Page 18 - Indulge December 2017

Photo courtesy of Josh Early Candies
— continued from page 17 —
Pitotti has a knack for mixing just the
right flavors, whether it is a combination of
a truffle interior, or a singular filling perfectly
complimenting the type of chocolate used
on the outside shell (Swiss milk chocolate,
rich dark chocolate and white chocolate are
all used for the chocolates). For the holiday
season, Peppermint with dark chocolate,
Amaretto with milk chocolate, and Eggnog
with white chocolate and Sugar Cookie with
white chocolate will be available. These flavors
are expected to be on the store’s shelves by
the first weekend in December. Customers
can also pick up a longtime favorite,
Peppermint Bark, which is crafted with white
chocolate over dark chocolate and sprinkled
with crushed peppermint.
“We sell our chocolates in gift boxes, or
individually. For [holiday] gifts, it’s mainly
chocolates, but the French macaroons have
been going over quite well. The toffee that I
make is also very popular, which is made with
both milk and dark chocolate,” says Pitotti.
Customers are encouraged to check the
Dolce Patisserie website and social media, as
well as the business’s answering machine, for
extended holiday hours. With all of the hard
work that goes into the season, Pitotti feels
blessed to know that his creations are part of
locals’ holiday traditions.
“It’s a huge humbling and a big blessing
to know that my hard work is appreciated
by so many people, and once we finally get
all of the work done and the ribbons are tied
and gifts are delivered, it’s a very rewarding
feeling to know that my work is making a lot
of people smile,” says Pitotti. “That’s a chef’s
passion at work and when people take great
appreciation in it and come back again, that’s
very rewarding.”
Josh Early Candies
4640 Tilghman St., Allentown;
3620 Nazareth Pike, Bethlehem
joshearlycandies.com
Like a holiday tradition, Josh Early Candies
has been around the Lehigh Valley as long
18 | indulge LV • December 2017
as lifelong residents can remember. Now in
its fifth generation of candy making and with
retail stores in Allentown and Bethlehem for
the last several decades (Allentown’s original field trip if you’re looking for a wide variety
location on Hamilton Boulevard opened in the
1960s, and the Bethlehem location followed
in 1982), the name Josh Early has become
synonymous with nostalgia — and it shows
when the store is bustling with customers
come December.
If you can imagine an edible treat, Josh
Early probably already makes it. Their
inventory includes assorted chocolates,
barks and chips, brittles and toffees,
caramels, chocolate covered nuts, dark
chocolates, fudge, milk chocolates, mint
candy, nonpareils, pretzels, roasted nuts and
sugarless chocolates. Seasonal items for the
holidays include red and green nonpareils
for Christmas, blue and white nonpareils for
Hanukkah and Peppermint Bark.
“Like many seasonal businesses, we
really ramp up the weeks before the holidays.
Being in business for as long as we have, we
have the ability to forecast this and ramp up
production and our customer service so that
we can provide the same quality experience
you’d have in our slower months,” says
Barry Dobil Jr., Josh Early’s vice president.
“Peppermint Bark is quickly becoming one of
our top sellers. Our 1 pound box of chocolates
remains our most popular for corporate gift
giving and housewarming gifts.”
Josh Early Candies is operating under
extended holiday hours for the month of
December, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Mondays through
Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sundays.
Customers are encouraged to check the
company’s website and social media for the
most updated information, and can also make
purchases on the website —making popular
items and gifts only a click away.
“Our entire business model thrives on
tradition. We continue to make our chocolates
and candies using the same family recipes
and equipment that are generations old,” says
Dobil. “It is very reassuring to know that our can also purchase some candy — including
customers appreciate that and make it part of
their own holiday traditions.”
Reppert’s Candy
2708 W. Philadelphia Ave., Oley
reppertscandy.com
Consider a visit to Reppert’s a worthwhile
of chocolate or candy to pick from when
choosing your holiday gifts. The packed,
colorful shelves at Reppert’s long-standing
Oley location include over 65 varieties of
candy and about 200 different styles of
chocolate molds. The company has been
around since 1945, was sold to Larry and
Jean Schell in 1978, and has been run by
Keith Schell since January 2017. Not only is
Reppert’s Candy a local institution, but they
use chocolate produced locally by Wilbur
Chocolates of Lititz.
The retail store’s transition to selling
holiday items starts at Thanksgiving and
lasts through the new year. Schell explained
that this year, more than 30 new products
are on Reppert’s shelves, including non-
GMO chocolates. Their new winter bark is
non-GMO, high in antioxidants and includes
pumpkin seeds, cranberries, almonds, and
pecans. The non-GMO market trend also
influenced their creation of a non-GMO
toffee. These and other seasonal products
are available in-store, along with chocolate
decorations, chocolate tree ornaments and
custom-packaged party favors.
“We did some work on getting the non-
GMO product made, and we found some
people who really liked it. Our product has
been relatively high-end to begin with, even if
our prices don’t reflect that,” says Schell. At
the holidays, we sell a bit of both — candy
and chocolate. We also started a popcorn
product this year, and it’s chocolate covered
and sugar coated. We also have new brittles,
including cashew and pecan brittle.”
Reppert’s store hours are changing for
the holiday season; the store will be open
until 8 p.m. every Friday and Saturday in
December. Christmas week, the store will
be open until 8 p.m. every day. Customers
are encouraged to check Reppert’s website
and social media for full information, and
boxes of assorted chocolates, mixed nuts,
liquid cherries, chocolate covered pretzels
and more — on the website.