Gourmet Chocolate Truffles
: Ok, so what is a “gourmet chocolate truffle”? Hint: It’s not a mushroom! Although the original chocolate truffles were designed to kind of look like the lumpy, underground fungi we know as mushrooms. A chocolate truffle has some sort of center (called ganache), made out of caramel, or nuts, or mint, or, or, or. Then it’s covered with either chocolate (white, milk, or dark chocolate), or cocoa powder.
Sometimes the best chocolates come from very small American chocolatiers. It’s like finding a hidden gem… Give these a try:
-Romanticos Chocolates: A small Florida chocolatier that makes truffles from the purest of ingredients. With names such as Tipsy Almond, Floridian Orange, Sinful Amaretto, and Original Sin, they are beautiful to look at as well as eat. And their boxes are literally works of art, featuring the designs of Pat Morales.
Olde Naples Chocolate: Something very cool: Personalized chocolate truffles! Say what you’d like on your choice of Olde Naples’ fabulous truffles. How can this go wrong?
-3 Sisters Chocolate: So many to choose from, so little time… However, try the Mango Chili White Chocolate Truffles. (Your mouth should be watering about now.)
–Charles Chocolates: Charles Chocolates are often mentioned by savvy chocolate reviewers as being among the best made in the U.S. Just in time for Valentines Day – their heart shaped chocolate truffles in raspberry, passion fruit, and mojito. Or, if you’d like something a little more classic, go with their Nuts, Pralines and Caramel Boxed Assortment of gourmet chocolate truffles.
–Sacred Chocolate: For some of the best chocolate truffles, take a look at Sacred TRUTH truffles-very unusual blends and tastes – all organic, all vegan, environmentally proficient chocolatier. There’s Artic Chi, Ajaya, Cheeky Monkey, and Lavender Blue, to mention just a few… As they say, when you taste one of their Sacred Truth truffles, you will know the truth!
And for chocolates bonbons (“truffles” to us, bonbons to the French) made by Italian, French, Belgian, etc. chocolatiers, you might like some of these:
–Amedei: Why is it that the name “Amedei” seems to be interchangeable with “chocolate”? There are two Amedei chocolate boxes that are sure to please: Praline da Meditazione, and l Tartufi.
–Knipschildt: Their Dark Chocolate Classic Truffles are, well, classic! (The kind rolled in cocoa powder.) They melt in your mouth!
–Richart: French chocolatier Richart makes some very fine chocolates. Particularly good are the fruity petits, which are chocolates filled with mango, lime, and raspberry.
–Leonidas: Great reviews from customers for their fine Belgian chocolates! Try the 1 and ½ pound box of chocolate truffles, filled with buttercreams, praline, special creams – and their famous Manon Café truffles.