Chocolate Bunnies, Eggs and Spring Lillies Celebrate the Day

By JONATHAN WALTER
Standard Staff Reporter

Besides the obvious religious aspect, Easter has become well known for beautiful flowers, delicious chocolate and colorful eggs.  The eggs and coloring kits are easy to find at any supermarket, but the high quality chocolate and flowers are harder to find.  Dolce Confections in Hewlett is the premiere location in The Five Towns for finding the best Easter themed chocolate while Stefan’s Florist in Lawrence and Woodmere Florist are excellent choices for meeting Easter’s floral needs.

Dolce Confections

Dolce has an excellent selection of Easter based chocolate and candy, with chocolate bunnies and Easter baskets in a variety of sizes.

“We only use Belgian chocolate, so that makes a big difference as far as taste goes and the quality of the chocolate itself,” Owner Catherine Davi said.

With white chocolate, milk chocolate and dark chocolate varieties, the bunnies range from $5.99 for those under six inches, to $350 for one bunny that stands over three feet tall.

Their average sized bunny is about eight inches tall and is priced at $14.99.  There are also large ones at about a foot and a half high.  They sell for $60, but also feature a “basket” on their back with additional chocolate eggs.

For the holiday, Dolce has a twist on their usual popcorn pizza as they have unveiled the rabbit popcorn pizza.

“These are $25 and it’s made of fruit flavored popcorn with white chocolate on it and it is decorated in candy to make the face,” Davi said.

Dolce’s Easter baskets start anywhere from $15 to $50, depending on the size.  They offer colorful woven and metal baskets and also do custom baskets.

“Customers will choose the items they want and we’ll put it together and charge them accordingly,” Davi said.  “We fill them with chocolates, fun candy and anything that’s colorful and related to Easter.  We always put colorful, beautiful ribbons on all of the baskets.”

Stefan’s Florist

Easter’s biggest flower is the Easter Lily according to Hector Navia at Stefan Florist.  For the holiday, pinks, white, light blues and yellows are what everyone is looking for and Stefan’s has it all.

Centerpieces start at $50 and can go up past $100 depending on the size and the flowers used in arrangements at Stefan’s.

“It’s usually lilies, daisies, gerbera daisies, hydrangeas, roses all in the soft colors,” Navia said of the Easter selection.  “Tulips, curly willow, pussy willow and cherry blossoms are also big.  They are very traditional for the holiday.”

Navia said business is booming around this time with locals coming in for both upcoming holidays.

“It’s a very busy Easter holiday, even though it’s a very Jewish community,” Navia said.  “It’s also Passover before Easter, so people come in to place orders for both holidays.  So we try to meet everyone’s needs.  Next week is also Greek Easter, so we’ll be busy then too.”

Woodmere Florist

Woodmere Florist is also gearing up the Easter this week, offering Easter lilies and more.

“We have Easter Lilies, which you can use on a centerpiece for the table,” Elaine Nelson of Woodmere Florist said.  “There are tulips, hyacinths, hydrangeas.  The colors are more pastels for Easter, the pinks and the yellows.”

Woodmere Florist’s centerpieces range from $50 to around $75 according to Nelson.

They also recommend buying a flat of colorful pansies at around $15.  Nelson said they make a great flower to move inside temporarily after purchase before eventually taking them outside to plant for the summer.

They will also be doing smaller Easter Lily arrangements starting from $20 to $50 that they will decorate with pussy willows, as well as offering Easter Baskets with various chocolate bunnies and candy for $50.

Honorable Mention

Easter wouldn’t be Easter without Marshmallow Peeps.  The traditional easter candy, made of marshmallow, corn syrup, gelatin and carnauba wax has established itself as a staple of the holiday.  Made in the shape of bunnies and chicks in pink and yellow, they can be found at local pharmacies and supermarkets for around $1.89.