Roger Johnson is hunched down, arranging chocolate truffles in his display case, when two women march into his store. "We passed two candy stores on the way here because we want good truffles," one of them says. Johnson chuckles as he shows them his selection: 28 flavors ranging from Key Lime to Frangelico, including his best seller, the Just Chocolate truffle, a dark ambrosia chocolate delicacy.

Johnson and his wife, Kathleen, are pioneer Twin Cities chocolatiers and are accustomed to such high expectations. For 10 years their shop, Just Truffles, served up its creamy creations from its location in the St. Paul Hotel lobby, where traveling celebrities and well known politicians were among their regulars.

Luciano Pavarotti once thanked the chocolatiers for a gift of truffles on stage during a concert, so the Johnson's gave him his own flavor – Tenor Temptation, a mix of milk chocolate, coconut, and Malibu Rum.

Inside the company's new spot on Grand Avenue in St. Paul, photos of customers such as Pavarotti, Yo-Yo Ma, and Lionel Ritchie line the walls as though giving testimonials to the truffles' great taste.

It's easy to see why Just Truffles has a good reputation. "A truffle should simply be the best piece of chocolate you've ever tasted," says Roger, with a British lilt in his voice. "The outside should be a thin – and I stress thin – coat of chocolate, which is there only to seal the freshness." Inside lies soft chocolate ganache, smooth and creamy, yet not too sweet.

Kathleen is the one who created the secret recipe. She started experimenting with truffles years ago when she made some for her family's Valentine's Day gift, and her sons and husband begged for more. The next Christmas, after weeks of trial and error spent perfecting the recipe, she brought the final product to work to share with coworkers at Northwest Airlines. They, in turn, ordered 50 dozen for the next year.

Buoyed by his wife's success, Roger suggested she quit her job and start her own business. After much thought, Kathleen decided to keep working full-time, but her husband had faith the treats could lure a loyal following. So Roger, a former sale engineer, ventured into a new, unexpected career producing his wife's truffles and selling them statewide.

Is there a proper way to eat "the best piece of chocolate you've ever tasted"? Of course, Roger says. You should eat a truffle at room temperature. And ideally they would be "bitten into," though cutting them into quarters to share is fine, too. You should also serve truffles with a worthy beverage, Roger insists. Coffee is a natural complement, but wine also pairs well. He suggests serving a heavy red or port with dark chocolate, a blush wine with milk chocolate, and a champagne or white wine with white chocolate.

The truffles have become so popular that the Johnson's were recently asked to sell their sweets at duty – free airport shops across the country. The duo turned down the offer, however, because they didn't want to sacrifice the quality of their work. The way they work now, "there's a little of us in each truffle," says Roger. And that's the way they want it to stay.