I am a chocolate fiend. Seriously. It’s almost pathetic, I am an absolute freak about chocolate. I transcend all female stereotypes in a blaze of cocoa laden glory.

I’m familiar with Ghiradelli and Godiva, we’ve met. But around here in Bakersfield, everyone knows you go to See’s Candies. Sure, it might have started in Los Angeles in the 1920′s but around here it has always felt like a home-grown favorite. Even as a small child I knew that Russell Stover or Whitman’s Sampler were only cheap, easily obtained substitutes for the glorious chocolate candies of See’s Candies.

As a teenager at the mall with my friends I remember popping into the pristine white shop with it’s black accents and cheery lady behind the counter for a free sample and to purchase a milk and dark chocolate Bordeaux. Now, we’re nearing the holidays and that’s the time when the boxes start popping up on the kitchen counter “a gift from so-so…” and in the back offices as gifts from vendors and clients.

Everyone has their favorite kind of See’s candy, what they view as the “ultimate” assortment whether it’s the “nuts and chews” or my favorite “soft centers.” I’m also happy with pretty much any assortment that combines all the favorites including nuts, chews, soft centers, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, etc.

My least favorite is probably anything with marzipan. My ultimate all-time favorite are the Butterscotch Squares. The only way I can describe them is to say – imagine chocolate chip cookie dough with no chocolate chips, concentrated down to a super soft, dense nugget of brown sugar heaven and then dipped in chocolate.

After that I love the Scotchmallows and the Mayfair Buttercreams. Somewhere in there the Orange buttercream and the Almond Squares are very high on my list as well, but it’s a slippery slope, if I started listing a few I’d have to list a dozen and even right now I feel guilty not mentioning the awesomeness of a Pineapple Truffle.

I have actually gone to the website and created a one pound custom mix just for the fun of it. The mere thought of all my favorites packed into one box is enough to make me dizzy.