I would like to buy a small amount of good chocolate as a birthday present for someone who loves chocolate. I am wondering what, in your opinion, is the best chocolate that I could just drive to a store and purchase. If I had a See’s near me, that’s where I’d be going—but alas.
I am picturing the amount that would fill a mug, which is her other present from me—but if the recommendations tend toward chocolate sold in a bar shape or a pretty box, that is fine: it does not HAVE to go in the mug. I say “a store” because I would prefer not to have to order it: warm-weather shipping is expensive; also, the birthday is soonish. [Edited to add: if it comes from Amazon with Prime shipping, that would work too.]
All the questions you might currently have, I can’t answer. Is she picky about brand? I don’t know. Does she prefer milk or dark? I don’t know. How does she feel about soft centers / caramels / truffles? I don’t know. How about nuts and fruit? I don’t know. And so all you have to go on is the very basic question about what YOU think is the best. (It’s okay if your answer involves a store you don’t know if it’s near me or not. Even if the store is NOT near me, I suspect OTHER people, people who DO live near that store, will want to hear about it.)
Lindt chocolate balls are so good and are available lots of places — TJ Maxx, World Market, etc. otherwise the Hershey nuggets are great too.
The Lindt milk chocolate truffles are my favorite too – also, they’ll look pretty in a mug.
If you have a fancy-ish grocery store in your area (you know, the one you never shop at because they’re too expensive for everyday), they might have some local “artisan” chocolate.
Seconded! Fresh Market has tons (and that’s where we shopped for our last chocolate-as-present situation), our local natural grocery has even more, and even Fresh Thyme has a good selection. Aldi has a small selection but it’s cheap and fantastic.
For stuff that’s available just about anywhere, I really like the Chocolove bars. Good flavors, the base chocolate is delicious, and it comes with a poem. I am a sucker for poetry.
I love Ikea’s chocolate. I second Lindt as always being appreciated. Three mini Toblerone bars is what I would want, but I think the Ferrero Rocher chocolates would look beautiful in a mug. All of those are available at most large grocery stores. Another idea is to get mini gift-bags of chocolate things you buy in bulk – I live near a fancy (regional) grocery store called The Fresh Market that has a ton of fun chocolate goodies in bins and even offers pretty ribbon to tie the bags with.
Ooh, Toblerone! And they come in lots of flavors now. THAT’S what I want.
Ferrero Rocher chocolates are usually well received and they often come pre-gift wrapped in cute little shapes. Also Whole Foods seems to always have expensive fancy chocolate bars. OR OR: lots of places have chocolate covered almonds in bulk bins.
Our wegman’s dessert bar always has gorgeous things that would be perfect!
Lindt is my favorite…even when given the option of smaller batch artisanal options. I buy it at Target.
I’ve been all about Dove chocolates lately. They aren’t very fancy, but the dark chocolate is so good.
Yes. The Dove Promises Dark Chocolate (red wrapper) candies are divine!
I, too, came here to say Lindt truffle balls. They make a pretty presentation and can be purchased in assorted varieties. But, the dark chocolate/dark chocolate combo is my fave, in case you were wondering.
I’m not sure what’s available out near you. But Chuao and Vosges are both really good. I can find them at Cost Plus World Market. But I’ve also seen them at Walgreens, of all places. If you have a Cost Plus World Market, you should check out their food section. They have all sorts of goodies from all over the world.
Seconding the Chuao! So good and the flavor combos are amazing! I see them at various places, and I think they are supposedly in some Starbucks now too, I think.
I find fancy chocolate bars at Fred Meyer, Oregon’s Kroger chain. They have European bars next to the misc candy and hippie bars (raw, fair trade, OR-made, etc…) in the hippie section with the milk alternatives and responsible cereals. They’re usually $3-5 per bar and you could fit several in a mug.
We have a couple local chocolate shops here which are fabulous, but I still have a soft spot for Godiva, too.
