Glarus Chocolatier

644 South Exeter St., Harbor East

410-727-6601 or GlarusChocolatier.com

Open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday

Don't panic. Sure you're invited to a holiday brunch at noon today and a Christmas Eve open house tomorrow, not to mention Christmas dinner with friends. So you need a last-minute gift when you thought your shopping was done. You don't want to hit the malls at this late date. Glarus Chocolatier recently opened its second store in Harbor East and has just what you need.

Nobody is going to turn down the rich, creamy goodness of hand-crafted, traditional Swiss chocolates. These are made in small batches without preservatives or artificial ingredients. Besides the year-round favorites such as boxes of assorted chocolates and fresh-cream truffles (10-piece, $15; 18-piece, $24; 36-piece, $48), there are seasonal specialties such as peppermint truffles and chocolate-dipped figs.

Buy yourself a treat while you're there - maybe a solid chocolate Santa Claus? You deserve it.

Note: The store closes at 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve.