Chocolate(s) of the Day
Fine & Raw Chocolate
4-piece Truffle Giftset
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56.6 g.) in total box of 4
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $N/A - gift from family (Thank you Megan!)
Purchased from: N/A - gift from family
Nanao Artisan Bars
Vegan Matcha Chocolate Bar
Good +
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $10.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Xocolatl Garden, Carmel, CA
Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate & Flowers Theme Week; and Day #1 of Chocolate & Tea Theme Week, featuring two items. (Both truffles and bar were sweetened without white/cane sugar.)
Fine & Raw - Truffle Giftset
Today's 4-piece Truffle Giftset was made by Fine & Raw LLC (Brooklyn, NY).
I paired two of these chocolate truffles with a beautiful green matcha bar topped with rose petals. And after tasting this duo, I enjoyed a cup of blue floral tea (damiana, butterfly pea flower, rose, lavender) from Numi Tea.
Aroma and flavor notes included: smooth, dark chocolate ganache; coconut (meat, oil, sugar); and faint earth.
Texture: smooth, soft and relatively creamy.
I enjoyed the cowgirl logo and the note printed on an inside sheet: "...suitable for truffle aficionados, dabblers, experts, adventurers, dreamers, the intrepid, dancers, vegans and unicorns. enjoy!"
And I appreciated the authentic cacao bean (and coconut) flavors and ingredients, and the lack of a sugar buzz (thank you).
Ingredients: Cacao bean*, cacao powder*, cacao butter,* coconut oil*, coconut sugar,* agave* (* = Organic)
Allergen-related information: Made in a factory that processes tree nuts.
Nanao - Vegan Matcha Chocolate Bar
This visually stunning, rose (petals and hips) and almond adorned deep sea green chocolate bar was from Nanao Artisan Bars ("Processed in GoDark Chocolate, Miami, FL").
Aroma and flavor notes in this vegan and "sugar free" bar included: matcha green tea, very faint coconut and vanilla, and a strange sweetness.
I liked the rich, creamy and authentic matcha tea flavor. And that this bar wasn't too sweet. (Rather than cane sugar, the makers chose to use allulose and monk fruit to sweeten this bar.)
However, despite this bar's amazingly appealing appearance, there was something a little "off" in the finish for me (likely the sweetener blend but it could also have been due to another ingredient(s)).
Even though this bar contained cocoa butter (and no cocoa solids), I was happy to pair this piece highly edible art bar with some chocolate truffles and a floral tea flight.
Ingredients: "white chocolate (cacao butter, allulose, organic dry coconut milk, vanilla, salt, monk fruit), almonds, rose hips, wild (northern plains Indiana), matcha green tea."
Allergen-related information: Contains coconut milk. Manufactured in a facility that uses nuts and milk.
