I have a crazy sweet tooth. these are a current fave, although unfortunately it's too hot (or too expensive) to ship them in the summer:

http://donsuemor.com/HTML/Chocolate.html

I got a box from these guys today:

http://www.hammondscandies.com/

"Unfortunately its name escapes me. ...They’re shaped like tiny coins and carry engraved denominations ranging from “1” to “25”. They’re hard in texture, but lose their rigidity under repeated mastication from a good set of jowls."

Looking over my shoulder, my wife says you might be longing for a Dutch treat called "dubbele zout" (supposedly means "double salt"). If the name rings a bell, let us know. She says she'd be happy to send you a
mouthful.

Sorry, Derek, that should be "dubbel zoute", but after another round of chewing, we thought you might actually be thinking of "muntdrop". Anyway, take your pick here:

http://www.hollandsedrop.com/aanboddutch.html

By the great god Anise, muntdrops they be. Much gratitude Chris, to you & your wife for solving my mystery. My dentist will no doubt send his thanks too ;) Mouth hasn’t stopped watering since viewing that page…

Upon closer inspection it appears that Katjes is in the licorice coin game too, though their product features “symbols of the countries of the European Monetary Union” stamped on the circular surfaces. Whether they stack up to the mighty muntdrop remains to be seen.

Jon, I’m not much of a chocolate man, but I’m gonna keep eyes open for those, there’s a joint called Surdyk’s in the TC that may stock them. Is that some sort of shortbread under the choco veener?

madeleines, dude, and the only ones I've ever had that made me realize what Mr. Proust got so excited about (although I must confess I have yet to read Remembrance of Things Past, I do plan to at some point). they're kind of a soft, spongy cookie, and although it may be frowned upon if anyone French is reading this, they're deliciously absorbent if you dip them into coffee or tea. a lot of Starbucks actually stock the plain ones, they're usually not that fresh, but that's probably the best place to check them out without spending $50. I've only ever seen the chocolate covered ones via mail order, they're so so so so so so so good.

The next step for Madeleine lovers
is to try out

- Petit caneles de bordeaux
- Finnanciers

"I’m not much of a chocolate man..."

I don't know. I find it pretty hard to relate to anybody who prefers licorice (*gyuk*) to chocolate. I mean, fennel over cocoa beans?!?

It does sort of explains a whole bunch of weird Dereky stuff though. ;>}

But of course ... madeleines DE COMMERCY

Noel, I think I've had petit caneles de bordeaux, but not good ones. these look delicious, though:

http://www.baillardran.com/anglais/index.htm

another French sweet that I love that's difficult to find acceptable versions of in NYC is macaroons (not the coconut kind that's better known in the US, these are cookies with a semi-hard outer shell and a soft, moist, fudge-like interior. bad description, but SO GOOD!

yeah, my mom's makes really good 'financiers'
such a funny name,
why? it means 'finance people'
no?

"another French sweet that I love that's difficult to find acceptable versions of in NYC is macaroons"

Next time you come to Paris, I give you some good addresses. It's made with almond, egg white and sugar. In Nancy there is a good shop too.
My favorite cake...

Derek: My favorite ginger candy is Reed's. I found them twice in the grocery store I go to, but never again. Many a time have they prevented my head from meeting the desk during a slow lecture.

Sambuca is the closest I'll get to licorice, and even then I have to be coerced.

I'm a simple man. Sour Patch Kids are the truth.

Ginger candy: Ting-Ting Jahe

http://www.roxytrading.com/pages/products_detail.asp?prod_index=101281A

Tamarind candy

http://importfood.com/rtdh3501.html

Hot but sweet.

Walt, I can groove on chocolate, I just don’t seek it out. Oddly enough I was a fiend for the white stuff when I was a kid & I absolutely love hot cocoa, I guess that is kinda weird. Carob on the other hand just plain sucks.

Nirav, I’ve never tried Reeds. Is that a hard candy? Wonder why it’s so hard to come by. The thing I really dig about ginger chews is their longevity. It takes a good couple minutes for a lozenge to completely melt away & the flavor doesn’t diminish during that process- it’s pretty much the same ginger wallop you start out with (same principle as those old Now & Later candies, but a million times better in taste).

Al, Sour Patch kids are okay, but they taste way artificial to my buds. Conversely, eating some of that Euro licorice is almost like sucking the juice directly out of a licorice root. Honor the Earth Mother, baby! And Sambuca is my girlfriend’s Achilles Heel when it comes to alcohol. On the rare occasions I’ve seen her drink it things usually turn into a scene straight out of REEFER MADNESS.

