AUSTIN, Texas — Austin chef Nicole Patel works hard to bring back the taste and smell of Easter from years ago.

She owns Delysia Chocolatier in Austin. Patel makes chocolate bunnies and other confections the old-fashioned way.

"So if you were a kid in the 70s and 80s, you remember that pure cacao, pure chocolate smell at Easter time. That has gone by the wayside with a lot of mass produced chocolate that has a lot of fillers and additives," said Patel.

She started her chocolate business 17 years ago. Her passion began as a hobby.

"So I started making truffles when I was eight months pregnant with my oldest. I made them as holiday gifts for our friends and family and just kind of a stress relief from my engineering career that I had," she said.

Patel pushes the envelope with her handmade truffles. They're pure chocolate, small in size, but full of flavor on the inside.

"I love using strawberries, blueberries, even roasted chopped nuts," said Patel.

The truffles are also painted with small designs on top using cocoa butter. They can take more than a week to make — not to mention all the chocolate bunnies and Easter baskets Patel sells. She has a small staff who help keep the business running.

"It's just myself and my parents and family that help me. Lots of family love in our chocolates!" she said.