Elements Truffles - Orange Pistachio Turmeric bar - April 10, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Elements Truffles
Orange Pistachio infused with Turmeric
Good+
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total package
Calories: 130 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.99 for 1 bar/package
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Orange Pistachio infused with Turmeric bar was created by Elements Truffles (Kearny, NJ). The company produces a line of "Ayurveda Inspired Artisanal Chocolate."

This 70% cacao dark chocolate had a balanced, complex and intriguing orange (orange essential oil) spice aroma, and soft, smooth texture and creamy melt (like a truffle).

Organic, raw cacao butter (Peruvian Criollo) was the first ingredient listed and helped create the creamy texture. The cacao used to make this bar was: "Fair Trade organic cacao ethically sourced from Peru."

Refined sugar does have a powerful ability to attract (or repulse). And chocolates (like this one), made with raw honey instead of refined sugar, do have a different, more relaxed feel to them.

Honey scores lower on the glycemic index than refined sugar, and this chocolate scored a bit better on our (granted, somewhat subjective) perceived sugar buzz index.** If you're seeking to be more centered and balanced, this is a good thing.

This bar was made without dairy, soy/emulsifiers, preservatives, and/or gluten-containing ingredients; and made with a purpose: A percentage of the profits of these bars "go towards education of underprivileged children (www.careforchildren.org)"

*The word Ayurveda comes from Ayur (life) + veda (knowledge)
** After sampling 4,000+ chocolates, one can sense a difference within the first few minutes between a dark chocolate bar made with refined white sugar and sweeteners such as coconut palm sugar, honey or stevia.

Timothy Adams - Rose, Violet and dark chocolate nut pieces - Aug. 16, 2017

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Timothy Adams Chocolates
6-piece assortment box included the following bonbons:

• Rose - Good +
• Violet - Good +
• Pistachio Praline - Good 

Weight: 2.5 oz. (70.7 g.) (estimate) in 5 pieces

Calories: 375 calories (estimate) for 5 chocolates

Cost: $16.50 (estimate) for 6 chocolates (box was extra)

Purchased from: Timothy Adams (shop), Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Flowers Theme Week.

I don't count white chocolate as a "Chocolate of the Day" on this site. Chocolate items need to contain cocoa solids, in part because many "white chocolates" don't contain much cacao (solids or butter).

Because of this rule, I felt compelled to buy an attractively designed 6-piece box of chocolates from Timothy Adams Chocolates (Palo Alto, CA) to ensure some cocoa solids were consumed for the day.

This local shop had Rose ivory* and Violet ivory bonbons that were sweet, decadent and delicious; but both lacked cocoa solids.

So I bought three other dark chocolate covered confections to keep these two ivory floral pieces company, and "counted one of them, a Pistachio Praline chocolate as my daily chocolate.

The Pistachio Praline (dark chocolate covered with a sweet and light, almost a butterscotch ivory center) and topped with pistachio nuts and icing seemed to good match for the two ivory florals.

The two other dark chocolate covered bonbons (a Coconut Cream Caramel and a Nocino (green walnut liqueur) bonbon) were both sweet but quite nice. You may see them featured in the future.

*Some white chocolates may contain little cocoa butter (and/or may substitute other vegetable fats); whereas "ivory" (closer to the color of real cocoa butter) chocolate generally contains more cocoa butter and is considered to be of higher quality.

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.