By SHAVAUGHN MOSS, Lifestyles Editor, shavaughn@nasguard.com

Step through the doors to the Chocol-Art Shoppe, and you enter a world of pure ... decadence.

Right now, the only thing that lets you know that chocolate is being sold inside, are the posters on the glass doors, but open the doors and you will find a sunlight-filled shop tucked away into the back left-hand side of the Mount Royal Plaza, Mount Royal Ave., and the aroma of chocolate assail your nostrils. It's telling you to get inside quickly, because the possibilities that you will meet will almost be endless.

The irresistible chocolate aromas wafting to meet you lets you know one thing, they are indeed making their creations on the premises, and not just selling mass-produced products made in some factory in goodness knows where. A peak over the glass enclosed workspace for owners Jenny Pierre, 29, and Janis Galanis, 37, and you will see where they've been whipping up their treats. Actually you may catch a bowl of something here or there lying around. I spied a tempting bowl of freshly popped popcorn, drizzled with dark chocolate just waiting to be scooped into bags for eager hands to gobble up.

The store is a female's ultimate paradise — and the same for some men — although they hate to admit it.

A flowing chocolate fountain greets you, begging you to come and play. For a mere $2.00, you get to pick your skewered treat of choice, strawberry, cantaloupe, pear, marshmallow, cookies to whatever is the special of the day, and you can dip, dip, dip away, trying to capture as much of the chocolate onto your treat.

Then let your eyes wander a few inches to the right of the fountain, and the showcase filled with chocolate treats calls your name ... actually, it screams your name, but you just have to pay the chocolate fountain a little attention first. Then it's on to the serious business of trying the Tamarind-filled truffles, Cayenne Truffles, Ginger Truffles, chocolate dipped pretzels and cookies to name a few of the delicious treats on offer.

The Chocol-Art Shoppe is the brainchild of Pierre and Galanis, who worked for a bank and an off-shore company respectively. The friends began talks about opening a business together, and looked at the possibility of owning a clothing store, but as they looked around, they noticed clothing stores on every street corner, and decided to do something else.

"We wanted something unique, that you didn't see everywhere," said Pierre, "so we started thinking cooking wise, because both she and I like to cook. I like to bake, and she likes to cook, so we started searching online for some unique ideas. Somehow she stumbled on another type of business, which wasn't so much chocolate, but it gave us the idea of specializing in just chocolate."

The determined duo then set about researching and doing the necessary training in the technical side art of chocolate making, and picking the brains of chocolatiers. The end result, the Chocol-Art Shoppe which has been open to the public for approximately two-and-half weeks.

Flavored chocolates, chocolate lollipops, dipped chocolate, filled chocolate, fudge, brownies and cupcakes, solid chocolate, truffles, and wedding and special events favors can be found at this delicious store.

Knowing that delicious treats can be had at any good chocolate shop, Pierre and Galanis are doing their best to make their chocolates more Bahamians flavored, and have introduced flavors like tamarind, guava, coconut, lime, mango, pineapple, sour sop, sugar apple, sugar banana, and they are currently working on a seagrape flavored truffle to tempt your palate. If there's a flavor which you think would tickle your fancy, you can make a suggestion to them, and they will do their best to develop it for you. "I want people to know that we're not just any old chocolate shop, and that we're open to suggestions, and that's how we'll introduce new flavors," said Pierre.

They use Guittard, one of the finest quality chocolates in their creations.

Besides the regular melting and molding at home, and a fondue or two, as many a homecook has done from time to time, Pierre herself, did not have much experience in chocolate-making before now. She had never even made a truffle. Recently she successfully completed imprinting a totally edible photo onto a bar of white chocolate to the delight of both she and Galanis.

The duo are hoping to one day move beyond retail to the point where they can market their product to other stores, and souvenir shops, so that people visiting the country can purchase something that is truly made in The Bahamas to take home with them. With that they've got chocolate planks in the country's national colors of aquamarine, gold and black, printed with the words "Proud to be Bahamian" among a few of the items on offer.

"When I travel, I like to purchase things that are made in the place that I visit, so that's the theme that we went for and are still doing," she said.

Pierre says they are not just making chocolate in their shop, they like to think they're making art. "It's not like we're just pouring chocolate on everything and we're a chocolate shop. We do some hand painting, we do all kinds of artistic things with chocolate." And that's how they came up with their name. After the duo kept saying the name had to encompass chocolate and art, Galanis' husband came up with the Chocol-Art Shoppe which carries over into their logo which is a little painter's palatte with a strawberry at the end of a paintbrush dipped in chocolate.

Pierre and Galanis have high expectations for their fledgling business. "People are going to be saying I want something from Chocol-art, because they know the name, they know the type work we do, and it's sold at many locations throughout The Bahamas, and that we're known for quality work, says Pierre, a dark chocolate kind of girl.

The delicious chocolate creations are made at intervals throughout the day, so anytime you step through the doors of the light-filled, airy shop in the Mount Royal Plaza, the aromas of chocolate is certain to tempt your taste buds.

As they grow, Galanis says they are looking forward to adding a new flavor to their repertoire at least every other day, if not every day. "People can make suggestions, and we will try and do whatever they'd like."

They are actually in the process of making hummingbird molds for a friend to give away at her wedding in honor of her mom, who had cancer and is deceased. "Her mom was an artist, and she loved hummingbirds, and she wants us to do hummingbirds molded chocolate so that she could give as gifts to remember her mom. So anything like that, you can come in, and if we don't have it, we will go and get it," she said.

Priced by the piece, the chocolate at the Chocol-Art Shoppe is affordable, and you can go in and say I want one of this, that and the other, and for $5.00, you can get a lot of stuff, just like the candy stores of yesteryear. They also do chocolate gift baskets. You can even give a bouquet of chocolate roses.

The Chocol-Art Shoppe is open Tuesday through Thursdays, 9:30 a.m- 5:00 p.m., Friday, 9: 30 a.m- 5:30 p.m., and on Saturdays 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Truffles

This recipe is simple but impressive

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

3 cups semisweet chocolate chips, melted

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

cocoa powder

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until well blended. Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla until no streaks remain. Refrigerate for about 1 hour. Shape into 1 inch balls. Garnish with cocoa powder or drizzled chocolate.

If you want to make a flavored truffle, omit the vanilla and add one tablespoon of the desired flavoring.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

2 pint baskets strawberries

1/2 cup each semisweet, milk and white chocolate chips

Finely chopped toasted almonds

Line large baking sheet with waxed paper.

Rinse strawberries and pat dry with paper towels.

In separate small, microwave-safe bowls melt chocolates, one at a time, in microwave at (medium) power, allowing 1 1/2 to 2 minutes each. Stir until smooth. (If not completely melted, microwave a few seconds longer.) Or, melt chocolate as package directs.

Holding strawberry by stem end, dip into chocolate to cover about three-fourths of strawberry; dip into nuts, if desired, and lay on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining strawberries, chocolate and nuts. Refrigerate until chocolate is set.

Makes about 8 servings (3 strawberries per serving).

You can be creative with the toppings and dipping patterns.