Lake Champlain Chocolates - Cinnamon Plant-based oat milk truffle bar - Dec. 29, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Lake Champlain Chocolates
Cinnamon - Plant-based oat milk truffle bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 g.) in total package of 2 bars
Calories: 170 calories in 1 package of 2 bars
Cost: $3.00 for 1 package of 2 bars
Purchased from: Lake Champlain, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate Truffle Bars Week.

Today's Cinnamon Plant-based oat milk truffle bar was from Lake Champlain Chocolates (Burlington, VT). This plant-based chocolate was made with oat milk and 43% cocoa.

Aroma notes included: chocolate, oats (oat milk, oat straw) and cinnamon.

Texture: the softer, truffle ganache-style filling was surrounded by a firmer chocolate shell. 

Flavor notes included: sweet milk-like chocolate, grain/grass (oat, very faint rice), spices (mostly cinnamon) and very faint vanilla.

This sweet chocolate evoked an image of a childhood breakfast of sweet hot chocolate with sweetened, cinnamon oatmeal. It was a bit too sweet for me, but it might be great for those with a sweet tooth. 

Ingredients: "Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Dried Gluten-Free Oat Powder, Chocolate Liquor, Dried Rice Powder, Sunflower Lecithin, and Vanilla Extract), *Coconut Cream (*Coconut and Water), *Rice Syrup, *Cinnamon, *Vanilla Extract, Sea Salt, *Nutmeg, and *Natural Flavor."

Allergen-related information: Contains Tree Nuts (Coconut). May Contain Traces of Milk, Other Tree Nuts, Peanuts, Soybean, and Wheat. (No palm oil.)

Bonus Entry - Homemade Bean to Confection Chocolate - Dec. 2023

Chocolate of the Month

Tropical Fruit Box
The Chocolatier's Apprentice Box
Ecuador Homemade Bean to Bar Chocolate
Good ++
Weight: .7 oz. (19.8 g.) (estimate) for 2 chocolates
Calories: 108.5 calories (estimate) in 2 chocolates
Cost: N/A - Christmas gift from family - 1 complete kit/box with 6 large cacao pods
Purchased from: Tropical Fruit Box, online order (Thank you Megan!)

Welcome to a chocolate bonus entry that spanned most of December 2023. How is that possible?

Today's weeks-long chocolate experience was made possible by the Chocolatier's Apprentice Box available from Tropical Fruit Box (Miami, FL). There were opportunities to sample cacao fruit, cacao beans and nibs, and finished chocolate over a period of almost three weeks.

The boxed kit included: six, generously sized cocoa pods (grown in Ecuador); great directions for the step-by-step chocolate making process; and a small silicon mold for chocolates. (Note: some pods may arrive slightly riper than others.)

The first part of this edible experience came after the unboxing, and cutting open real cacao pods (from Ecuador). Few people in the U.S. have seen cacao trees or fruit, outside of Hawaii or perhaps South Florida.*

I loved tasting the cream-colored cacao fruit pulp inside these pods that covered the core of cacao seeds (beans) used to make chocolate. The ripe fruit had luscious peach and melon flavors. 

The next steps: fermenting, roasting (which filled the kitchen with a delightful chocolate aroma) and cracking/winnowing. 

The next tasting opportunity involved sampling the roasted nibs. And, finally, days later, cocoa butter was blended with ground seeds (beans), and pouring chocolate into molds to firm up into the final chocolates. These confections were enjoyed over this past (Christmas) week. 

This Apprentice Box provided a great learning experience. Experiencing how much work goes into making chocolate from bean-to-bar may increase your appreciation for chocolate makers (who make chocolate from scratch) as well as the chocolates.

Ingredients: Cocoa Pods + other ingredients along the way.

