Charm School Chocolate - Coconut Milk Mocha bar - May 21, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Charm School Chocolate

Coconut Milk Mocha bar

Good 

Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.10 oz. (60 g.) in total bar

Calories: 158 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Coffee Theme Week.

Today's Coconut Milk Mocha bar was from Maryland-based Charm School Chocolate.

Charm School Chocolate makes a line of bean-to-bar, non-dairy, soy free, vegan chocolate bars.

Today's award-winning (2018 Good Food Awards Winner) 47% cacao bar was made with Maya Mountain Cacao grown in Toledo, Belize* and flavored with coffee ("artfully roasted and blended by Quills Coffee, Louisville, KY").

This sweet bar had creamy texture and sweet coffee coconut caramel latte flavor. 

*The Toledo District of Belize is an area rich in cacao farming and cacao history, with Maya people still farming in the same area and style as they have been for centuries. Maya Mountain Cacao (a pioneer in direct trade cacao sourcing) buys beans directly from local farmers and sells quality cacao beans to chocolate makers.

Charm School Chocolate - 2 Coconut Milk bars - Dec. 8, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Charm School Chocolate

Dark Coconut Milk Ecuador with Cocoa Nibs bar
(Limited Release)
Good+++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 159 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Black Sesame Bar with Sour Cherries
Very Good
Weight; 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 159 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today is a chocolate transition day—between a Chocolate and Coconut Series and Chocolate and Seeds Series.

And I can't think of a better chocolate maker to feature on this day than Charm School Chocolate (Reisterstown, MD). They make vegan chocolate bars using coconut milk; but you won't necessarily know that by tasting their bars.

The first of today's two Charm School bars, a Dark Coconut Milk (64% cacao) Ecuador (bar) with Cocoa Nibs, was created as a Limited Release, for The Chocolate Garage (Palo Alto, CA). It had a complex aroma with hints of dried fruit, spice and sweet cocoa. The flavor changed slightly as I re-tasted this bar over a period of several hours, but it was always good, and the flavors and textures (smooth dark chocolate and a generous smattering of crunchy nibs) were always very nicely balanced.

Fortunately, the Garage is across town from me and I was able to pick up both this bar, and a Charm School Black Sesame Bar with Sour Cherries.

The black sesame seeds and cherries bar had a pleasing slightly smoky sesame and fruit aroma, a creamy buttery melt and texture, and a unique and pleasing flavor with the concentrated tart sweet chewiness of dried Montmorency cherries.

While not technically a traditional chocolate bar (it contained cocoa butter but no cocoa solids), this second bar was a tasty example of a non-dairy (vegan) 40% cacao white chocolate bar, that (due to the color imparted by dark seeds) could fool people.

Charm School Chocolate - Coconut Milk with Peanut Butter Toffee bar - Nov. 12, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Charm School Chocolate
Coconut Milk Chocolate bar with Peanut Butter Toffee
Good ++
Weight: 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 315 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar (member price)
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #8 of Chocolate and Peanuts Theme Week.

If you're a vegan who loves milk chocolate, you might be disappointed there are not more options. Not, however, if you've discovered Charm School Chocolate (Reisterstown, MD).

Charm School bars have the velvety smoothness that can be achieved with coconut milk, and the flavor of carefully and slowly roasted and processed cocoa beans. I'm partial to their "darker" bars, but today's 49% cacao bar is sure to charm those with a sweet tooth.

This bar, made from Maya Mountain Cacao,* had a faint green coconut aroma; and it was (like its siblings), nice and smooth with a clean finish. It had a generous sprinkle of carefully crafted peanut butter toffee flakes on one side, tempered with a barely discernible hint of French sea salt.

For vegans who love milk chocolate, you're in luck. But, you don't have to be a vegan to enjoy Charm School bars. Thank you to The Chocolate Garage (Palo Alto, CA) for stocking these, and many other great bars.

*Cocoa beans used for to make this chocolate were from Maya Mountain Cacao, located in southern Belize.

Charm School Chocolate - 70% Dark Belize bar - April 29, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Charm School Chocolate
70% Dark Belize bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 157 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #1 of Chocolate and Belize Theme Week -- an extension of the past few weeks with a focus on chocolate and (other) Central American countries.

The 70% Dark Belize bar from Charm School Chocolate (Reisterstown, MD) was made with just a few ingredients: organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar and organic cocoa butter. The cacao came from Maya Mountain Cacao (MMC) in southern Belize, an organization that sources cacao beans from farmers in the region.

The tasting notes on package read: "reminiscent of plump raisins and chocolate sandwich cookies." I wasn't that excited about this description. Or, I should say I'm not sure this description does the bar justice. But, darn, I could really taste the raisins and chocolate cookies in this smooth dark bar, so it was accurate. I liked the complexity, the fruit/acid (raisins) and the chocolatey elements.

Today's Belize bar was part of a line of dairy free and vegan, single origin chocolate bars from Charm School Chocolate. (Other bars include a very tasty coconut milk chocolate bar.)

Charm School - Coconut Milk Chocolate bar - Mar. 3, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Charm School Chocolate
Coconut Milk Chocolate 49% bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 315 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #3 for Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

The number of good non-dairy and vegan "milk" chocolate bars has grown in recent years. These bars are made with milk alternatives, such as coconut "milk" instead of cow's milk.

Today's Coconut Milk Chocolate 49% cacao bar from Charm School Chocolate (Reisterstown, MD) was definitely one of the best ones I've tasted to date.

Charm School Chocolate specializes in non-dairy, vegan chocolate offerings, incorporating organic and fair trade ingredients where possible.

The chocolate was made from scratch, stoneground and crafted using cacao beans from Maya Mountain Cacao (farmers co-op in Southern Belize). The finished bar had a rich, almost creamy melt and tasted like great chocolate all the way through -- an experience made possible by great beans and careful chocolate-making technique. The bar also had faint caramel latte, coconut, spice (cinnamon, vanilla, lemongrass) flavor notes.

This Coconut Milk Chocolate bar earned a 2015 gold seal of approval from The Good Food Awards.