Saturday, July 4, 2015

Moonstruck - Raspberries and Fennel Sugar - July 4, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

Moonstruck Chocolate Co.
Raspberries and Fennel Sugar bar
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3.17 oz. (90 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1 oz. (28.3 g.) serving
Cost: $9.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #11 of Chocolate and Botanicals Theme Week; and Happy 4th of July to all out there celebrating the Independence Day holiday.

This dark chocolate Raspberry and Fennel Sugar bark bar from Moonstruck Chocolate Co. (Portland, OR) was adorned with a rosy red riot of freeze-dried raspberry bits, and a sprinkling of pale green fennel sugar pieces (that incorporated "edible fennel flowers").

The raspberry flavor was so concentrated and berry sweet that it almost overshadowed the fennel and chocolate, but the flavors made for a great, visually striking and sweet botanical trio -- one that I hadn't tried before. I like forward to trying a berry + herb topping at home atop a chocolate panna cotta or chocolate mousse.

Moonstruck - Strawberries and Basil Sugar bar - July 3, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

Moonstruck Chocolate Co.
Strawberries and Basil Sugar bark bar
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3.10 oz. (88 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1 oz. (28.3 g.) piece of bar
Cost: $9.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #10 of Chocolate and Botanicals Theme Week. I can't seem to get enough of this theme week that's been filled with examples of fruit, flowers and herb combinations with chocolate.

When I saw today's, visually stunning Strawberries and Basil Sugar bark bar from Moonstruck Chocolate Co. (Portland, OR) at a local supermarket, I knew I'd be hanging out in botanical land for a few days longer.

The carefully arranged topping of rose-colored, freeze-dried strawberry slices and green basil-infused sugar crystals looked, at first glance, like dried peas and carrots, but not so! This unique and flavorful fruit and herb combination atop a base of dark chocolate was great for savoring and enjoying after dinner this evening.

Sirene Chocolate - Lachua, Guatemala duo - Maple Sugar - July 2, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

Sirene Chocolate
Lachua, Guatemala 73% cacao bar duo pack
1.) Lachua with cane sugar
2.) Lachua with maple sugar
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total package of 2 bars
Calories: 159 calories (estimate) in 1/2 of each of the two bars
Cost: $12.00 for 1 package of two bars
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today was bonus Day #9 for Chocolate and Botanicals Theme Week.

Most bars and chocolates I write about on this site contain botanicals of some sort. And you could argue that cacao/cocoa is a plant-based flavoring agent all by itself.

Artisan bean-to-bar chocolate bars (like today's bars) are often crafted with just two ingredients: cacao beans and sugar.

Such was the case with today's pair of bars in one package, from Sirene Artisan Chocolate Makers (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada). The sugars used in chocolate (from plants, canes, trees) can also impart botanical flavor.

This package of single origin Lachua, Guatemala dark chocolate contained two slightly different bars that could be sampled and compared. This side-by-side tasting approach is very helpful when trying to figure out what you may like best (or least). The only difference between the two was that the first bar (wrapped in silver foil) was sweetened with cane sugar; and the second bar (wrapped in gold foil) was sweetened with maple sugar.

There was a fairly bold, but balanced fruit acidity to both bars. The maple sugar, from maple trees in the Quebec Appalachian mountains in Canada, added another, very pleasant, but subtle flavor dimension, without shifting or masking the underlying cacao flavor profile.

This 2-bar offering was created for The Chocolate Garage (Palo Alto, CA). Owner, Sunita de Tourreil, grew up outside of Montreal, and the result of her collaboration with Sirene is a natural and delicious pairing.

A Bit of History
For an interesting look at the history of maple sugar in the U.S., see this article "Thomas Jefferson and the Maple Sugar Scheme" on history.org.






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