03 Dec 2023 He’s no stocking stuffer Santa

Posted at 1:35 PMh in Features by

Among hundreds of delicious, sweet treats this holiday season, Kilwins Chocolates, Fudge, & Ice Cream, located at 415 President Clinton Avenue in Little Rock, is displaying a 23-lb. artisan chocolate Santa that’s perfect for photo opportunities! The chocolate Santa will be donated to Arkansas Children’s Hospital at the end of the season to help spread Christmas cheer to the children who will be spending the holidays there.

The 3-foot tall, artisan Santa was made by hand with dark and white Kilwins Heritage Chocolate at Kilwins Chocolate Kitchen in Petoskey, Mich. The entire process, from hand-brushing the mold to packaging the final product, takes around four hours. Tempered, colored cocoa butter is hand-brushed onto a polycarbonate mold, and then Kilwins premium fair-trade chocolate is poured into the mold in two steps. The mold is hand-rotated next to a cooling fan to solidify the chocolate, and Santa is then removed from the mold and inspected for any imperfections. All faults are removed with a brush and razor knife, and the artisan Santa is hand-packaged and shipped out to Kilwins franchised stores across the country on the famous brand’s own temperature-controlled trucks. It’s a true work of art!

David Lister is the owner of Kilwins in Little Rock. Mike Kemp photos.

“It’s fun to see the looks on kids’ and parents’ faces when they come in—it’s a real fun time to be in a candy store,” said franchisee/store owner David Lister. “We’ll be glad to have everyone in for a photo with Santa and to pick up last-minute treats.”

Kilwins Little Rock features an open kitchen where customers can view products being made and offers a full assortment of hand-crafted chocolates, gourmet cake and ice cream. “We have several ice cream flavors for the season, including perfect apple pie, pumpkin pie, pistachio ice cream and peppermint ice cream,” Lister said. For those who avoid dairy, they also offer both raspberry and lemon sorbetto.

Lister’s seasonal favorites are the peppermint bark and the candied ginger dipped in dark chocolate. He also likes their candy canes. Another item that he enjoys are the Oreos dipped in milk, white and dark chocolate and decorated with royal icing toppers. He looks forward to making customized boxes of goodies for Christmas gifts that can include chocolates, fudge, caramel corn or brittle.

Lister and his team invite the Central Arkansas community to stop in, take a photo with Santa, and try a free sample of fudge, ice cream or Kilwins Heritage Chocolate while out shopping this holiday season!