Sugar Savvy

One of the highlights of my annual trip to New York City is a stop at Jacques Torres Chocolates. In a weak, chocolate-indulged moment I actually signed up for his email mailing list. This means I get to torture myself several times a year with news of his seasonal specials and other goodies, including items ONLY available in his New York stores. Unfair to chocolate lovers!

Torres, famed for his PBS show “Dessert Circus,” creates artisan chocolates that you definitely can’t do at home – complex flavors and constructions that are truly wonderful.

For more information, to order or to sign up for his mailing list, please go to MrChocolate.com.

Here’s some of what he’s tempting me with for Valentine’s Day:
Valentine Heart – A heart-shaped box decorated with multi-colored cocoa beans. The box includes Torres’ choice of 25 assorted “delectable bon bons,” surrounded by three pieces of solid chocolate (see photo). If the chocolate alone doesn’t put your honey in the mood to play, you can also buy this as part of a “kissing game” set.

Champagne Kisses – Torres’ signature dark chocolate blended with Tattinger’s Rose Champagne to create a champagne truffle. Kind of kills two birds with one stone as a Valentine’s Day gift – chocolate and champagne.

Live in New York City? Willing to cash in some frequent flyer miles to get to New York? If so the next items are only available at the Torres’ stores and, sigh, not even pictured on the website.

Milk or Dark Chocolate Heart Box – Choose one of the Chocolate Heart Boxes (made with one pound of chocolate and filled with an assortment of dark and milk chocolate candies) and have Torres’ chef inscribe it with your message of love or any other three words of your choosing. In chocolate, of course. Which goes to prove that old saying, you can say it better in chocolate. (Well, if it’s not an old saying, it should be.)

The Love Shack -A miniature chocolate house (about 9″ x 9″) decorated with chocolate hearts. Torres suggests that you hide your gift of jewelry inside.

To quote the email: “Can you think of a better way to say I love you than with lots and lots of chocolate?”

Torres’ retail stores are located at:

Jacques Torres Chocolate
66 Water St.
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-875-9772
Monday-Saturday: 9AM - 7PM
Sunday: 10AM - 6PM

Jacques Torres Chocolate Haven
350 Hudson St.
New York, NY 10014
212-414-2462
Monday-Saturday: 9AM - 7PM
Sunday: 10AM - 6PM

Photo Credit: Jacques Torres Chocolate