SOMA - Spark of Joy Caramel Chocolate with Roasted Quince and cacao nibs (bar) - May 11, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

SOMA chocolatemaker
Spark of Joy Caramel Chocolate with Roasted Quince and cacao nibs (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 400 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $13.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate, Nuts and Nibs Theme Week.

Today's Spark of Joy Caramel Chocolate with Roasted Quince and cacao nibs (bar) was from SOMA chocolatemaker  (Toronto, Ontario, Canada).

Aroma notes for this relatively complex, sweet, fragrant bar included: warm spice, caramel, lightly spiced fruit (caramel apple, guava, very faint pear).

The smooth, cocoa butter-y base had a caramel, fruit and faint nutty flavor. Cocoa nibs (Ecuador) provided a crunchy textural accent as well as tiny bursts of dark, nutty unsweetened cacao flavor. The finish was very light, faint cocoa nib, and barely there quince notes.

The maker's suggested pairing: blue cheese. I tried part of this bar with some blue cheese and roasted walnuts. The combination resulted in a great dessert tapas (snack) plate and complement to a meal.

This was a skillfully-executed, tasty "caramel chocolate"--and a creative use of fruit (a thin circular slice of slow-roasted, spiced quince) and cacao nibs. A winter warmer that would be good anytime of day or year.

Ingredients: Cocoa butter, organic cane sugar, milk powder, cacao nibs, quince, natural vanilla, salt, spices

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk. May contain trace amounts of peanuts, tree nuts, (and) soy."

Ritter Sport - Milk Chocolate with Cashew (bar) - May 10, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Alfred G. Ritter GmbH and Co. KG
Ritter Sport Milk Chocolate with Cashew (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 274 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $1.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate, Nuts and Nibs Theme Week.

Today's Ritter Sport Milk Chocolate with Cashew (bar) was produced in Germany by Alfred G. Ritter GmbH and Co. KG (Waldenbuch, Germany).

This candy sweet, buttery ("30% cacao minimum") milk chocolate (made with Rainforest Alliance Cocoa) was accented with pieces of roasted and lightly salted (and softly crunchy) cashew nut pieces.

Ingredients: Sugar, cashew nuts (22%), cocoa butter, cocoa mass, whole milk powder, lactose, skimmed milk powder, butterfat (milk) (total milk solids 18%), emulsifier ("soya lecithins"), salt. 

Allergen-related information: Contained nuts (cashews), milk (dairy), soy (lecithin). "May contain contain traces of peanuts, other nuts, cereals containing gluten and egg."

 

Wholly Gluten Free - Fudge Brownies - May 9, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Wholly Gluten Free
Fudge Brownies
Good ++
Weight: 3.2 oz. (90 g.) / 8 oz. (225 g.) in total package of 5 brownies
Calories: 340 calories in 2 brownies (plus nut and cocoa nibs)
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from:  Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate, Nuts and Nibs Theme Week.

What goes well with nuts and cocoa nibs? Chocolate fudge, cake, brownies, ice cream, and many other desserts. With that thought in mind, I selected today's Wholly Gluten Free Fudge Brownies, distributed by Run-A-Ton Group, Inc. (Chester, NJ). 

I found these individually-wrapped Fudge Brownies (sold in a box of five) in the freezer section. I enjoyed two (de-frosted) brownies: one by itself, and the second with nuts and nibs. 

I thought that, especially after being frozen and de-frosted, this gluten-free brownie might have a heavier texture. But that was definitely not the case. The light (almost fluffy) rich chocolate cake-style brownies with chocolate chunks and a rich, moist chocolate fudge-cake texture and flavor tasted fresh baked.

The second brownie--paired with pecans and walnuts, cocoa nibs (from Nicaragua) and a dash of Saigon cinnamon--had a lot going on. (Note to those with nut allergies: this brownie did not contain any nuts, before I added some.) 

The added nuts, nibs and warm spice added crunchy texture and flavor(s), and helped balance the sugary sweetness. However, these additions also pulled the focus away from the light, soft fudge-y cake-like brownie underneath all these toppings. 

Ingredients: Organic cane sugar, water, sunflower oil, cocoa powder, gluten-free whole oat flour, brown rice flour, chocolate chunks (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, natural vanilla extract, salt), tapioca syrup, potato starch, tapioca starch, chia seeds, garbanzo beans, vanilla, aluminum-free baking powder (sodium acid pyrophosphate, corn starch, baking soda, monocalcium phosphate), sea salt, guar gum, baking soda.

Allergen-related information: (Contained corn (corn starch).) "Free from wheat dairy, egg, soy, nuts (and) sesame." "Produced in a dedicated gluten free bakehouse."

