To Live and Eat in L.A. – A Vegan Food Photo Blog

It’s no secret that bloggers love to get free stuff, myself included. For some reason my blog and I have not made it on to the list of “cool people who like to eat yummy stuff and write about it” radar of most vegan specialty companies. It’s always the other cool kids getting awesome stuff in the mail to sample like vegan ice cream, marshmallows, cheese, what have you. I hardly ever get offered anything exciting and it’s a cryin’ shame.

Much to my delight, my run of no free schwag luck changed thanks to Twitter. One of the local foodies I follow on Twitter, Val of food blahg (@myabsentmind) mentioned she was working as a PR rep for a gourmet chocolate company called Xan Confections that just came out with a vegan line of specialty chocolates. Totally as a joke I responded to her with “samples please!”. Imagine my surprise and elation when she responded in the affirmative and asked for an address to send some chocolates to. Amazing… I didn’t even have to beg! (Now before you all start hitting Val up for free candy, realize she’s not Willy Wonka… I don’t think they’re able to give out freebies left & right to the entire vegan universe, I just happened to get lucky asking for the right thing at the right time. You’ll just have to trust me that these chocolates are as profoundly amazing as I say they are, then go support this great company by buying some!)

Right off the bat, let me tell you that these were truly some of the most incredibly delicious chocolates to have ever passed my lips. If I end up sounding a little bit like a commercial from here on out, that’s perfectly alright with me because the world needs to know about these amazing delicacies and I’m more than pleased to be the one to break the news to you gently. While they totally fronted me some free chocolates, no one is paying me for this review and I am raving about these of my own accord (but if Xan Confections for some reason wanted to put my address on their “lifetime of free chocolates for being awesome” award program, I’m totally down).

About the company:

Xan Confections tempt the tastebuds and satisfy the soul. Famed Orange County, Calif. chocolatier Tracey Downey creates indulgent artisan chocolates, caramels, and other handcrafted treats using distinctive flavors and only the finest, all-natural ingredients. Xan Confections’ health-conscious chocolates and caramels are non-dairy, gluten-free, low-glycemic, low-calorie and vegan — but are still as rich and satisfying as ever.

Xan Confections uses all-natural ingredients, fine cacao, and no fillers. Forty-nine different gourmet pieces are currently available. Not all are vegan, but they have two signature health-conscious collections that are, and those are what they sent me to try. Let’s have at it, shall we?

Wholly Cacao Caramels– Rich caramel sweetened with 100% blue agave nectar and encased in fine dark chocolate. Wholly Cacao Caramels are non-dairy vegan, gluten-free, egg-free and low sodium; each piece is 61 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 8 grams of carbs.

The flavors I got were: Espresso Almond, Coconut Pecan, Chocolate, Butterscotch, Ancho Chili. They also make Bananas Foster and Raspberry.

Wow, caramel is one of my favorite of all things on earth! Whenever finding myself face to face with a box of assorted chocolates, it’s always the caramels that I’d go for first. I did not read the package describing these chocolates before I tried them, so not only was I not expecting the joy of a sudden caramel lovebomb in my mouth, I was also in no way prepared for both the intensity and deliciousness of these flavors. Each one was so rich and I could really taste all the different subtleties… they were all really outstanding, and each one built upon the one before it. I can’t say that I’ve ever had gourmet chocolate before… now I totally get it.

The climax of this adventure however was the Ancho Chili flavored one. Until know I was a virgin to the combo of chocolate with chili… and boy howdy let me tell you it was worth saving myself for! I’ve never experienced anything like it before, the pairing of sweet & silky caramel and chocolate accented with spicy, almost cinnamony chili was truly mind blowing. The heat sneaks up on you, at first I didn’t even notice it and then it started to creep across my entire palate, after about 30 seconds of having eaten it my entire head was buzzing with an icy cool heat. When people talk about chocolate being better than sex, THIS is what they’re talking about.

Not only are these chocolates so very tasty but they’re also quite beautiful. I felt like a queen eating rare and precious jewels. Ok, I’ll compose myself and move on to the next collection before this turns into chocolate porn.

Saintly Sins– Pure fruit is blended with 100% organic blue agave nectar and other secret ingredients, and encased in dark chocolate. Saintly Sins are non-dairy vegan, low-glycemic and gluten-free; each piece is 29 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 5 grams of carbs. Flavors include: Raspberry, Strawberry, Pineapple.

Sorry, I lied… it’s about to get hot & heavy in here. These fruit filled chocolates are nothing short of orgasmic. Like the caramels above, I had not read the label describing what these were all about, and again, I was not at all prepared for what pleasures awaited me. I should have known that something so beautifully handcrafted was going to be extraordinary. These were almost too pretty to eat. But just almost.

The first one I tried was the raspberry, and I was treated to a delightfully unexpected eruption of pure fruit filling that came spilling out all over the place… it was thick and gooey and toothachingly sweet (in the best of ways), and you could see the bits of real raspberry; this is no fake, artificially flavored nonsense, it’s the real deal. The two other flavors were just as wonderful, both tasting exactly like the real fruits they were made from… but better… and covered in chocolate.

I cannot say enough about how amazing this vegan line of chocolate from Xan really is. I love chocolate just as much as any other chocolate lover, but I’ve never been one of those obsessed chocoholics. These however have made a true believe out of me. I’m telling you, if these were mass marketed, See’s Candies wouldn’t stand a chance.

The comfort of delicious chocolate whenever and wherever I feel like it is one of the fews things that as a vegan I miss big time. I won’t pretend that my breakup with caramel Twix has been easy. (You people think giving up cheese is hard? Try giving up ALL of your beloved candy bars!) I always loved milk chocolate and was not a big fan of dark chocolate, though I’ve come to appreciate it more as it’s the only chocolate readily available for vegans. These Xan chocolates are made with pure cacao and no milk, but they don’t have that bitterness to them that’s a turn off for me with dark chocolate. These tasted as good, no, much better, than any regular milk chocolate I’ve ever had. Seriously… these chocolates rocked my socks off. The fact that they are vegan, sugar-free, low carb and low calorie is just icing on the proverbial cake. They don’t taste like healthy, hippie chocolate, they taste like some of the finest, gourmet chocolates money can buy, while not being at all expensive.

Xan Confections are a local Irvine based company. I don’t think they have a storefront but all of their chocolates are available to be ordered online at www.XanConfections.com. They ship worldwide, with next-day delivery throughout Southern California. They are also available in Whole Foods Markets throughout Southern California, and other locations in Las Vegas, Arizona and Hawaii. In Orange County, Xan is available at Whole Foods Market at The District at Tustin Legacy. I was told that they might be labeled by the chocolatier’s name- Tracey Downey. If you don’t see them right away in the case, ask the person behind the counter. If they don’t carry them, demand for them to start!

Have I managed to convince you yet that these chocolates are out of this world? If not than I think it must be because you have no eyes, no tongue and no soul. Anyone out there who enjoys chocolate on a higher level, and especially vegans who think that full fledged bootie rocking, gasp inducing chocogasms are a thing of the past- I urge you to get yourselves either to a participating Whole Foods or the Xan Confections website as soon as possible. When you take your first bite of one of these beauties and notice you’ve got that special flush that’s usually only reserved for lovers or exquisite food bliss moments in dimly lit rooms, think of me… think of me fondly.

1. Hallelujah for Missionary Chocolates!
2. Chocolate City: Go Max Go! Vegan Candy Bars
3. The post-Thankgiving, post-Christmas post.
4. Anthony Bourdain, Vegans and Man-on-Man Love.
5. Vegan Valentines Day in the Valley.

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