Amazing Chocolate

Let me tell you a little story. Tucked into a small Texas town, in a beautiful old Victorian house, is the most amazing chocolate I have ever tasted. This is Wiseman House Chocolates. Wiseman House Chocolates is a creation of Kevin Wenzel, a friend of my sister's. When she and I recently visited her in-laws, we took a little trip to Wiseman House.

Kevin is a genius with chocolate. I don't throw that term around lightly. He uses the most unique ingredients and creates chocolate truffles that are simply a taste of heaven. When we went to visit, Kevin took us back to the kitchen and let us taste a new flavor he was creating. Readers, this is art. Kevin is an artist as much as, if not more than, a painter or sculptor. In addition to being very conscious of the aesthetics of his chocolate, Kevin is also deeply concerned about the taste, texture, flavor and aroma of his creations. He attempted to explain some of the science that goes into truffle making. (I confess, I got a little lost around the second or third application of heat and specific temperature. Suffice it to say, this is a difficult procedure, folks.)

After all of that, when you put a truffle into your mouth, the visuals don't matter and it's just the chocolate that is melting own your tongue. Wow. I put a link to their website above and I highly recommend you order a few. I think that this is going to be my gift of choice for a few people and I'm looking forward to ordering some myself, especially when the weather cools down a bit. They ship anywhere and include a cold pack in the summer months to avoid premature melting. :-) Right now, my favorite is the "Love Potion." This is a truffle with slight hints of cinnamon and chipotle pepper. It's incredible. Then there is the "Wild Woman." This one won "Best Truffle" at the Austin Chocolate Festival. Of course, we can't forget "Snooky" or "Southern Hospitality" (with a hint of Jack Daniels) or any of the other unique flavors.

(P.S. - The picture above is from their website. The truffle on the left is "Wild Woman" and I'm not sure about the others. Please don't use this picture for anything other than talking about Wiseman House Chocolates. (And Kevin, if you happen to see this and don't want me using the picture, just let me know!)