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We at the HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE WORLD Las Vegas store absolutely love everything about springtime, from the bright, joyful colors to the sweet, delicious desserts. Indeed, the festivals of spring are filled with toothsome sweets and treats, from tiny fruit-flavored jelly beans to massive rich chocolate bunnies. On a list of the year’s sweetest seasons, spring certainly comes in first.

For a fulfilling — and scrumptious — spring season, you should consider celebrating the HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE WORLD Las Vegas way, with all sorts of edible goodies and enjoyable crafts for every age. Read on for tips, tricks, and more for making all your family gatherings a sweet success.

Savor Springtime Sweets from HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE WORLD Las Vegas

Almost every HERSHEY’S chocolate and candy you can imagine comes in a limited edition shape and style intended for vernal revelry. You can find eggs of every shape and flavor, from WHOPPER’S to REESE’S to CADBURY CRÈME and CARAMEL. We offer bunnies of all sizes and compositions, from standard hollow milk chocolate to dense, creamy REESE’S chocolate and peanut butter, to solid, crunchy HERSHEY’S cookies ‘n’ crème. Those with zestier sensibilities will love JOLLY RANCHER’s jelly beans, lollipops, and gummies, which come in seasonal shapes and flavors, like “bunny food” carrots and lettuce leaves with sweet fruity flavors.

If you are looking for a simpler sweet, we offer iconic HERSHEY’S chocolates in bite-sized eggs in vivid pastel foils for the happy season. Our familiar mini candies, including KRACKEL, MR. GOODBAR, and other favorites, also are wrapped in gorgeous springtime colors.

Taste the HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE WORLD Las Vegas Springtime Treats

Ostensibly, you can transform any of HERSHEY’S amazing baked goods into a memorable spring dessert with colored frosting, a steady hand, and a springtime vision, but you might find more success — in the kitchen and the dining room — with a specially designed treat. These desserts boast delicious, light flavors perfect for the season; plus, they don’t take any special skills to create, so if you want, you can get the whole family involved. Here is the latest and greatest springtime recipe to come out of HERSHEY’S KITCHENS.

Spring Bunny Cake

• 1 package HERSHEY’S “PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE” cake mix
• 1 bag JOLLY RANCHER jelly beans
• 2 REESE’S white chocolate peanut butter eggs
• 1 bag MOUNDS coconut flakes
• White frosting

Bake the HERSHEY’S “PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE” cake mix in a circular pan according to directions for the one-pan variation. When the cake is cooled, release it from the pan and cut vertically down the center to create two halves. Attach the two halves together with frosting like a layer cake with the cut side down and the rounded sides up. Cut a notch out of the circle slightly lower than the center to create the bunny’s head, then use frosting to adhere the scrap to the back to form the bunny’s tail. Finally, frost the outside of the bunny and sprinkle with coconut flakes to create fur, and gently press the REESE’S eggs into the top of the head for ears and the JOLLY RANCHER jelly beans into the face for the eyes and nose.

Complete Springtime Crafts

Kids should be allowed to play with their food — especially if they are using seasonal HERSHEY’S products from the HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE WORLD Las Vegas store to make beautiful crafts you can give to friends and family. HERSHEY’S candies varieties are particularly beautiful, coming in bright pastels and gleaming colored foils, so the sweets make excellent fodder for delightful springtime decorations. Here are a couple of our favorite HERSHEY’S candy crafts.

Foil Egg Wreath

• 5 bags HERSHEY’S solid milk chocolate eggs
• 12-inch diameter foam wreath
• 5 yards of 2-inch-wide satin ribbon, in white or pastel color
• Glue sticks

Cover the foam wreath in the satin ribbon, securing the ends with glue; save any leftover ribbon to make a bow decoration when the wreath is complete. Begin gluing the foil-wrapped eggs at the top-center of the wreath, and continue all the way around, alternating colors and egg positions to add visual interest. When the wreath is covered with eggs, you may adhere the leftover ribbon as well as silk flowers of your choosing. Remember that any candy used with glue is for decorative purposes and should never be consumed.

