SWEET TIDINGS: OLD TIMEY CHOCOLATES WITH A SENSE OF TRADITION

Photo courtesy Martha Stewart American Made

When it comes to the holidays, I like things to be old school. My mom has these amazing little wooden elves with long beards and pointy felt hats  from 1971 that I will not let her throw away. They may be on their last legs, but that sense of tradition coupled with the fact that it is a charming German wooden toy that they don't make the way they used to makes me want them to last forever. The same thing goes for holiday candy. The more throwback, the better. This fall, when I discovered Shane's Confectioners at Martha Stewart's American Made Event in Grand Central, I knew I had come upon something special. As the "oldest continuously-run confectionery in the United States", Shane's, based in Philadelphia,  has been cranking out handmade candies and chocolates since 1863. The chocolates shown above, a precursor to the Whitmans Sampler, have an eclectic mix of fillings from a bygone era. Filled with butter creams, fruits and nuts, this tasty mix is sure to bring up some holiday memories for you. Available through the Ebay store set up for American Made, they will arrive in time for New Year's.  Enjoy the array and the old timey packaging.