[2] Boxes of Lindor truffles are available at retailers nationwide (photo courtesy JunkBanter.com).

[3] For larger sizes, head to LindtUSA.com. This bag contains 75 truffles.

[4] You don’t have to be a professional like Becky Bakes to create a holiday cake with Lindor truffles. Tip: Use a simpler garnish!

Our favorite discoveries were at Lindt: not just the million-square-foot bean-to-bar plant, thick with chocolate aroma, but the ability to taste just about everything Lindt produces.

We have many favorites, but one in particular is our Top Pick Of The Week: Lindor Pumpkin Spice Truffles.

The milk chocolate shell has a creamy center of “smooth melting pumpkin spice filling.” We can’t get enough of them, and have stocked up on this limited edition (through the season, while supplies last) to get us through Valentine’s Day.

Why?

 
No wonder Lindt packages these truffles in jumbo sizes in addition to the standard 5.1-ounce and 8.5-ounce packages available at retailers nationwide (suggested prices $4.39 and $6.99, respectively).

For larger sizes, we headed to Lindt Outlet Stores and Lindt’s online store at LindtUSA.com. There, you can find:

 
 
A BIT OF LINDT HISTORY

Before we move on to drinking the truffles, here’s a quick note on how Lindor Truffles came to be.

In 1845, Zurich store owner David Sprüngli-Schwarz and his son, Rudolf Sprüngli-Ammann, decided to be among the first confectioners in Switzerland to manufacture chocolate in a solid form.

Prior to then, chocolate was a beverage, as it had been since Mesoamericans first began to use it around 1500 B.C.E. (the timeline of chocolate).

Solid chocolate then was nothing like the product we know. It was a gritty, chewy product. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t enjoyable, though. Some companies, like Tazo, still make this old-style chocolate.

But progress marched forward.

In 1879 chocolatier Rodolphe Lindt of Berne, Switzerland, inadvertently developed a technique, conching, that created the smooth, silky chocolate we enjoy today.

Ten years later, older brother Johann Rudolf Sprüngli acquired the Lindt business, and the secret to making smooth, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate. The new company was called Lindt & Sprüngli, but Lindt, the easier name to pronounce in different languages, became the brand name.

Right after World War II, with time to re-focus on life’s pleasures, the creative chocolatiers at Lindt & Sprüngli developed the Lindor truffle, enrobing an even meltier center with its famed chocolate.

Here’s the complete company history.

Lindor truffles are not just for eating. You can drink them:

 
When we visited the Lindt Outlet Store (here’s a store locator for both Lindt Chocolate Shops and Lindt Outlet Stores), we found a large cafe counter offering the choice of these drinks and more. We dove right in.

Our recommendation: For a less sweet drink, use two Lindor truffles per 8 ounces of hot milk or coffee. For a sweeter drink, use three truffles. Whisk them in one at a time.

We haven’t stopped drinking Lindt hot chocolate since!

Pizzazzerei set up a party bar, an idea you may want to try for your own fall entertaining.

You can also use Lindt truffles as a cocktail garnish, matching the different Lindor flavors (more than 20) to specific drink recipes.

With Lindor Pumpkin Spice, the choice is obvious:
 
 
RECIPE: LINDT PUMPKINTINI

It’s like an alcoholic milkshake! Have it for dessert.

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

[5] Add two truffles to milk, stir, and you’ve got Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate.

[6] The best Pumpkinitini has a Lindor Pumpkin Spice Truffle garnish (photo courtesy Lindt).

2. SHAKE and strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with the truffle. If you don’t have a cocktail pick, lightly notch the truffle and place it on the rim of the glass.

See our article on pumpkin liqueur, and why you should buy a bottle while you can.