Gift for the sweet tooth

If you've been a good girl over the past year, last night, St. Nick paid you a courteous little visit and filled your boots with all the sweets you could dream of. Or as in my case, probably spent half an hour trying to figure out if the impressive collection of winter footwear in my closet meant that I am: a) some weird creature with 20 legs or so; b) a very confused person with an undeniable and possibly dangerous  passion for shopping or c) a glutton in disguise trying to cheat him out of more candy. Suffice to say that instead of an exciting pile of goodies, I got one small candy stuffed in every SINGLE boot I own.

But who says that sweets are only to be gifted on this day? Strike your own alliance between St. Nick and Santa Claus and make Christmas deliciously sweet for your loved ones this year with some well-chosen chocolates. You've got your Swiss, your Belgians and even your French (Maxim's chocolate-covered oranges anyone? Yum, that's all I will say.) And you've also got some very stylish choices. Design and chocolate surely have to be two of our all-around favourite things, and when you blend the two together for the perfect chocolate gift, you're bound to leave everyone speechless, as well as delighted.

Stateside, bet on San Francisco-based Cocoa Absolute Chocolate. With a simple, yet sophisticated design of a lowercase white font on a black background, and luxury chocolates inside, it makes the perfect gift for young and old alike. 

Or, if you're in Belfast this month, don't miss high-end chocolatier Co Couture Chocolate - you'll be surprised by their delicious products and their sexy and bold packaging. Open Pandora's chocolate box, and you're presented with four chocolate bars designated by colour. The series includes a range of flavoured chocolate that is just as strong and serious on your tongue as the design is to your eyes.

Looking for something a little bit more on the funny side? Look no further than Fat Pig Chocolate (and feel free to order online). With a delightfully insulting packaging, these bright pink squares of chocolates make fun of you while you eat them, shouting (in writing) "oink!" with every bite. What more are you waiting for? Dig in, pig out!

For a more traditional approach, and just in case you didn't catch sight of Dancer, Prancer and Vixen this year, you can have them (or their cousins) come to your very own home in the form of deliciously mellow and sweet milk chocolate. Perfectly sized for little appetites, stocking fillers or as an after dinner treat, Hotel Chocolat's box of 8 Tiddly Reindeers is the gift to give. Available online.