Blackbird Naturals Cacao Fudge Truffles“We’re all about being inclusive,” says Alexandra Maw, who along with her mother, Andrea Maw, and friend Anthony Anderson, is a co-founder of Blackbird Naturals, based in Paradise Valley.
She’s talking about the company’s first product, a raw vegan cacao fudge truffle. Although the truffle is made from 100 percent organic, vegan ingredients, Maw says the treat is really for everyone.
“Some people are surprised when they taste it,” says Anderson, who developed the recipe while modeling in New York. When a prominent caterer started ordering his truffles, he knew he was on to something.
The raw food community quickly embraced the truffle, but you don’t have to be a raw foodie or even a vegan to get that this little orb is delicious. The not-too-sweet, chewy-on-the-inside, crunchy-on-the-outside truffle is made with organic dates, raw cacao, organic coconut oil, organic shredded coconut and Himalayan pink salt. The truffle is rolled in either cacao nibs (pictured) or pistachios, which provide a crunchy contrast to the fudge-like center.
The hand-rolled truffles are available at the Urban Grocery & Wine Bar at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market, Oakville Grocery in north Scottsdale and Whole Foods locations (about $5.50 for a box of four).
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