Happy almost-Valentine’s Day, everyone! I know not everyone celebrates it, but for those who do, it can be a fun holiday. And since I’m a sucker for sweets, especially of the chocolate variety, I have to ask: What are your favorite candies for Feb. 14?
I adore, adore, adore See’s chocolates (based in/near San Francisco)!
Used to be the butterscotch squares were their sweets of choice for me, but at some point they just got a little TOO sweet, so now I’m head over heels for the milk
bordeaux chocolates.
Alas, since I’ve been on this weight-loss campaign, See’s doesn’t fit in too well. I did get
a box before Christmas and have allowed myself one milk bordeaux a week, just to
keep the cravings at bay. DH asked me what I wanted for the holiday, and I think I’m getting
a manicure or pedicure (which is great pampering and no calories or fat). I’m
getting him some tea that he loves and also some fancy craft beer that he’s been craving; my son really likes Lindor chocolate truffles and Hershey’s Cookies and Cream candy bars, so he’s covered with those.
So please do share what your most beloved sweets are (and sweet and/or chocolate fragrances as well). My all-time favorite gourmand is the now sadly discontinued Guerlain’s Iris Ganache, which was white-chocolate heaven to me.
Hope everyone has a great day!!
See’s chocolate covered toffee!!!! Seattle is full of amazing chocolate stores!!! Our favorite is Intrigue Chocolates. They make small and large bars that are ganache infused with amazing and creative flavors (rose petal, cardamom, grains of paradise and many more).
Mmmm, Elizabeth, you’ve got my mouth watering! Haven’t tried the See’s toffee but gotta get a taste of some sometime (probably next December with the pop-up shops). Love those exotic flavors (Michael Recchuiti (sp?) in Ferry Building in San Fran. does some lovely ones too).
My Dear Husband is a Bay Area native and he loves See’s molasses chips. I get a box to slide into his stocking every Christmas and they’re usually half gone by lunch time. Although not traditional I love a good chocolate hazelnut biscotti. I tend to like my chocolate baked in cakes, cookies and brownies or made into ice cream.
Oh, yes, Tatiana — they are great and you are so sweet to gift him each holiday. And hazelnut biscotti rocks, too, as do all the other treats you mentioned — it’s all good! 🙂
I love See’s butterscotch squares, and the scotch mallows 🙂 Haven’t tried the bourdeaux chocolates yet, which is probably a good thing.
Oh, mercy, Nemo — I forgot ALL about those yummy scotchmallow thingies! Goodness, so much good chocolate I can’t keep half of it straight!
Perfume: I love Anima Dulcis, chocolate but not really sweet and the most beautiful drydown. I love the snug round bottle too.
I don’t think we get See’s chocolate in the UK- lucky for the waistline maybe?
Perhaps no See’s there in the U.K., but I’m sure you have some other pretty amazing chocolate to tempt you, Mrs. Dalloway. What are your U.K. faves? And thanks for reminder about the Anima Dulcis; It’s great and I need to get it out and wear it pronto.
My local supermarket’s bakery section carries Leonidas. All varieties, $45 lb. My favorite “regular” chocolates? See’s walnut rolls, nut cremes, and Easter, the chocolate walnut eggs.
Oh, my, lucky you! All you guys raving about them has put them at the top of my to-sample list. Gotta try those other See’s goodies you mentioned as well.
Happy Valentine’s Day, darling! You know my personal sweet of choice is Recchiuti’s Fleur de Sel caramels, which I love because in that little square, nothing is defined. Everything is a ‘hint’ which is so intriguing. The burnt caramel (which I adore), which halves the sweet quotient. The hint of chocolate in the enrobement the little lick of smooth salt woven into that enrobement – it’s all perfect and cannot be deconstructed.
xoxoxoA
Happy, happy heart day to you, too, dear! Man, you had to go and mention those two — my mouth is sooo watering for them now. It’s been so long since I’ve been to SF that they kind of fell off my radar, but now …. 😉
I love anything chocolate and caramel. My fave chocolate perfume is Xyrena Andy Kaufman Milk and Coookies, wonderful scent of warm chocolate chip cookies. Ahhhh.
Oooh, yes — I am right there with you on the caramel. A really good one can give good chocolate a run for its money in my book. And that scent sounds amazing, but way too tempting. Do you get bad cookie cravings while wearing it?
Milk Bordeaux and Dark cherry. So good ?
I mean, So good!
Hey, Claudia! Have not tried the dark cherry ones — are they a seasonal item or available year-round?
There’s a seasonal Black Forest truffle that I tried in store last week-perhaps that’s the one. It was delicious!
Love See’s and am thankful that they aren’t quite as easy to get here as they were when I lived and worked right next to a mall with a See’s store. They are so darned generous with the freebies, especially at slow times, and we frequently hit the mall for our late lunch days. I like the butterscotch squares and butterchews quite a lot, but those darned peanut brittle bars are my downfall.
My absolute favorite chocolates are the kirsch marzipan chocolates from Andre’s in Kansas City. They used to allow me to order a box of them via phone but now they only sell them in mixed boxes or in store so my waistline is safe.
As for Valentine’s Day, I can take it or leave it.
So, so true, dear! Those samples are diet-busters (and impossible to resist) so I’m just as glad that around here we only get the holiday mall shops. And yes, they do have the BEST peanut brittle, don’t they?
I’m a dark chocolate girl myself. Not terribly fond of See’s but Trader Joe’s makes a dark chocolate sea salt caramel that is TDF! Curious as to what craft beer your sweetie is wanting. I love craft beer more than candy!
Too funny, Rina! Gotta give that Trader Joe’s a try next time I’m in there (sure wish there was one closer to me). The beer is called Three Taverns Single Intent (a Belgian style single). Someone at his office brought some in and he fell in love with it, so figured he’d like it for the holiday.
I love the Sees brown sugar squares. No such thing as too sweet! My other favourite is Godiva marzipan hearts. We celebrate with cards and chocolates. Any excuse to buy chocolates is good! My chocolate perfume is Guerlain Gourmand Coquin.
Ooh, Tara — Gourmand Coquin — mmmm! I haven’t sniffed that in ages; must go dig out my sample of it. And yes, the brown sugar Sees are great- just think I might have overdosed on them, ha!
See’s Milk Chocolate Bordeaux! You are making my mouth water! That is my absolute favorite candy. I can only get them at the pop up shops in the malls during the holidays when I visit my family in South Florida.
Michelle, those are the best, aren’t they? Of course, everything at See’s is pretty sweet.
Aaahhhhh… See’s dark chocolate Molasses Chips, the candy of my childhood. These days it’s Fran’s Chocolates dark choc. salted caramels which was the favorite of the Obama White House….SO good!
– Robert H.
Yum, Robert! I had forgotten how delish those See’s chips are. Need to find those Fran’s and try them. Thanks!
I never got to smell Iris Ganache, but I’m wondering if the new Armani Privé Iris Celadon is similar? I know it has iris and chocolate notes. Has anyone compared them?
My most favorite chocolate is a Belgian chocolatier called Leonidas — we lived in Belgium when I was young, and I used to get them there. A couple of years ago, I found out you could order Leonidas chocolates on Amazon, which is crazy tempting!
We have Leonidas shops in Montreal, yum!
Lucky you!
Howdy, Heidi! You’ve not sniffed IG — must remedy that ASAP. And Armani Prive Femme Bleue also has a yummy chocolate note in it. And I, too, am dying to try the new Armani. Haven’t tasted Leonidas but it sounds wonderful.