Godiva truffles are insanely good (and expensive, but maybe 1 or 2 really good ones mixed with some less expensive/other brands of chocolates?) I love the strawberry filled white chocolate ones, but they also have a birthday cake truffle one and many good chocolate ones. My small town doesn’t have a stand-alone Godiva store, but the Gourmet Kitchen supplies store in the mall sells Godiva.
So does Barnes & Noble if you have one of those nearby. They often have cute gift sets this time of year for Mother’s Day.
Go to a Cost Plus World Market. They have fun chocolate from all around the world.
Great present idea! Lindt and Rocher would be my vote if allergies aren’t an issue. Sadly, both are out for me because of gluten issues, so my *personal* favorites are Ghiradelli ones or some of the eco/hippie/fair trade ones you can get at Whole Foods, but those are a bit more hit and miss in terms of taste. (Endangered Species and Taza are good, but the whole ‘stone ground’ chocolate thing can be a bit overly gritty, so it’s an iffy present choice.)
Lindt is my favorite international brand that you can probably find at any store. I prefer the bars or other shaped goodies over the ball shaped truffles, but I think that is a really highly regarded brand for good reason – all excellent! I have a chocolate snob child (refuses own valentine chocolates, tries to mooch off parental Godiva stash) and Lindt is a reliable hit with him.
The grocery stores here carry a lot of local chocolatiers, too, with fancy frou-frou labels and flavors… and that’s probably what I’d do for a gift – it’s a little more fun and fancy to try out something new.
Ferrero is another good suggestion — the ferrero rocher chocolates are basically nutella in a fancy form (yes, it’s the same company responsible for both).
Theo chocolate is THE best. Pure chocolate, organic, fair-trade, with several delicious flavors Salted almond is my favorite. It is sold at Wegmans and Fresh Market.
Scharffen Berger hands down. Their milk chocolate is sooo soooooo creamy. The one with the toffy, WHOAH. They sell small gift packs at most raleys and a few other stores. http://www.scharffenberger.com/ I loovoeeeee it. They use it at Peets coffee also.
Is there a Barnes & Noble near you? At my local B&N, they sell Godiva bars and boxes. I also love Ghirardelli bars & squares – I see these at Target or the grocery store. And Trader Joe’s has lots of fun chocolate – the dark chocolate, sea-salt almonds are my favorite!
Seconding those almonds from TJ. They’re divine.
Another vote for Cost Plus World Market if you have one nearby. Maybe you’ll be inspired to get a bunch for yourself and review it like you did the Sees boxes. I would very much like more of those posts. Anyway, it has a huge selection that I think is perfect for someone whose tastes you aren’t familiar with.
Sees uses Guittard chocolate and those Guittard branded bars can be found at my local grocery. So you can give “sees” chocolate though not the nuts and chews.
I think Fannie May might be local to the Chicagoland area, but if that’s where you are, I love that.
Otherwise, at the grocery, I like ghirardelli dark chocolate with sea salt. They also have different squares so you get a variety.
Fannie May was my favorite growing up. Consumer Reports once gave it a Best Buy rating, but now it costs the same as Godiva. I still like it best.
Do you have any local chocolate shops? We have a few that are mostly known for selling chocolate at Easter, but they are open year round and have really good local chocolate. I like to go in and get a few coconut clusters and if I want them to, they’ll put them in a nice cellophane bag for me.
Lindt is good too.
I also like the fancier Wegmans brand chocolate bars, but I don’t think you have Wegmans.
Dove would be my first choice – the annoying “promises” telling you that you are not cherishing enough can be easily ignored. I find the chocolate delicious and the size/thickness great (there is a satisfying bite to it if that makes any sense). A mug of these would definitely feel like a treat.
Ghiradelli squares are also a great joy if you are seeking variety (like a box of chocolate).
I know Lindt truffle balls are super popular, but texture-wise they always feel too melty so they are not really my thing (appreciated, just not a DELIGHT for me)
I agree with the votes for Ghiradelli- you can get a variety of plain ones with varying cocoa content as well as flavored ones and then all your bases are covered!