Mother's Day - Chocolate Parfait dessert with topping - May 8, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

(Mother's Day gift)
Chocolate parfait in a glass
Good + - Good ++
Weight: unknown
Calories: unknown 
Cost: N/A - Mother's Day gift from neighbor

Purchased from: N/A - gift from neighbor (Thank you Sophie!)

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate, Nuts and Nibs Theme Week; and Happy Mother's Day to all who celebrate this holiday.

Today's chocolate parfait-style dessert (with layered, airy chocolate mouse) in a glass was a gift from my neighbor (thank you Sophie!) and her daughter.

I enjoyed this smooth, light and creamy dessert--layers of airy chocolate mousse topped with dark chocolate shavings--with a small side of chopped roasted almonds and marinated cocoa nibs.

Ingredients: (no information)

Allergen-related information: (no information)

TCHO - Roasted Cacao Nibs from Ghana and Ecuador - May 7, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

TCHO

Roasted Cacao Nibs - Ghana
Good ++

Weight: .25 oz. (7 g.) / 4 oz. (114 g.) total package
Calories: 37 calories (estimate) in 1/4 oz. (7 g.) serving
Cost: $ N/A sample from TCHO
Purchased from: N/A - samples from TCHO

Roasted Cacao Nibs - Ecuador
Good ++

Weight: .25 oz. (7 g.) / 4 oz. (114 g.) in total package

Calories: 37 calories (estimate) in 1/4 oz. (7 g.) serving

Cost: $ N/A sample from TCHO

Purchased from: N/A - samples from TCHO

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate, Nuts and Nibs Theme Week, featuring items that either either contain nuts or cacao nibs--or both. 

Today's two packages of roasted cacao nibs--one from Ghana cacao and the other from Ecuador cacao--were from TCHO Ventures, Inc. (Berkeley, CA), and provided a great opportunity for a side-by-side tasting.

If you want to experience the essence of cacao, sample some cacao nibs--pieces of relatively cacao seeds (known more commonly as cacao beans) that look like large almonds or very large brown beans. These seeds/beans are packed together and surrounded by a white pulpy fruit, inside colorful cacao pods.

Cacao nibs may taste slightly bitter, chocolate-y, and a bit nut-like. Other aroma and flavor notes in roasted cacao beans and nibs vary widely, and are influenced by growing conditions, origin, variety, roast profile and other factors.

Below are my notes on today's cacao nibs.

Roasted Cacao Nibs - Ghana 

Aroma: deep chocolatey, fudge-y aroma, very slight implied, balanced bitterness, very faint caramel, roasted, and vanilla (brownie/baked goods) notes.

Flavor: true chocolate, malted cereal (almost oaty), very faint dried ("brown") fruit (date) and caramel notes.

(Note: I used raw, unsalted almonds, and water, as a palette cleanser in between the two cacao nib types.)

Roasted Cacao Nibs - Ecuador

Aroma: Relatively subtle/complex chocolate (cocoa, brownie); subtle green; very faint, diffuse, tart-acidic fruit; and ultra-faint floral notes.

Flavor: Complex and subtle flavors that included: chocolate/hot cocoa, very faint, diffuse tart-acidic, fermented fruit (flavors in a bowl of chopped red apple + nuts + yogurt); very faint nut/seed; and very faint roasted, almost malted, coffee/black tea latte. 

Very late in the finish, after eating a mix of nibs: a delicate green-flavored marshmallow with a vanilla-like note. This final, albeit faint. flourish may have come from a mix of beans, but it was fun.

Brownies, Beer, Beverages and More

What do you do with cacao nibs? More than you think.

TCHO has included notes to home brewers about the use of these cacao nibs in imparting gentle flavors to other beverages. (Some bartenders and chefs soak cacao nibs in liqueurs or whiskey, and the include decanted liquid in cocktails and the crunchy nibs in baked goods and desserts.)

Cacao nibs are incredibly versatile. They add rich chocolate flavor to smoothies, oatmeal, energy bars, trail and nut mixes; they are chocolate nut-like flavor treasures in brownies, and can be used in spice blends and rubs for marinades. Nibs can even be used in salads. The list of culinary possibilities is long.

Ingredients: Roasted Cacao Nibs (from Ghana and Ecuador)

Allergen-related information: (None listed on sample packages.)

Jonesbar - Dark Chocolate Almond (bar) - May 6, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Jonesbar
Dark Chocolate Almond (bar)
Good + 
Weight: 1.7 oz. (47 g.) in total bar
Calories: 210 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $1.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate, Nuts and Nibs Theme Week.

