Chocolate you could eat right off of the page! These elegant delights are from Chocolaterie Wanders of Manassas, Virginia.

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February 2007
Updated March 2007

Product Reviews / Main Nibbles / Chocolate

America’s Boutique Chocolatiers:
Part I

Good Things Come From Small Packagers

CAPSULE REPORT: America’s boutique chocolatiers are doing exciting things. Even if you never touch chocolate yourself, you’re bound to know at least one person for whom the mere mention of chocolate renders other subjects trivial and unimportant. With Valentine’s Day, Easter and Mother’s Day fast-approaching, you’re challenged to come up with something beyond the same old standard. With this list of little known but very deserving chocolate-makers, you’ll see how things can be kept fresh and new in any kind of relationship—be it chocolate or interpersonal. FOLLOW UP: Due to the popularity of this article, we created Part II—more wonderful chocolatiers.

• Overview
• Artisanal Chocolates

This is Part I of what we hope will be an ongoing discovery of exciting chocolate resources. Before we get to our “hot” list of boutique chocolatiers, there are a few things to consider. And it’s not just that better-quality chocolates will cost you more than those that are mass-produced.

• Inventory. Because these chocolatiers are so small-scale and insistent on quality, chances are that they don’t have a massive inventory sitting around waiting to be shipped out. They don’t have enormous staffs of kitchen elves, either, so order as early as possible or risk disappointment.
• Shelf Life. Don’t plan to keep these chocolates for months on end; don’t order them at Easter to give to your someone special in August. Most of these chocolates do not contain preservatives, and are more perishable than those that are factory-produced by the ton. In fact, while the chocolatiers will tell you to consume their products within two weeks, the flavors of the fresh herbs, fruits and spices used to flavor the centers will begin to break down after the first week.
  Photo: A chocolate ganesh, the Indian elephant deity, from Chocolate Deities. The chocolate tablet is painted with edible luster.
• Health Benefits (Not). Finally, don’t believe the hype you hear about chocolate being good for your health. Dark and milk chocolates do contain high levels of antioxidants, but they also have similarly elevated quantities of fat, sugar, and calories. On a per-calorie basis, many fruits and vegetables contain higher levels of antioxidants than does chocolate. Most people are not ready to eat 100% cacao chocolate for their health (no sugar, like baking chocolate,) so regard chocolate as what it is: a delicious indulgence.

Now, the fun part. Let’s get to the names!  Please note that this list is by no means comprehensive; there are untold numbers of fine chocolate-makers scattered about the U.S., and I encourage you to seek them out and try their products. Manufacturers are listed in alphabetical order. Links to websites are provided and addresses are listed for any physical stores.

Chocolate Deities. What do you get when you cross best-quality chocolate with spiritual inclinations? In this instance, you get deities, molded in chocolate. You have your choice of the Immortals (including Krishna and a Mayan Mask that must be seen to be believed—it’s at the right and yes, it’s chocolate covered in edible gold luster), the Mortals (such as the Vision Serpent and a Meditating Buddha), Power Animals (Bear and Thunderbird, for example), the Tricksters (Kokopelli and Loki), and the Symbols (look here for Valentine Hearts, a Star of David, or a Celtic Cross). These are great-looking pieces, and they taste wonderful…if you can bring yourself to eat them. I especially like the fact that many pieces are available in a choice of chocolates, and you can even order some hand-painted (my first order from Chocolate Deities was a hand-painted Meditating Buddha, and it was so amazing I couldn’t bring myself to eat it for nearly a month).

Chocolaterie Wanders. These are chocolates of quiet elegance. They’re subtle in appearance, and they’re decorated in an understated fashion. There is an excellent reason for this; once you taste them, you’ll understand that they don’t need to distract you with gaudy decorations, because the emphasis is right where it should be—on the ingredients, how they’re combined, and the way these pieces are made. Ultra-thin exterior chocolate “shells” reveal deeply flavorful fillings. I love the Espresso piece here, which harbors a dark ganache flavored with dark-roast espresso beans and housemade hazelnut paste. The Cinnamon, too, is beautiful, with its milk chocolate ganache flavored with freshly-ground cinnamon sticks. Too routine for you? Try the Port Chocolate, in which a bed of black mission fig ganache supports a layer of dark ganache flavored with a 20 year old tawny Port. The flavors here change frequently to match the season, and I’m pleased to see that the product line is expanding, as well (into caramelized almonds and chocolate-dipped dried fruit, among others.)