I love Vosges. Fresh Market carries it, if you have one of those. I recall enjoying the Theo as well.
I used to enjoy Lindt, but it now tastes to me like something has changed, and not in a way I like. Ghirardelli is often good.
My favorites which are widely available are not very pretty for a gift. I love the Ritter sport bars with the marzipan inside. Oh, I love them. They often sell them at Target. And a funny thing is that Hershey’s Symphony from way back when is a pretty yummy milk chocolate. In my opinion, anyway. Ooo, you know what else is good? Some of those Hammond’s bars they carry at Target. They’re not a sure thing, it depends on the flavor, but there was at least one which was a very pleasant surprise. I’m sorry I can’t remember which one was the great one.
And I just remembered that Trader Joe’s sells wee bars of Valrhona which are delicious, if you have one of those nearby.
My Cost Plus World Market and Whole Foods sell Vosges bars. I prefer the truffles or peanut butter bon bons, but the bars are also delish and the mini bars would easily fit in a mug!
I am a fan of the Godiva Truffles. My personal favorite is a strawberry cheesecake truffle, but they have variety packs as well. I have found these at Wal-Greens for a similar price and package size as the Lindor balls.
Cadbury dairy milk with Caramel would be my pick. It’s available in my Kroger-chain grocery store. Yum.
I buy ChocoLove in the store, or Newman’s if I can’t find ChocoLove. (I’m another Fair Trade shopper, so that’s what I can tell you about. Not that I couldn’t drone on about how delicious Mounds bars are.)
I second all the recommendations of Lindt. I once read a book-length study of chocolate from bean to shelf which concluded that Lindt products are the best combination of quality and price. And I personally love all their large variety of truffles. You can get variety bags.
If you have a large outlet center near you they usually have at least one place that sell gourmet food like Harry and David. I’m in PA so Gertrude Hawk is in every mall and j like their stuff though I wouldn’t consider it gourmet.
I love Giradelli squares filled with caramel. I like the dark chocolate with sea salt the best. But I also love milk chocolate and dark chocolate. They sell bags of individually wrapped squares and sometimes they are mixed. They are everywhere: drug stores, grocery stores, Target.
Lindt is great and easy to find at CVS, Target and many grocery stores, white Chocolate is my favorite. I like to go to World Market due to their wide variety. I find Ritter is the best and there is even a sample packet. I have also found Ritter at some groceries (Publix, Kroger.). Trader Joe’s also has many unique kinds. I like their Tahitian filled chocolate.
I was literally just telling my husband how delicious the Milka chocolate bars he bought me for Christmas are and how said I was that I was eating my last one. It is the creamiest chocolate ever! He got them at Cost Plus World Market. You might be able to get them at other stores too…like maybe the upscale groceries that sell brands from around the world.
If you have a gourmet shop in town, check out Vosges (any flavor) or NewTree (lavender or currant).
I realllly love the chocolate truffles that come in a box maybe a few inches tall and deep by five or 6 inches wide at EarthFare and Whole Foods. They’re soft and melty and so rich and smooth and SO good. They’re usually like $10, but sometimes on sale. They also come in different flavors like caramel and coffee, but the classic chocolate are fabulous.
Aldi. I love their chocolate. It’s really good european chocolate. My favorite is the Moser Roth dark chocolate, but the Choceur bars which have more variety are also very good. If you do not have Aldi, I agree that the Lindt truffles are very good, especially the raspberry and chocolate one.
Yes, as a Brit in the US, I go to ALDI to buy their German chocolate. I don’t remember the name of it and I just finished eating it yesterday. They sell bars though, rather than truffles and boxes.
The Lindt truffles are another favourite. My MIL likes them, so I buy those for her.
I’ve shopped at World Market to buy British chocolate bars, but their prices are kind of high and you can likely get better things cheaper elsewhere.
Merci chocolates make a great gift, I think–it’s a reasonably priced box of baby chocolate bars, each about the size of one row of a Kit Kat bar IIRC, with different fillings. I’ve found them at my big-chain grocery store and it looks like Target has them as well. Ritter is also delicious. Really, I don’t think you can go wrong with a chocolate gift!
