“Life is like a box of chocolates” — and so are the holidays! With the exhilarating chaos of ugly sweater parties and gift shopping, it’s easy to forget to step back and enjoy the season. Luckily, the Tri-State offers several sweet ways to treat yourself and maybe even check a few items off those wish lists.
Peanut Butter Smidgets
Velvety smooth peanut butter that molds itself to your taste buds is encased in rich milk chocolate to create one of Stephen Libs Finer Chocolates’ best-selling items. Offered year-round, demand for the smidgets increases during the holidays when they are fashioned into classic shapes such as Christmas trees, snowmen, and even Santa Claus himself.
Price: $8.09 for a six-ounce box
Location: 6225 Vogel Road
facebook.com/StephenLibsChocolates
Coconut Cocoa
What’s better than a steaming mug of hot chocolate piled high with marshmallows on a cold winter night? A boozy hot chocolate piled high with marshmallows! This drink factors into the savory, sugary holiday menu at Mo’s House in Haynie’s Corner Arts District. The Coconut Cocoa is a blend of Hard Truth toasted coconut rum, rum cream, and cocoa topped with marshmallows and a wrapped Hershey’s kiss, all served in festive ceramic holiday mugs with attached coaster bases.
Location: 1114 Parrett St.
mos-house.com/menus
Springerles
If you’re a fan of licorice, then you are going to love Donut Bank’s Old World Springerles. Resembling a shortbread cookie, each homemade Springerle is hand cut with traditional German cookie molds and pressed with a creative animal design such as a dolphin or bird. One of the main ingredients of the cookie is anise oil, which gives it a licorice flavor. The Springerles are available by the dozen at each of Donut Bank’s nine locations as part of its 2021 holiday baked goods selection.
Price: $10.89 for a dozen
Location: All 9 Donut Bank locations
donutbank.com
Peppermint Stick Ice Cream
Served in a cone or cup, or as a shake, sundae, or choco-crème, Lic’s Deli and Ice Cream’s peppermint stick ice cream is the perfect seasonal treat for dessert lovers. With a flavor much like regular mint ice cream, Lic’s popular holiday offering is a creamy delight and is only enhanced when added to a sundae or stuffed inside a choco-crème.
Price: $3.39, single dip/ $8.59, choco-crème pint/ $4.49, peppermint sundae
Location: All eight Lic’s locations
licsdeliandicecream