Seasonal Sensations: Expert Tips for Enjoying Artisan Chocolates Year-Round

Artisan chocolates are a delightful indulgence that can be enjoyed any time of year. With its rich flavors, carefully sourced ingredients, and expertly crafted designs, gourmet chocolate offers a taste experience unlike any other. While chocolate is often associated with holidays and special occasions, there are endless ways to enjoy this sweet treat throughout the year. By learning a few expert tips, you can savor your favorite chocolates in every season and elevate your appreciation for this luxurious delicacy.

Ginger Elizabeth

Hahn's upbringing in California led to a particular fondness for the exquisite produce and artisanal provisions of the state, and that is reflected in her work. Bonbons at Ginger Elizabeth are made with such ingredients, like the Raspberry Rose, which features raspberries from Saturn Farms, or Wildflower Honey Yogurt, which is filled with Sola Bee Farm Wildflower and Sierra Nevada Cheese Co. organic yogurt. Other delicacies besides bonbons include delicate macarons, jams, barks, cookies, brownies, and bars of chocolate made with high-quality couverture that has that satisfying "snap" when you bite in.

Valerie

Valerie Gordon founded her namesake chocolate shop in 2004 with just a few flavors of chocolate-dipped toffee. Since then, the talented chocolatier has expanded her company to include truffles, bars, and more. Considered one of the best artisan confectioners in America, Valerie creates a wide range of treats from her famous coffee crunch cake to mezcal sticky toffee pudding to delicate champagne petit fours. The chocolate, however, is the main draw and is made the traditional way with the best possible ingredients. The specialty at this shop is inventive flavor combinations, and the chocolate caramel and toffee box includes flavors like black sesame, pumpkin, and liquid mezcal.

Valerie confections ships nationwide, and are also available at one of two storefronts in Los Angeles. The Echo Park location also houses a cafe with breakfast and lunch items (as well as dessert, of course). Stop in for a cup of high-quality tea and stay for a plate of luxurious chocolate truffles.

17 Best Chocolatiers In The US

Even though the Swiss consume the most chocolate of any country on Earth, Americans have a decent appetite for the sweet treat and many of the best chocolatiers around the world are located right here in the States. While most people are familiar with the big-name chocolate brands, the small chocolatiers put so much more passion and creativity into their bars and truffles. Many of these chocolatiers work with raw chocolate (of which not everyone is a fan) or "bean-to-bar," where the maker plays a part in the entire process of the chocolate from where the cocoa bean is grown to the final finished edible confection.

All that work is evident in the final product, and from the very first bite, the difference in quality and taste between truffles and bars made by small-time artisans and those made by big corporations is clear. We've rounded up the best chocolatiers in the country, and luckily, they all ship nationwide.