My go-to gift for friends is 3 or 4 different fancy choc bars from Whole Foods, simply stacked on top of a BD card and wrapped around with raffia or pretty ribbon…no need for gift wrap! An extra close friend might get a coffee shop gift card tucked in there too. You can pick a dark, a fruit, a toffee or caramel bar so all potential favoriites are covered, and they look like a special treat that a friend wouldn’t just buy for herself (and should keep hidden from her kids…ahem, not that I ever do that haha!!).
Yup, I’ve done this! Of the bars I sent, the one that got the best review was one that had a honey filling. That is definitely something you don’t see every day. Very nice selection and this is my go-to for a gift of chocolate bars.
Terry’s Chocolate Orange. You can get it at World Market and fancy grocery stores. They’re British and in my opinion, British chocolate is the best chocolate.
I agree about British chocolate! Although I totally don’t like chocolate oranges. My aunt used to buy them for us for Christmas and I never liked the combination of chocolate and orange! :P
Tcho is really good. Raleys/Nob Hill, whole Foods, and Cost Plus all carry at least one of their flavors. I’m partial to the coffee/mocha and milk chocolate flavors.
I don’t think you can go wrong with chocolate though. My local Nob Hill has an end cap of smaller bars of artisanal or more unusual chocolate manufacturers; a selection of a few that sound fun and interesting would be a good gift.
Are there any chocolate specialty shops around? I’ve seen Schakolad and Kilwins in a few states. In some of the schmancy grocery stores/candy stores, there are chocolate counters where you can buy fancy confections by weight.
Trader Joe’s has unusual things, and those Whole Foods truffles that come in the little cardboard box dissolve on your tongue! Pictured at the top of this page: http://m.wholefoodsmarket.com/blog/whole-story/good-things-give-without-giving-away-bank
Let us know what you end up doing!
Ritter chocolate bars are the absolute best- they are German, but you can find them at Trader Joe’s. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
I agree with the above commenters to try the bulk section of a fancy pants grocery store. My parents live in a metro area that has a chain of natural food stores called Lucky’s. My sister’s mother-in-law swears by peanut butter chocolate malt balls, I liked the salted caramel chocolates, and there were many more we wanted to try but didn’t get a chance to yet.
Also, you may want to check if you have a local artisan food store. My college town has a shop that sells boutique gifts, impractical clothes, and gourmet cheese. They also have a gourmet chocolate counter. I haven’t tried it yet, but it looks absolutely divine.
I realize it’s not pretty at all nor would it fit into a mug…but, we sometimes (monthly?) keep a bar of Baker’s Chocolate (it’s a baking chocolate for dipping pretzels, etc) on a high shelf in the pantry, and break off a small chunk as needed. It’s delicious, economical, and has no artificial ingredients. Much better than the tiny over priced fancy chocolate bars (that ARE tasty) in the organic/health foods section of the nearby HyVee.
Okay I have to come back and re-comment on this. It’s probably going to make me sound like a jerk, but that’s okay. First of all I think you need to identify what kind of person you are gifting the chocolate to. I’m a foodie. I love REAL food. If I received Dove, or Gihradelli, or Lindt, or Cadbury chocolate from someone I would not consider that “good chocolate.” Also, every single time I’ve received something containing individually packaged truffles or Lindt balls I have thrown them up into the top of my pantry to die. Dove promises are something anyone can grab for themselves. I think the comments directing you to the Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and World Market are best. Also I think going with a bar form is best. Most women will break a couple pieces off of a bar every morning with their coffee and put the rest in their freezer to hide from their kids. At Whole Foods I still suggest the Scharfen Berger the bars this size http://shop.scharffenberger.com/Valentines-Chocolate-Assortment-1-oz-bars/p/SFB-GIFTVCA1&c=ScharffenBerger@ChocolateGifts@ByPrice@Under25
At Trader Joes I suggest the sea salt caramel chocolate bars (not the box of truffles, again they want to be able to easily store it and grab a square here and there, not have a whole box to deal with) http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article/1680
I would shy away from some of the organic earth friendly bars at whole foods, while they stand for a good cause they aren’t much for decadence.
