Edis' Chocolates

3808 Spicewood Springs Rd., 795-9285
Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm; Saturday, 10am-4pm
www.edischocolates.com

Beloved local chocolate-maker Edis Rezende, who has been selling her luscious handmade chocolate truffles online and at the Barton Creek Farmers Market for the last eight years, has moved into a real brick-and-mortar store at last. For Rezende, it is a long-held dream come true to finally sell from a spick-and-span, temperature-controlled storefront. Although she will still be at the farmers' market every Saturday from October through May, now there's a place to get Edis' Chocolates any day of the week!

Chocolate is a lovable vocation, but the vast majority of those in the handmade chocolate business give it up after a few years, as the market is very competitive and profit margins slim. Rezende demonstrated long ago that she is in it for the long haul, and over the years, her truffles have remained consistently superior, winning her both the first-place People's Choice Award for Best Truffle and the second-place professionally judged Best Truffle at the 2009 Austin Chocolate Festival. "Our bestseller is probably the black sea salt chocolate truffle," she smiles, "although the Grand Marnier, the espresso, and the Earl Grey truffles are very popular also." Other rotating flavors include almond, hazelnut, double chocolate, spiced Mexican vanilla, raspberry, and special flavors for every holiday. "This year, our limited-edition Christmas flavor will be Apple Cinnamon, and for New Year's we will have our Champagne truffles," Rezende beams. Truffles come in attractive boxes of a dozen ($24), a half-dozen ($12), and individually ($1.75), as well as in specialty boxes of four, with each truffle nestled in the heart of a colorful handcrafted parchment flower ($13). Now that she has room, Rezende's line of chocolates is expanding, and now includes divine chocolate grappolo – clusters of dried blueberries, cherries, apricots, almonds, and walnuts covered in exquisite dark chocolate ($5 for a bag of four).

The new Spicewood Springs location is small but spotless, with a big, modern kitchen and ample seating for customers. In addition to handmade chocolates, there's a bakery case filled with chocolate mousse, chocolate-cashew torte, flourless chocolate cake, lemon bars, and cookies. Cupcakes and full-size and mini Bundt cakes are also on hand in chocolate, vanilla, carrot-pineapple, Red Velvet, and Italian Cream Cake.