Chocolate Springs. Joshua Needleman began working with food at the ripe old age of 16. He’s lived and worked in both France and the U.S., and he has a passion for Japanese culture. Combine all of those ingredients, stir well, and you’ll have the Chocolate Springs Café in Lenox, Massachusetts. Cookies and pastries, hot cocoa, coffee and tea and, of course, chocolates. What’s that? You don’t live near Lenox? Well, I don’t either, but fortunately many of the café’s offerings are also available online. I haven’t tried any cookies, pastries, or tea and coffee, but oh, my, those chocolates! Sophisticated and stylish, they’re deeply flavored and “dressed to impress” with their beauty. If the Raspberry Love Bar isn’t the perfect Valentine’s Day treat, I don’t know what is, but if a bar isn’t your thing, you can fill up a box with your choice of chocolates. How about a Hazelnut Praline Crunch? Or maybe a Celebration- a dark chocolate ganache center with cognac, covered in more dark chocolate, and streaked with gold dust? They have a lovely hot chocolate mix, as well. It’s hard to go wrong here—unless you leave your ordering until the last minute. The café, at 55 Pittsfield/Lenox Road in Lenox, Massachusetts, is open daily. Telephone 1.413.637.9820.

Coco-luxe Confections. Stephanie Marcon took her initial inspiration for her chocolates from something a bit different: cake flavors! When was the last time you saw a Gingerbread chocolate, or an Angel Food chocolate? I’m not the world’s biggest fan of white chocolate, but Coco-luxe has a special way with it: That Angel Food piece is wonderful! It’s a white chocolate ganache infused with vanilla bean, covered in white chocolate—not too sweet or cloying. If you prefer dark chocolate, you’ll find plenty of it here. Try the Double Cherry, a dark chocolate-cherry ganache with bits of dried tart cherries, or the Devil’s Food (straight dark chocolate). Milk chocolate fans are paid their due with the German Chocolate and Malted Milk pieces. One of the cleverest aspects of these chocolates is the built-in flavor guide: Each chocolate has a design atop that tells you what the center is. The Angel Food, for example, has a representation of a small angel on each piece, while the Double Cherry has a little edible outline of two cherries. Brilliant!
Above: The “Afternoon Collection” with Coffee, Tea and Espresso. But, you knew that, just from looking at the designs.

Cocoa Puro. Everyone and his brother is making chocolate-covered cocoa nibs these days, but I think Cocoa Puro has a much better (and tastier!) idea. Their Kakawa Cocoa Beans are whole, roasted, fine-quality cacao beans, coated in three different types of chocolate and dusted in cocoa powder. The chocolatier behind these beans is fiercely insistent upon using only what he regards as top-quality products. Kakawa beans emerge from their resealable, red gift bags looking somewhat like chocolate-covered almonds, but any resemblance ends there. Bite into one, and multiple textures and flavors, all chocolate, crowd into your mouth. These beans manage to be earthy and opulent simultaneously—no mean trick!   

Daily Chocolate. It wasn’t so very long ago that the citizens of this great country thought that the epitome of chocolate came in a box you could purchase at any drugstore and keep for months. The fact that Daily Chocolate is thriving shows how far many Americans have come, for you’ll find no “drugstore” chocolates here. Instead, look for a walnut-almond-white rum-dried plum nougat, coated in dark chocolate and sparingly garnished with pistachios. I meant to save half for you to try, honest! Maybe you’ll have better luck keeping the Napoleon away from me; it’s a dark fudge pâté with raspberry, caramel, and nuts, a multi-level piece with great visual effects and textural contrasts. Other offerings include an intriguing white chocolate-lemon-lavender-almond bark and a nicely-done mint patty; both are far from ordinary. As of this writing, there are phone orders only; the website is under development, but will be at http://www.dailychocolatevermont.net. The retail boutique, at 7 Green Street, Vergennes, Vermont, is open Wednesday through Saturday except during holiday season and peak tourist season, when it is open open six days per week. Telephone 1.802.877.0087.     