Like I said first identify your buyer. Some people might be thrilled to get a bag of Lindt, and maybe they will even eat it before putting it in their pantry to rot away for life. I know personally I would rather have something that would fit in my purse or freezer, and that I would actually buy for myself. I would never buy Lindt. I am capable of buying Dove Promises. Gihardelli is old and played out and over marketed. All of those options to me would feel like a half assed attempt to quickly grab something last minute at the grocery store for me.
These are something new I’ve seen at Trader Joes that I’ve been dying to buy
http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article/2900 Three of those wrapped up in a bow around a card would delight me. Also. Getting chocolate from a place like TJ Maxx or Ross is also something I would laugh at receiving. Basically any individually wrapped “truffle” stuck in another bigger container is not what I would consider high end. Maybe I’m a jerk, but I’m a mom who rarely buys anything nice for myself. If I’m going to receive chocolate, and then actually eat it, enjoy it, and waste the calories on it, it needs to be special, and worth it. I still highly highly vote Scharfen Berger as first place, and then Trader Joes as second place.
However reading these comments it seems like tons of people would be fine receiving a ridiculous bag of generic chocolate that you can grab at any CVS while waiting for your birth control to be filled. Be better than anything sold at CVS, and almost everything listed above is available on an end cap at CVS.
I suspect if she were in the same category as you with regards to chocolate, I would have heard her talk this way about it at some point.
Sigh. I’m sorry I know I sounded like a total bitch. I am just obviously very passionate about food and chocolate. **Puts head in palms and moans** I’m not really this rude in person. I have so many allergy restrictions and food restrictions that I take my chocolate very seriously. Over the years I’ve just developed an aversion to any generic CVS/Target candies. Normal people with less mental issues than me would probably adore the Lindt truffles. This is why I NEVER comment anymore. I get easily excited about food.
Could I just say… on behalf of all the people who give drugstore candy…? Maybe when people give you Lindt or Godiva or Dove… it’s because it’s something they love and they want to share with you something they think is wonderful and makes them happy. And maybe they went to the drugstore, but they didn’t half-ass it, they stood in the candy aisle and agonized over whether you’d like the caramel-filled sea salt squares or the dark chocolate truffles, or do you even LIKE dark chocolate?! Maybe you’re one of those people who loves sweet milk chocolate!
Maybe this isn’t “good” chocolate to you, or anything special, but maybe to the person gifting it, it IS something special. And that’s why we say it’s the thought that counts.
I’m not commenting on how you sound, or judging your stance on food/chocolate, btw, just speaking up for those of us who WOULD buy and be happy to receive drugstore candy.
I can see your point, for a casual acquaintance. I would also understand, and then like I said, toss it up in my pantry to die alone. However, anyone who knows me would never ever buy me something like that. I actually sent this post to my two good friends after I commented and they both immediately told me I was a bitch, BUT that they both knew better than to ever buy me specific things. We all have our “thing” food is my thing. That’s why I asked her if she knew the person she was shopping for well. Here is how I see it, IF you know me well and you still buy me some junky chocolate I would actually be offended by how little you know me. However if you are a simple acquaintance I would understand. The same way I agonize over high end foods to buy my best friend for her birthday. I’m smart enough to know she won’t tolerate anything basic. I have to spice it up, push the limits, find something different and exciting.
Okay a good example. I would NEVER buy Swistle a basic dollar store coffee mug. I would go to some kind of local store, or search high and low for a coffee mug that is above and beyond a standard coffee mug for her. Also, I would agonize for hours over earrings for Swistle. Which I’ve actually done, had imaginary arguments in my head over which earrings I would send her if I was going to send her earrings, because I know how serious she is about earrings.
