Maya Chocolates - Pumpkin Spice - Dark Chocolate With Pumpkin Spice 60% (bar) - Oct. 23, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Maya Chocolates
Pumpkin Spice - Dark Chocolate With Pumpkin Spice 60% (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31.2 g.) / 2.2 oz. (62.4 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170.5 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Santa Venetia Market, San Rafael, CA

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate, Pumpkins, and Warm Fall Spices.

Today's Dark Chocolate With Pumpkin Spice 60% (bar) was from Maya Chocolates (Pinole, CA). This Bay Area based company creates small-batch, flavored, gluten-free dark chocolate bars. (The Rose and Pistachio 65% bar was featured previously on Chocolate Banquet.)

Aroma notes included: chocolate (cocoa with a shake of cinnamon) and warm spices (a light, uniform sprinkle was visible, and it was more aromatic, on one side).

This chocolate bar had a pleasing, uniformly buttery, creamy texture and melt. (It contained real butter.)

Flavor notes included: chocolate (gentle, rich cocoa; sweet dark chocolate ganache), warm spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice blend), and very faint butter. 

This pleasant seasonal bar was a balanced, relatively sweet and creamy chocolate, flavored with a subtle, warm, cinnamon-forward, pumpkin spice blend. 

Ingredients: Sugar, Cocoa, Butter, Soy Lecithin, Spice (Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Allspice, Sulfiting Agents)

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk and other tree nuts."

Bob's Red Mill Grain Free Brownie Mix with Almond Flour + Pumpkin, Spices - Oct. 22, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Bob's Red Mill
Grain Free Brownie Mix, Made with Almond Flour  
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 2 brownies / 12 oz. (340 g.) in total package of dry mix
Calories: 400 calories (estimate) in 2 brownies
Cost: $6.89 total package of dry mix
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate, Pumpkin, and Warm Fall Spices Theme Week.

Today's Grain Free Brownie mix with Almond Flour was from Bob's Red Mill (Milwaukie, OR). (I added pumpkin and spices* to this mix.)

Aroma notes included: chocolate (cake, ganache), pumpkin pie spices, very faint nut and molasses.*

The texture was smooth, and made slightly moister and more coherent from added (canned) pureed pumpkin. 

Flavor notes included: sweet chocolate (cake, brownie), and pumpkin spice(s).

These cake-like brownies were sweet. The inclusion of pumpkin and spices* added warm flavor depth and complexity, and helped balance the sweetness.

Ingredients (dry mix): Organic Coconut Sugar, Blanched Almond Flour, Cassava Flour, Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Cocoa, Salt. 

*Added to the mix: 7 oz. canned pumpkin, eggs, olive oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, cardamom, and 1 tablespoon of molasses

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Tree nuts (Almond)." (Added ingredients: eggs)