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.

Know Foods - Chocolate Chip Donuts - Dec. 28, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Know Foods
Know Better Donuts - Chocolate Chip
Good+
Weight: 2.66 oz. (76 g.) / 16 oz. (454 g.) in total package of 6
Calories: 200 calories in 1 donut (+ frosting)
Cost: $9.99 (estimate) for 1 package of 6 donuts
Purchased from: Draeger's Market, Los Altos, CA

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate, Holiday Spices and Maple Theme Week(s).

Today's Chocolate Chip Know Better Donut, from Know Foods (Atlanta, GA), looked a little lonely; so it received some homemade "frosting" (made of organic cream cheese, maple (syrup), cinnamon and spices).

This baked good looked like a cross between a bagel and a donut, and appeared to be far healthier than most donuts, even with a rich topping.

Know Foods is building a brand for itself based on products like these Know Better Donuts, billed as: "...natural, non-GMO, grain/gluten free*, high protein, high fiber, low carb and low sodium—and have a near zero sodium index..."

Other health stats of note:

• 8 grams of fiber per donut
• 12 grams of protein per donut
• 6 grams net carbs per donut

Sounds good. These donuts were made with almonds* instead of grains. And the donut tasted better than many gluten-free baked goods. It was substantial and, refreshingly, not too sweet. (It did use allulose, a relatively new sweetener that we know little about.)

The company used Enjoy Life ("vegan, soy, nut, dairy and GMO free") chocolate chips in these donuts, and has plans to incorporate their own chocolate chips in the future.

*Ingredients: water, almonds, chocolate chips (cane sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter), apple puree, allulose, organic prebiotic fiber, flax seeds, dried egg whites, apple cider vinegar, organic coconut flour, chia seeds, organic flax flour, coconut oil, leavening (Potassium Bicarbonate), organic sea salt. Contains: egg and tree nuts

Sirene Chocolate - Winter Warmer bar - Dec. 27, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Sirene Chocolate

Winter Warmer bar

Very Good 

Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar

Calories: 132 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate, Holiday Spices and Maple Theme Week.

Today's Winter Warmer bar from Sirene Chocolate (Victoria, BC, Canada) was a delicious creation of dark milk chocolate—made from cacao beans grown in "balmy Tanzanie" (Tanzania*)—

nutmeg and cloves.

The scent of this bar was full of fresh spice and herb notes, despite there being "just" nutmeg and cloves infused into very fine chocolate.

There was no star anise, black pepper, allspice or bay, yet there were whispers of these—and all kinds of heavenly cacao flavors—in this creamy, smooth, very-well executed bar with wonderful depth.

Many holiday chocolates are considered novelties and are not made with the highest-quality (or percentage) cacao. So to sample this bar was to experience much happiness and gratitude.

Sadly, this bar was seasonal and is likely no longer available.

*Tanzania is a republic in East Africa near the Indian Ocean, and the source of some great small batch single origin bars in recent years.

Divine - Milk Chocolate Christmas Shapes; Moo Free Organic Santa Bar - Dec. 26, 2017

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Divine Chocolate Inc.

Milk Chocolate Christmas Shapes 

Good
Weight: 1.6 oz. (45 g.) / 3.2 oz. (90 g.) in total box of 12 shapes/pieces

Calories: 240 calories in 6 shapes/pieces

Cost: $3.99 (estimate) for 1 box of 11 pieces

Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Moo Free Limited/Moo Free Chocolates 

Hammy Hamster Santa bar

Good 

Weight: 1.13 oz. (32 g.) / 3.6 oz. (103 g.) in total package of 4 

Calories: 187.2 calories (per label) in 1 package/piece

Cost: $5.50 for 1 box of 4 different pieces

Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate, Holiday Spices and Maple Theme Week. 

Christmas was yesterday, but there was holiday spiced tea and two Christmas chocolate items left: Milk Chocolate Christmas Shapes from Divine Chocolate Inc. (Product of The Netherlands; distributed via Divine in Washington, D.C.), and a Mini Moos Hammy Hamster Organic Santa Bar from Moo Free Limited (Reading, UK).

Divine Chocolate
Divine Chocolate is co-owned by cocoa farmers and has specialized in fair trade chocolate bars.

Today's 26% cocoa Milk Chocolate Christmas Shapes included a snowman, a Christmas tree, a snowflake, a candle, a wrapped present with a bow, and a flower/rose.  These festive shapes were a bit sweet for me, but were fun novelty items.

Moo Free
Moo Free is known for their milk (moo) free chocolates that are also free of other allergens. (They use rice milk instead of dairy milk.) This Organic Santa bar was gluten free, dairy free and vegan.

Today's Hammy Hamster* Santa was the last of four individually-wrapped chocolates from a Merry Moos Christmas selection box opened many months ago. Despite being from last season, this Santa had held up fairly well.

*Each bar from this Mini Moo holiday series featured a cartoon animal. The wrapper for this Santa was adorned with the image of a yellow hamster (Hammy Hamster). 

Alexander's Patisserie - chocolate Santa Claus - Dec. 25, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Alexander's Patisserie 

Chocolate Santa Claus

Good ++

Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) of chocolate Santa 

Calories: 300 calories (estimate) in 2 oz. serving of Santa

Cost: $N/A - Christmas gift from family member (Thank you Knapp family!)

Purchased from: N/A (Alexander's Patisserie, Mountain View, CA)

A Very Merry Christmas to all who celebrate. 

Today's chocolate Santa was created by Alexander's Patisserie (Mountain View, CA).* 

This artfully made (mostly hollow), portly figure was the size of a globe-shaped tree ornament. It was enjoyed from top to bottom on Christmas morning.

*Alexander's chocolates are made primarily with Valrhona chocolate. 

Stone Grindz Chocolate - Cinnamon Cayenne 70% Cacao bar - Dec. 24, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Stone Grindz Chocolate
Cinnamon Cayenne 70% Cacao bar
Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56.6 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.95 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Stone Grindz Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate Holiday Spice and Maple Theme Week.

It's a cold December evening, and you're craving a hot drinking chocolate with a kick. What do you do?

Well, you could wrap your mittened hands around today's Cinnamon Cayenne 70% Cacao bar from Stone Grindz Chocolate (Scottsdale, AZ).

This bar's balanced aroma and flavor captured the steamy essence of spiced drinking chocolate: warming cinnamon with a slightly delayed hot sparkle of cayenne pepper, in a quality, 70% cacao, bean-to-bar chocolate base.

The Cinnamon Cayenne bar also had a pleasing texture, with a relatively creamy/buttery, even melt.

Happy Christmas Eve to all who celebrate. May all your holiday dreams come true.

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.