NeoCocoa - Milk Tea Toffee Brittle - Apr. 4, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

NeoCocoa
Milk Tea Toffee Brittle 
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 3.0 oz. (85 g.) in total package
Calories: N/A - not listed on packaging 
Cost: $11.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Toque Blanche, Santa Cruz, CA

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

Today's Milk Tea Toffee Brittle was from NeoCocoa (Belmont, CA).

NeoCocoa founder and chocolatier, Christine Doerr, has produced a line of very tasty chocolate covered toffees and treats since 2008 (and probably before then). See previous entries on Chocolate Banquet.*

Aroma notes for today's toffee brittle included: subtle dark milk chocolate; tea with milk and sugar; faint botanical (citrus, seed) and floral (bergamot orange blossom, and (imagined) very faint, sweet lavender).

Texture: generously-sized, shards of (crunchy then chewy) toffee brittle were covered in smooth milk chocolate.

Flavor notes: smooth, creamy milk chocolate, authentic buttery toffee (browned sugar, butter, vanilla), and very faint seed and botanical (tea with bergamot). The Earl Grey (bergamot orange) tea flavor became more prominent toward the finish, and continued (in a most pleasing way) into an extended finish. I loved the progression of the tea flavor. 

As with all NeoCocoa toffee brittles, this Milk Tea flavor was addicting. Be forewarned. If you're overly hungry, this toffee in this package will disappear almost immediately.

Ingredients: Dark-milk chocolate (cane sugar, milk, cocoa butter, cacao beans, sunflower lecithin, vanilla beans), brown sugar, butter, black tea, bergamot. 

Allergen-related information: Contains Dairy.

*Other toffee brittle flavors include: black sesame seed; warm ginger root; and toffee (cacao) nib.

Neo Cocoa - Mocha Cinnamon truffles - Dec. 29, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Neo Cocoa 

Mocha Cinnamon truffles

Good + - Good ++

Weight: .8 oz. (23 g.) / 2.4 oz. (69 g.) in total box of 6 pcs.

Calories: 120 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces

Cost: $12.00 for 1 box of 6 pieces

Purchased from: La Cocina retail space, San Francisco Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate, Holiday Spices and Maple Theme Week.

Today's Mocha Cinnamon truffles were from Neo Cocoa (Belmont, CA) and were part of holiday snack duo on the go.

These Neo Cocoa rectangular truffles were lightly dusted with dark cocoa powder, had a roasted coffee (espresso) and cinnamon (cassia) aroma, a creamy, velvety texture, and a rich 72% dark chocolate flavor.

I paired these silky chocolate pieces with a snack "opposite:" a Larabar Nut and Seed Maple and Cinnamon Crunchy Bar.* Both were great with fresh fruit.

The company specializes in the heart of truffles, meaning the lovely silky smooth chocolate "insides" of some chocolates covered with a harder chocolate shell or couverture.

Neo Cocoa founder Christine Doerr was trained as a chef and worked as a graphic designer, but she was eventually drawn to chocolate. With the help of La Cocina (a kitchen incubator in San Francisco) she launched her own company, offering soft, shell-less truffles (the "hearts of truffles") in a variety of delicious flavors.

*This Larabar Maple and Cinnamon Crunchy Bar did not contain any chocolate.

Neo Cocoa - Sarsaparilla and Vanilla Toffee Brittle - Dec. 23, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Neo Cocoa
Sarsaparilla and Vanilla Toffee Brittle
Good +++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total package
Calories: 225 calories (estimate) in 1/2 package
Cost: $10.00 for 1 package
Purchased from: La Cocina, San Francisco Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate, Holiday Spices and Maple Theme Week.

If you like unique, appealing herbal flavors, like root beer, herb/spice teas, vanilla creme soda, please do try this thin, delicious Sarsaparilla and Vanilla Toffee from Neo Cocoa (Belmont, CA).

Today's brittle was another well-executed holiday brittle from this San Francisco Bay Area chocolatier.

The brittle was composed of ultra-slim layers of 72% dark chocolate and toffee fused together. The resulting slim shards were infused with unique sarsaparilla (root) and vanilla flavor that tickled memories of old candy shops. (If you're old enough, you may remember horehound,* sassafras and root beer candy.)

Not to be confused with sassafras (derived from bark and leaves of a tree), sarsaparilla comes from a South American vine. Most edible botanicals and spices seem to harmonize well with chocolate in some form.

