TOP PICK OF THE WEEK: Blue Bandana Chocolate Bars

New artisan chocolate bars. Photo courtesy Lake Champlain Chocolates.   Looking for an Easter gift for a chocolate connoisseur? Check out Blue Bandana chocolate bars from Lake Champlain Chocolates, one of our favorite producers of fine chocolate candies. Third-generation chocolatier Eric Lampman developed the bean-to-bar chocolate, using single origin cacao beans from Guatemala and Madagascar.…
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PRODUCT: Lindt Wasabi Chocolate Bar

Imagine being the master chocolatier for the world’s largest prestige chocolate company. Management is always looking for something new and different. You already have chocolate bars in Blackcurrant, Chili, Coconut, Cranberry, Orange, Passionfruit, Sea Salt, plus traditional flavors like Almond, Mint and Toffee and plain chocolate bars in a range of cacao intensities. What do…
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PRODUCT: Sarments de Médoc, Chocolate Twigs

In French, a sarment is the graceful, slender shoot of the grapevine. The Médoc region of Bordeaux knows all about them: It’s perhaps the most prestigious area of the most prestigious wine-growing region in the world. The Médoc is home to four of the five “first growth” Bordeaux wines: Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Latour, Château…
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VALENTINE GIFT: Sixth Course Chocolates

At a fine restaurant, after a five course dinner, including dessert, the sixth course is a dish of chocolates or mignardises with coffee. The founders of Sixth Course Artisan Confections describe them selves as “good pastry chefs [gone] rogue.” The Bay Area confectioners used Guittard couverture chocolate, made in San Francisco, along with local dairy…
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VALENTINE GIFT: Twice The Vice Chocolates With Alcohol

Top shelf alcohol infuses the ganaches in these bonbons. Photo courtesy Twice The Vice.   We love Twice The Vice, “spirited” chocolates filled with ganaches that are beautifully infused with premium alcohol. But not everyone can get them. Due to their high alcohol content, the chocolates can only be mailed to adults in the 19…
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