It’s that hop-hoppiest time of the year! Time to dust off your bunny ears, fluff out your cottontail, and play Easter bunny for all your loved ones! If Peeps simply aren’t going to cut it again this Easter, you may want to consider outsourcing the job to several of the outstanding gourmet chocolate, candy, and dessert stores located throughout the Upper Valley. All these locations offer spring or Easter-themed items in keeping with the season. So hop on over to any of these sweet spots and fill your basket!

The Chocolate Shop:This hidden gem in Hanover’s Park Building offers some of the finest luxury chocolates, truffles, and sweets to be had. The shelves are lined with rows of exotically flavored chocolate bars from a wide range of countries and with flavors ranging from spicy to fruity to traditionally nutty. The large display cases are filled with elegant, hand-crafted truffles, barks, bon-bons, and more. You’ll find every chocolate combination you can imagine, in the most charming forms (like little chocolate mice and mushrooms). The Chocolate Shop also offers shipping, so you can custom order an Easter surprise and have it delivered. In addition, gift wrapping here is always complimentary, and the knowledgeable staff will be happy to assist you in choosing an impressive and well-balanced assortment of delicacies for your more refined than The Chocolate Shop.

Something Sweet:This lovely shop in Lebanon’s PowerHouse Mall has something to please everyone. Whether you’re stopping by to satisfy an afternoon craving or looking for a traditional white paper bag filled with your choice of penny candy delights, you’ll find it here. This store is great if you want to give a variety of pretty and charming Easter candies. You can create an assortment of pastel jellybeans, sugar eggs, gummy animals, bright malted milk balls, and other candies in happy hues. Or you can opt for one of their prepackaged sacks of candies, tied up with a ribbon. These are wonderful additions to any Easter basket.

Dazzle Cupcakes: Dazzle is a traditional bakery with a creative flair. You might find it challenging to choose your favorite flavor, however. These range from the traditional Vanilla Celebration cupcake to eclectic seasonal varieties, such as Apple Pie (complete with an apple pie filling), Pomegranate Margarita, and the Chocolate Tuxedo. Dazzle cupcakes are all handmade from scratch using local eggs, cream, and buttermilk; safflower oil; fresh fruits; and King Arthur Flour. Every cupcake is a masterpiece and even one, presented in a pretty pink box, would satisfy on Easter morning. A box of four or even twelve in all different flavors would be any foodie’s dream-come-true. For an Easter selection that’s as eye-catching as it is delicious, we recommend a box containing a few cupcakes each of Carrot Cake (topped with an icing carrot), Coconut (bunny tail, anyone?), Strawberry, Key Lime, and Luscious Lemon (to fill in those pastel hues). You can check out the complete daily cupcake menu to plan your pickup or order a special dozen.

Lindt: For a classic Easter treat, consider making a trip to the Lindt chocolate store in the PowerHouse Mall plaza. You can’t go wrong with a hollow milk chocolate bunny wrapped in gold foil. Really, is an Easter basket complete without one? Or buy a sweet little line of chocolate lambs, bunnies, or chicks to complete a gift basket. For a charming Easter table, purchase a bulk bag of Lindt foil-wrapped Lindor eggs to scatter among the place settings. You might even hang a chocolate carrot off each water glass! While Lindt chocolates might be pricey per pound, their quality ensures that every bite will be smooth and satisfying.

My Brigadeiro: This recent addition to downtown Hanover is already churning out loads of smooth, Brazilian truffles—and for good reason. As their Facebook page espouses, “Never underestimate the power of a box of chocolates”—especially not these rich, chewy, creamy delights. You’ll definitely want to make a trip to the store to make your purchases. Brigadeiros range in flavor from Raspberry-Lemon to Doce de Leite. The store is currently filled with all the trimmings to assemble a fantastic Easter basket, from specialty fudge and truffle eggs to Peeps and rabbit figurines. While your there, take a break from all that hopping around and treat yourself to a French-press coffee and a slice of freshly baked cake like Peanut Torte or Triple Chocolate Cake. My Brigadeiro is a good place to celebrate Easter or any other holiday. Come to think of it, why wait for a holiday?