Well, thats how I feel about chocolate. LOL it’s important. So, I concede your point if it’s from a distant acquaintance, however if she is a close friend, then I feel right in my point.
I still sound like a bitch. I still swear I’m actually very very nice.
Yah, I’m sure you’re really nice.
I still think that no matter what anyone gives me – I’m into some strange, specific things, too – I love imagining that person thinking of me, even if I have the feeling that they just picked something out of their pantry/gift cabinet/drugstore.
And the thought that someone went out of their way for me, even a little bit, even if they knew the THING they were getting me wasn’t something I’d ever wear or eat, that’s what makes me warm inside.
And what gets me about your comment is that it makes me question all the gifts I’ve given – that the thought and love for the recipient that went into each gift just doesn’t matter. The gifts that I just basically gave up on because I couldn’t afford or find or think of the right thing, or because I was too busy to actually shop or because I didn’t have the time for the awesome thing to be shipped – I still spent a lot of time (and maybe money) on the recipient, even if the gift didn’t show it.
It makes me feel like I do a shoddy job choosing presents, even though I know you don’t mean to make me feel sad, personally. Anyway, your perspective isn’t good or bad, it just IS, and it just happens to be different than mine. But still, I’ve got my fingers crossed that my friends aren’t judging me based on my presents to them. :(
Ugh, now I’ve messed it all up. See. None of this would have happened if I had some chocolate in the first place. Then I would be placated and sweet and say the right things.
I don’t think you’ve screwed it up.
I think you found a subject that you know your feelings on. And being able to articulate your thoughts is important and so satisfying. So keep on with that and teach me how to be confident in my own feelings as well!
Truth. In the last three years I’ve lost 80 pounds by learning how to eat real food, and really eliminate food dyes, and additives, etc etc etc, so I’m just super duper passionate about food. I’ve learned that removing all the food dyes and additives almost cured my sons ADHD. I’ve learned that I was lactose intolerant for 33 YEARS before figuring it out. My bipolar is more easily treated when I eat right. So, food is something I’m now very confident in, and passionate about. It also means, it’s really really hard to buy me chocolate. Lets review. I’m lactose intolerant, a vegan, and allergic to all nuts (not cashews), also allergic to soy, barley, and quinoa. Which means, I’ve tried every possible new chocolate out there just to find something I can eat. Imagine how excited I was to find a new vegan chocolate, only to find stupid quinoa in it. Womp womp.
I’m overly passionate about food, only because of my personal journey with eating disorders, and diets, and finally just figuring my shit out. Which is why I said, any good close friend of mine would never bring me grocery store chocolate. My best friend had to spend hours on google finding a company that not only made vegan chocolates, but also chocolates that were nut free, and allergy friendly. When those arrived I sobbed. There was six of them, in a little purple box, and I sobbed, as I ate every single one in six minutes. Because I knew how much she agonized over it. I wouldn’t be this confident about anything besides food or exercise.
Also, I think once you step in shit you just have to own it. I can recognize I was catty and I kept being catty, which came across as confidence, when really it’s just me being overly crazy pants about food because I struggled so long to get here.
I do know, I will be driving to Trader Joes tonight and buying some of those chocolate stick thingies I linked to. Because they meet my allergy requirements but I’ve held off buying them while I train for a half marathon. After this comment section though I think I just need to shut up and eat the chocolate.
Don’t get your hopes up on the tjs batons. I tried the raspberry and espresso and they were nothing to write home about. I only ate half of each before tossing them. Just meh. Now granted I don’t have your food allergies and restrictions, so I have more options, but these definitely aren’t in the same class as scharfen berger. The mouthfeel is off.
Awe man. I was really excited of those. However the dark chocolate caramel ones by the check stand are becoming my new favorite. Not much compares to Scharfen Berger for me. Danger. I’m sad now. Still going to try them though.
I can relate to the joy of the novel, the fancy, the hard-to-source, etc. I love doing deep into research for chocolate or tea or paints or whatever. But, consider the not-eaten Lindts…are they really failures as presents? I don’t think so…not a failure of the giver and not a failure of the recipient. The point of any gift is to be given and received. So giving them to another person is fine, or letting them compost is fine.
