Holiday Gift Ideas -- Chocolate Collections from Ethel M Chocolates Will Put a Smile on Everyone's Face This Holiday Season (Review)

Disclosure:  I was sent samples from the vendor in order to write up an honest review.  All views shared are mine and mine alone.

Want to make a chocolate lover's day?  Ask them to review chocolate and share their thoughts on it.  :-)  Well, that is what happened to me today, when I was asked if wanted to review the delicious, mouth watering Ethel M Chocolates as part of my holiday gift guide, which is wrapping up.  You may recall this name as I shared a review last Christmas about their chocolate.  You can read my previous post here: http://www.inspiredbysavannah.com/2013/11/surprise-family-and-friends-w-box-of.html.

After I wiped the drool from my mouth, after visiting the Ethel M Chocolates website, browsing their new and popular holiday collections for the holidays, I asked to review the The Nut & Caramel Collection and The Holiday Cocktail Collection.  Now, to just wait by the mailbox, well, OK, the window, for these chocolates to arrive and sample.  In the meantime, I wanted to give you ample time to browse the Ethel M Chocolates website and get your orders in, so that they arrive at your house, or to those you are still looking for a gift for. :-)

Click here now to start shopping the Ethel M Chocolates website -- just make sure you aren't browsing on an empty stomach or you'll be sorry -- www.ethelm.com.

UPDATE:  THE CHOCOLATES HAVE ARRIVED!!!!

When it comes to gifts for family and friends who live near and far, I find that ordering foods like fruit baskets, flowers, and cookies make for great gifts.  But, if you give these gifts enough times, they may become expected from the gift recipient, or even boring (they just don't tell you).  So, I try to think of other great gifts that I can order online and have shipped directly to family and friends' doors.  After sampling Ethel M Chocolates for the first time last year, I was sold on their chocolates and collections.  Not only was the packaging of the chocolates I was sent last year beautiful, but the chocolate goodness inside was out of this world amazing.  

Being a chocoholic and not ashamed to admit it, I have traveled the world -- well, OK, across the US (about a handful of states) and scoped out dozens of online chocolate shops that ship to your door, and have tried countless chocolates, trying to find the best tasting ones.  Ethel M Chocolates ranks at the top of my list for most unforgettable and crave worthy chocolates I have tried.  And, last year, after sampling this chocolate, I made a last minute order for myself :-) and for those hard to shop for people on my holiday list.  I ended up pointing out a couple boxes at the dessert table, for family and friends to enjoy.  They, too, became instant fans after trying for the first time.  And, what did those who received Ethel M Chocolates from me think of their gift?  They LOVED them and wanted more! :-)  

While I hate to do this, I wanted to share with you what I thought of the The Nut & Caramel Collection and The Holiday Cocktail Collection samples I was sent.  First, let me tell you that I was not the only one waiting for these samples to arrive.  Both of my girls, thanks to their mom and her chocolate cravings during their pregnancies, are both fans of chocolate.  As soon as they saw the Ethel M Chocolates, they were on their best behavior, as they wanted to be included in the taste testing. :-)

I used will power to hold off on tasting the chocolates until after dinner, as I wanted it to be a fun family review.  Because the Holiday Cocktail Collection contains alcohol, I hid these from the girls, so that my husband and I could enjoy during our Friday night date night - but, they didn't last until them, as we ate them that night after the girls went to bed. :-)

The Nut & Caramel Collection ($28-$34) features toffee crisps, pecans, almonds and caramels, each drenched in dark or milk chocolate. (16 pieces in a Snowflake Holiday Box for $28; 24 pieces in regular box is $34)

The Nut & Caramel Collection, like all Ethel M Chocolates came in a lovely box ready for gifting -- just throw a bow on and hand off.  Opening the packaging to find out what was inside was the best part.  Being chocolate lovers we didn't reference the chart that tells you what chocolates are what.  Instead, I passed around the box and everyone grabbed a chocolate.  We counted to 3 and then took a bite, and then another, until the chocolate was done.  I couldn't help but laugh after the first bite, as everyone in unison said, "Yum!" before they quickly took another bite.  

I didn't have to ask what everyone thought of the chocolates in the Nut & Caramel Collection, as they were all quick to reach for a second sample.  And, within a matter of minutes, the box was empty, and we all had smiles on our faces, thanks to the chocolate rush we experienced.  We were all in chocolate heaven and enjoying our chocolate bliss. :-)

As for the Holiday Cocktail Collection, I could see this collection being a gift to pair with a bottle of wine at a holiday party you may be attending, to give as party of a wine and cheese basket, as chocolate always goes well with wine and cheese, or simply give to those looking for unique chocolate flavors.  

The Holiday Cocktail Collection ($28), with retro designs that evoke the 1960s, gives chocolate lovers a new way to toast the holidays. Each of the 16 pieces is filled with real spirits combined in a crème center.

(Some state laws prohibit shipment of alcoholic products directly to consumers. See online ordering information for details.)

The Holiday Cocktail Collection includes Champagne Cocktail and Mucha Margarita in Milk Chocolate or Lemon Drop and Chocopolitan in Dark Chocolate! Each piece is filled with holiday spirits combined in a fondant crème center. Appliquéd adornments atop each piece of make the cocktail collection a fun and festive holiday gift.  You have to be 21 or older to order these chocolates, as they do contain alcohol.  I can't tell you which four cocktail chocolates was my favorite, as I found myself enjoying each of them equally. 

I will say that I have tried other chocolates made with alcohol in the past, and none compare to Ethel M Chocolates.  The flavors were spot on and the design atop each chocolate is classy, yet fun. 

In addition to the The Nut & Caramel Collection and The Holiday Cocktail Collection samples I was sent, other popular chocolates worth checking out when browsing the Ethel M Chocolates website this holiday season include the following:

Peppermint Bark ($22) This handmade delicacy features crushed peppermint candies drenched in creamy white chocolate and covered with a layer of premium dark chocolate. Fun holiday tip: Add to your hot chocolate or use it for holiday baking in cookies and brownies.

The Holiday Deluxe Collection ($34) The 24-piece box includes limited edition pieces of Peppermint Silk, Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Pie and Egg Nog, plus Satin Crèmes®, Almond Butter Krisps®, chewy and creamy caramels and Almond Crunch.

Creamy Caramels in a Keepsake Box ($12 each) are ready to give in a decorative box topped with a red acrylic bow. There are 6 pieces per box, and each box is just $12.

Once you try Ethel M Chocolates you will see why and so many others have fallen in love with this chocolate and seek it out at the holidays...and year round.  So, if you are still picking up last minute gifts for those people on your list who live far away from you, forget about the same old fruit basket or flower arrangement -- instead, surprise them with chocolate this holiday season, from Ethel M Chocolates.  Ethel M.® Chocolates are sold online at ethelm.com and in 5 locations throughout Las Vegas.Their factory is still located at the original location in Henderson, NV, where they keep alive the tradition of making gourmet chocolate gifts from Ethel Mars’s original recipes.

Disclosure:  I was sent samples from the vendor in order to write up an honest review.  All views shared are mine and mine alone.