Gourmet Chocolate Christmas Gifts
Gourmet Chocolate Gifts for the Chocolate Lover on your list
Gifts for chocolate lovers, chocolate gifts for hosts, heirloom cacao, and penguins and mice. We cover all gift options in chocolate.
They say there are two kinds of people, those who love chocolate and those who are lying. Most everyone loves chocolate. These days we’re lucky to have many gourmet chocolate options. I've covered gourmet chocolates in a prior column. Now that the holidays are upon us, I thought it would be a good time to revisit chocolate as the perfect gift.
- A few chocolate bars tied in pretty ribbon are a wonderful gift. How about a few artisan chocolate bars made from heirloom cacao in Peru? Domori is a producer of fabulous chocolate bars made from aromatic cacao (criollo, trinitario and nacional) and heirloom varietals. The self-proclaimed Cacao Cult is passionate in their pursuit of fine chocolates derived from pure and heirloom strains. A Mini sampler is 36.00 Euros (about 48.00 US) Individual bars can be had for less at your local gourmet chocolatier.
- Chocolate penguins? What could be cuter? Maybe too cute to eat? Burdicks Chocolates makes handmade chocolates are made in the European tradition. An adorable box of chocolate penguins will give chocolate lovers on your list happy feet.
- Hanukkah Mice? Whimsical and delicious mice come in a wooden box, tied with blue French wired ribbon and stamped with a silver menorah wax seal. The box contains an assortment of dark chocolate mice with orange interior, milk chocolate mice with mocha interior and white chocolate mice with cinnamon interior. Mice have almond ears and tails of blue ribbon. Nine mice for $29.00
- Recchiuti hand-rolled chocolate truffles will make any chocolate lover swoon. A half pound box can be had through Williams-Sonoma for $39.00
- The Bissingers family immigrated from Austria with a suitcase full of recipes in the 1800's. Today, it remains a family-owned company that's been producing fancy handmade chocolates since 1927. They make precious little chocolate cups perfect for serving cordials and larger chocolate dessert cups for mousse or ice cream. How about salted Margarita Caramels and Chardonnay Salt Caramels - $10.95 for a box of 6? Their holiday selection includes the “Spa Chocolates” line. Three selections offer a daily treat with each day’s selection only adding 46-62 calories and 4-7 net carbs. Seven piece sets are $14.95
- If you're really in a zen mood, how about a chocolate Buddha? Other deities are also avaiable. But what does it do to your karma when you eat him?
The queen of endorphins, the venerable Dr. Ruth Westheimer notes the allure of chocolate: "...the taste of chocolate is a sensual pleasure in itself, existing in the same world as sex... For myself, I can enjoy the wicked pleasure of chocolate...entirely by myself. Furtiveness makes it better."