Sadly, this brittle disappeared so quickly, the photos taken (shown here) were rather sketchy.

*Horehound is an aromatic mint relative native to Europe and Asia that eventually was brought to the U.S. Although less common now, horehound herbal tea was often cooked with sugar to make hard candy and cough drops in the 1900s.

NeoCocoa - Tart Cranberry truffles - Dec. 19, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

NeoCocoa
Tart Cranberry
Good+ - Good ++
Weight: .8 oz. (23 g.) / 2.4 oz. (69 g.) total box of 6 pieces
Calories: 120 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $13.00 for 1 box of 6 pieces
Purchased from: La Cocina, San Francisco Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate, Fruit and Nuts Theme Week.

How does one blend the delicious, slightly tart flavor of cranberry and orange during the holidays into chocolate? This combination can be found in relish, sauce, salads, energy bars and confections, but is harder to find in chocolates.

Fortunately, the busy elves at local San Francisco Bay Area chocolate company, NeoCocoa, made Tart Cranberry flavored truffles this season. These had well-balanced cranberry and bittersweet chocolate flavor with a hint of orange. The company's cube-shaped "hearts of truffles" were velvety soft truffle insides without the usual hard, glossy outer chocolate shells.

These chocolates shared a holiday snack plate with two festively-flavored snack fruit and nut bars: a Sahale Snacks Cranberry Almond with Black Pepper and Orange Zest bar, and a Sahale Tangerine Cashew with Vanilla and Mango bar. The black pepper added a little extra holiday accent sparkle.

Neo Cocoa - Almond Chocolate Caramels - Feb. 21, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Neo Cocoa
Almond Chocolate Caramel
Good +
Weight: .8 oz.  (22.6 g.) (estimate) in 2 pieces
Calories: 119 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $2.00 for 2 pieces
Purchased from: La Cocina table, Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Almonds Theme Week.

I picked up these two individually wrapped almond chocolate caramels from Neo Cocoa in San Francisco. They were being sold by the piece at the La Cocina* table at the Ferry Building.

These confections were sweet, rich and chewy with chocolate caramel flavor, and an almond in the center to create visual interest and textural crunch.

*La Cocina ("The Kitchen" in English) is a non-profit organization in San Francisco that supports food-related startups.

Neo Cocoa - Dark chocolate toffee brittles with seeds - Dec. 14, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Neo Cocoa

Spiced Pumpkin Seed Toffee Brittle
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) total package
Calories: 225 calories (estimate) for 1/2 package
Cost: $N/A - gift from client/friends
Purchased from: N/A - gift



Pistachio, Anise, Orange Toffee Brittle
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) total package
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) for 1/3 package
Cost: $N/A - gift from friends
Purchased from: N/A - gift

Welcome to the last day (Day #7) of Chocolate and Seeds Theme Week.

Our grand finale for this week featured two items with dark chocolate and seeds: 1.) Spiced Pumpkin Seed Toffee Brittle and 2.) Pistachio, Anise and Orange Toffee Brittle, both from Neo Cocoa (Belmont, CA).

The predominant flavors from these svelte but substantial sheets of toffee came from thin layers of crunchy, buttery, almost rustic brittle made with brown sugar and butter, layered between 72% dark chocolate.

However, the different inclusions in both these toffees made them each unique. The flavors between the chocolate, toffee and seeds, nuts, spices/fruits were very well balanced, natural tasting and satisfying.

Neo Cocoa - Black Sesame Seed Brittle - Oct. 20, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Neo Cocoa
Black Sesame Seed Brittle
Very Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total package
Calories: 225 calories (estimate) in 1/2 package
Cost: $8.00 for 1 package of brittle pieces
Purchased from: Neo Cocoa table at Palo Alto Farmers Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of A Series of Sesame Chocolates.

Another great blend of flavors and textures from Neo Cocoa.

One of the joys of the modern world is the melding of food items from different continents over time by creative chefs of every kind: cacao from Central and South America, made into chocolate in North America; and flavor inclusions from around the world.

Today's chocolate contained sesame seeds (originally from Asia and East Africa). Rich in flavor and crunchy texture, sesame can go sweet or savory, and can pair nicely with chocolate.

Neo Cocoa Black Sesame Seed Brittle
Beware. Today's Black Sesame Toffee Brittle from Neo Cocoa (Belmont, CA) would be a spookily addictive Halloween treat. It will disappear before your very eyes.

Upon opening the sealed pouch of brittle, I detected a promising light sesame and chocolate aroma.

