Monday, May 27, 2024

Mama Ganache - Cherry Almond Bark - May 27, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Mama Ganache
Cherry Almond Bark
Good ++
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 oz.) / 4 oz. (113 g.) in total package
Calories: 310 calories in 1/2 package 
Cost: N/A - gift from a friend
Purchased from: N/A - gift from a friend (Thank you Eric!)

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Fruit Theme Week.

Today's Cherry Almond Bark was from Mama Ganache, a Stafford's Chocolates Company (San Luis Obispo, CA).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (chocolate-y with very subtle loamy earth and oxalis*), and faint fruit (cherry) and nut.

Texture: smooth, relatively thick and creamy, chocolate bark with embedded pieces of dried cherries and almonds.

Dark chocolate and authentic Bing cherries are a reliably tasty blend. And roasted almonds are an excellent complement to chocolate and cherries. I enjoyed this combination.

Ingredients: Organic Dark Chocolate (Organic Fairtrade Chocolate, Chocolate Liquor, Organic Fairtrade Cane Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Fairtrade Vanilla Extract), Bing Cherries, Almonds

Allergen-related information: Contains nuts (almonds). "Manufactured in a factory that handles tree nuts."

*Oxalis is a slightly tart green plant (also known as common yellow wood sorrel, and sour grass) that contains oxalic acid (aka Oxalates)--naturally occurring compounds in many plants such as leafy greens and seeds (including cacao). These compounds also can impart a faint lemon-green herb and/or citrus note(s) to greens, and to chocolate.

Andy's Orchard - Cherry Chocolate Fantasy - May 26, 2024

 Chocolate of the Day

Andy's Orchard
Cherry Chocolate Fantasy  
Good ++
Weight: 3.5 oz. (100 g.) / 7 oz. (200 g.) (estimate) in total container
Calories: 465 calories (estimate) in 1/2 container
Cost: $9.00 for 1 container
Purchased from: Andy's Orchard, Morgan Hill, CA 

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Fruit Theme Week. 

Today's Cherry Chocolate Fantasy confections were from Andy's Orchard (Morgan Hill, CA).

Aroma notes included: sweet, dark chocolate (dark ganache, dark chocolate syrup and marshmallows, and brownies); and faint fruit, nut and vanilla.

Texture: blend of dark chocolate, nuts and dried cherry bits.

Tasting notes: rich jumble of chocolate-y flavors: dark chocolate surrounding chewy, authentic dried cherry pieces, pecans, and hints of marshmallow.

Ingredients: Chocolate, Marshmallows, Pecans, Dried Cherries

Allergen-related information: Contains nuts (pecans). "May Contain Pits or Pit Fragments."


Gnosis Chocolate - Date-Sweetened Earl Grey: Botanical Alchemy (bar) - May 25, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Gnosis Chocolate
Date-Sweetened Earl Grey: Botanical Alchemy (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.1 oz. (30 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $5.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Gnosis Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate and Dates Theme Week(s).

Today's Date-Sweetened Earl Grey: Botanical Alchemy (bar)was created by Gnosis Chocolate (Astoria, NYC, NY).

Aroma notes for this bar included: smooth and flavorful dark chocolate with faint citrus/oxalis and barely there fruit-floral notes. 

Texture:  smooth, appealing texture with a very faint astringency/graininess in the finish.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (brownie) with balanced earth (cream/yogurt, loamy soil (mushroom, root and green vegetables). I enjoyed the Earl Grey (black) tea that showed up in the finish.

I also appreciated that this chocolate was mindfully made with a short list of (almost all) organic ingredients--and without soy (or other) lecithins.

Ingredients: 70% raw cacao beans*, ground dates*, coconut*, Earl Grey black tea, Blue Majik (TM) spirulina**, Love (*  = organic; ** = wild-crafted)

Allergen-related information: (Contains coconut)

 

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