Chocolate gifts for Valentine’s Day are a  traditional sign of love and affection, and this year Bittersweet Café, the Bay Area’s bean-to-bar Bittersweet Origins chocolate maker and chocolate cafés, has a full array of its own chocolate collections and special gift packaging ready for your special Valentine sweetheart. 
Bittersweet’s three Bay Area locations are a Valentine gift central with delicious, high quality chocolate gifts ranging from $4.95 to $34.95.  

Valentine tins, Share the Love tins and Big Love Pails are popular Bittersweet signature gifts.  The Mint Tin includes Dark Chocolate Holland Mints and Dark Chocolate Peppermint Shortbreads while the Fruit and Nut Tin features Dark Chocolate Dried Strawberries, Dark Chocolate Cherries and Dark Chocolate Pistachios.
 
The Share the Love Tin provides a quarter pound each of Mint Mix (Dark Chocolate Holland Mints, Dark Chocolate Peppermint Shortbreads) and Fruit and Nut Mix (Dark Chocolate Dried Strawberries, Dark Chocolate Cherries, and Dark Chocolate Pistachios), Solid Milk Hearts and Solid Dark Chocolate Hearts. 

Fabulous handmade Bittersweet truffles are available in a variety of flavors, from hand-rolled dark, Fleur de Sel, raspberry liquor-spiked Framboise, and the scintillating Spicy, to the elegant finish of heart-shaped Blood Orange, Passion fruit and Cinnamon.

Other unique Bittersweet Valentine offerings are the Love Letter and the Tasting Tins.  The Love Letter is a modern-retro envelope, enclosing a note card, one New Tree Alpha Disc (an unusual and incredibly delicious bar -flax seeds give it an unusual crunch and make it rich in anti-oxidants) one of their best-selling Vosges Mini Bars and a $10.00 Bittersweet Gift Card.  

Tasting Tins include How Many Ways Do I Love Thee (a wide selection of small bits of some of the world’s most delectable chocolates) and the popular Heart of Darkness Collection.   The collection also includes an outline of the most recent findings about the health benefits of chocolate with high cacao content.

And, for those quick and inexpensive gift needs, Bittersweet is offering Chinese Take-Away Valentine Boxes with Solid Dark and Milk chocolate hearts, along with Raspberry Cream, Caramel and Mint Crunch Hearts.

About Bittersweet  Origins and Café
Bittersweet Origins is a manufacturing and retailing company which creates craft chocolate and coffee in handmade, micro-batches to engage the senses and the mind.  Bittersweet Café retail stores’ ambience and furnishings reflect the one-of-a-kind nature of its chocolate bars, chocolate drinks and coffees.  The warm and welcoming spaces furnished with unique tables, benches, carts and artwork from local craftspeople and artists create a gathering place for the community to savor locally made chocolate delicacies, coffee and tea.  The Bittersweet Cafes are located in San Francisco on Fillmore Street, College Avenue in Oakland and the Rose Garden Shopping Center in Danville.  For more information, visit www.bittersweetcafe.com/ or call 510-705-1860.

Truffles. Photo courtesy of mhaithaca

Any true chocoholic has spent a lot more time then they’d care to admit either pressing their noses against the front window of a chocolaterie, or drooling over a beautiful glass display case, housing the most beloved and cherished chocolaty treat of all time – truffles. 

Invented in 1625 by John Labarge, the humble chocolate truffle is traditionally a sphere like entity with a chocolate ganache center, encompassed by more chocolate and dusted with cocoa powder. However, history has seen several changes made to this cute confectionery – cream, nuts, liqueurs, berries, nougat, toffee, caramel, marshmallow, even wasabi has made its way into the recipes and hearts of chocolate lovers around the world. 

But one need not wander a chocolate shop dreamily, wishing for lots of money to throw down on a $4 or $5 taste of heaven. In fact, these delightful delicacies can be made right in the comfort of your own home at very little expense. 

THE BASIC TRUFFLE:

The trick is to begin with something simple, like a plain chocolate truffle, nothing fancy, but still sinfully good. Then later, once you have perfected your truffle technique, you can add different extracts and flavours to modify the original recipe. 

Ingredients:

- 12 ounces of chopped or broken bittersweet chocolate 
- 1/3 cup of cream (heavy cream is ideal, but ordinary cream will suffice) 
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

photo courtesy of photojenni

Method:

1. Heat cream and chocolate together in a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir constantly until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture luxuriously smooth.
2. Remove from heat.
3. Add vanilla extract and whisk, whisk, whisk!
4. Pour into a new container or dish and leave to cool in refrigerator for approximately 1 hour, until sufficiently cooled, but not hard.
5. Roll into balls and roll in the topping of your choice.
6. (TIP: When rolling truffles, keep placing your hands on a package of crushed ice to keep your hands cool. This helps avoid melting the truffles into gooey messes.)

