Moonstruck Dark Chocolate Espresso Bean
June 6, 2018
Moonstruck Chocolate Company is crafted in Portland, Oregon. According to their website, http://www.moonstruckchocolate.com, they pair “…decadent chocolate with fresh flavors found in the Pacific Northwest and beyond…”
Today’s review comes from Moonstruck’s 68% dark chocolate with crushed espresso beans from Sumatra. I found this at a local grocery store among a long aisle of chocolates and candies. Perhaps it was the fun packaging with moon and stars that caught my eye. But more likely, it was my inner “chocolate homing device” that instantly targeted and locked on to the dark chocolate and coffee combination!
Barnana Organic Chocolate Banana Brittle
May 31, 2018
Barnana’s Chocolate Banana Brittle are crunchy, bite-sized squares that look like thin cookies. They have a rich brown color and they are sprinkled with chocolate chips and toasted coconut flakes on top.
Four Chocolate and Wine Pairing Suggestions
May 24, 2018
There was a time when pairing chocolate and wine was relatively easy. Chocolate was simply chocolate. It was sweet, little was added to it outside of nuts and any red wine would do. Likewise, the wine industry wasn’t interested in making anything more interesting than Merlot.
Given the changes in both industries, here’s a new age wine pairing suggestion for some of your favorite chocolates here at Chocolate University online.
Hands Off My Chocolate – Double Dark
May 22, 2018
Hands Off My Chocolate Double Dark is a 70% bar made in Belgium. It’s tasty and fun. I say fun because it’s molded into a geometric shape of attached circles with the majority of circles boasting the word “Mine” on them. There is only one stamped with “Yours," and it's crossed out!
Trader Joe’s Cold Brew Coffee Chocolate Bar
May 15, 2018
Trader Joe’s Cold Brew Coffee chocolate is a 70% dark, caramel filled bar. Strong coffee aromas emanate from the package as soon as you rip open the foil wrapper. I love the smell of coffee!
Taza Stone Ground Cacao Crunch
May 7, 2018
Cacao Crunch is an 80% dark, stone ground chocolate made by Taza Chocolate.
A couple years ago I reviewed another chocolate by Taza, a very dark (87%) single origin Bolivian bar. I pointed out its unusual texture due to the stone ground processing technique. That texture still prevails in today’s bar and is tightly woven into the whole tasting experience.
Wild Huckleberry Dark Chocolate Sea Salt
April 24, 2018
A dear friend of mine recently returned from a visit to Colorado. She brought me a gift of chocolate from the Creede Trading Company in Creede, Colorado. She thought the bar, Wild Huckleberry Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt, would be something I’d enjoy. Indeed! I’ve trained her well.
Vosges Super Dark Matcha Green Tea
April 18, 2018
The last time I reviewed a Vosges chocolate bar was June of 2009! (Assuming we don't count their sister brand, Wild Orphelia.)
I can’t believe it’s been that long. In that old post, I reviewed Mo’s Bacon Bar, and it was truly shocking at the time. Bacon in chocolate? Inconceivable! That was then. I’d say it’s pretty common place nowadays.
I know I’ve eaten several Vosges bars since then, but apparently I haven’t taken the time to blog about them. Well, that changes today. There are so many good things to crow about when it comes to Vosges Haut-Chocolat.
Hu Kitchen – Simple Dark Chocolate
April 10, 2018
I’m still on my kick to try chocolates made with no cane sugar. In the last couple weeks I reviewed a Raaka chocolate bar sweetened with maple sugar and one sweetened with yacón root.
This week, I’m tasting a 70% dark made with coconut sugar from Hu (as in human) Kitchen. There are three ingredients to this chocolate bar: organic fair-trade cacao, unrefined organic coconut sugar, and organic fair-trade cacao butter.
Raaka Virgin Chocolate – Yacón Root
April 3, 2018
Let’s gets this out of the way first….what is yacón root?? And more importantly, why would I eat chocolate made with it?