Dark Chocolate & Other Guilty Pleasures
Hello. My name is Rebecca Shapiro. I am a dark chocoholic and I don't plan on recovering anytime soon! :)
I don't exactly remember when my taste for chocolate switched to dark chocolate from the tooth achingly sweet milk chocolates of my childhood: Mounds Candy Bars, chocolate flavored Charleston Chews and Cadbury Creme Eggs.
But one day, my mom, who dipped chocolates in the 70's for Mrs. Cavanaughs, was making truffles. I nibbled on a corner of her bittersweet dipping chocolate brick. It was earthy, really bitter and naughty. I have no idea why it tasted naughty...probably because I was sneaking. My mom frequently caught me in the hall closet shoving cool, dipped chocolates, turtles, truffles and cups 'o gold, in my pockets before school. Yep...naughty and sneaky.
Ever since then, my passion, penchant and desire for dark chocolate has grown. The darker, earthier and dirtier (as in rich, crumbly dirt) - the better! And, if you are a true chocoholic, you can relate to naughty and sneaky behaviours. They come with the territory.
Just as vitners and perfumiers relish a fine wine or complex scent, I savor the way a piece of dark chocolate affects my senses. How it feels as it melts in my mouth. How the flavor travels over my tongue and lights up taste buds and spots in my nose. How the chocolate molecules escape through my breath. Yummmm.
My goal is to sample every dark chocolate offered in the world and talk about it! It's going to take a while but I won't complain...promise! I've just started but I have some favorites and am always uncovering more as I chat with friends, travel and sample the wonderful creations that the best chocolatiers have to offer.
Over time, if I collect enough samples and stories, I might start ranking my findings. And, if you're a true dark chocoholic and want to indulge me with your stories and suggestions, lemme know. I'll also add other dark chocolate findings - hence the "other guilty pleasures" such as:
A fine, flourless dark chocolate torte drizzled in raspberry sauce and embellished with fresh whipped cream at 11 PM from The Royal Sonesta in Cambridge. Or, Aphrodite from Pix Patisserie in my hometown, Portland. I'm fortunate to partake of this cherry mousse, chocolate mousse, and moscato-soaked chocolate flourless biscuit with a single drunken cherry, secretly, tucked away inside a crisp chocolate shell, whenever I want!
In addition to sneaking dark chocolate moments, I am also President & CEO of Pig and Panda, President of OASIS Connect, sell my work at Rebecca Shapiro The Artist and am the Portland Leader for Ladies Who Launch.
Dagoba Organic Chocolate
Oregon Chocolatier is a Hometown Favorite
Dagoba Organic Chocolate says they're "dedicated to the Art of Chocolate Alchemy - transforming exceptional cacao into edible gold."Imagine my luck...chocolate alchemists in my home state of Oregon where we lean to the green side. Dagoba also honors Full Circle Sustainability principles: quality, ecology, equity & community. Chocolate with a conscience! How cool is that?
Dagoba Organic Dark Chocolate Taste Off
June 20, 2007
I started this module only to find not a square of dark chocolate left in the house. Quelle horreur!
I sped off to New Seasons this morning & grabbed some dagoba chocolate bars. Here are the first of many scrumptious findings:
Lavender: 59% cacao. Satisfying melt gives way to bits of sweet blueberry. The herbally, earthy lavender gives off the perfect after-breath. Definitely worth experiencing...especially if you love lavender!
Sambirano Madagascar Trinitario: 65% cacao. Sensuous melt. Complex, smooth flavor. Nice after-taste with citrus notes. If you're just beginning to explore dark chocolate this is a good bar to try. Dagoba has several Rare Single Origin Varietals I plan on sampling.
Mon Cherri: 72% cacao. A rich soft, chocolate with longer melt. Complex mix of Caribbean beans. Slightly bitter taste offset by sun dried cherries & vanilla. This is not your Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia - which happens to be very good. This is a serious dark chocolate & cherry experience.
Conacado: 73% cacao. Dominican beans makes earthy chocolate taste almost like coffee beans. This is one of my favorite bars to slowly savor. Pairs nicely with a fine red wine.
Super Fruit: 74% cacao. Definitely dark chocolate. Smidge of bitterness offset by semi-sweet acai, currants and goji berries. Pleasant texture as chocolate melts revealing bits of fruit.
Xocolatl: 74% cacao. By far my favorite bar! The sweet pain of fiery chiles against a deep, earthy chocolate is sensual. Love the after-burn!
Eclipse: 87% cacao. Slow mouth-melt...sticky like soft licorice. Definite dirt & earth mixed with fruit flavors. Dark & tart.
I have to clean my keyboard now.
I sped off to New Seasons this morning & grabbed some dagoba chocolate bars. Here are the first of many scrumptious findings:
Lavender: 59% cacao. Satisfying melt gives way to bits of sweet blueberry. The herbally, earthy lavender gives off the perfect after-breath. Definitely worth experiencing...especially if you love lavender!
Sambirano Madagascar Trinitario: 65% cacao. Sensuous melt. Complex, smooth flavor. Nice after-taste with citrus notes. If you're just beginning to explore dark chocolate this is a good bar to try. Dagoba has several Rare Single Origin Varietals I plan on sampling.
Mon Cherri: 72% cacao. A rich soft, chocolate with longer melt. Complex mix of Caribbean beans. Slightly bitter taste offset by sun dried cherries & vanilla. This is not your Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia - which happens to be very good. This is a serious dark chocolate & cherry experience.
Conacado: 73% cacao. Dominican beans makes earthy chocolate taste almost like coffee beans. This is one of my favorite bars to slowly savor. Pairs nicely with a fine red wine.
Super Fruit: 74% cacao. Definitely dark chocolate. Smidge of bitterness offset by semi-sweet acai, currants and goji berries. Pleasant texture as chocolate melts revealing bits of fruit.
Xocolatl: 74% cacao. By far my favorite bar! The sweet pain of fiery chiles against a deep, earthy chocolate is sensual. Love the after-burn!
Eclipse: 87% cacao. Slow mouth-melt...sticky like soft licorice. Definite dirt & earth mixed with fruit flavors. Dark & tart.
I have to clean my keyboard now.
Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Mint Cremes
Cool Your Mouth off for the Summer!
Admittedly, the dark chocolate used in this sweet Trader Joe's confection isn't the finest in the world. Even the mint creme filling in these marble-sized bon bons isn't the best.
If you eat the mints at room temperature prepare for a tooth ache just as you would get brainfreeze from a milk shake. These candies are really too sweet.
BUT, there is a secret to their greatness:
FREEZE THEM! The cool, frozen mint flavor with a hard, chocolate shell is a satisfying chew. Bite and your teeth crack the frozen chocolate shell. Bite further and your molars sink slowly into the frozen creme. Mint & chocolate explodes over your tongue!
This is possibly the cheapest and best chocolate mint. Don't be surprised when you find that everything melts in the freezer because you keep going back for more. This is a deadly treat. Before you know it, you can snarf an entire container faster than a pint of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream. You have been warned.
If you eat the mints at room temperature prepare for a tooth ache just as you would get brainfreeze from a milk shake. These candies are really too sweet.
BUT, there is a secret to their greatness:
FREEZE THEM! The cool, frozen mint flavor with a hard, chocolate shell is a satisfying chew. Bite and your teeth crack the frozen chocolate shell. Bite further and your molars sink slowly into the frozen creme. Mint & chocolate explodes over your tongue!
This is possibly the cheapest and best chocolate mint. Don't be surprised when you find that everything melts in the freezer because you keep going back for more. This is a deadly treat. Before you know it, you can snarf an entire container faster than a pint of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream. You have been warned.
Burdick Chocolate Mice
Get In Touch With Your Inner Kitty!
Burdick Chocolates of New Hampshire make the very best chocolate mice.These whimsical chocolates are very entertaining. Sporting almond ears & tails of silk, it's quite fun to imagine yourself one of Kliban's Cats who "love to eat them mousies." Simply grasp end of silky tail, tilt head back and nibble your way through three flavors of mice.
Burdick offers dark with an orange interior (my preference), milk with a mocha interior & white with a cinnamon interior. They all come in a decorative wooden box. Be the barn cat you always wanted to be!
My Motherlode for the Morning!
I hit a vein at Pastaworks...
This morning I stopped at Powell's books on Hawthorne to pick up Seth Godin's book, The Dip. I heard Seth speak eBay Live & was fortunate to meet him in person. I think I'm in a dip so I wanted the book. It's also good to be chocolate dipped which is what happened after I bought my book. I take this as a good sign that I'm on the right track.Next to Powell's on Hawthorne is PastaWorks a delicious environment chock full of gourmet delicacies. I just needed a blackberry Izze but as I wandered the aisles, I found the imported & domestic chocolate shelves. It was my motherlode for the morning!
I chose 3 chocolates to sample this day (6.26.07):
Dark Chocolate Run & Vanilla from BruCo in Italy
Dark Chocolate Orange Cinnamon from BruCo &
Cherry Almond & Dark Chocolate from Veritas Chocolatier in Glenview, IL.
