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Treat Yourself to Quintessential Chocolates

© Eve Carr

Dinner was a gourmet treat, and you don't want it to end. For dessert you're thinking of serving liqueurs and luscious fruit nectars or perhaps gourmet chocolates. Which shall it be?

If you serve Quintessential Chocolates, you don't have to choose--you can have both. Since 1984, entrepreneur Lecia Duke of Fredericksburg, Texas, has been creating chocolate delicacies that literally burst with luscious liquid flavor inside your mouth.

These are not your average liquid-injected chocolates. Instead, she produces this European style confection that separates the liquid from the chocolate with a delicate sugar crystal moisture barrier. This prevents the chocolate from absorbing any alcohol or liquid and allows the thinnest possible chocolate shell. That means that there's more room for liquid, so you really get enough to let you savor the delicious flavor.

After a successful career in graphic design and architecture, Lecia studied chocolate-making under a Swiss Master Chocolatier. Using this basic European method, she added her own creativity to the Swiss technique.

Each batch of her Quintessential Chocolates is hand-crafted through a five-day process. First, the liquid center is made by casting into corn starch indentations where it will form a fine, extremely fragile, crystalline shell which encases the balance of the liquid filling. Then these liquid capsules are blanketed with a coat of rich, dark chocolate.

Downtown Fredericksburg is already a shopping paradise, filled with boutique shops, antique stores, restaurants and even an old-timey honest-to-goodness "dime" store. And, when you need a break from all this fun, you can visit Quintessential Chocolates' retail store at 330 West Main Street.

Here you will be able to see how they create these sinfully delicious chocolates and other confections - as well as taste them. These luscious candies come in a variety of flavors from spirited liquor chocolates, wine chocolates and non-alcoholic chocolates filled with rich coffees and fruit nectars.

Reading their advertisement for these heavenly treats will give you an idea of what tasting one is like:

"Imagine perfection manifesting itself as rich, dark chocolate caressing your taste buds. As the delicate shell gives way, the pure liquid flavor essence cascades into your mouth. A small sigh escapes your lips. Your body relaxes and suddenly you remember where you misplaced your smile."

Yes, they are that good. This is what you save your calories for.

For more information about these gourmet chocolates, see http://quintessentialchocolates.gourmetf... or, better yet, plan to visit Fredericksburg, Texas and stop by the shop itself.

The Fredericksburg, Texas Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau will be happy to help you plan your trip. You can reach them at 1-888-997-3600 and http://www.fredericksburg-texas.com