Fit For A Princess
I just happened upon this Gift Box from Empress Chocolate. I confess, I'm not much interested in sampling the Strawberry-Kiwi truffles, as the choice of fruity flavoring seems more suited to the palate of a pre-teen. I'll send a box to my niece while she still thinks that all chocolate is created equal. In any event, I'm positive that she'll just love the illustration and who knows, maybe I'm the one missing out.

La Dolce Vita
Domenica Bertolusso and Chef Beppe Montanaro, the proud owners of TartufLanghe, have been purveyors of the coveted Piedmont Tartufo since 1968. And how sweet it is that they’ve branched out to chocolate. Like the first ever chocolate truffle, Tartufo dolce d’Alba is the chocolate interpretation of its namesake. True to the classic, the truffle is fashioned into an irregular shaped nugget to appear as if it had been plucked straight from the earth by one of those indispensable pigs. Beneath the dusty layer of dark brown cocoa powder is a smooth ball of bittersweet Italian chocolate bursting with sumptuous chunks of rare IGP (Protected Geographical Identity) Piedmont hazelnuts (among the best variety in Italy). And the great news is that for a few Euro, you can have the authentic tastes of Piedmont imported straight to your door.

Coco Loco
The bartender at a friend's BBQ just tipped me off to this Astor Belgian milk chocolate bar flavored with Malibu rum. But don’t get too excited--it doesn’t actually contain any rum. Instead, a Malibu coconut rum-like flavoring is infused with light and creamy milk-chocolate. If you ask me, it lacks that extra little umph that only true rum can achieve. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it in the same way that I enjoy virgin Pina Coladas--the taste is classic and undeniably good, yet that extra little spike is always welcome, and in this case, terribly missed.

Dina's Diet
If for health reasons, you're unable to indulge in the richer chocolates, but you still have cocoa cravings, then Dina's Chocolate bars may be right for you. Created by Dina Khader, a Mount Kisco based nutritionist, to suit the needs of her health conscious clients. As dieters often feel deprived, Dina suggests that her clients treat themselves to a 1oz. serving three times a week. This way, they have something to look forward to, which helps to keep them on track. At 73% cocoa content, the certified organic, extra dark, notably bitter, low glycemic, chocolate bars are sweetened with evaporated cane juice and flavored with health giving foods like cholesterol lowering almonds and antioxidant rich green tea. But be forewarned, the lack of refined sugar, milk products, and other yummy bad stuff is apparent.

Canvasing Chocolate
The only thing Art Historian Erica Fowler-Decatur loves as much as art is chocolate, and of course her husband Michael. In a mission to promote the arts, the two drempt up Art Bars. Each bar contains a card featuring one of forty-eight works from a group of contemporary and child artists. Ten percent of the proceeds are donated to The Community School of Music & Arts and The International Child Art Foundation. Art Bar's fair trade certified organic chocolate is sweetened with unrefined cane sugar and comes in a cool, futuristic looking, air-tight, eco-friendly package. The Swiss chocolate bars: milk chocolate, milk chocolate with hazelnuts, dark (58%), and dark with coconut are definitely not your run of the mill charity bar. I say, collect them all! The chocolate is yummy, it's for a great cause, and the art cards make quaint little bookmarks:)

Wickedly Good Brownie
My boyfriend eats a lot of brownies and he rates this one pretty high, possibly one of the best. Trust me, he eats enough of the things to be considered a connoisseur. His opinion is backed up by another reputable source--Oprah has named these guys one of her favorite things.The rich chocolate aroma alone is divine, and then there's the near perfect texture--very light, not too chewy, not too cakey. I'll tell you a little secret-if you pick them up late afternoon from the Fat Witch bakery in The Chelsea Market, they're half off to make way for the fresh morning batch.

Chocolate Bar Buzz
If you're looking for something to do, check out New York Magazine's list of cool Chocolate Bars.

Mood Chocolate
by NewTree
While everyone seems to be buzzing about chocolates health benefits, the team at NewTree takes the concept to new heights. In addition to the natural minerals and antioxidants already present in their high content-73% Belgian dark chocolate, each bar, branded with its own concept: ie. Sexy, Vigor, Renew, Tranquility and Forgiveness, is infused with corresponding herbs and stimulants.The Sexy-Energizing bar is flavored with pungent pieces of ginger and contains guarana extract, which is often found in energy drinks and stimulates the central nervous system. The chocolate has a nice snap to it, and the dark chocolate and ginger combo has always been a favorite. I can’t say how extra sexy or energized I felt after indulging in a few pieces, but either way, I commend them for the concept and the nice, clean packaging.

Pretty as a Péché
Raleigh based Péché (French for sin) imports handmade chocolates from France, Belgium and Lebanon. They then intricately wrap and fan them in foil. Though I prefer them as is, they can be further adorned in finery such as tulle and ribbon to suit yor fancy. I liked what was inside--an assortments of sophisticated milk and dark chocolates flavored by various fruits and nuts such as hazelnuts, pistachios, coconut, cherries and dates.