Today's 5-ingredient Dark Chocolate Almond (bar) was from Jonesbar (Manasquan, NJ). The company offers several date sweetened, compressed fruit and nut bars--some with chocolate.

The aroma: a rich melange of chocolate, nut, dried fruit (date, fig), oat/malt, and seed notes. (Note: there was no oat, malt or fig. These were just aromatic impressions.)

The texture was moist and date-y with a soft chew. 

The flavor was a naturally sweet and complex blend of dates, almonds, dark chocolate and seeds (chia) with a barely there, fleeting earthiness (nothing unpleasant). A scintilla of salt contributed the fifth element.

This sealed, single-serving organic bar fueled a hike today. It was a far cry from yesteryear's industrial energy bars with scads of ingredients (including additives, preservatives, fillers, colors, sugars). Those early bars had capitalized on (and almost replaced, for a while) the home-made fruit, nut and chocolate trail mixes (stored in leaky plastic bags in the bottom of a day pack) that many backpackers, climbers and hikers assembled themselves. Evolution is a good thing.

Ingredients: Organic dates, organic almonds, organic 100% cacao chips, organic chia seeds, Himalayan pink sea salt.

Allergen-related information: Contains almonds. "Handcrafted in a top secret facility that processes peanuts and other nuts. Real foods may contain pit or nutshell pieces."

TCHO - Aww Nuts! - Almond Butter & Sea Salt Filled Dark Chocolate - May 5, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

TCHO Ventures Inc.
Aww Nuts! - Almond Butter and Sea Salt Filled Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .833 oz. (23.3 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in package of 3 bars
Calories: 120 calories in 1/3 of package (1 small bar)
Cost: $ N/A - gift from a friend - Thank you Toni!
Purchased from: N/A - gift from a friend 

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate, Nuts and Nibs Theme Week. 

Today's Aww Nuts! bar was part of a new line of Organic, 100% plant-based, filled bars (made with fair trade certified cacao) from TCHO Ventures Inc. (Berkeley, CA). 

What's New at TCHO

Today I had the good fortune to visit the TCHO factory. Thank you to Alana for the tour, and to Chief Chocolate Maker, Brad Kintzer. (My last TCHO tour had been a decade ago in their original San Francisco location.) The company has continued to update their chocolate offerings and their company structure.*

TCHO's new packaging looked like the traditional TCHO square-shaped bar from the outside. However, rather than a single bar inside, the package contained three individually-wrapped smaller bars--making it easier to transport a single serving, and/or to share your chocolate with others.

Aww Nuts! filled bar

Aroma notes for today's Aww Nuts! filled bar included: faint green, faint molasses and maple, true chocolate (nut brownie), and shortbread nut cookies. A great start. (Added vanilla beans helped conjure up these seductive baked good notes.)

The outer shell consisted of flavorful, 75% cacao dark chocolate. This Organic filled chocolate was a satisfying blend of smooth, creamy dark chocolate and authentic-tasting almond butter. The chocolate (cacao) taste was similar to the aroma--only the fudge nut brownie flavors were more prominent than the fainter green or other aroma notes mentioned above.

Thanks to the makers, who tapped the brakes on the sugar and salt, the cacao flavors were able to shine. The almonds (almond butter and almond bits) provided an excellent and complementary pairing with the dark chocolate**--that already had some naturally occurring nutty notes. 

Maisy Jane's in Northern California, a family-founded company that specializes in California-grown/supplied almonds, nut butters and other offerings was a collaboration partner on this almond butter filled bar.

Ingredients: Organic fair trade cacao beans; organic cane sugar; organic fair trade cocoa butter; organic almond butter; organic almond protein; organic diced almonds; sea salt; organic sunflower lecithin; organic vanilla beans

Allergen-related information: Contains nuts (almond butter). "May contain soy, milk, and other tree nuts."

*Originally founded in 2008, TCHO became a B Corporation in 2021. They've shifted to a new line of organic, fair trade cacao chocolate bars. Also of note, San Francisco Bay Area-born TCHO was acquired by Osaka, Japan-based sweets company, Ezaky Glico (maker of Pocky chocolate-dipped cookie sticks), in 2018.

**Note: TCHO has not generally stressed cacao information such as country of origin, variety or even percentage for their bars. Rather they've created chocolates that exemplify/emphasize certain naturally occurring flavors in cacao grown in different countries. They describe flavor profiles that have included nutty, fudge-y and fruity/citrus-y, and work with cacao farmers (in Ghana, Peru, Ecuador and elsewhere) to develop these profiles.