This was a very dangerous comment section for a pregnant woman to read.
The world of ethical/free-trade/non-child slavery in chocolate is complex and I don’t claim to understand who is ‘good’ and who is ‘bad’ – but Lindt generally comes out okay in the assessments. Whatever you end up going with, I think avoiding the Nestle/Hershey type brands that are known for being less ethical is the way to go.
Green&Black’s is good chocolate. Also Divine.
Lindt truffle balls. Available at Target, delicious, fancy, fit in mug, you can buy the assortment so you aren’t picking just one type of chocolate.
I like the Lindt dark in the blue wrappers, but not the super-dark in the black wrappers. The blue ones are in all the mixed Lindt bags around here (which also contain the hated white ones), but could I find a bag of all blue this past Christmas? No, I could not.
I also have a huge weakness for Laura Secord chocolate mint bars – not the French Mint (which I liked as a kid because it’s covered in a green coating), but the regular chocolate mint. I think they might be only in Canada though.
Theo & ChocoLove are excellent. I love Milka & Ritter too. My top choice would be Green & Black’s though- so rich & smooth & perfect.
I do not think of caramels, chews or whatnot as chocolates. I know they’re covered in chocolate, but they are candies. Chocolate is a bar or bark with little else. So my recommendation will skip over those entirely. Price doesn’t always indicate how much enjoyment will be had from the chocolate. I usually buy the Sea Salt and Almond Chocolove. If you have access to a Whole Foods, grab an employee and present your situation. They should not only be able to steer you, but really will open packages for you to sample or even send you home with one to try for free. (Full disclosure: I know this because I work for Whole Foods. Other stores may have similar policies.)
If you’re feeling up to it, you could get some baking chocolate and make bark with a heavy sprinkle of salt. Voila, handmade artisan chocolate at a fraction of the.cost.
If you are near a Trader Joe’s, they have little gift sets of chocolates with different cocoa contents and from different regions. I don’t know of its just a holiday thing, but my mom bought me a set for Christmas one year and it was fun to sample the different flavors created primarily by the cocoa content (no add ons).
I, too, love the Lindt chocolate balls and also anything Ghiradelli and OH! Godiva. My son got me a bunch of chocolate bars at Christmas from World Market that were delightful.
We do live close to See’s, so that is generally what I would get :) Since that’s off the table, I really do love Ritter bars, Chocolove, and the various delicious treats at Trader Joe’s.
OOH! IDEA! IDEA! PICK ME!!
Make your own instant hot cocoa, and put it in a pretty colored plastic bag (available at most craft stores), and put the bag in the cup.
Recipe: Good unsweeted cocoa powder, equal amount of sugar, enough powdered milk to make it creamy, (but not enough to get that powdered milk aftertaste), mini marshmallows. All it needs is hot water.
My comment is not helpful, as you specifically said you don’t have time to order online, but man oh man do these chocolate bars speak to me in the right ways.
There is no way a $10.00 chocolate bar could disappoint right? Or rather, how can it possibly live up to it’s price?! Has anybody tried these?
…and here I am adding the link that is necessary!
https://compartes.com/collections/shop-all-compartes-chocolates
Oh my gosh, those are SO BEAUTIFUL.
After trying a Special Dark Hershey’s Kiss from someone’s desk at work, I was surprised how good they are and bought myself a bag from Target. I also tried that same flavor in the mini-bars, but they weren’t as good as the kisses. (I thought, crazily.)
For my money, and taste buds, you can’t go wrong with Cocopotamus chocolates. They’re made in Albuquerque, NM and they’re divine. They also have fun names like Santa’s Addiction and Darth Vegan. Whole Foods is their biggest distributor, but they are also offered at a few stores around the country.
Here’s the link to find out more: https://www.cocopotamus.com/where-to-buy/. Trust me, it’s amazing!