Lake Champlain Chocolates Blog

He's here! The Lake Champlain Chocolates Easter Bunny is making his rounds outside our Pine Street retail location. In sunshine, rain or snow (because in April in Vermont, all three can happen in one afternoon), the Easter Bunny tirelessly waves at passers-by and offers high fives to anyone who is willing.  We all look forward to the day when the Easter Bunny finally makes his grand appearance.  

Easter is a really fun time at Lake Champlain Chocolates. We have tons of cute and delicious chocolate bunnies turning up all over the place, our spring chocolate flowers are starting to sprout up along side our chocolate carrots, creating an irresistible garden of all-natural chocolate confections. To celebrate the holiday, Emily Watson and Kirk Weed, Lake Champlain Chocolates’ resident chocolate sculptors, have also handcrafted some beautiful Easter themed pieces, featuring exquisitely painted chocolate eggs.

Emily created this wonderful Chocolates of Vermont sculpture as well. Each of the four flavors celebrate a different season in Vermont, with Easter marking the beginning of Honey Caramel season!  Locally harvested honey paired with creamy caramel and dark chocolate- can you think of a better way to start Spring?

So if you’re in the neighborhood, why not hop on in and check out all the wonderful chocolates on display.

Less than three weeks until Easter and then I’m back on vacation - skiing, snowboarding and living it up. It sneaks right up on me some years. And this year, since Easter is March 23, it really surprised me. It looks like I’ll be delivering even more chocolate bunnies this year than last year and the Easter baskets are piling up. If I had to pick one item that’s becoming my favorite, I’d have to go with the milk chocolate carrot. Check it out, it's wicked cute. Hey, I’m a rabbit. I like carrots.

It always gets so busy for me this time of year but I'm not complaining. Besides delivering easter baskets and hiding colored eggs for the easter egg hunts, I also have a lot of appearances to make. In fact, I’ll be in the Lake Champlain Chocolates Factory Store Saturdays in March. I love that part because I get to be the star and all the kids love me. Hey, if you’re around, stop in and say hello to an old rabbit.

One of my fondest Easter memories derives from a fight that I had on my elementary school playground with fellow second grader, John H.  This event remains clear in my mind due to its tragic ending; it was my first and last trip to the principal’s office.  Trust me… I made quite the everlasting impression on all involved that cool spring afternoon.  How embarrassing!   

So how exactly does the goody-two shoes of the second grade class end up in the principal’s office? Well during lunch recess, I happened to discover a leather egg left over from an Easter egg hunt.  Instead of keeping it to myself, I decided it was a brilliant idea to wheel and deal the egg with none other than classmate (and, might I add, villain) John H.  Boy, was that ever a mistake.  I remember after I made the trade- a dime for the egg- I desperately wanted the egg back.  As you may have already guessed, John H. was totally done with the deal and refused to give up his new prized possession.  I was forced to take the situation into my own hands and broke out some mad WWF wrestling moves on good ol’ Johnny boy.  Needless to say, my stunt did not go over well with recess monitors or my parents because both John H. and I ended up in the principal’s office.  Worst of all, in the end neither of us ended up with the egg. 

I clearly learned a lesson: who CARES about a stupid leather egg?  I mean, who would ever fight over that… smile.  Incidentally, the whole conflict would never have happened if the egg had been chocolate.  I mean seriously, make your Easter egg hunt worthwhile for participants.  Lake Champlain Chocolate assorted eggs make the perfect ‘hunted’ egg.  Trust me, you will be the hit of the Easter holiday with this delectable treat!  

I may have just found my latest crush – our Coconut Delight Egg. It’s new for Easter and we just got them out on the shelves so of course, we had to smash one open and try it. Perfect timing as I needed a little sugar rush to get me through the rest of my afternoon and I really wasn’t sold on anything. That is, until someone told me they were smashing open one of the new chocolate Easter eggs.

So, let me tell you about it. It’s 2.6 ounces of creamy coconut filling and dark chocolate “shell” and it’s wrapped in this springy, emerald green foil with a big pink ribbon. I almost felt bad about it getting broken open – almost! But once it was, there was all that sweet coconutty filling with real coconut and coconut milk and all sorts of tasty goodness. And there was enough there for us to share with each other even though I might have been able to eat an entire one myself, it was that good! And that's today’s sweet spot.

 Incidentally, if you're not as big of a coconut fan as I am, we also have a peanut butter egg with milk chocolate which also sounds yummy but that’ll have to wait until tomorrow. Maybe.

It’s done. Valentines Day has made its swift appearance and even swifter departure and all that’s left is the chocolate wrapper carnage. But no time for tears. It’s on to that delicious chocolate easter bunny. Those sweet little hoppy things with the oh-so-tempting ears just waiting for a nibble. I can’t wait to get my hands on one. As soon as they have swept the factory store of the pink and red ribbons and bows, I’m certain they’ll make their appearance.

Along with their arrival will be the far-too-delicious filled chocolate easter eggs. Yes, another weakness I’m willing to admit. Come by my office during spring and you’re sure to find a few wadded up colored foil wrappers here and there. Sure, Easter isn’t just about chocolate easter bunnies, chocolate easter baskets and easter eggs but it’s part of what makes up my childhood memories and I can always rely on them to transport me back to those days. And it also means we’re just that much closer to Spring and all it’s joys!