Delicious whiskey-infused chocolate truffles: a treat for Father’s Day. Made with Irish whiskey, they can be enjoyed with any whiskey you have on hand. Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE.

WHAT IT IS: Gourmet chocolates. WHY IT’S DIFFERENT: Simple but superb: clarion flavors in delicious couverture chocolate. WHY WE LOVE IT: Poco Dolce has been a NIBBLE favorite for years. WHERE TO BUY IT:  PocoDolce.com.

• THE NIBBLE’s Chocolate Section:
  More reviews, recipes and informative articles.
• More Top Pick Of The Week gourmet
  chocolate.
• RECIPE OF THE WEEK: make your own
  gourmet condiments. Turn your regular
  ketchup, mustard and mayo into something
  special.
• Become a NIBBLE Facebook Fan.
• Follow us on Twitter and see our daily notes
  of interest on Blog.TheNibble.com.
• All of the Top Picks Of The Week are
  permanently archived on TheNibble.com,
  in chronological order and product category.

Chocolate tiles with nuts and sea salt. Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE.

Poco Dolce: Gourmet Chocolate Gifts & Indulgences

When we first sampled Poco Dolce in 2006 (the name means “a little sweet”), the line consisted of sea salt “tiles,” squares of 63% cacao Guittard chocolate sprinkled with grey Celtic sea salt crystals from the salt marshes of Brittany. The combination may sound familiar now, but back then it was new and wonderful, earning Poco Dolce many fans on the competitive San Francisco food scene.

The line expanded bit by bit, first with different flavors of chocolate files, then with equally lovely salted caramels, and finely with bonbons and chocolate bars.

Father’s Day Treat: Whiskey Bonbons

These are the first Poco Dolce bonbons  we‘ve tried, and whey are winners: dark chocolate shells filled with bittersweet chocolate ganache that is infused with Irish whiskey.

The bonbons are made to order and are preservative-free. The website advises that they should be enjoyed within 2 weeks of receipt. We don’t think they’ll last a day (and in hour hands, they were gone in a few hours).

Tiles & Toffee  & Brittle, Oh My!

Whether you’re looking for a personal indulgence or a special gift, you’ll score a hit with anything from Poco Dolce.  We”d be happy with anything, and even happier with one of the gift baskets.

Chocolate Tiles. The original line has expanded way beyond Sea Salt to include Almond, Almond Coconut, Aztec, Burnt Caramel, Ginger, Mint Toffee, Nuts, Sesame Toffee. They’re available in single flavors or assortments (see the photo below left).

Toffee. Squares of toffee are enrobed in bittersweet chocolate and  variously flavored with burnt caramel, chile, espresso, popcorn, sea salt,

Flavored Chocolate Bars. Bittersweet chocolate bars are perfectly blended into hazelnut, Five Spice, Mayan Chile, and Olive Oil. There’s plain Bittersweet, too.

Peanut Brittle. The brittle is made from scratch in Sea Salt and Spicy varieties.

Salted Caramels. Buttery caramel enrobed in chocolate is as good as it gets. The pieces are small, and thus guilt-free.

The chocolates start at $10.00 for six salted caramels (great party favor!). Most are $18.00-$24, with gift baskets from $65.00 to $180.00.

You’ll be more than poco felice (a little happy) with whatever you order.

For more information and to buy these delicious chocolates, visit PocoDolce.com.

— Karen Hochman

Anything from Poco Dolce makes a perfect gift for a chocolate lover. Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE.