The Dark Knight Returns

Chocolatier Twinkle Bhattacharya’s no-milk  policy (she uses only dark Malaysian cocoa) and unusual flavours has won her a unique set of loyals - sommeliers,  Bombay gourmands who order via Blue Dart, lactose intolerant children and even a dark chocolate-loving  parrot. Peck the heck out of these!

Under the label Amoretto, this Pune resident whips up batches of hand-crafted chocolate (semi-sweet, dark, pure dark, white) that are filled with everything from marshmallows and Himalayan flora to wine and even cheese. Twinkle makes frequent trips to Mumbai, which is when she hand delivers her chocolates to clients in the city.

The hottest bonbons on her plate right now are the sexy dark chocolate spice bars – originally developed for a wine pairing event - where every bite reveals a new surprise. “Have the rose-clove chocolate with white wine, the nutmeg-cinnamon versions with red and honey-cardamom-orange with a glass of rose,” says Twinkle.  The buzz from the last one probably comes from the organic honey she sources from Under The Mango Tree.

The Rest & the Zest

Then there are the usual boozy truffles filled with liqueurs, and also fun kitchen experiments like Choco Nut Crunchies (bites of cornflakes coated with chocolate) and the puckerish dark chocolate with lime and lemon preserve plus lemon vodka. You probably shouldn’t chase these “shots” with slices of lemon.

For the upcoming Ganesh festival, Twinkle’s even planning chic modaks crafted from white chocolate and studded with raisins and pistachios. God bless her!

Getting there: Amoretto Chocolates, call 09850024369 to order (2 days in advance), view the Facebook group here, start at Rs 400 for half a kilo, Rs 100 delivery in Pune or pick up from Bhosale Nagar, shipping charges to Mumbai depend on size of order.