XOX Truffles - Lavender, Hazelnut, Cognac Truffles - Sept. 27, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

XOX Truffles

1.) Lavender - Very Good
2.) Black and White - Good ++
3.) Hazelnut - Good ++ - Very Good
4.) Cognac - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) (estimate) for 4 truffles
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) for 4 truffles
Cost: $1.00 each (quantity pricing for 20 truffles)
Purchased from: XOX Truffles, San Francisco, CA

Bienvenue a (Welcome to) Day #4 of French Chocolate Theme Week.

Today I sampled the last truffle flavors from my recent XOX Truffles (San Francisco, CA) purchase.

The team at XOX offers truffles in the true French style, and they are creamy, authentic and delicious.

The Lavande (Lavender in French) truffle was suffused with beautiful lavender flower flavor. If you like lavender and dark chocolate, you'll love this one.

The Black and White truffle was a dark chocolate truffle covered in white chocolate.

The Hazelnut truffle had authentic hazelnut flavor (a great blend with chocolate) and was rolled in hazelnut bits.

The Cognac truffle was boozy and marvelous. I had tasted this one a few years ago, and decided to re-taste it with the others today, as I remembered it fondly. And while I may occasionally forget other details about life, I felt gratified to find that I wasn't wrong about this truffle.

XOX Truffles - Raspberry, Coconut truffles - Sept. 26, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

XOX Truffles
1.) Raspberry truffle
2.) Coconut truffle
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) (estimate) in 4 truffles
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 4 truffles
Cost: $4.00 for 4 truffles (when bought as part of a 20-piece assortment/box)
Purchased from: XOX Truffles, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of French Chocolate Theme Week.

The consensus seems to be that the French invented the chocolate truffle in the 1890s.

The word truffle is now applied to many different types of chocolate confection and/or filled chocolate or bar. But, to enjoy a true chocolate truffle in the original French tradition, I recommend paying a visit to XOX Truffles (San Francisco, CA).

Today I'm featuring two more truffle flavors from XOX Truffles: Raspberry and Coconut.

These authentic-tasting, hand-crafted truffles were made in the French spirit ("created with French attitude") by Chef Jean-Marc Gorce and team. The truffles are hand-formed and rolled in high-quality cocoa powder and have a wonderful buttery, creamy center. No two are exactly the same shape.*

Gorce and his partner and wife Casimira N. Tobilla, founded XOX Truffles several years ago. Their truffles can be found in a small shop in North Beach (San Francisco).

*Chocolate truffles were named after a prized fungi that grows in the ground, due to their similar shape and appearance. Dogs and pigs are sometimes used to help hunt for truffles because of their more acute sense of smell. (Truffles give off a certain smell when they are ready to be harvested.) Fortunately, chocolate truffles are ready to eat and enjoy at any time.

XOX Truffles - Honey Vodka, Amaretto truffles - Sept. 25, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

XOX Truffles
1.) Honey Vodka truffle - Very Good
2.) Amaretto truffle - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) (estimate) for 4 truffles
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 4 truffles

Cost: $1.00 per truffle (20-piece quantity price)
Purchased from: XOX Truffles, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of French Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's two chocolates from XOX Truffles (San Francisco, CA) were not from France, but they were "created with a French attitude" and were French inspired.

Chef Jean-Marc Gorce (formerly of Fringale restaurant (San Francisco, CA) and partner Casimira N. Tobilla founded XOX Truffles. Their tiny shop in North Beach, contains a display case full of different truffles, some flavored with alcohol (champagne and cognac truffles are popular choices).

True truffles may appear a little rough hewn and humble on the outside (like their namesakes that grow in the ground); but these had great chocolate flavor and a fabulous creamy, buttery melt.

The Honey Vodka truffle had a sweet, boozy lilt, and the Amaretto truffle's nutty flavor unfolded into an almond-flavored liqueur trip. Bon voyage.

Valrhona - Noir Guanaja Nibs bar - Sept. 24, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Valrhona
Noir Guanaja Eclats de Cacao (Cocoa Nibs) bar
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2.99 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 168 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $8.95 for one bar
Purchased from: Fog City News, San Francisco, CA

Bonjour, and welcome to the last day of Nibs Theme Week, and Day #1 of French Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's Noir Guanaja* Eclats de Cacao (Dark Cocoa Nibs) bar was from Valrhona (Tain l'Hermitage, France). This 70 percent cacao bar was smooth in taste and texture, and had a faint, intriguing aroma with subtle hints of chocolate, smoke, fruit, earth. The melt and mouthfeel were luscious and delightful, and the nibs added contrasting texture.

