafers of toffee coated in organic 53% cacao “dark milk” chocolate.
Indulgence Chocolate – Cranberry Pumpkin Seed
November 30, 2018
Just as fall leaves were reaching their peak colors, and pumpkin was on my mind, I happened upon a 54% chocolate bar from Indulgence called Cranberry Pumpkin Seed. I bought it and took it along with me as I visited a dear friend and her mother one evening. We broke open the bar with high expectations. It did not disappoint – well, almost. Read more