Damn you, Haribo; damn you...

http://www.haribo.com/planet/sprachauswahl.html

Derek, Reed's is a ginger chew, and a fine one, their ingredients are very simple, IIRC. I imagine there's more potent stuff deep in Flatbush, where I have had one of the best drinks I've ever had, hand-bottled ginger + sorrel drink, at tiny roti shop just outside of Brooklyn College. And those properties that you mention are what make it such a valuable companion during slow classes, infinitely preferrable to jabbing a sharp pencil into your forearm.

Al, no Jaegermeister for you? A friend bought me my first shot a few months ago, and I was instantly charmed.

Now savouring: a wee dram of Knob Creek, neat.

Oh, funny about Ting-Ting Jahe. Ben Owen (musician, promoter, and super-nice guy) plays music under that name, I've been wondering where it was from for a while now.

Jon, what's your take on Vosges chocolates, especially vis a vis Newhouse? I stumbled across their site this morning when, coincidentally (!), a friend and I were discussing primo chocolates. They have a dark choc/hot chile combo that's way enticing.

Knob Creek... far from candy, but such a treat!

"Al, no Jaegermeister for you? A friend bought me my first shot a few months ago, and I was instantly charmed."

Well, now you've gone and made me puke. Just look what you've done. I actually get pretty ill thinking about Jaeger. I've never been one to turn down a drink someone's bought for me (no urine jokes, please), and same mentality was in place New Years, 1990, when a buddy placed three "snowshoe" shots in front of me and three for himself. I already had a pretty good light on but figured "eh, no harm done." Bam Bam Bam. All three down and 10 minutes later they come back up. I can still taste the shit: 9 ounces, equal parts Jaeger and Rumplemintz. [shiver]

Knob Creek's the worm. Love it, thank you Cary.

"Jon, what's your take on Vosges chocolates, especially vis a vis Newhouse? I stumbled across their site this morning when, coincidentally (!), a friend and I were discussing primo chocolates. They have a dark choc/hot chile combo that's way enticing. "

never heard of them before, looking at their site, they're based in Chicago, Paris inspired. I think you could do better with the Brooklyn-based, Belgian inspired, Jacques Torres, who I'm pretty sure has a similar dark chocolate/chile combo, plus it'll be fresher since he's here.

http://www.jacquestorres.com/

also, it's Neuhaus, Newhouse is the media empire. if you can get truly fresh Neuhaus, those are still my favorites, but they're hard to find. last I checked, the NYC stores get shipments from Belgium on Thursdays or Fridays, but they're not really that reliable. there's a big difference between ones that have been there for a week and ones just off the plane, not to mention the ones you can get in Belgium.

I pretty much only ate dark chocolate for years, but lately I've been digging Valrhona milk chocolate bars.

Brian, have you been to my single favorite pastry place in NYC yet, since it's not too far from where you work?

http://payard.com/

Speaking of rare delectables, I’m still hunting high & low for a cheap wheel of Bivins’ Bra Tenero.

http://www.gourmetfoodstore.com/cheese/cheese-details-6807.asp

rare delectables, Midwest division: I got a box of sausages/bratwurst/hot dogs from Usinger's in Milwaukee today, about to grill up a couple of those babies...

http://usinger.com/

Jon, my wife swears by that sweet mustard that is the ideal companion-or so she says-not just for Bavarian weisswurst. I don't know about that, but I know the crackling sound of a bratwurst chimes perfectly with Guenter Mueller's (native of Munich, btw) Time Travel. Delectable wurst, delectable music.

http://www.jacquestorres.com/

"Many customers compare the experience to the movie 'Chocolat.'"

"Fun is the theme of the staff Jacques lovingly refers to as his "oompa-loompas." You'll find them smiling, probably singing and dancing to the "all-time-greatest hits" and definitely willing to extend some pretty amazing customer service. "

This and calling his outlet a "Shoppe" are three strikes and out, surely?

yeah, I actually think that Torres is a bit overrated, but it's pretty safe to say that he makes the best chocolate in NYC. I haven't seen Chocolat, but that oompa-loompa quote is brutal.

Yes, I think I'd get sacked for referring to my staff in such a fashion.

Last night I had some incredible chocolates from a chocolatier in Rennes. There was one made with dark chocolate and black pepper - amazing! - and another with white chocolate, lime, and ginger. I have to get more.

Wow Jon

that sounds like a great Title for an Album, no ?

- "Yeah, I actually think that Torres is a bit overrated, but it's pretty safe to say that he makes the best chocolate in NYC."

good soundtrack for road movie too or a Sophie Calle thing to start

best
n

http://dutchstore.citysearch.com/page/o1rm/Home_Page.html

This is a good place to order licorice from, by the way. Just in case anyone is still interested. They made me a sampler special once and even labeled all the bags so I would know what each one was.