There are certain things my family has to have at Christmas time: a giant tree, a copy of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and a lovely box of candy on the table at all times. As I come from a family of Candy Addicts, the holiday candy box is always an important choice; normally, we keep things old school and traditional, preferring old-fashioned boxed chocolates to anything else. There’s something very special about a well-made box of chocolates, and this year, our family holiday chocolate box will be coming from a company who knows a little something about quality and tradition: See’s Candies.
Founded in 1921, See’s is an old-fashioned candy company that, according to a friend of mine in Los Angeles, “is all over the place” on the West Coast. As I’m an East Coast kid, I had never had a box of See’s chocolates until about a week ago, when one arrived in the mail. I was immediately excited when I saw the old school packaging: a silver box wrapped with a thin gold ribbon. Good stuff. What I found inside the box, of course, was even better.
The chocolate assortment I received was filled with all different kinds of delicious treats, in both milk and dark chocolate varieties. The chocolate itself is quite good; the milk chocolate is smooth, rich, and creamy, and breaks perfectly as you chew, providing a sweet melting experience. The dark chocolate is also smooth and rich, and complements the sweeter fillings of some of the candies.
What makes See’s chocolates stand out, however, is their fillings: their Milk Chocolate Butterchew is now one of my favorite chocolates of all time, with an amazing brown sugar caramel filling that melts perfectly with the delicious chocolate coating. A pop of vanilla also peeks through, creating a candy experience that is hard to beat. The brown sugar is the dominant taste, which is a rarity in chocolates, but it’s so delicious you’ll wonder how you ever went without it. In fact, I loved the Milk Chocolate Butterchews so much, that I am going to give them the coveted CandyAddict.com Awesomely Addictive Candy Award:
The ingredients in each chocolate tasted incredibly fresh: almond pieces had a nice roasted crunch to them, and toffees were buttery and had a nice snap. Every chocolate had a unique and delicious flavor, though I have to say that the Butterchews, along with the Bordeaux candies (which also have a brown sugar buttercream filling) were the true standouts.
Perhaps the best part of all: you can customize your own See’s chocolate assortment on their website, using their Custom Mix option, which has 102 candies to choose from. Never again will you have to squish the bottom of each chocolate to make sure you’re getting the one you want. A custom mix would make a great holiday gift, as well. And if Santa Claus is reading, I’ll take that 5lb. box of Milk Buttercreams, please.
Editor’s Note: I received See’s Eggnog Truffles to sample, and while they were good, I’d have to say that I wish I had gotten some of those Butterchews instead!
The Eggnog Truffles have an eggnog-flavored soft interior and an outside of white chocolate. On top they have an adorable and festive Christmas wreath made out of hard sugar. The eggnog flavor is very mild, but it’s definitely there. Overall, though, the sweetness of the white chocolate kind of overpowers the eggnog, to the point of almost making your teeth hurt when you eat them. Great for white chocolate/eggnog lovers, but others might want to try another of their amazing varieties!
I love sees candy!!!!! I’ve grown up with them, and was even potty trained with them! My favorite, however, is the apple pie truffle.
December 24th, 2008 at 2:35 amI’ve always been a fan of See’s! They really know what they’re doing and they pay close attention to quality. I got a bunch already for Christmas :)
December 24th, 2008 at 2:54 amHow great can See’s be if they don’t even make their own chocolate?
December 24th, 2008 at 10:42 amAwesome Christmas Eve post. (Always enter a holiday on a sweet note!)
I’m not a buttercream fan but See’s does them unlike anyone else. But I simply love any of their caramel products, so fresh tasting and the perfect texture.
Merry Christmas to all the Candy Addicts and may I wish you the best selection on the post-Christmas sales!
December 24th, 2008 at 12:01 pmmmm…see’s candies. I got a 2 lb box of assorted chocolates for christmas. I felt like a kid again, opening a new present with each new chocolate I bit into…then I felt sick. I think I “opened” too many of these little presents :-)
December 24th, 2008 at 12:33 pmThese sound amazing, it’s too bad I filled up on cookies already or I’d be all over these…
December 24th, 2008 at 12:45 pmThe bourdeax has always been one of my favorites. It melts in your mouth, with a slight chew.
December 24th, 2008 at 1:04 pm“How great can See’s be if they don’t even make their own chocolate?”
Pretty frickin’ great because they use fantastic Guittard chocolate!
December 24th, 2008 at 5:51 pmI have never heard of See’s, but this review makes me want to go find some RIGHT NOW. Thanks, Jamie!
Merry Christmas, everyone!
December 24th, 2008 at 7:08 pmoooh. the molasses chips are my favorites. and the almond royale. mmmmmmm……
December 24th, 2008 at 10:01 pm“Pretty frickin’ great because they use fantastic Guittard chocolate!”
So you like See’s candy because they use Guittard chocolate? And if they switch chocolate suppliers, you wouldn’t like See’s then. You just answered my question… See’s is only great because they use Guittard chocolate. And if they would use their own chocolate, their candy would suck.
December 24th, 2008 at 10:03 pmYou’ve NEVER HAD SEE”S????!!!!!!!! Doctor! Get her A see’s candy immediatly!!!!!!!
