See's Candies: A Love Story

by Elissa

I left California to come east for college way back in the mid-1990s. Back then, See's Candies was pretty much only a California thing, and few things made me as nostalgic for home as the thought of one of those white boxes of chocolates.

See's began in Los Angeles in the 1920s and then expanded its stores all over California. The stores all feel like an old-time candy kitchen, complete with black and white tile and heavenly smells.

We take chocolate very seriously in my family, and more often than not there is a box of See's chocolates hanging out in my parents' kitchen. Around the holidays, there are usually 3-4 boxes, and Easter baskets and Valentine's Day treats almost always featured something from See's.

What makes it so special? It's high-quality chocolate that is not the slightest bit snooty.  As much as I love fancy European or artisanal chocolates, See's will always be my first choice for a box of chocolates. It's completely delicious in a down-to-earth, old-fashioned way. Thanks to the magic of the internet, you don't need to live near a See's store in order to enjoy all this deliciousness. And you can even order a custom mix, in which you pick out which of your favorites to include in a box.

The assorted nuts and chews would probably be my desert-island box of chocolates, but I have a couple of individual favorites.  First up the scotchmallow: a layer of marshmallow and a layer of butterscotch caramel covered in dark chocolate.

Yum! And I also adore the California brittle: almond-filled toffee covered with milk chocolate.

Although these are probably my two favorites, I love just about every See's candy I've tried (with the exception of the ones featuring cherries), so it's almost impossible to go wrong. Even the truffles featuring fruit flavors are really good: who knew that pineapple and chocolate went together so well? For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of trying See's Candies, you really owe it to yourself to order a box. And for those who know and love See's, what are your favorites?

{photo credits: sees.com}

Comments

[Jill]

ooh - i love see's candies! they are a definite staple at the holidays and their lollypops were our wedding favors.
i literally just spent 15 minutes planning my dream 'custom mix' - and realized i might not be able to limit it to one box. :)
like you, i love scotchmallows and nuts and chews, but my all-time favorite is the milk chocolate bordeaux.
i might need to swing by see's tomorrow...:)

[Blythe]

I stop at See's every time I'm at the mall and look hopefully at the salespeople until they hand me a sample. I've discovered some wonderful new treats that way. I never thought I would enjoy the white chocolate/strawberry truffle? (Fruit flavored candy usually icks me out.) But now I know it's delicious! I'm also a big fan of their uniforms. I secretly want to work there.

Anyway, my first choice is milk chocolate vanilla cream (vanilla inside, milk chocolate outside). I also like milk bordeaux.

[Elissa]

Definitely agreed on the milk chocolate bordeaux. And yes, writing this post (and reading your comments) has given me a serious See's craving!

[Darcey]

This is exactly how I feel about Ethel M Chocolates -- as a kid growing up outside of Las Vegas, we had many a field trip to the factory in Henderson!

[Katherine]

Mmmmm See's. Easter is almost here and you know what that means...scotchmallow eggs!