Pardon my Beiber-esque euphoria but…OMG!!! Have you heard of Compartes? No, it’s not the lastest overblown craze, though I will admit that my excitement over this refreshingly modern and tasty chocolate collection rivals maybe…oh, Downton Abbey on PBS. The owner of Compartes, Jonathan Grahm is the “willy wonka” behind each handmade confection, and along with his team, makes all of their chocolates from scratch using no artificial additives or preservatives. Then, as if my wish was their command, I found a signature truffle collection with a global twist and for a great cause:
CHOCOLATE FAVOR #1: African-inspired chocolates. Ingredients? Caramelized plantain, Kenyan coffee, cardamom-coconut, crunchy cocoa nibs and caramel. Each 10-pc box comes with hand made, beaded bracelets and the proceeds go towards supporting women and children as part of Relief International Darfur. Great chocolate! Great Cause!
CHOCOLATE FAVOR #2: DIA DE LOS MUERTOS truffles. For a stroll on to the spicy side, my eyes definitely wandered towards these dark chocolate and SPICY truffles. Each hot truffle is filled with cayenne pepper, cinnamon and decorated with “day of the dead” skulls.
CHOCOLATE FAVOR #3: Modern Valentine
CHOCOLATE FAVOR #4: Groom’s truffles
Be modern or be spicy; Be colorful and be classy. Just make sure your taste buds are privy to the experience. And, if you love chocolate, then you’ll love this chocolate dream palette, inspiration board for valentine’s day.
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{CREDITS: Compartes.com, Los Angeles; Inset chocolates via NYTimes}
