Honolulu Weekly

Was anyone ever so appropriately named? Essence Kwan grew up in a bakery (Lahaina’s The Bakery) and has “always loved the sweet smell of confections,” she says. She recently started making small batches of preservative-free chocolates and desserts meant to be eaten the same week. Offerings include rum truffles, dark-chocolate-covered caramels topped with almonds, tiramisu and dark-chocolate peanut butter cups. You’ll find it hard to go back to waxy Reese’s–the thin, super-chocolatey cup cracks open to release a flood of peanut creaminess. Good thing they come in ribbon-tied packages of three.

Kwan uses 62 percent cacao dark chocolate from Switzerland. She starts off with recipes from a book on chocolate for basics, then puts her own innovative spin on the creations. And here’s the modern-times part: You can order them only through Twitter. Follow @choco_essence to find out what she’s working on. To place an order, direct-message her. If you’re located between Ala Moana and downtown, the chocolates will be delivered (by her husband) and you pay upon receipt. She’s been working on a St. Patrick’s Day special: mint marshmallows (made with fresh mint, of course) coated in dark chocolate. They’re like eating minty chocolate air. Genius! The Twitique is Kwan’s way of testing the waters–she dreams of opening her own chocolate shop. If you haven’t yet joined the Twitterverse, this might be the reason you were waiting for.