Chocolate Find of the Month:

Are you finished with your holiday shopping? Of course not! But if someone on your list loves great chocolate truffles, your shopping just got easier. December's Chocolate Find, XOX Truffles, Inc., offers 21 varieties of handmade truffles that are everything a truffle should be. Forget about those giant, overdecorated monsters sold in some places; these are petite, irregularly-shaped, unassuming jewels of flavor and richness. The thin chocolate shell surrounds a dense, rich filling that will leave you hungry for more...go ahead, they're small! Truffles are offered dusted with cocoa powder, white chocolate-coated, coffee crunch-coated, hazelnut-coated, and coconut-coated, in such intriguing flavors as Creme de Framboise, French Roast, and Black & White. There are truffles both with and without liqueur, and something I've never seen before--vegan truffles, made with soy milk and dark chocolate, for those who can't or won't eat dairy products.

Jean-Marc and Casimira Gorce package their truffles creatively, using mugs, trays, goblets, and more. A recent order arrived in a pretty gold box with a nice bow--and the truffles were in perfect condition. Casimira, who had no knowledge of the chocolate columns I write at the time, called on the next business day to make sure the truffles had gotten to me in good shape, which impressed me very much. XOX Truffles, Inc. has a shop at 754 Columbus Avenue in San Francisco, CA 94133, or you can call them at (415) 421-4814 or fax them at (415) 826-4186. Their website is at www.xoxtruffles.com; please note that, as of this writing, the website had not been updated to include the vegan truffles. XOX Truffles, Inc. is a great way to give special chocolates to a special someone in your life.

'Til next edition,
Yours in chocolate,

Stephanie