Bites Nearby: Be Your Own Easter Bunny with Locally Made Treats

With Easter right around the corner, it’s time to start planning what goodies you’ll be sharing with family and friends. Patch has found some incredible edibles to get you started!

Chocolates

Family owned and operated Chihuahua Chocolates has a variety of all-natural, handcrafted, artisan chocolates to choose from this Easter season. Take, for instance, their chocolate edible egg containers. These hollow chocolate containers are filled with foil-wrapped, solid milk chocolate eggs ($9.95).  Edible egg containers can be ordered in dark or milk chocolate. 

What’s the difference between milk and dark chocolate? 

“Milk chocolate has a 30 to 42 percent cocoa content and is a little sweeter than dark chocolate,” master chocolatier and owner Darcy Peck said. “Dark chocolate can be anywhere from 50 to 100 percent cocoa content.”  

Peck said she makes her dark chocolate by blending two of the Chihuahuas' dark chocolates together into one formula. Word on the street is that people who are not big fans of dark chocolate love Chihuahua’s dark chocolates because of this blending technique.

Chocolate bunny suckers ($.99/sucker), sleeves of chocolate bunnies and carrots ($2.95) and chocolate peanut butter bunnies ($2.25/piece) filled with all natural peanut butter, are perfect choices for placing in Easter baskets. Due to high demand, Peck recommends placing your order immediately to ensure your chocolate selection is available for Easter.

Chihuahua Chocolates is at 680 Commerce Dr., Suite 100, in Woodbury. For more information call 651-735-0787. 

Wines

Kenneth Hayes, owner of Cork & Barrel Wine and Spirits, suggests a couple wine varietals if your main meat is ham.

“Because ham and its sauces tend to be more on the sweet side, you’ll want to go with a gentle, light and semisweet wine," Hayes said.  

“For red wine drinkers I suggest a Pinot Noir like Mirassou ($7.99/bottle) or Grayson Cellars ($10.99/bottle),” Hayes said.  “For a white wine option, I suggest Torrontes, a white grape that tends to be most associated with Argentina.”

“Torrontes wines have a good balance of acidity and sweetness which complements the Easter menu very nicely,” Hayes said. Cork & Barrel Wine and Spirits has two Torrontes wines featured for Easter week: Bodega Tilia ($7.99/bottle) and Bodega Tamari ($8.99/bottle).  

For an after dinner treat, Hayes recommends RumChata ($21.99), a rum cream.

“It is made from scratch using real rice, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla,” he said.  He recommends it be chilled in advance, and then poured neat over ice, used in a cocktail or mixed in with fresh berries and whipping cream as a dessert.  

Cork & Barrel Wine and Spirits is at 7057 10th St. N. in Oakdale. For more information call 651-739-0804.

Easter Meal Treats

offers a sweet Easter dinner deal for those who are looking to enjoy more time with family and less time in the kitchen. For $109.99 (serves eight guests), you’ll get an Easter-ready dinner that includes a juicy, spiral-cut ham with glaze, cooked glazed carrots, cheesy hash brown potatoes, spring salad, fresh baked holiday rolls and a Kowalski’s sweet and tart lemon celebration cake.

If you have children in the house, Deb Kowalski says they’ll love Kowalski’s cute pink, chocolate or white novelty bunny cakes ($4.99/cake).  Cakes consists of a rich pink, white or chocolate buttercream frosting and white or chocolate cake inside—a great table topper for Easter dinner.

Moms will love the beautifully decorated gourmet flower cupcakes ($2.49/cupcake).  White cupcakes are made with a rich chocolate filling and chocolate ones are filled with a Bavarian cream filling. Cupcakes are topped with hand-decorated flowers and made with a rich, French, all-buttercream frosting, giving the cupcakes a shiny gloss and super delicious flavor!

Kowalski's Market is at 8505 Valley Creek Road in Woodbury. For more information call 651-578-8800.