What It Is: An entire line of dairy-free (and otherwise animal product-free) chocolate and confections that will impress even die-hard milk chocolate fans. While dairy-free chocolates may seem like anathema to certain purists, we’ve personally had the experience of seeing the eyes of lactose intolerant and vegan friends bulge out of their heads upon breaking into a bar of this stuff. Created by Chef Josh Rosen (winner a couple years back of Sweet Genius on the Food Network), these are absolutely top notch, locally made confections. Prices vary.
Who It’s Perfect For:
Vegans: This is pretty obvious, but to the non-vegan (that is, those of us who do consume various animal products) the magic of a creamy, mouth watering chocolate bar without any milk may not seem that exciting. Yet, my longtime vegan friend still brings up the Charm School Chocolates I gave him as a “thank you” gift well over a year ago. There’s no underestimating how much these people miss a good candy bar, or how much they’ll appreciate you finding one.
Kids with Dairy Allergies: This is another one I can personally testify for. As the aunt of a child with a severe dairy allergy, I’ve seen celebration after celebration where all the other kids are indulging in cupcakes, cookies, Halloween candy and more while my patient (but clearly bummed out) nephew abstains. Or maybe gets a popsicle or lollypop as a consolation. While they’re a bit high-end for everyday munching, a special bar for the holidays is sure to light up the face of any kid for whom chocolate is an extra rare treat.
Charm School Chocolates are available online and at retailers around town. Visit www.charmschoolchocolate.com for more information.
