Innocence & Candy

Gone are the days of being a pre-teen pubescent 6th grader scrounging up enough quarters just so my little crew of bicycle riding buddies could fill a little paper bag of over-sweetened assortments from the local candy store. It was a time in our lives when many of the simple things were more than enough to enrich our souls by way of peach-flavored gummies and fudge so thick, one could use it to patch a hole in their driveway.

            Now a little older, we try to reclaim our youth anyway we can. My recent strolls down memory lane randomly led me into a little candy shop on Elm St. Once inside, I reviewed the surprisingly large amount of what appeared to be locally made chocolates as well as Ice Cream. From honeycombs to crackers to Cadillacs, there was nothing they didn’t dare to dip in some form of gooey goodness. The pleasantly polite staff floated over angelically and asked if I would like to sample some items. Hearing the whisperings of my youth, I set my eyes upon the dark chocolate covered toffee bites with almond flakes and suddenly felt a bit of my innocence return that I had lost so many years ago…1997 to be more precise.

            They (whomever “They” are) say that certain foods bring back fond memories to those who haven’t indulged in such culinary enlightenments after long time periods, but after every bite of that crunchy toffee, more and more of my youthful memories began to return in droves, minus the memories of my mother chasing me down to the bus stop before school trying to fill me full of Ritalin.

            With my youth returned and my innocence partially restored, I began to review the mass of assorted wonders that were coated in chocolate, the dark chocolate covered honeycombs, the classic choco-pretzels, the salted chocolate caramels, the chocolate blueberries, seriously an award winning variety. If Jimmy Hoffa were buried nearby, this staff would surely dig him up and coat him in chocolate. 

Now Granite State Candy Shoppe offers a parcel like variety of boxes for one to take home to the angry spouse. So depending upon one’s situation, you may choose any size box you wish, from small ½ pound boxes to purge those weekly chocolate demons, to large specialty boxes if you wish to speed across the finish line of Morbid Obesity.

However you choose to smooth things over at home, this place has you covered for more than just chocolate covered insanity, The ice cream menu alone will have you shoving your own children out of the way to experience the cool coated glory of flavors like Red Velvet, Strawberry Cheesecake, Chocolate Hazelnut, or Burgundy Mocha Chip!

What more could you possibly want from a locally made, family owned (1927) establishment? Well for one thing, you can visit their website at www.nhchocolates.com or simply visit their original store in Concord on Warren Street or the one right on Elm Street in downtown Manchester for further information/salivation.

Your innocence is calling, answer it and have yourself a bite of the good ole days.