DePaula Confections. I don’t mind admitting it was DePaula’s packaging that first attracted my attention. How many times do you see chocolates in a luxurious, embossed, handmade box, after all? But John DePaula understands that charming packaging is not enough for chocolate lovers; one’s products must deliver good flavors, eye appeal, and freshness, and his fill the bill nicely. What to try first? The Pomegranate, with its dark chocolate ganache-honey-pomegranate molasses center in a white chocolate exterior, is as unique as it is beautiful. I’m partial to the Raspberry Fleur-de-Lis, too, another dark chocolate ganache piece (flavored with raspberry eau-de-vie) enrobed in more dark chocolate. And by all means try the Caramel Fleur de Sel…but I could go on and on. Note that most assortments, but not all,  feature the handmade paper box.

De Vries Chocolate. Steve De Vries doesn’t make chocolates. Rather, he makes chocolate—bean-to-bar, on antique equipment, no less. He has done years of research and experimenting to get to the point where he is today, offering just a few types of bars from what he feels are the very best cocoa beans available. De Vries bars are small and unadorned; they contain only cocoa beans and sugar (no vanilla or lecithin; Mr. De Vries feels these ingredients detract from the true nature of the beans). This chocolate is not for everyone; it is definitely bittersweet, with a powerful “red fruit” astringent note. But if you are a fan of “big” red wines, head over to the website and choose from among Costa Rican- (in two varieties) or Dominican-bean-based bars—and by the way, all of the beans used here are organic. If you think there’s nothing new in the chocolate universe, try these bars.    

Fiori Chocolatiers. In their handsome mock alligator-skin box, these chocolates have the appearance of confections made by a true professional (and if you’re giving chocolates to men, this assortment has unisex appeal with a tip toward the manly). But there’s more to it than that, because you can taste the good ingredients used here. Lee Johnson, Fiori’s CCC (that’s Chief Chocolate Conjuror), has a nice range of fillings that will be appreciated by both traditionalist and chocolate adventurer. I like the Fragola, a dark chocolate piece with fresh organic strawberry and liqueur in a white ganache, as well as the Fichi al Rhum, homemade fig liqueur blended into a dark ganache. But if you’re more venturesome in your appetites, try the Yoshino, fresh ginger and toasted sesame in a dark ganache, or the Basilico, a truffle filled with a dark ganache flavored with fresh organic basil, apricot, and lime. I like the emphasis on seasonal produce here, as well as the use of organics where possible. And how on earth does Fiori get the exterior chocolate coating on their truffles so thin? Mr. Johnson offers a lovely hot chocolate mix, as well.

Omanhene Cocoa Bean Company. Omanhene produces ingots. But these aren’t ingots of gold or silver, they’re ingots of another precious material: cacao beans. The background story of this chocolate is fascinating; it all began when the CCO (Chief Chocolate Officer) was sent to Ghana as a high school exchange student. Steven Wallace decided he wanted to give something back to the African country he came to love, and Omanhene, which uses only cacao beans grown in Ghana, is the result. My favorite product in Omanhene’s line is their dark milk chocolate. Something like a cross between a very cacao-intensive milk chocolate and a not-too-bitter dark chocolate, it’s alluringly smooth, with a full, rich, deeply chocolate flavor that always makes me think of coffee (though it has no coffee in it). These ingots are small (0.7 ounces each), so they’re a great treat for any time of day. They come already “gift wrapped,” in a very nice presentation box (each ingot is also individually wrapped). I’ve been recommending this chocolate for years now, and I still love it. Also available: an Extra Dark chocolate, a number of gift assortments, hot cocoa and frappe mixes, and chocolate without the fancy wrapping.  

Pete’s Gourmet Confections. Marshmallows and products containing them are specialties here. If you don’t think marshmallows are anything special, you just haven’t tried Pete’s enormous, fresh-tasting squares, available in flavors such as Chocolate, Espresso and Strawberry. If you ever get tired of these flavors by themselves (and I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for that,) you can order them dipped in chocolate. Pete’s makes an unusual Rocky Road, which you can order as a home-style “slab” or in small squares. Their recipe includes semisweet chocolate, vanilla, almonds, and espresso marshmallows, and it’s delicious. There are also chocolate-dipped caramels, hot cocoa mix, and any number of seasonal specialties. I like the playful nature of these products, and they’ll appeal to a wide variety of ages.

How To Choose?

There’s a lot of variety here, but those who like plain bars or marshmallows will separate themselves from those who like fancy bonbons or chocolate Buddhas. Or, if you want it all, just start at the top of the list and work your way down, as we do.

And, see Part II of this article for more wonderful artisanal chocolatiers.

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