Chocolate delights along Maine's coast

Truffles from Dean's Sweets come in flavors like tequila-lime and maple. Black Dinah chocolates are made with local cream. (Hilary Nangle for the Boston globe (below))

Maine has an art museum trail, a maritime heritage trail, an architecture trail, even a garden and landscape trail. It doesn't have a chocolate trail, but it should. So I've created one based on some must-stop chocolate shops sprinkled along the coast.

Mainstream purveyors come to mind - Len Libby in Scarborough, Haven's in Portland, Wilbur's in Freeport - but my Maine Coast Chocolate Trail comprises artisan shops selling handcrafted truffles, bark, and bonbons. These aren't kid-in-a-candy-store chocolates; they're luscious, decadent, and capable of producing audible moans when tasted. And thanks to mail order, even armchair travelers can indulge.

Kittery

Begin at Cacao Chocolates, where wildly creative Susan Tuveson and her assistant Greta Evans make outrageously flavored truffles and caramels. Ingredients might include habañero chile, gorgonzola, cardamom, or fennel. The bay truffle was inspired by a bay leaf crème brûlée at a local restaurant, and the juniper truffle evolved into juniper rosemary after Tuveson used both in roasting pork one night. Among my favorites are a truffle made with strawberry balsamic vinegar and black pepper and her fleur de sel caramels. This place turns out some extremely creative flavors.

64 Government St., 207-438-9001.

Cape Neddick

Divine Chocolates, Sandra and Kevin Freeman's heavenly shop, sells the usuals such as peanut butter cups and turtles, but like Tuveson, Sandra relishes playing with flavors. That results in new twists on familiar items, such as barks made with blueberry, peppermint, and a cranberry pistachio made with freshly shucked nuts.

1480 Route 1, 207-363-1300, divinechocolate.net.

Ogunquit

The aromas emanating from the Harbor Candy Shop will lure any passing chocoholic inside. Head to the specialty truffles and other goodies made fresh on site. The sandwich pralines are exquisite, and the caramallows combine fresh caramel with marshmallow and dark chocolate. Vegans will love the raspberry crème baskets made with soy milk and available in dark chocolate, rice milk chocolate, and dark chocolate raspberry. Other no-guilt vegan choices include truffles, peanut butter cups, bark, and chocolate-covered fruits.

248 Main St., 800-331-5856, harborcandy.com.

Portland

This foodie town has a couple of chocolate shops, but for true chocoholics, nothing but truffles from Dean's Sweets will do. Dean Bingham, an architect, creates his hand-dipped works of art in small batches in his licensed home kitchen. They're available at both Rosemont Market locations, or call in advance to purchase directly from him. Bingham uses only dark chocolate. Daily selection is ruled by serendipity and whim; tequila-lime, single-malt scotch, and cayenne are just a few possibilities. Or try his Maine-accented assortment: maple, blueberry, raspberry, and Cold River Vodka. All are nut free, a real plus for those with allergies.

55 Roberts St., 207-774-7779, deanssweets.com; Rosemont Market, 559 Brighton Ave. and 88 Congress St., 207-774-8129.

Orrs Island

Melinda Richter's dark chocolate-enrobed peanut brittle is reason enough to visit the island, easily accessible from the mainland by bridge. The Atlantic shimmers behind the Island Candy Company, and colorful perennials fill a garden in front of it. Inside, chocolates fill multiple cases, and many are made with Richter's caramel. The turtles rival the peanut brittle, and her toffees and barks, especially the pistachio, are heavenly.

1795 Harpswell Islands Road (Route 24), 207-833-6639.

Bath

Snag a table at Gipsy Diskin's Sweet Delights, a chocolate shop and bakery, then order a selection of Diskin's chocolate-dipped fruits. While she's famous for her stemmed cherries, the day's selections might include mango, pineapple, and apricot. Her hand-dipped truffles are worth a nibble; try the lavender- or Earl Grey tea-infused flavors or the dulce de leche or pumpkin caramel, if available. Diskin even makes gift boxes out of chocolate.

94 Front St., 207-443-1700, oursweetdelights.com.

Georgetown

Patty Mains of MainSweets retired early from Bath Iron Works to pursue her passion, chocolate. She makes a number of delectable chocolates, but a real treasure is her classic needham, made the traditional way using mashed potatoes. Equally praiseworthy are her peanut butter-filled chocolate, chocolate butter-pecan toffee, and chocolate-walnut caramel.

284 Five Islands Road (Route 127), 207-371-2806, mainsweets.com.

Isle au Haut

Getting to the Black Dinah Cafe requires taking a passenger ferry, then walking about a half mile. Kate and Steve Shaffer use local cream and, when possible, locally harvested organic herbs and fruits to flavor their hand-crafted truffles. "It's not about milk or dark, it's about flavor," Steve says. Try the chocolate gingerbread, which really does evoke the fragrant dessert, or the sexy Mexi, a milk chocolate truffle flavored with whole ancho chiles, vanilla, canela (Mexican cinnamon), and cardamom.

1 Moore's Harbor Road, 207-335-5010, blackdinahchocolatiers.com.

Bar Harbor

Ben & Bill's Chocolate Emporium also has shops in Massachusetts, but that doesn't make it any less a delicious stop. I'm a huge fan of the dark chocolate-covered pretzels, and my husband thinks the peanut butter cups are superb. What distinguishes this shop is that it also makes ice cream. Better yet, the homemade ice cream is flavored with the homemade candies.

66 Main St., 207-288-3281, benandbills.com.

Lubec

Don't be surprised if you leave Monica's Chocolates spending much more than you had planned. Monica Elliott draws on her Peruvian background to create amazing chocolates, and if she's around, she'll guide you through the flavors and a tasting. The bonbons, wrapped in bittersweet chocolate and available in almond, apricot, plum, coconut, walnut, and pecan, are beyond memorable. Try the sea cucumbers, made with chocolate, caramel, and peanut butter; the pistachio creams; bourbon-pecan truffles; and the sea urchins, made with bittersweet chocolate, caramel, toffee, Peruvian filling, and pecans.

56 Pleasant St., 866-952-4500, monicaschocolates.com.

Robbinston

At Katie's on the Cove, Joseph and Lea Sullivan's flower-power painted chocolate shop, all the truffles are handmade. Try a truffle flavored with Raye's mustard, made in nearby Lubec. Also worth a nibble are the Maine black bear paws, a turtle made with pecans, and the needhams.

9 Katie Lane, 207-454-8446, katiesonthecove.com.

Hilary Nangle can be reached through her website, hilarynangle.com.