S.F. Tool/Chieftain Erin Baynes (left) and Erica Houck of Arrowhead Chocolates display the company's award-winning Espresso Truffles.

JOSEPH — Arrowhead Chocolates of Joseph just won the award in the confections category at the National Good Food Awards for their Espresso Truffle chocolates. The NGFA contest judges the products of small artisans from all over the country in a number of categories.

Arrowhead co-owner Erica Houck said the company started making the truffles when it opened in 2010, but constantly refines its products. “When we started out, it was good, but we keep making it better and better,” Houck said. She also credited assistant chocolatier, Erin Baynes, with helping refine the recipe.

Arrowhead also used an ingredient from a local company in manufacturing the truffle — Stein Distillery’s Dark Rum. “We take their Dark Rum and use it as a base for an infusion, which helps give it an extra depth of flavor. Their rum is phenomenal and being able to use something local as well as something delicious is good and something we do as much as possible,” Baynes said.

Experimenting with new recipes and looking for ways to improve old recipes is part of the mission at Arrowhead. “We don’t like to sit on our recipes too long. We’re very much inspired by not just the natural beauty around us, but also everyone who comes into our store. When they take that first bite, their expression of joy, that sense of ‘Wow, what did I just eat.’ Flavor is a never-ending adventure and we’d like to share that madness and joy with everyone,” Baynes said.