huh, i lied. it's been another two weeks since i posted anything at all. and this is prime candy-eating season, OMG!!! but i'm bored here at work (read: lots of work to do, no motivation) so i'll post about chocolate instead.

my friend steve brought this back from his most recent trip to vegas. it's a box of "American Pop" chocolates from the semi-famous Ethel M's. Ethel has a bunch of shops and 'chocolate lounges' in vegas and chicago. stop in for a sample, hang out with a cup of hot chocolate, buy a box to take home...

i gotta say, first and foremost, their chocolates are GORGEOUS. they're rather small compared to, say, my dear sweet See's or even Godiva. but they are beautifully tempered, incredibly shiny and lustrous and often colored in bold jewel tones. the chocolate shell offers a nice snap, hiding a smooooooth and rather loose filling. just look at this picture... this is the Ethel M fruit collection, another good choice-- i mean, have you seen lovelier chocolates in this price range?



on some occasions i have been less-than-impressed with Ethel M's chocolates. the flavors can be a little insipid, or maybe it's the cost that is coloring my perspective (they're not even THAT expensive, about $1.50 per piece). but for whatever reason, i found the chocolates in the American Pop collection to be mostly delightful. a few of my favorites:

pb&j: just as the name implies, it's a milk chocolate filled with peanut butter and a little squirt of strawberry jelly.

cinna-swirl: mild cinnamon ganache inside a milk chocolate/white chocolate swirl

say cheesecake: white chocolate shell, white chocolate cheesecake innards (VERY mild, doesn't have much of a cream cheese bite) and topped with a sprinkling of graham cracker crumbs.

i went through the 12pc collection in a weekend, so ... well, i guess either i'm a horrible glutton (true) or these are pretty delicious (also true). if you're not in vegas or chicago any time soon, take a look at their website and order some for yourself!