Local confectioneries are busy churning out seasonal
delights
Who can take a sunrise, sprinkle it in dew, cover it in chocolate and a miracle or two? If you’ve seen the original “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” your head likely is ringing with Gene Wilder’s voice singing, “The candyman can, ’cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good.”
The South Valley has its own magical chocolate factories, if you know where to look. And with the holidays fast approaching, there’s no better time to make someone special’s world taste good.
Marich Confectionery in Hollister makes special Christmas chocolate items such as “sprinklemint” almonds, which are almonds drenched in dark chocolate and a white-peppermint coating that’s flecked with red and green.
Other goodies include chocolate balls wrapped in festive foil to look like ornaments, and shortbread cookies dipped in dark chocolate and topped with white, red and green peppermint coating.
Another confectionery in Hollister, De Brito Chocolate Factory, owes its existence to a chocolate Christmas tradition.
Every year, Alene De Brito dipped dried apricots in chocolate and gave the tasty treats as gifts to friends, as well as employees and customers of her husband’s business. When De Brito could no longer meet the demand for her increasingly popular spin on fruity holiday gift foods – clearly favored more than any fruit cake – De Brito Chocolate Factory was born.
The signature chocolate-covered apricots are still the best sellers during the holidays and year-round, De Brito said. Her toffee is another popular item this time of year.
De Brito also puts an extra-chocolatey spin on fudge, a traditional holiday favorite.
“We want to keep the fudge from drying around the edges and lock the freshness in, so we dip the fudge in chocolate,” she said.
De Brito does two specialty items only available during the holiday season: One is a pumpkin pie caramel apple and the other is crushed peppermint in white chocolate bark.
The appeal of chocolate as a gift is universal, De Brito said.
“Chocolate is a feel-good food. It makes you feel wonderful,” she said. “It’s become a large part of corporate giving, kind of replacing the old bottle of wine. Chocolate is something people can take home and share with their whole family.”
De Brito even adds a twist to the traditional corporate gift: She’s ordered molds for several companies that use her chocolate as holiday gifts.
Past molds included chocolate horses and cows, and this year she’s made a multitude of dark chocolate miniature replicas of big rig semi trucks.
You won’t find semi trucks at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Gilroy, but you will find chocolate Stars of David, dreidels, menorahs and gold “gelt” coins for Hanukkah. Rocky Mountain also has gift boxes in Hanukkah wrapping.
“You don’t have to worry about picking out the right color or the right size when it comes to chocolate,” said Maria Hernandez, owner of both branches of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in the Gilroy Premium Outlets. “And there’s something kind of luxurious about chocolate that makes it a great gift.”
Most of the Rocky Mountain chocolates are handmade in Durango, Colo., and shipped to the local stores. But some items, such as the seasonal specialty peppermint bark, are handmade in the stores.
Other seasonal specialty items in the factory include fruit-shaped marzipan, chocolate-covered candy canes and fudge in a Christmas tree-shaped tin, decorated with M&M “ornaments.” Year-round delights such as peanut butter buckets get a holiday makeover with Santas and snowmen decorating their tops.
Even pampered pooches can find special treats at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Bone-shaped dog treats, similar to the kind available in grocery stores, are half dipped in a white sugary coating. The coating, called “Alpine white” or “ribbon,” looks like white chocolate. Signs on the display and attached to the treats explain that no chocolate, which can be deadly to dogs, is used in the canine confection. But Hernandez said Fido won’t know the difference.
“It’s a special holiday, so everybody gets something,” she said with a laugh. “Owners love to treat their dogs. Their pets are like their children.”
Though all the holiday novelties are popular, English toffee and rocky road clusters are still the best sellers, Hernandez said.
“These pieces are huge; they’re meant to share,” she said. “If you give it as a gift, maybe someone will share it with you.”
To create your own holiday chocolate delights from scratch, try one of these recipes:
Candy-Kissed Twists
1 bag small pretzels (twisted)
1 bag Hershey’s Kisses
decorative holiday garnishes such as holiday-colored M&Ms, nut pieces, miniature marshmallows or dried fruit pieces
Step 1: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.
Step 2: Place pretzels on ungreased cookie sheet. Place one unwrapped chocolate on top of each pretzel.
Step 3: Bake two to three minutes or until the chocolate is soft, but not melting.
Step 4: Remove from oven; gently press decorative garnish on top of the soft chocolate piece. Cool and serve.
Source: www.hersheys.com
Brandied Yule Jewels
2 1/2 cups crushed vanilla cookies
1/2 cup chopped pecans or almonds
1/3 cup brandy
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
8 ounces of good quality dark chocolate chips
1 Tbs. margarine (not butter)
colored baking sugars for decoration
Step 1: Melt chocolate chips with the margarine gently over a double-boiler or in the microwave, stirring smooth. You may need to add an extra teaspoon or two of margarine if the mixture is too lumpy, as it needs to be smooth enough to mix with the crushed cookies.
Step 2: Mix with all other ingredients, working the mixture until incorporated. If it’s too dry and will not hold together, add a touch of corn syrup (no more than a tablespoon).
Step 3: Roll into truffle-sized balls, then roll in the colored sugars. The candies are fun to serve these in frilled paper candy cups or on tiny decorative plates.
Source: www.chocoholic.com
Holiday Chocolate-Dipped Delights
1 package (4 ounces) sweet chocolate
assorted dippers, such as small candy canes, marshmallows, graham crackers,
your favorite cookies or pretzels
Step 1: Microwave chocolate in small microwaveable bowl on high for 1 1/2 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after one minute. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.
Step 2: Dip assorted dippers into chocolate; let excess chocolate drip off.
Step 3: Let stand at room temperature, or refrigerate on wax paper-lined baking sheet, 30 minutes or until chocolate is firm.
Source: www.kraftfoods.com
Get Your Sweet Fix
To satisfy those holiday chocolate cravings, visit these local confectioneries:
San Benito County
Isabella Zanger Chocolates
7380 Pacheco Pass Highway, Hollister
(831) 637-0570
Marich Confectionery
2101 Bert Drive, Hollister
(831) 634-4700
De Brito Chocolate
Factory
160 Briggs Road, Hollister
(831) 637-0164
Gilroy
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
8155-6 Arroyo Circle in Gilroy or 681 Leavesley Road
(408) 842-4666
