Tag Archive: dark chocolate
72%: Ghirardelli vs. Villars
January 24, 2011
This past Christmas Santa left me a stocking full of chocolate goodies, and I happen to have among the stash a lovely Ghirardelli 72% dark chocolate and a delightful Villars 72% dark chocolate.
Yesterday I decided that a taste comparison was in order so I got down to business after lunch and had “dessert”.
The flavor that really hits up front in the Ghirardelli is intense fruit, red berries. The melt is fast and the texture is smooth – just the way I like it. The lingering finish is soft with chocolatey notes and the last of the fruity flavor.
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Chocolove Cherries & Almonds
January 10, 2011
I really like this 55% cocoa content dark chocolate with chewy, tart dried cherries and crunchy, roasted almonds. The chocolate complements the fruity and nutty notes from the cherries and almonds without overpowering them with sweetness or bitterness.
The flavor combination blends slowly at first, allowing you to gradually realize the rich and complex flavor profile.
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Chocolate Covered Peppermint Patties
December 29, 2010
These peppermint patties may be the perfect ending to a holiday meal! Be sure to temper the chocolate to give a finish and snap to your creation.
| Chocolate Covered Peppermint Patties • 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk • 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract • 4 cups powdered sugar • 3 cups semisweet chocolate, chopped Read more |
Dark Chocolate Covered Bavarian Pretzel
December 27, 2010
In my opinion, pretzels and chocolate make a stellar combination. The salty, slightly nutty flavor of the pretzel blended with the chocolatey bitterness of the dark coating taste oh-so-good together!
The Rocky Mountain Dark Chocolate Covered Bavarian pretzel is a fine example of this great combination and even beats my expectations. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory did a superb job in finding the right dark chocolate coating so that with its intense, bold flavor, the pretzel does not overpower the chocolate, rather the flavors merge into a fine taste treat.
As I was tasting my mind wandered to the pretzel part, as I have hardly given pretzels a second thought through the years. Digging into it a little bit I uncovered some basic pretzel info and then tried to find a definition of a "Bavarian" pretzel.
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Chocolate Egg Nog
December 22, 2010
In my experience, either you love egg nog or you don’t. There aren’t too many people who are on the fence about it, but maybe chocolate egg nog could push you over to the lovin’ it side for good!
| Easy Chocolate Egg Nog • 4 cups dairy eggnog, chilled • 2 cups cold milk • 1/3 cup favorite chocolate syrup • Dash of ground nutmeg Read more |
Harry & David Truffles
November 29, 2010
Harry & David is a large direct marketing and e-commerce company that sells many edible products, including chocolate.
Harry & David may be best known for their gourmet fruit and gift baskets. Recently, I sampled a bag of gold foil wrapped chocolate truffles from a gift basket.
They looked good on the outside, meaning the packaging was nice. But once opened, I saw that they had been taken over by bloom – perhaps stored in a place that with fluctuating temperatures. I can’t imagine it myself, but could it have been the last thing left in the gift basket???
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Rocky Mountain Orange Peel
November 22, 2010
The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is an international retail franchisor of chocolates and confectionery products. 21 years ago a man named Frank Crail started the company in the old-west town of Durango, Colorado.
I recently tried their version of chocolate-covered candied orange peel. Chocolate-covered orange peel is one of my favorite chocolates, and I like to try various recipes from chocolate shops around the globe.
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Niederegger Marzipan
November 15, 2010
It’s just one of nature’s great taste combinations... chocolate and almond. And if you take the almond and grind it up and add some sugar, you create marzipan, another great taste sensation with chocolate.
Be careful! Some confectionery products that are sold as marzipan are made from soy paste and flavored with almond.
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Moser Roth 85%
October 25, 2010
It's after 9
I can sense that the bar lacks a little something, and then the light goes on. I need to pair this bar with wine. Since I don't have time to pick and choose, I reach for the malbec I have on hand. It is a 2008 Reserve from Alma Andina vineyard, Mendoza region Argentina. The label set me up to be hopeful as it describes the tasting notes concentrated in red and black fruit flavors, hints of toasted vanilla with a long cherry finish.
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Scotch with Chocolate Covered Bacon
October 17, 2010
Bryn asked me to make a guest-blogger appearance for today so I decided to write about a Scotch Whisky and chocolate pairing. It seems strange to write this up on Sunday morning, but I assure you this reflects a Saturday evening tasting. 🙂