Editor's Pick: John Kelly Chocolates

I remember enjoying small pieces of Truffle Fudge about seven years ago from a little chocolatier I had never heard of. Now I'm seeing John Kelly Chocolates seemingly everywhere I go, so I was happy to find a few of its new Artisan Chocolate Bars to share. Tearing into the gold-wrapped chocolate bar is like tearing into a Wonka bar, only instead of a Golden Ticket, you get some really velvety, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate, and that's pretty much all I need. From the ingredients to the flavor combinations, there seems to be an acute attention to detail paid by the team at John Kelly, and chocolate-lovers everywhere can appreciate that there's something for everyone. There are six flavors in the new collection: Dark Chocolate with Fleur de Sel Sea Salt, Dark Chocolate with Roasted Almonds & Pink Himalayan Salt, Dark Chocolate Espresso, Dark Chocolate with Habanero & Jalapeno Chile, Milk Chocolate with Roasted Almonds & French Grey Sea Salt, and Milk Chocolate with Roasted Hazelnuts & Mediterranean Sea Salt.


With the holidays around the corner, I thought it would be a nice idea to put together gift baskets for my family members with these chocolate bars as the centerpiece. The company also offers signature gift towers that feature its famed truffle assortments and are perfect for the holidays. The towers mix and match dark and milk chocolate with various sea salts for truly unique flavor combinations.

Hollywood is full of make-it-or-break-it stories, so it's only fitting that John Kelly Chocolates has one of its own. Armed with nothing but a dream and a delicious chocolate fudge recipe, the owners, two guys named John and Kelly, opened a little chocolate shop in Hollywood back in 2004. The duo has been diligent in their work and creative in their flavor profiles; a combination that has catapulted them into high-end department stores, hotel gift shops and specialty retail shops across the country. The company has multiple sofi awards to boast, and was featured this year in the Oscar Gifting Suite. Pick up some of the Artisan Chocolate Bars or the Signature Gift Towers to hand out this holiday season.