*Hawaii is the U.S. State with the largest commercial cacao plantations/farms. South Florida, slightly north of the ideal equatorial cacao growing belt (20 degrees (Latitude) north and/or south of the Equator) occasionally experiences cold snaps, as well as tropical storms, perhaps limiting reliable production. The Hawaiian Islands range from 19 - 22 degrees from the Equator. (Miami is located at approximately 25.6 degrees North of the Equator.)

Gnosis Chocolate - Everything Will Be Ok! raw, vegan botanical truffle bar - Dec. 28, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Gnosis Chocolate 
Everything Will Be Ok! raw vegan infused botanical truffle bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 g.) /3 oz. (84 g.) in total bar
Calories: 232.5 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $17.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Gnosis Chocolate, online order 

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate Truffle Bars Week.

Today's "Everything Will Be Ok!" raw vegan infused botanical truffle bar was created by Vanessa Berg (aka Chocolate Girl) at Gnosis Chocolate (NYC, NY). Vanessa is a passionate certified health practitioner.

Aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate; very faint, diffuse fruits and light herbs; very faint coconut; and, oddly, a breath of fresh air in a pine forest. 

Texture: a solid, raw* dark chocolate shell gave way to a soft, fudge-y, truffle-style filling.

Flavor notes included: very smooth dark chocolate, faint, fleeting dried fruit (fig, date), sweet herb, nut (walnut), and diffuse, very subtle fresh fruit (red apple, berry), sweet root, and light earth. The flavors were smooth, well-balanced and harmonized with a slightly undulating complexity.

I really enjoyed the gentle, yet rich and transporting, flavors in this truffle-style filled bar.

Ingredients: "raw cacao beans, raw blue agave nectar, virgin coconut oil, coconut sugar, Lung Blend (elecampane, grindelia, horehound, lobelia, mullein, osha, pine bark, pleurisy, yerba santa), Immunity Blend (burdock, cat's claw, echinacea purpea (sic), echinacea angustifolia, elderberry, ginger, pau d'arco, shilajit), Medicinal Mushroom Blend (chaga, cordyceps, reishi), Adaptogenic Herbs (ashwagandha, rhodiola, schizandra) Calming Herbs (passionflower, tulsi, valerian), Vitamin C Blend (camu camu berry, rose hips), chlorella, spirulina, Love."

Allergen-related information: (None listed on packaging.) "Free of Dairy, Soy, Gluten, GMO, Refined Sugar"

*The cacao used to make this chocolate was not heated above 118 degrees (F) to "maintain integrity of flavor and nutrition." Well-executed raw chocolate tends to be a little smoother than cacao processed at higher temperatures. I've found high-quality raw chocolates to be less bitter, with fewer "roasted" notes. (Think: very light roast coffee vs. intense espresso roast.)

Trader Joe's Organic Milk Chocolate Truffle Bar - Dec. 27, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Trader Joe's 
Organic Milk Chocolate Truffle Bar 
Good +
Weight: 1.17 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.51 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $1.99 total bar
Purchased from: Trader Joe's, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate Truffle Bars Week.

Today's Chocolate Truffle Bar from Trader Joe's (Monrovia, CA).

Aroma notes included: sweet fudge, milk chocolate

The texture was rich (solid and ganache-like), and smooth.

Milk and sweet dark Chocolate-y flavor notes included: smooth, sweet milk chocolate-y (sweet, rich hot chocolate with milk, chocolate fudge candy, milk chocolate ganache).

Ingredients: Organic Milk Chocolate (Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Milk Powder, Organic Cocoa Mass), Organic Dark Chocolate (Organic Cocoa Mass, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter), Organic Vegetable Oil (Organic Hi-Oleic Sunflower Oil and/or Organic Canola, and/or Organic Safflower Oil).

Allergen-related information: May Contain Milk, Soy, Wheat, Peanut, Almond, Cashew, Coconut, Hazelnut, Pecan.

Lake Champlain Chocolates - Peppermint - 70% Cocoa Plant-Based Truffle Bar - Dec. 26, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Lake Champlain Chocolates
Peppermint - 70% Cocoa Plant-based truffle bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 g.) in total package of 2 bars
Calories: 180 calories in 1 package of 2 bars
Cost: $3.00 for 1 package of 2 bars
Purchased from: Lake Champlain, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate Truffle Bars Week.

Today's Peppermint 70% Cocoa Plant-Based Truffle Bar was from Lake Champlain Chocolates (Burlington, VT). 

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (dark chocolate fudge) and peppermint.

The texture for this filled dark chocolate bar was smooth with a slightly creamier interior (dark truffle ganache-like filling).

Flavor notes included: smooth, fudge-y, dark chocolate and authentic peppermint. 

Ingredients: "*Dark Chocolate (*Chocolate Liquor, *Sugar, *Cocoa Butter, *Cocoa Powder, and *Vanilla Extract), *Rice Syrup, *Coconut Cream (*Coconut and Water), and *Peppermint Oil. (* = Organic)

Allergen-related information: Contains Tree Nuts (Coconut). May Contain Traces of Milk, Other Tree Nuts, Peanuts, Soybean, and Wheat. 

Trader Joe's - Organic Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar - Dec. 25, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Trader Joe's 
Organic Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar 
Good ++
Weight: 1.17 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.51 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $1.99 total bar
Purchased from: Trader Joe's, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate Truffle Bars Week. And Merry Christmas to those who celebrate. 

Two chocolates were enjoyed today: 1.) homemade bean-to-confection chocolate (made from cacao pods from Ecuador) (see separate entry for that)...and 2.) this Organic Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar from Trader Joe's (Monrovia, CA).

Aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate (appealing malted dark chocolate milk, very faint diffuse fruit). 

The texture was pleasant, rich melt and creamy texture.

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes above, but even more chocolate-y (drinking chocolate, chocolate torte, dark chocolate ganache), with faint fleeting (balanced) earth notes.

Ingredients: Organic Cocoa Mass, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Oil Blend (Organic Hi-Oleic Sunflower Oil, Organic Canola Oil, and/or Organic Safflower Oil).

Allergen-related information: May Contain Milk, Soy, Wheat, Peanut, Almond, Cashew, Coconut, Hazelnut, Pecan.

Seattle Chocolate - Spicy Hot Chocolate dark chocolate truffle bar - Dec. 24, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Seattle Chocolate Company
Spicy Hot Chocolate dark chocolate truffle bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $N/A - holiday gift from family member
Purchased from: N/A - gift from Megan (thank you!)

Happy Holidays and welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate Truffle Bar Week. The year (2023) is ending on a soft, sweet and occasionally spicy note. 

Today's Spicy Hot Chocolate dark chocolate truffle bar was from Seattle Chocolate Company (Seattle, WA). The company has been offering a variety of chocolate truffle bars for many years. This one was part of a holiday-themed series. Today's wrapper was adorned with two monkeys in a lush green jungle canopy wearing Santa hats, harvesting hot peppers. One is also enjoying a white ceramic cup of spicy hot chocolate.

Aroma notes for this Spicy Hot Chocolate bar included: rich hot dark (drinking) chocolate with cinnamon and faint salt/savory and barely detectable vegetable/pepper notes; and faint vanilla.

The flavor notes for this smooth textured and flavored bar delivered on the promise of the aroma notes (above)--with a deeper dive into sweet and spicy dark chocolate. Cinnamon and vanilla added warmth, and cayenne pepper added a little kick--enough to add flavor, not enough to set off any fire alarms. Just right for me...a warm chocolate experience on a winter-y Christmas Eve.

Ingredients: "dark chocolate (cocoa mass*, cane sugar, cocoa butter*, organic soy lecithin, natural vanilla), non-hydrogenated coconut oil, sea salt, organic vanilla, cayenne pepper, cinnamon."

Allergen-related information: "Contains soy and coconut. This product is manufactured in a plant that processes milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, and wheat products."