At the heart of this carefully crafted brittle was a thin* layer of light, crunchy sweet toffee brittle riddled with toasted black sesame seeds. The brittle was covered (on both sides) with a thin* coating of 72 percent dark chocolate and then sprinkled with white sesame seeds. The results: an intoxicating, crunchy sweet and slightly salty treat.

*I'm not sure how they managed such delicately thin layers, but I'm glad I didn't have to attempt making this at home.

Neo Cocoa - Dark Chocolate Mustache; Teaspoon - Oct. 19, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Neo Cocoa
Dark Chocolate Mustache with Pistachios
Good +++
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31.1 g.) (estimate) for 1 mustache
Calories: 165 calories (estimate) in 1 piece/mustache
Cost: $5.00 for 1 chocolate mustache
Purchased from: Neo Cocoa table/booth (at Palo Alto Farmers Market, Palo Alto, CA)

Welcome to Day #7 of And Now for Something Completely Different Theme Week.

Today's Dark Chocolate Mustache from Neo Cocoa (Belmont, CA) was studded with green, pistachio nut pieces and was quite delicious.

I imagine the Minister of Silly Walks, and others who love fun and chocolate might also approve.

hank you very much dear readers for accompanying us on this week filled with unique and unusual chocolates. We will be returning to more conventional programming tomorrow with a series of sesame chocolates.

In other green + chocolate news...

Later today, I also tried a California Snow Ice special with avocado snow, almonds, mochi, condensed milk and a drizzle of chocolate sauce at Teaspoon (Los Altos, CA location). The large "Husky" cup serving size looked quite large, but this shaved snow style frozen dessert was lighter and less overly sweet than it looked, and was a refreshing late afternoon treat.

"Serving the most unique bubble tea and snow ice desserts" is the Teaspoon (company) motto. And I couldn't I resist one last unique item this week.

NeoCocoa - Hazelnut Butter Dark Milk Truffles - July 3, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

NeoCocoa
Hazelnut Butter Dark Milk truffles
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: .4 oz. (11.5 g.) / 2.4 oz. (69 g.) in total box of 6
Calories: 60 calories (estimate) in 1 truffle
Cost: $10.00 for 1 box of 6 truffles
Purchased from: NeoCocoa table at Palo Alto Farmers Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to the first day of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week.

I'm always happy to sample new chocolate offerings from NeoCocoa (Belmont, CA). Today I enjoyed one of an immaculately sliced group (of 6) Hazelnut Butter Dark Milk truffles.

NeoCocoa Owner Christine Doerr perfected the "Hearts of Chocolate"truffle experience, and Amanda (who I met at the Farmers Market) was doing a great job helping to promote and fulfill this tradition.

Think of the most outstanding creamy ganache filling inside a chocolate covered truffle, and just leave out the harder chocolate couverture (covering). Today's dark milk truffles, flavored with a hint of hazelnut, were just like that.

Unfortunately for me, while wheat-free, these creamy truffles did contain a thin, slightly crunchy wafer layer at the bottom that contained barley malt flour. However, I'm hoping tasting one will be OK. Ah to be free from such concerns; but that's life.

Neo Cocoa - Pumpkin Spice Milk Chocolate Truffles - Nov. 20, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Neo Cocoa
Pumpkin Spice Milk Chocolate Truffles
Very Good
Weight: 1.2 oz. (34.5 g.) / 2.4 oz. (69 g.) in box of 6 truffles
Calories: 180 calories (estimate) in 3 truffles (1/2 box)
Cost: $12.00 (estimate) for 1 box of 6
Purchased from: Neo Cocoa, at Fall Chocolate Salon, San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Thankful Theme Week.

This week will be laced with pecan, Thanksgiving and pumpkin related chocolate items. It's that time of year.

Today's reason for being thankful lay in these almost velvety smooth Pumpkin Spice Milk Chocolate Truffles from Neo Cocoa (San Francisco/El Granada, CA).

The Neo Cocoa tagline, "Hearts of Chocolate Truffles," refers to head chocolatier, Christine P. Doerr's technique of creating "ganache-based" truffles. The result is a rich, creamy filling without an outer, "harder" covering or shell of chocolate.

These seasonal pumpkin spice truffles captured the holiday spirit perfectly.

