Every year for Christmas my dad brought my mom a box of chocolates, almost always the large, holiday Whitman’s Sampler. I think I can safely say he was primarily responsible for initiating my everlasting love and craving for chocolate.

After she died a few years ago, I made sure he got a Whitman’s Sampler box every Christmas, just because I knew it would give him sweet memories of her and all those Christmases past.

He had his favorites, as we all did, in that box, and after he removed them, he’d share the rest with anyone who popped in for a visit, always talking about how much Jo, (my mom), loved her Whitman’s.

This is my first Christmas with both of them gone, so it will also be the first Christmas since my earliest memories without a Whitman’s Sampler in the picture. Yes, I know what you’re saying; “Well, why doesn’t she just go out and buy one for herself.”

I’ll tell you why; it’s because I make much better candy than Whitman’s, and when I make my own, it will all be exactly as John and

I like it. I don’t have to poke the bottoms in an attempt to avoid those chocolate-covered marshmallow globs, nor am I going to bite into a sickeningly sweet chocolate covered cherry. I won’t have to guess what’s beneath the chocolate covering and hope it’ll be something I really like.

No, I won’t miss the Whitman’s Sampler this Christmas. What I will miss is the look on dad’s face whenever he saw that familiar box, and hearing him talk about how much Jo loved her candy, and which were her favorites.

It just occurred to me, as I am writing this, that there is a solution. I will, after all, go out and buy the big holiday Whitman’s Sampler, but I’ll put the contents in another gift box and give it to a chocolate-loving friend. Then I’ll fill the Whitman’s box with our homemade truffles, caramels and fudge, and voila! There’s my Whitman’s Sampler box of sweet memories, and all of them favorites.

Candy making is one of our most anticipated Christmas activities. All year I collect specialty chocolate, most of it dark and 70 percent or more cacao butter. For too many years, such chocolate was hard to come by and I hoarded it like gold when I found it, but now deep, dark, rich and wonderful chocolate is available in many stores (Bayview Star Store, the Goose, PayLess, Wayward Son, to name only a few on the South End) and also online. If you’re going to spend the time, it’s also worth spending the money on the best chocolate you can get your hands on.

RECIPES

My all-time best truffle recipe was acquired years ago from Dilettante Chocolates in Seattle. These are very rich and intense.

I realize that many people find bittersweet 70 percent or higher chocolate not to their liking; feel free to substitute your favorite chocolate in any of these recipes.

BLACK SATIN TRUFFLES

1½ lbs. bittersweet chocolate (couverture if you can find it), for the coating

1 lb. dark chocolate (semisweet or bittersweet)

½ lb. unsalted butter, at room temp.

2 t. vanilla

Grate the 1½ lbs. chocolate; set aside.

Finely chop the 1 lb. bittersweet, place in a double boiler and melt over simmering water (using a candy thermometer, it should reach 120 degrees). Remove from heat.

Gradually whisk the softened butter into the warm chocolate until it is completely incorporated and the mixture is satiny smooth. Whisk in the vanilla.

Using a spatula, scrape the mixture onto a baking sheet, spreading evenly. Refrigerate at least 1/2 hr. or until firm.

Remove mixture from refrigerator and use a melon ball scoop to make small ball shapes, putting them on a sheet of waxed or parchment paper as they are made. They don’t have to be perfectly round; truffles are supposed to look handmade.

Roll the chocolate ball centers in the grated chocolate, pressing gently so the grated chocolate really sticks to the truffle. Make the coating as dense as possible. As you finish 5 or 6, transfer them to the refrigerator to firm. When all are finished, keep them in tins or plastic containers in the refrigerator until about 15 min. before you’re going to set them out to eat. If you’re going to give these as a gift, keep them refrigerated in the gift tin and indicate on the gift card that they should be kept refrigerated until ready to eat. Makes about 5 dozen truffles.

If there is anything better than chocolate with chocolate; it’s chocolate with caramel. These could be your homemade version of Turtles. (Note: You really need to have a candy thermometer to get this one right.)

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL CLUSTERS

1 cup sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup water

3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup heavy cream, scalded

2 t. vanilla

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups pecan halves, lightly toasted

4 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped or grated (or use chips)

In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water; bring to a boil over med. low heat, stirring and washing down any sugar crystals that form on the side of the pan with a brush dipped in cold water, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Boil the syrup over med. high heat until a candy thermometer reaches 250 degrees. Add butter pieces and bring mixture back to a boil over med. heat. Stir or whisk in the scalded cream, 1/4 cup at a time, and continue to boil the mixture, stirring constantly, until the candy thermometer reaches 245 degrees.

Remove pan from heat; add vanilla and salt. Stir in the toasted pecan halves. Allow mixture to sit for 3 min., or until slightly thickened. Using a spoon dipped in hot water, drop tablespoons of the mixture onto well oiled baking sheets lined with waxed or parchment paper. Let cool.

In a small heatproof bowl set over a small pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate. Remove pan from heat and with a fork drizzle each candy cluster with chocolate to coat. Chill the clusters on the baking sheets for a half hour or until the chocolate is hardened. Store candies in airtight containers lined with waxed paper, separating layers with waxed paper. Makes about 50 clusters.

Peanut butter and chocolate … comfort food.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER TRUFFLES

2/3 cup whipping cream

14 oz. dark chocolate (unless you prefer milk chocolate), finely chopped

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 T. bourbon

1/2 cup cocoa powder (if you use Mexican cocoa powder, you could add a bit of spice to the coating; otherwise use your favorite cocoa powder)

Bring the cream to a boil in a saucepan. Place chocolate in a bowl; pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the peanut butter and bourbon. Refrigerate mixture until well chilled and very firm.

Using a melon baller, scoop out pieces about 3/4-inch and put onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Roll quickly into balls and chill until firm, about an hour.

Put the cocoa powder on a plate; roll the truffles in the powder to coat. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve or gift. If you make these several days ahead, you may want to roll them in cocoa powder again before serving/gifting, as some of the powder will be absorbed. Makes about 60-70 truffles.