Let me tell you that I just opened the Rum & Vanilla bar from BruCo & am overwhelmed by the rich chocolate & vanilla scent, wafting seductively out of its silver cocoon. The chocolate, at 72% cacao content, is velvety smooth. It has a pleasing mouth-melt & the rum flavor is delightful, with a strong after-breath. I just don't think there will be any left for my husband, Joe, tonight!
The orange & cinnamon bar, with a 72% cacao content, from BruCo isn't as powerfully fragrant as the rum bar, but the orange & cinnamon are exotic & sultry without tasting like the holidays. I wish I could tell if there is a longer mouth melt but I'm challenged by the urge to inhale this aromatic bar.
Hmmm. The Cherry Almond & Dark Chocolate from Veritas Chocolatier isn't very exciting. I love nuts & cherries but my tongue was assaulted with salty nuts before I tasted chocolate - which is my primary objective. I also had to munch 1/4 of the way down to reach one of 8 disappointedly wrinkled cherries - even though dried cherries do look wrinkled. Sadly, this was more like a Mrs. Sees mall-fix (which I don't do!) than the more exotic dark chocolate indulgence I seek. I like the name though. Veritas means truth in Latin.
Are You a Dark Chocolate Snob or a Dark Chocolate Slut?
Is there a difference?
I just realized that I'm a Dark Chocolate Snob.But first, I have to tell you something...
It rained yesterday so my raspberries are all plump & juicy from their bath last night. I love eating raspberries...they're yummy & messy & childlike. I like picking raspberries...just me, my bucket & the berries.
I like to snack as I pick. My favorite berries are plump, large, not too dusty yet not too shiny. Not too dark yet not too red either. The perfect berry is a luscious mix of red & purple with a hint of pink. Catch 'em just right & you are rewarded with a squelching burst of red raspberry juiciness.
A few years ago, while picking raspberries, I had a metaphor moment a bit like this: life is like picking raspberries. You can pick a whole row & think you've culled every juicy berry but when you turn back...there are loads more to be had. How many berries you get to find, pick & eat really depends on where you're standing.
So, during my berry morning & realize that my thimble-sizes globules of joyful juice would go nicely with a piece of dark chocolate. I run inside & find that the only dark chocolate left is the Veritas Cherry Almond & Dark Chocolate Bar (previously reviewed). That's when I realized that I'm a Dark Chocolate Snob.
I used to be a Dark Chocolate Slut. I would have gone for the Veritas Cherry Almond & Dark Chocolate Bar or any other bar just because it was labeled dark chocolate. But these days, I believe, if I'm going to eat precious calories that I shouldn't, it better be really, really good dark chocolate.
I went to the store to "pick up eggs" but was secretly in search of a fix. I found some Green & Blacks organic chocolate in Smooth Dark Chocolate with Real Coffee &
Are You A Dark Chocolate Snob or a Dark Chocolat Slut?
Part II
Oops! Maybe I am a dark chocolate slut! Despite my previous experience it appears I'll still try any dark chocolate. The dark chocolate snob bar has been raised (no pun intended) & promoted the dark chocolate slut to her new level. It guess it just depends on where you're standing in the dark chocolate world.So...with the findings...Will these chocolate bars be a satisfying addition to red, ripe, Oregon raspberries dripping with juiciness?
Green & Black's Smooth Dark Chocolate with Real Coffee, which smelled strongly of espresso, provided a tasty foil to the sweet, ripe raspberry. With 67% cacao content the bar was surprisingly bitter but also smooth without a single cocoa nib to roll over the tongue. The chocolate has a longer mouth-melt with a nice, strong espresso hit and after-taste followed by intense, bittersweet chocolate flavors. This would make a very nice alternative to an afternoon latte. Just be sure to have a tub of fresh picked raspberries on hand because this was definitely a match made in heaven for coffee lovers.
Green and Black's Dark Chocolate with Crystallized Ginger at 60% cacao content is very good. I love ginger so it's hard to turn thumbs down at this one even though the ginger is a tad overpowering & the crystals can get in the way if you're after a velvety tongue coating. I tossed a few raspberries back after a bite of this beauty & am delighted to report that it was deliciously different!
Dagoba's New Moon Chocolate bar at 74% cacao is earthy & dark. Dagoba says "this pure bittersweet bar offers the true chocolate lover a resolve to their search for pure chocolate. It has strong unwavering notes of cacao that blanket the palate & leave an uncompromising lingering finish."
