My boyfriend will tell you that chocolate doesn't last more than an hour at our house—especially if it's a solid bar of something dark, very dark. But the nine-piece box from Au Coeur Des Chocolates (hand-dipped in Dogpatch) made me pause—enough to slow down for two whole days and appreciate the jewel-like bonbons, each no bigger than a stamp, with their delicate, air-brushed designs. There's something artful about the speckled ginger, the way the geodesic shell snaps and gives way to spiced, dark, and smooth ganache with wild honey. My eyes went for the passion fruit heart covered in fine white couverture; the buttery shell perfectly balances the bright, creamy fruit. When I got to the lemony yuzu bonbon the next day, I started rethinking my prejudice against white chocolate. And then polished off the rest. ($18)
