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As a person who loves a sweet treat and knows that good things often come in small packages, I unabashedly adore advent calendars. For me, the joy of tearing open a little window to unveil a tiny package every day for 24 straight days in December is almost as delightful as unwrapping the presents under the tree on Christmas morning.
As a kid, I delighted in the handcrafted advent calendars my mom made, packed with treats like Hershey Kisses and mini peanut butter cups. Now, I buy a unique advent calendar each year featuring everything from jams to wines to shortbread cookies. But I have truly outdone myself this year thanks to La Maison du Chocolat's Build Your Own Advent Calendar Experience in NYC. I tried this decadent DIY experience, and you can too—here's why it's worth checking out.
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On a cold night this week, I bundled up and journeyed to France. Well, sort of. I visited La Maison du Chocolat on the Upper East Side (Madison between 78th and 79th) where the exquisite chocolates are made in France and shipped to the United States. After warming up with a cup of velvety rich cocoa, I was presented with a gorgeous, star-shaped blue-and-silver advent calendar ready to be filled.
I also got a chance to review a one-sheeter listing the available chocolate options, including ganaches and pralines. After reading each description, I worked with an expert chocolatier to pull my selections from the case—and try a few along the way. My favorites were the Extreme Chocolat ganache and Rocher Noir with almond hazelnut praline and slivers of roasted almonds.
After the chocolatier plated my choices, she gave me a pair of gloves, and I got to work adding each chocolate to its box in the advent calendar. I tucked a Sylvia Ganache (milk chocolate) into day five and a few chocolate-covered almonds into day 20. For the big one—day 24—I chose a larger, nut-studded vanilla praline.
Once the calendar was filled, I carefully closed up each slot, tucked the calendar into its decorative box, and headed back into the blustery winter night a little warmer than when I arrived.
If you want to check it out, there are several dates coming up on November 15, 16, 17, 22, 23 and 24. The experience costs $100/person; get tickets here.