Chocolatier Deb Morris set out to build a better truffle.

As owner of Barkeater Chocolates in North Creek, Morris has created around a dozen varieties of the confections, using dark chocolate and white chocolate as a foundation.

"A lot of people and chocolate companies do truffles, but not many people only do truffles," Morris said. "I wanted to make truffles the only thing I specialize in."

The flavors are as diverse as her customers' palates.

Irish coffee is an espresso truffle with a hint of Irish cream and a coffee bean on top for a burst of flavor. Pina colada combines white chocolate with lemon and lime flavors and coconut. Kahlua is a nutty treat wrapped in milk chocolate.

But Morris doesn't stick with the standards.

"Basically, I try to cater to people," said Morris, who has been in full operation for about six months.

Beer lovers can savor a mix of dark chocolate and dark brew with a stout truffle. An adventurous sweet tooth might try green tea.

"There are a lot of different people with different tastes for flavor. I have to appeal to different people, not myself," Morris said. "The flavors that I thought would not be great, people love."

That explains cayenne, a rich dollop of chocolate topped with a little heat.

"I say, 'Just try it,' " she said.

According to Morris, balance is key in truffle making.

"You have to keep the ingredients simple," she said. "It has to be soft but not too liquidy. The flavor should be subtle, but you want to be able to taste it."

Morris sells the sweets at craft fairs, farmers' markets and through her online store.

While talking with customers, Morris said she heard a lot of requests for dairy-free treats.

And so her confectionery creativity started flowing.

"I like the idea of soy. Soy is a very coffeehouse kind of thing," she said.

Keeping with the coffeehouse vibe, Morris developed a soy chai truffle.

The lactose-free treat features a ganache made from unsweetened organic soy milk, bittersweet chocolate and black tea and spices. The mixture is rolled into balls and allowed to set. Then each bite-size morsel gets coated in two layers of dark chocolate.

Although the soy treats aren't exactly low in calories, they are healthier than traditional truffles.

"Two tablespoons of heavy cream is about the equivalent of six ounces of soy milk," Morris said.

And the confections have been receiving praise from customers who are intolerant to dairy and from people who have made the switch to soy products.

Throughout the summer, Morris estimates she has made between 250 and 300 truffles a week. She expects the numbers to increase during the holiday season.

And with cold weather and snow just a few months away, the chocolatier will have plenty of time to perfect her craft as she waits for the spring thaw.

A sugar-free variety is next on her agenda.

"I'm still not satisfied with the quality," Morris said of her early attempts. "Unsweetened chocolate is so incredibly bitter. I want it to taste good."

In just a short period of time, Morris has seen her business thrive. Although she looks forward to getting her name out there, she said she won't sacrifice the quality of her product for the sake of growth.

"I hope to expand, but I don't want to lose the handmade essence of it," she said.