Today I also had a great time celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Chocolate Banquet with a group of friends by having a "bring your own item to dip in solar chocolate fondue" party. Very fun! Thank you all for bringing such a perfect selection of items. Sliced plums and fruit fresh from a farmers market, homemade peanut butter cookies, bacon slices, gluten-free pretzels, banana slices, raspberries and strawberries, corn chips...all good.

Tomorrow I'll try some toasted squares of pumpkin bread with the leftover fondue; or I could just eat French-inspired truffles.

*Guanaja is an island off the (Caribbean) coast of Honduras.

Taza - Organic 55% Chocolate Covered Nibs - Sept. 23, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Taza Chocolate
Organic 55 percent Dark Chocolate Covered Nibs
Good ++
Weight: .8 oz. (22.4 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total package
Calories: 128 calories in .8 oz. (22.4 g.)
Cost: $5.50 for 1 package
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

Welcome to Day #10 of Nibs Theme Week.

Taza Chocolate (Somerville, MA) was an early player in this century's new wave of American chocolate makers.

Not insignificantly, the founders also sought to build relationships directly with farmers and co-ops to bring organic chocolates to the market, including more "rustic" stone-ground chocolate (and drinking chocolate). The less processed style is more flavorful and granular, and was new for many people in the U.S. (except perhaps those who had spent time in Mexico and Central America).

Today's 55% dark chocolate covered nibs from Taza were a bit sweeter than their 67% dark chocolate covered nibs I remember tasting in 2012. They were still good, but I'd love to taste an even darker 70+ percent version.

The challenge with more added sugar (which reduces the percentage of cacao) is that it's harder to taste the subtle cacao flavors in the nib (pieces of cacao bean). Some may like the sweetness. (Today's nibs were far better than some overly sweet, commercial dark chocolate offerings.)

Thank you to SweetE Organic for providing a range of organic sweets and chocolates such as the Taza line (as well as expertly-curated gifts).

ChocXO - Organic Milk Chocolate 37% Cocoa Nibs bar - Sept. 21, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

ChocXO
Organic Milk Chocolate 37% Cocoa Nibs bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 230 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #8 of Nibs Theme Week.

Today's Organic Milk Chocolate 37% Cacao + Cocoa Nibs bar was from ChocXO (Irvine, CA*) was a milk chocolate version of yesterday's ChocXO Organic Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao + Cocoa Nibs bar.

The dark bar had a great nutty flavor that (assuming the cacao in the two bars was the same) seemed to fade with the addition of milk powder in today's bar. However, this wasn't bad for milk chocolate. The nibs added from texture and cacao flavor and helped balance the sweetness.

*The company's Irvine Chocolate Factory works with a sister company in British Columbia (Canada) to encompass all the steps in bean-to-bar chocolate making. 

ChocXO - Organic Dark 70% bar with nibs - Sept. 20, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

ChocXO
Organic Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao + Cocoa Nibs bar
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.) / 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 122.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #7 of Nibs Theme Week.

This Organic Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao + Cocoa Nibs bar was made "from the bean" by ChocXO (Irvine, CA).

The aroma was a complex blend of earthy, nutty, fruity, and floral, and something pleasant that I couldn't pin down. The bar was relatively thick, and had a smooth texture with some crunchiness from the embedded cocoa nibs.

The flavor was pleasant, even, and less acidic than I expected from the aroma (not a bad thing). It had a pleasing earthy nut butter flavor to it.

The finish was mild, with only one very tiny hint of ammonia from one nib. And here I must leap to the chocolate makers defense. This ChocXO bar did not suffer from this tiny offender, but other bars occasionally do.

Nibs - The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat

When a chocolate maker, or chocolatier, includes nibs in a bar, the homogenized chocolate in the bar might be wonderful, but it is very difficult to isolate every possible nib that might be less than stellar. It's a bit like buying a gigantic sack of peanuts in the shell. There is bound to be one or two that you end up tossing aside. When peanuts are processed into peanut butter or when nibs are all ground up together and made into chocolate, it may be impossible to taste one "off" nut or nib. But, unprocessed or a la carte nuts or nibs are a different story.

I have a great deal of respect for chocolate makers that cultivate good relationships with farmers; they need to be able to trust they'll receive great beans from them. This usually helps diminish the time, but does not avoid the process of, having to spend hours inspecting trays of tiny nibs trying to hand pick out lower grade pieces.

Thank you all who are providing nibs in bars and confections. It's worth the risk!