December 24th, 2008 at 11:03 pmUh Oh….sounds like someone has a personal problem with Sees candy…
I think it is great. I know that I could not make better chocolates than Sees…
December 25th, 2008 at 8:47 pmI miss See’s sooooooooooooo much!
December 25th, 2008 at 11:35 pmI also love See’s candy- we always get a box from “Santa” on Christmas morning! We get the Nuts & Chews or the Bridge Mix.
*sidetrack*
December 26th, 2008 at 1:25 amI bought a 1lb box for my family this year, but unfortunately 2 of the family dogs got into the box while I was out at the vet w/my cat. One dog ate almost everything and threw up a lot, the other dog stashed the chocolates throughout the house.
*/sidetrack*
I got these for x-mas but I am allergic to peanuts or any nut for a matter of fact, so I was scared to eat them. =/// Seeing them get this addictive award makes me feel so out of it.
December 26th, 2008 at 8:08 pmSee’s original milk and dark chocolate covered candies are the absolute BEST in the world in my opinion. (and I have had Belgian chocolates from a high end shop in Brussels as well as most of the US makers who deal in large quantities) See’s has been a tradition at Christmas in my family for over 40 yrs (in the San Diego area)and even though they add new types of white chocolate and truffles and other novelty items all the time, their best candy is the tried and true assortment of milk and dark chocolate with traditional fillings like Bordeaux, Maple Walnut, Brown Sugar, Buttercream, Rum w/Fruit and Nuts, etc., etc. We usually get a pound of Assorted Chocolates and a pound of Nuts and Chews for a really great variety and sometimes a pound of a few favorite flavors. Wonderful!!!
December 26th, 2008 at 10:41 pmjohn doesn’t sound like he knows what he’s talking about. See’s is a confectionery, not a chocolate producer. confectioneries don’t generally make their own chocolate. they use couverture (basic chocolate that comes in solid large blocks) made by an actual chocolate producer, and they temper and combine with their own ingredients in different ways to make candies.
i like a few of See’s candies. as far as affordable mass-market candies go, i think they do a pretty good job. their nut brittle candies usually disappear right quick when i bring them home to Indiana during the holidays.
December 27th, 2008 at 4:08 amI love See’s – their key lime truffle is to die for, but I also love their bourdoux and scotchmallow. There are not a lot of things I don’t love about See’s. Except for maybe their coffee flavored buttercreams.
December 29th, 2008 at 12:42 pmI love See’s Candies! I especially love the Scotchmallows and the dark chocolate chip truffles.
I was disappointed because I missed out on the eggnog truffles. I hope they bring ‘em back next year. I love the vanilla chip creams that only come out at Easter.
Thanks for starting this thread! Such a yummy topic!
December 29th, 2008 at 11:48 pmWoo, this article’s hot on the comments, lol. So, Terrac, if I send you my address will you mail me a box of Sees??
Wahahah!
January 1st, 2009 at 3:36 pmDitto on all the See’s love!
January 3rd, 2009 at 4:12 pmSee’s is my new favorite candy shop. I grew up with Fannie May but they changed when they reopened under new ownership. They completely lost me as a customer. See’s recently opened in the Chicago area and I absolutely love it!!
January 8th, 2009 at 4:36 pmI have loved all your Sees candies for years. However recently I sent an order in for a box of peanut brittle which was very disappointing. Apparently it was way past its expiration date and I found it very stale and difficult to chew.. The brittle I had at Xmas time was wonderful and fresh and soooo easy to chew. Sorry to have to report this.
January 24th, 2009 at 3:01 pmSincerely
Dr. Peter Stangas Sr
See’s is the BEST. I grew up on it, (I remember when it was $2 per lb) now live in TX and family brings it to us when they come to visit. Pecan Buds are my favorites, followed by
January 26th, 2009 at 3:30 amCalifornia Brittle.
We can get it at an upscale grocery in Houston, but no See’s candy stores here.
Oh man, memories, memories… As a kid we would go down to Palm Springs to visit my grandpa, but first stop at the local See’s candy shop. He loved those. We would pick out his favorites–we had them memorized– but once we gave them to him, my sister and I would sneak pieces out of the box. I would go for the molasses chips, she’d pluck out the caramel patties and scotchmallow pieces. Our favorites are still the same today. I love molasses chips. Love them, love them. Love them.
January 30th, 2009 at 11:26 amI am absolutely HOOKED on See’s!! Their Dark Chocolate truffle and Cashew Brittle are definately two of my favorites!
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:29 pmi love sees lollipops! you can get them in gourmet grocery stores!
October 4th, 2009 at 4:37 ami love sees lollipops! you can get them in gourmet grocery stores!their flavors are vanilla,chocolate,caramel and cafe latte
October 4th, 2009 at 4:39 amIf you love their candy then you’ve gotta try their fudge. I love the milk chocolate and walnut fudge…it’s the best thing ever…in fact my sister is sending me some as a late birthday present. It’s so creamy and it’s not too sweet and not too plain.
http://www.sees.com/prod.cfm/Nuts_And_Chews/Fudge
February 5th, 2010 at 7:49 am