And there you have it – truffles galore right in your very own kitchen! Also, truffles make excellent gifts if packaged in tissue paper and presented in a pretty little box. Nothing says love quite like a homemade truffle (and nothing tastes quite as sweet either)!

We have featured Chocolate Inked Sweet Shoppe in our Chocolate Manufacturers – Guide for Chocoholics.

Chocolate Inked Sweet Shoppe is located in the historic Village of Metamora, MI. Metamora dates back to the 1800′s and is also known as “horse country.” The building that CISS is located in was built over 150 years ago and has quite a history. It was recently purchased by friends and has been in the process of a complete renovation, the chocolate shoppe is located in the back half of the building. The outside of the building is in the process of being completed now, though when you walk into the shoppe  you will be taken back to years gone by. It gives you a quaint, warm and cozy feeling when you see the signature colors of teal and brown. The fireplace will make you want to sit at one of three tables that remind you of a old fashioned ice cream shoppe. You can enjoy the warmth of the shoppe as you wit with your laptop to access the only shoppe in the village with WiFi or you can relax as you watch a favorite program on the large plasma T.V. 
 
Sharon and Kevin make a variety of handmade chocolates, which include their signature handmade salted caramels, molded caramels, molded chocolates, truffles, specialty chocolates, nutty and krispy barks, dipped nuts, fruits, pretzels, cookies, and so much more. They offer muffins, cookies, brownies, cupcakes, and even Sharon’s signature cake that will truly bring you back. The signature cake can be ordered in any flavor with infused ganache, a chocolate whipped cream, or a fruit filling. Each cake is then drizzled with dark, milk and white chocolates. It is a mouth watering cake that will have you wanting more. “CISS” also does gift baskets for all occasions. One unique product that they have is chocolates that can be printed with photos, logos, and text. These chocolates are not made by Sharon and Kevin, they are made by their supplier in a nut free facility. They do personalized chocolates for all occasions, weddings, graduations, birthdays, funerals, etc. “CISS” also offers Cook’s Farm Dairy Ice Cream. Cook’s is a  working dairy farm and is well known in the Metamora area. You can order ice cream cones, handmade waffle cones and bowls that are dipped in chocolate, great tasting shakes, smoothies, sundaes, parfaits. Coffee, sweet tea, lemonade, canned soda, bottled water are other items that are available. You never know what may be available on any given day, there is always something different.
 
Chocolate Inked has a website for the personalized chocolates and you can call them with any questions and to place your orders. You can access the website at: www.chocolateinked.com
 
You will be pleasantly surprised when you enter the world of “CISS.”  With a tag line of “Have you been CISS’d today?” first time customers will leave with a special chocolate “CISS” so that they too,  “Have been CISS’d today!”
 
Chocolate Inked Sweet Shoppe
70 E. High St.
Metamora, MI. 48455
810-678-2022
Fax: 810-678-2022

We featured Chocolations in our Chocolate Manufacturers – Guide for Chocoholics.

About Chocolations

Founder Maria Valente opened Chocolations in December of 2006.  Located in Mamaroneck, NY Maria Valente creates these local sweets by hand from local and fresh high quality ingredients. Maria’s creations include hand dipped truffles, creative barks, cheerful pops, cupcakes, and beautiful holiday figures such as bunnies and hens.  Her newest creation, rice crispy cakes!  You have to see it to believe it!

photo courtesy of Chocolations.com

Maria’s creations are award-winning. Westchester Magazine named Valente’s truffles best in Westchester in Febuary 2008. In November of 2008, Maria Valente’s antioxidant rich Good For You bar (with dark chocolate, dried blueberries and almonds) won as one of the top three chocolate bars in the United States.

Chocolation’s Mission Statement

Create fine affordable chocolates using excellent ingredients. Give entrepreneurial woman or those with a socially conscious focus a showcase for their goods, and share my resources with them. Model an environmentally friendly, socially conscious business.

Specialties

Crispy Cakes:

One of the latest specialties out of Chocolations,  is their Crispy Cake.  It starts with their homemade Crispy Treats shaped in a number of different ways.  Delicious butter cream is then added to decorate, and it’s finish with solid chocolate pieces to enhance the effect.  This is more than just a cake, it is the centerpiece, and a conversation piece all in one.  Great for weddings and parties.

Truffles Available:

Caramel, Peanut Butter, Classic Milk, Amaretto, Ginger Honey, Hazelnut, Jasmine, Latte, Bailey’s Irish Cream, Toasted Coconut, Concord Grape, Cappuccino, Classic White.

