Author Archive: Bryn Kirk
Chocolate Gift Basket and Tasting
August 26, 2019
On occasion I get asked to donate my time and expertise to lead a local “Chocolate Tasting” class/event (or a Chocolate and Wine pairing event!) for a fundraiser, silent auction, or raffle. I always donate and, oddly enough, even when someone buys it or receives it, very few winners take me up on it.
My most recent idea was to create a gift basket – or “chocolate kit” if you will - containing all the chocolates that would be needed for a tasting event. I also included a brief but detailed explanation of how I would conduct the tasting using the materials provided.
And it worked!
Culinary Tours Belgian Extra Dark Chocolate – 85% Cacao
July 27, 2019
I know. Another 85% extra dark chocolate review. You might wonder if I ever get sick of eating and reviewing 85% dark chocolates. The answer would be NO. And this won’t be the last time you see an 85% dark chocolate review from me! Hey, I like what I like and want to share it with the world. Plus, there are sooo many high percentage chocolates to choose from these days.
Larabar Coconut Truffles
July 19, 2019
I like Larabars. I especially like them on long bike rides. They taste good, and they give me lots of energy to be active and full of life. As you know, I also like chocolate (okay, LOVE chocolate) so when I gave the Larabar Truffles a try, I got very confused.
Simple Truth Organic Dark Chocolate Bars
July 1, 2019
Organic chocolate continues to improve and trend. Over the last couple years I’ve seen improvements in chocolate flavor development, unique and/or exotic flavor offerings, price (much more affordable!), availability, and brands. Simple Truth chocolate bars are part of the Kroger Co. store brand line of organic chocolate.
The two Simple Truth bars I’m sharing with you today are: Cocount Dark Chocolate and Marcona Almond Dark Chocolate
Private Selection – Cranberry, Orange, and Honey
June 21, 2019
Private Selection is a Kroger store-brand that spans across many item categories, including chocolate bars. The price point for the Private Selection chocolate is certainly appealing. I paid $1.79 for the Cranberry Orange Honey Swiss Bar.
Tabal’s Great Lakes Tart Cherry
June 14, 2019
Shop local and make a difference globally. Chocolate lovers are a caring, devoted group, and many live this pledge everyday. When you are fortunate to have a small bean-to-bar chocolate shop in your area, supporting that business is not only critical to the business, but to cacao sustainability and fair compensation for farmers in the countries of origin.
I’m lucky enough to have such a local small chocolate business near me - Tabal Chocolate.
K + M Extravirgin Dark Chocolate Bars
June 7, 2019
K + M Extravirgin dark chocolate, made in Napa, CA, has a secret. They hand craft their bean-to-bar chocolates with extravirgin olive oil in order to boost the antioxidant properties as well as enhance the cocoa bean’s flavor and the bar’s smoothness.
According to their website, www.kellermannichocolate.com, by adding a small amount of MANNI organic extra-virgin olive oil through their proprietary chocolate-making process, the chocolate retains three times the amount of antioxidants compared to the traditional method. They say it’s, “Good for your body, good for your soul”!
Equal Exchange 80% Dark from Panama
May 29, 2019
I eat chocolate bars from Equal Exchange all the time, and I assumed that I reviewed them as I consumed them. I was wrong! It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed one of their bars, so I aim to correct that. Today’s review is a single origin, 80% dark chocolate, made from the cacao beans grown in Panama.
Endangered Species – Hazelnut Toffee and Tart Raspberries
May 13, 2019
Another Endangered Species chocolate review – actually, two of them. Why do I keep coming back to this brand? Well, there are a lot of varieties (more than 15 flavors in chocolate bars alone) to get through. But more than that, they always provide a consistent, good tasting chocolate. And I can find them everywhere.
Tabal Dark Chocolate with Mushrooms
April 19, 2019
Time to get nerdy with chocolate. In the superfood world, chocolate has always been a shining star. Chocolate is full of antioxidants and has often measured up against other superfoods rather well.
For example, according to the 2010 USDA ORAC database (ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity and is measured in μ mol TE/100 g) a standard dark chocolate bar has an ORAC number between 20,000 and 24,600 units.