FAQ

Q&A

Does Tom make all of the chocolates?
Yes. Tom is a true perfectionist. He carefully crafts each and every truffle and confection by hand. Brewing each small pot of caramel, infusing each batch of ganache, and carefully placing each candied violet petal, from start to finish, Tom painstakingly creates the magic.

How do you pronounce Sciascia?
Say “sha-sha.” And if you’re wondering, yes, it's Italian, Sicilian to be more specific!

What kind of chocolate do you use?
We blend a variety of sustainable and responsibly sourced chocolates manufactured by Valrhona (France), Felchlin (Switzerland), and Callebaut (Belgium). Tom pairs different chocolates with infusions of fruits, spices, and herbs, constantly tasting new chocolates to highlight the very best combination of flavors. 

I was told to consume 70% dark chocolate or higher. What does that mean? What is the cocoa percentage of your chocolates?
Higher percentage chocolates have been in the news for their health benefits.
Chocolate is rich in antioxidants. The percentage that corresponds with each chocolate refers to the amount of cocoa it contains. The higher the percentage, the higher the cocoa content, and presumably, its health benefit. The other percentage that doesn’t add up to 100%, denotes the sugar content. For example, a 70% dark chocolate contains 70% cocoa (cocoa mass and cocoa butter) and the remaining 30% is sugar. White chocolate actually contains zero cocoa mass, but does contain cocoa butter that has been extracted from the cocoa beans. Other than using white chocolate, we also use milk chocolate (40% cocoa, and dark chocolates ranging from 64% to 100%.

Is there any way to know what’s in the truffle box upon receipt?
Yes, each box is graced with a Truffle Menu Card that features a color photo of each truffle along with their descriptions. Truffles vary by season, so you might get something new in your box that hasn’t made it to the Truffle Menu Card, and not all truffles on the card will be in your box. You can refer to the Truffle Palette for more information. 

Can I pick which truffles I want in my box from the website?
If you have a special request, we do everything we can to accommodate you. If you’re local, stop by our retail locations: Stockton Market, Stockton, NJ and Ferry Market, New Hope, PA, and we will be happy to make up a custom assortment for you. If you’re looking for a box of our Caramels, that’s easy. You can order here under the Chocolate tab. For orders to ship, we offer customized truffle selections with a minimum order of 20 boxes. Keep in mind that we may not have a specific truffle at any given time. Some of our truffles are seasonal and our inventory does vary from day to day, but please call Loren at 215-996-0606, and we will try to make it happen for you.

Can I make a custom order for my event/wedding/corporate gift?
We would love to talk to you about your vision and goals for your event, wedding, shower, party or corporate event or gifts. Large or small, we will talk about colors and style and how to create something special and personal for your guests or clients. Our background is in graphic design and using our design skills, experience, and tools, we will incorporate your logo or theme to raise your favor/gift to an amazing custom presentation. Please call Loren to talk about how to make your vision a reality.

I want to send gifts to everyone on my list for a corporate order, can I give you my entire list, and you do the rest?
Yes! Whether it’s a holiday gift list or a client birthday appreciation program, we can take your list and send out all of your gifts! It’s that easy. We will be happy to use our FedEx account or yours. Call Loren at 215-996-0606, and we can talk about how we can customize your order.

What’s the best way to enjoy Sciascia Confections?
We recommend you enjoy our chocolates at room temperature to experience the full flavor and subtleties of each chocolate. You can pair spring water or experiment with your favorite wines or beers.

How long will my Sciascia Confections stay fresh? What’s the best way to care for them?
Our chocolates contain no preservatives, no artificial flavors, and no compounds. We recommend that you enjoy our chocolates within 2 weeks of receiving them. Heat, humidity, and direct sunlight are your chocolate’s enemies. If you plan to keep your chocolates for longer, we recommend placing them in a Ziploc freezer bag and keep them cool in the refrigerator or freezer for even longer. But, please bring your chocolates back to room temperature before opening the box. We’ve listed a few guidelines below to give you an example of shelf life of our products:
1 week (with refrigeration): BFF Cookies
2 weeks (keep cool and dry): Truffles
2 months (keep cool and dry): Caramels
3 months: Dark Chocolate Bark
12 months: Drinking Chocolates

Why does chocolate sometimes appear whitish or blotchy? Does that mean it’s spoiled? Is it safe to eat?
The whitish or blotchy discoloration that you sometimes see on chocolate’s surface is called “bloom.” It’s perfectly harmless and is nothing more than the sugar or fat (which is from the cocoa butter) affecting the surface of the chocolates. You may see bloom on your chocolates when they are exposed to drastic changes in temperature or exposed to moisture. That’s why we advise you to bring your chocolates to room temperature before opening your box if it is cold, and to avoid exposing your chocolates to extremely high temperatures.

Do you gift-wrap?
Each of our truffle boxes arrives in an elegant satin brown gift box accompanied by a personalized note card and tied with a beautiful woven 1½ inch grosgrain ribbon. There are seasonal ribbon options for Assorted Truffle Boxes. Take a look at the options when you place your order.  And we’ll include a note card with your gift. Please include a message for the note card with your order. You’ll find the field for a note card on the check out page.

Are your products Gluten Free?
Yes! Good news if you need to avoid gluten, Tom has a gluten allergy, so our products do not contain gluten.

Are any of your chocolate products vegan?
Yes! Drinking Chocolates and Dark Chocolate Bark. There are also 2 truffles that are vegan: "Peppermint Patty Loves Chuck, and "PB Bomb."

What allergens are contained in your chocolates?
Our products contain, tree nuts, peanuts, dairy, soy (soy lecithin is an emulsifier in chocolate), and eggs. Our "S'more" truffle contains egg whites, not gelatin (fish/shellfish). All products are made in our chocolate studio on equipment using the ingredients listed here.

Do your chocolates contain partially hydrogenated fats or oils?
We use all natural ingredients in our chocolates, which means we use no hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats or oils.

Do you use organic ingredients?
Wherever we can we use as many organic ingredients as possible.

Does Sciascia Confections conduct chocolate tastings or demonstrations?
Yes! If you have an event, whether it’s a treat for your book club, a small gathering of friends, maybe you’re turning 40 or hosting a large social or corporate event for 200, invite Tom to join you with a chocolate tasting or demo.

If you have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to call us at (215) 996-0606. We love to talk chocolate!