Good for You Bar:

Chocolations Good For You Bar’s are delicious candy bars filled with health benefits. The bar is a combination of dark chocolate, dried blueberries and almonds. All of which are an excellent source of antioxidants, which protect the body against free radicals. Aside from it’s defensive capabilities, the Good For You Bar is a combination off your favorite flavors in a tasty little convenient bar. This “Not-So-Guilty” pleasure is easy to fall in love with, but of course,  in moderation!

Contact Infomation:

Chocolations
914.777.3600 ph.
914.777.2948 fax
www.chocolations.com

Lindor Truffles; photo courtesy of mai-ke

I was browsing the net the other day and guess what I found out! Lindt (the very famous Swiss chocolate company that we mentioned in our Chocolate Manufacturers – Guide for Chocoholics) is giving away 12 months of Lindor Truffles!! I had to share this, my friends! I have to confess: Lindor Truffles are my weakness… or at least, one of them :D 

For those of you who have never seen Lindor Truffles, I attached an awesome image from flickr.com.

Giveaway Details:
*The 12 Months of Free Lindor Truffles Giveaway contest is open for entries from July 27, 2009 through August 31, 2009. No purchase is required for entry. There will be one winner chosen on September 1, 2009 from all online entries submitted via this website. This giveaway is also available in Lindt Chocolate Shops, where one winner will be selected per location. The winners will be contacted by a Lindt representative and provided with detailed information on how to receive their prize. Store location winners will receive a redemption booklet for 12 consecutive months of (1) free 28-count Lindor Truffle bag to be picked up at the store location per month. The online winner will be shipped (1) 28-count bag of Lindor Truffles per month for the next 12 consecutive months.

If you are interested, you can visit their contest page for more info. Good luck! I hope one of you wins!

We featured Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier in our Chocolate Manufacturers – Guide for Chocoholics.

About the Company:

Gail Ambrosius founded her chocolate business in 2004, based on a deep love of dark chocolate and all of its richly complex and flavorful possibilities. She holds monthly tastings in her shop and encourages you to drop by and learn more about the distinct flavors of single-origin chocolate.

photo courtesy of Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier

Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier specializes in creating deliciously exotic dark chocolates in her Madison, Wisc., shop daily for legions of loyal fans in the area and around the country. Much like coffee, fine chocolate takes on the characteristics of the regions where the cacao beans are grown. Gail uses single-origin chocolate for most of her truffles, meaning that the unique flavors of a particular region’s cacao are melded with the finest spices, fruits, teas, nuts and other natural ingredients for the ultimate chocolate experience.

Gail and her staff are constantly tasting, adjusting and concocting new signature truffles and treats, bringing in fresh seasonal flavors to their handmade chocolates. At the same time, Gail is involved in every step of the process from ensuring the cacao farmers receive fair payment to powering her shop with solar and wind power.

About the products:

Looking for a small, simply divine pleasure for a gift, a special occasion or to savor in a rare moment of pampering? Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier has a constantly changing assortment of flavor options that fits the bill. Below are just a few of the possibilities:

Gail Ambrosius Chocolate. photo courtesy of Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier

Boxed chocolates: Truffles are available in beautifully designed boxes in a variety of flavor assortments and sizes. Flavor assortments include: Travel, Teas and Liqueurs. You can also select your own flavor combinations from our wide variety.

Price per box: $4.25 for two-piece; $11.00 for six-piece; $21.50 for 12-piece; and $40 for 24-piece box.

Twelve on the twelfth: You can order their box of twelve chocolates to arrive on the 12th of each month (or as near as possible). This makes a great gift anytime or as a convenient way to keep yourself in chocolate each month. You can select the flavor and length of time you want them to deliver.

Price: $64.50 plus shipping for three months, billed in monthly installments.

Hot chocolate: Warm your senses with this small batch, shaved 65 percent dark Columbian chocolate. Melt into warmed milk or enjoy European style in hot water. Thick and decadent. One bag makes 25 eight-ounce servings.

Price: $15.00

Chocolate sauce: A chocolate sauce for grown-up tastes. Dark and thick, it’s perfect on fruit, ice cream or just treat yourself to a spoonful. Made with Rainforest Certified Ecuadorian chocolate.

Price: $9.00

Shipping: Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier chocolates are made by hand in small batches to provide the freshest chocolate experience. Chocolates should be eaten within two weeks of purchase or refrigerated.

Location:

Chocolates can be purchased at their retail store at 2086 Atwood Avenue, Madison, Wisc., or purchased online at www.gailambrosius.com.