This is favorite of the three bars so far to pair with fresh raspberries. A gentle contrast between sweet raspberry & bitter chocolate makes all the taste buds light up in delight. Add a few red ripe raspberries when your mouth is still coated in delicious chocolate & you have a luscious bite - or kiss if someone lovely is around.
Perhaps I am a Dark Chocolate Slut afterall when it comes to the Dark Chocolate Snob world I live in. Which one are you?
Theo Chocolate Is a New Fav!
The other night I had dinner with my friend, Melody, of Crave Party fame. We joined our husbands for a yummy, NuevoLatino dinner at ¡OBA! In the Pearl District.We wrapped up our charming evening with the Cinnamon Chocolate Volcano Cake. This attractive dessert boasted a warm, molten center capped with caramel-crème fraiche ice cream, a 6" dark chocolate straw and four spoons.
Eager to dip, I took the first bite. I must tell you I have never experienced this before: all the spit (not to be too delicate) dried up and my mouth glued shut! It was like having my lips and cheeks turned inside out in a split second - as if I had sucked on one of those little desiccant packets you find in a bottle of vitamins (not that I have ever done that). I can only attribute it to an over zealous adminstration of cinnamon which can have that effect. Needless to say, my chocolate fix had been denied.
After comments about my facial expression, the discussion turned to my fascination with dark chocolate. Melody told me about Theo Chocolate in Seattle, WA. Guided by their chocolate passion for chocolate, Theo is proud to be the first roaster of Fair Trade Certified cocoa beans and the only roaster of organic cocoa beans in the United States. They roast, mill, blend and conche their cacao beans and welcome visitors to their factory. I must plan a trip, soon!
Thanks to Melody, I found a bar of Ghana, a single-origin dark chocolate bar from Kumasi, Ghana with 84% cacao content. This is an earthy, solid chocolate with a long mouth-melt. The after-breath left a nice, bitter dried bean taste along the edge of my tongue making me long for something sweet - like when you enjoy a perfect mating of sweet pastry with a rich, dark coffee.
I found that sips of Elio Perrone Bigaro, a sweet Italian sparkling wine, after each bite was perfect. Floral notes over golden and round chocolate flavors mixed with freshly crushed raspberries, cling peaches, lychee sorbet, apricot jam, white flowers, rose petals and sweet honeysuckle left my taste buds satiated with pleasure.
And the artwork on each bar is gorgeous thanks to Kitten Chops Design & Illustration in Seattle!
Cutting Corners
I don't know why but texture is important to me. I really enjoy having something to bite into.My brother and sister in law live in Tsukuba, Japan. When they come home to the states they bring back gooey, gelatinous treats that are flavorful but the texture almost makes me gag. I just can't do the goo!
That's why I really like corners...on candy bars, chocolate bars, cookies. I know...cookies are round but if they have a good edge, it counts as a corner!
I have two favorite chocolate treats with corners: Starbucks Dark Chocolate Grahams and the Sunspire Coconut Bar. Even though it's not the finest dark chocolate in the world, they are generously covered and the corners have full on chocolate bite!
The Starbucks Dark Chocolate Grahams are an update to a childhood fav. Who doesn't like graham crackers! But when you get to the corners...there's extra chocolate. With a little chomp, it finally gives to the edge of a crisp graham cracker. It's like kid comfort food for much bigger kids!
Okay, I am a total Mounds Hound. When I was a kid, I'd get really bummed if a Mounds didn't make it into my trick or treat bag! I'm really happy now though cuz I just discovered the Sunspire Coconut Bar. It's even better! First of all, it's bigger and the coconut filling is really good without being too sweet. But, the corners are my favorite! The chocolate has run to the edges and just pools there with a little coconut. I'll be driving in the car and four little corners will be set aside while I devour the middle. Mind you, they don't set aside for long. This is a 260 calorie confection that just begs to be snarfed!
And that, my friend, is how you cut corners!
Check Out the Yummy Dark Chocolate on Amazon!
Chocolat (Miramax Collector's Series)
Release Date: 08/07/2001
Amazon Price: $11.99 (as of 12/26/2009) 
Lavender & Blueberries 59%, Dark Chocolate 12 Bars
Amazon Price: $32.09 (as of 12/26/2009)
Candy Bar, Mon Cherri, Dark Chocolate (72% Cacao Content), Organic, 2 oz., package of 12
Amazon Price: (as of 12/26/2009)
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by pigandpanda
I'm an artpreneur and I love dark chocolate! I'm also the Portland leader for Ladies Who Launch a wonderful international social network that supports... (more)
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