Chocolate For Me

One of my favorite places to visit (when I get the chance) is the Harbor Candy Shop in Ogunquit, Maine.  It is a charming old fashioned candy shop with homemade candy.  I haven't been there for a few years now, but I started thinking about one of their specialities. They are called Nut Wreaths or "Mendiants" as they are called in France and Belgium.  They are delicate dark chocolate wreaths, decorated with nuts, dried fruits and candied violets.  According to the shop, the colors represent the four Roman Catholic mendicant orders (Dominicans in white, Franciscans in grey, Carmelites in Brown and Augustinians in deep purple).

I decided to treat myself this Easter to a box of these nut wreaths to be shipped directly to me.   The package came festively wrapped in a red box with lavender velvet ribbon.  Luckily, my husband does not like dark chocolate, so I have tucked these away in a drawer as a special treat for me alone!

Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate it from here in coastal Delaware.

Violetlady
xo

Sweet Treats!!

My daughter told me how to make these -- aren't they cute??


First bad batch -- stayed in oven too long!!

Take square little pretzels, put a vanilla/chocolate Hershey's kiss on top and put in 200 degree oven for about 5 min. When they get glossy, take them out and put the M&M's on top. Refrigerate for a little bit to harden. Don't do what I did on the first batch -- don't wait for them to melt in the oven. They will just get hard. They taste just like chocolate covered pretzels, of course. My daughter puts them in little cellophane bags with ribbons and a tag for little gifts.

These would be fun to make for kids on a rainy day.