Best Overall Packaging – TIE – Lake Champlain and See’s Candies: Lake Champlain’s was whimsical, flirty and fun, while See’s was girly, cheeky and sweet. Both boxes of these chocolates reflect what we’d want to get. Hint, hint.

Best Truffle – Lake Champlain: Everyone had great truffles, but the most mind-numbing, eyes-closed-delicious ones came from Lake Champlain. The Vanilla Malt was unbelievable, and the individual centers were velvet pillows of wonder. Those all-natural ingredients and their freshness really made the difference.

Best Flavor Harmony – Payard Champagne Truffles: These are a dangerous novelty. They’re delicate, messy and just a little addictive. Get these chocolates if your love is romantic and appreciates some bitter with their sweet.

Biggest Surprise – Lindt: Growing up in New England, we’d all eaten Lindt and knew what to expect, but that didn’t make us feel any less guilty when we finally tried these chocolates and were reminded why Lindt rocks our world.

Best Use of Chocolate – Lake Champlain foil-wrapped Chocolates: The packaging was absolutely adorable, and the chocolates were pure, simple and intense. We especially loved the dark chocolate and peppermint ones.

Best Use of Cherry – Lake Champlain: For the lack of actual cherry! The candy was still gooey and flavored, but it didn’t drip or ooze when the chocolate shell broke.

Best Use of Caramel – Payard’s salted caramels: These petit square morsels were softer than satin bedsheets and infinitely easier to enjoy. The salty and the sweet were a subtle mix.

Best Use of Peanut Butter – 3-WAY TIE – See’s Candies, Lake Champlain and Q.bel: We couldn’t agree, so they all win!

• Amber says: ‘See’s gets my prize for the sheer size of the Peanut Butter Heart. What a bounty of deliciousness – enough to eat in one go for the true V-Day warriors, but more than enough to nibble at for days. And it’s only $5!’
• Jacqui says: ‘The peanut butter wafer bars were so good I ate two of them and stole one for my pregnant, peanut butter-craving friend. IMO, these are world’s better than Reeses.’
• Kate says: ‘Lake Champlain, definitely. Oh goodness. Mix peanut butter with chocolate, and I swoon. This is one high class peanut butter cup!’

Best Diet-Friendly Treat – 3-WAY TIE – Lake Champlain, See’s Candies and Q.bel: Valentine’s Day is *not* the time to introduce the subject of diets (unless you want to get dumped immediately), but these individually wrapped treats are a very subtle, decadent way of not ruining anyone’s efforts toward being more healthful.

Best Diet-Ruiner – All of them! Throw that diet out the door and indulge. We could (and did) eat a few more of these than we probably should have … and you know what? We don’t regret a morsel.