Expressions Fine Chocolate

The almond-pecan florentines are deceptively innocent-looking at Expressions Fine Chocolate. They are, in fact, decadent, as are most of the concoctions owner Valerie Gamble creates. Gamble, a former stockbroker, started her Westchase shop in 2004. She makes everything by hand and uses only the finest ingredients with no preservatives, which means her chocolates have a very short shelf life. Consequently, her storefront shop is open for the Christmas, Valentine's Day and Easter seasons, with appointment-only and made-to-order sales during the rest of the year. Two highlights from the sweet lineup are her champagne truffles (champagne ganache covered in dark chocolate and topped with edible gold leaf) and her Dorothy Shoe (a chocolate shoe covered in edible red glitter). At Easter, look for her giant Easter Eggs (hollow, dark Belgian chocolate Easter eggs filled with a pound of assorted treats).