Neo Cocoa - Toffee Nib Brittle - Nov. 19, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Neo Cocoa
Toffee Nib Brittle
Very Good ++ - Yum
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) /3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 225 calories (estimate) in 1/2 package
Cost: $12.00 (estimate) for 1 package
Purchased from: Neo Cocoa table at The Fall Chocolate Salon, San Francisco, CA

Greetings, and welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Thankful Theme Week.

In less than a week, we'll be celebrating Thanksgiving in the U.S. And, there are lots of people, places and chocolates to be thankful for this year.

For example, I felt grateful to be able to taste and pick up some great holiday chocolates at the Fall Chocolate Salon last Sunday in San Francisco, including today's Toffee Nib Brittle from Neo Cocoa (San Francisco/El Granada, CA).

This brittle was composed of impossibly thin layers of chocolate and toffee, with a sprinkle of crunchy, toasted cacao nibs, and a hint of Alderwood smoked sea salt. It doesn't get any better than this.

Fall Chocolate Salon - San Francisco - Nov. 15, 2015

Fall Chocolate Salon 2015 - San Francisco, CA
Sun., Nov. 15, 2015

This year's Fall (6th annual San Francisco) Chocolate Salon was held at a new venue—the General's Residence, in Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA.

This historic building provided an attractive, multi-room space for chocolate makers, chocolatiers, craft spirits makers, perfumers, vintners and others to display their offerings. (And the views of Aquatic Park, Alcatraz and San Francisco Bay weren't bad either.)

Amano Artisan Chocolate (Orem, UT) was displaying new packaging (and larger bars). I enjoyed discussing single origin bars and new bars with flavor inclusions with founder Art Pollard's two sons.

There were plenty of great Bay Area chocolatiers there. I picked up some velvety Pumpkin Spice Truffles and very tasty Nib Brittle from Neo Cocoa (San Francisco, CA); truffles from CocoTutti; tiny individually wrapped caramels from Kindred Cooks (Campbell, CA); creamy, flavorful chocolates from Alexander's Patisserie (Mountain View, CA); and artful pieces with layered flavors from flying noir (Oakland, CA).

While in search of some smoky and umami flavors, I picked up a bottle of great, complex Bourbon (made from corn and rye) from Raff Distillerie (Treasure Island, San Francisco). What a great aroma; and I'm looking forward to sampling it with chocolates. I also enjoyed the spirits (a crisp Gin with citrus notes; a well-rounded Rhum Agricole; and an Absinthe with French roots) from Sonoma County Distilling Co. (Rohnert Park, CA).

I enjoyed saying hello to Alter Eco (San Francisco, CA) and The Tea Room Chocolate and Tea Co. (San Leandro, CA).

And, after nine years of eating different chocolates, I still love meeting new creative people who are making chocolates. New chocolate conversations this year were had with Firefly Chocolate (Windsor, CA); Endorfin Foods (Oakland, CA); Starchild Chocolate (Willets, CA); Fera'wyn's Artisan Chocolates; and Cowboy Toffee Co. (Oakdale, CA).  

Neo Cocoa Espresso Truffles - March 19, 2013

Chocolate of the Day:

Neo Cocoa
Espresso Dark Chocolate Marshmallow Truffles
Very Good
Weight: .625 (17.75 g.) in 2 truffles / 2.5 oz. (71 g.) in box of 8 truffles
Calories: 87 calories (estimate)
Cost: $12.00 for 1 box of 8 truffles
Purchased from: Neo Cocoa

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Vanilla Theme Week, and Day #3 of Chocolate and Espresso Theme Week.

Earlier today I visited the Lookout Cafe at Land's End in San Francisco with a friend. In addition to a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean, I was buoyed up by a decaf mocha latte with a shot of vanilla syrup. And even though the espresso in this drink was decaffeinated, I felt pretty wired. (Why I'm so coffee sensitive, when I can eat all the chocolate I want, is a puzzle.)

So, I waited a few hours before opening a box of today's chocolates with espresso. These Espresso Dark Chocolate Marshmallow Truffles from Neo Cocoa (Belmont, CA) were wonderful.

Neo Cocoa founder, Christine Doerr, began to create her "hearts of chocolate truffles" several years ago. (I first featured them here on ChocolateBanquet.com in 2009.) Her silky smooth truffle centers, or hearts, stand on their own without a hard chocolate shell to surround them.

These soft creamy chocolates were assembled with great care. Sandwiched in the middle of dark chocolate espresso ganache layers, was a vanilla bean flavored marshmallow strata. And the finished product was dusted with cocoa powder. You will never go wrong serving these for dessert.