Missionary Chocolates

The fine people at Missionary Chocolates were nice enough to send me a box full of their truffles, all hand-crafted in Portland, Oregon. As soon as I opened the box, my eyes widened and mouth watered. Each one is as huge and delicious looking as the one I sampled a few months back!

The box had quite a range of truffle flavors: coconut silk, sweet raspberry heart, dark chocolate delight, smooth espresso square, peanut butter passion, meyer lemon explosion, glorious ginger and spicy cinnamon chipotle. I tried each one over the course of a week, having friends & family sample and seeking their opinion. Overall, the response was great.

The chocolate and truffle filling is of high quality and one can tell right away. Each bite is creamy, smooth and decadent, no matter what flavor one tries. I was surprised, however, that none of these chocolates have a cream or jelly filling. Each truffle has a strong, distinct flavor which I love. Of course, my favorites were the coconut, dark chocolate, espresso and peanut butter. All of these had intense, accurate flavors. You can tell that the chocolates were made from natural, fresh ingredients. The ginger was also very good, but after a few bites I had to put it down because the ginger was too overwhelming for my senses. In addition, my palate is also not cut out to enjoy the spicy cinnamon chipotle. I know many of my friends love this flavor combination, but I do not. Since the flavor is so strong, I couldn't take more than one small bite. The biggest and most pleasant surprise for me was the lemon. I didn't expect to like this one, as most lemon flavored candies often remind me of cleaning solutions. However, it was really refreshing and packed a strong yet delightful taste.

These truffles are definitely a treat and can serve as a great gift for a friend or reward to self. They can be ordered online, but I first discovered these truffles at Stogo in the East Village. A little bit on the pricey side ($3.75 each), but you're paying for the organic/local (to portland, or) ingredients, rich, high-quality chocolate and bold flavor.