Mini Edible Easter Baskets

• 1 bag REESE’S miniatures
• 1 bag MOUNDS coconut flakes
• Green food coloring
• Royal Icing
• 1 bag JOLLY RANCHER jelly beans
• 1 bag TWIZZLER’S PULL ‘N’ PEEL candy

Remove the foil from the REESE’s miniatures, but don’t peel the candies from their paper lining. Shake the coconut flakes in a plastic bag with a few drops of green food coloring and a teaspoon of water, then adhere the green flakes to the top of the peanut butter cups using a small spot of icing. Stick a few jelly beans onto the “grass” using more icing as needed. Pull apart the TWIZZLER’S candy and cut into 2-inch pieces, then affix them in an arc to the top of the peanut butter cup to form the baskets’ handles. Because these crafts use all edible ingredients, you and your loved ones can happily chow down on these cute treats.

Visit the HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE WORLD Las Vegas store for More Springtime Fun

While HERSHEY’S products are widely available, not every grocery store stocks the width and breadth of HERSHEY’S sweets that the HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE WORLD Las Vegas store does. Not only do we provide access to more than 800 different varieties of regular HERSHEY’S goodies, but we have in stock any and all spring-themed treats you can imagine. Plus, our world-class bakery counter produces fresh, mouthwatering delicacies every day, so you can save yourself time and energy in the kitchen by purchasing any desserts here before any important celebration.

There is so much to see and do in Las Vegas that you’ll probably feel hard-pressed to waste precious hours waiting for your entrees in a regular restaurant. That’s why when time is short and budgets are tight, most visitors to Las Vegas enjoy a time-honored Sin City tradition: the buffet.

Buffet dining has come a long way since the time of lukewarm mac ‘n’ cheese and overcooked filets. Since Las Vegas has become a mecca for world-famous chefs and excellent cuisine, even hotel breakfast buffets — notorious everywhere else for their powdered eggs and days-old bagels — have begun producing unique dishes of outstanding quality. If you want to save time and money but you aren’t willing to compromise on a sub-standard meal in the beating heart of America’s culinary scene, you should head straight to any and all of the following brilliant buffets in and around Las Vegas.

Bacchanal at Caesar’s Palace

Don’t be fooled by the sleek and contemporary design — Bacchanal is a buffet that merely looks like an expensive, upscale restaurant. Lauded by critics as one of the best eateries in Las Vegas, let alone the hands-down best buffet, Bacchanal offers nine cooking stations staffed by top cooks from around the world. Nearly 500 dishes are served every day, as well as 15 unique daily chef specials, so you are certainly likely to fill many plates with delicious foods.

Unfortunately, as lines to this buffet grow around the corner, the prices for access to this world-class buffet continue to rise. The best time to dine here is for breakfast, when prices are cheapest: $25.99 per person. Fortunately, breakfast foods seem to be diners’ favorites, as Bacchanal’s fried chicken and waffles and red velvet pancakes top their most-requested- food lists.

Wicked Spoon at Cosmopolitan

Most buffets still rely on industrial-sized pans resting above heaters to serve food, but not Wicked Spoon. Instead, diners here will find different stations offering individual portions on single plates, which makes for tasteful presentation — and food. Plus, the single servings make it much easier to eat an appropriate amount, so you won’t leave feeling painfully bloated.

Though you aren’t likely to find Wicked Spoon’s fare in the average buffet, the dishes are nonetheless quite familiar: prime rib, crab legs, and the like. A good bet is coming here for a filling lunch, which will only cost about $24 per person.

The Buffet at Aria

Recently renovated and absolutely stunning, the Buffet space in the Aria Hotel and Casino perfectly blends chic, modern American design with simple, delicious global cuisine. Aria has worked hard to provide some of the most diverse buffet stations on the Strip, and it has succeeded with flying International colors.

The Mediterranean bar offers tastes of Greece, Northern Africa, and the Middle East, and the Indian space has a traditional tandoor oven where naan bakes and kabobs sizzle just like they do on the streets of Chandigarh. Plus, kids will love the all-American diner section, where they can find superbly prepared favorites like meatloaf, grilled cheese, and tomato soup.

On weeknights, you can have access to the marvelous dinner buffet for $34.99 per person, which is an unparalleled price for such quality cuisine.

HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE WORLD Las Vegas

After you have visited every station twice, there is only one solution: dessert! One last food counter is waiting for you in the chocolate and candy wonderland that is the HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE WORLD Las Vegas store. All day, every day, pastry chefs and confectioners toil to create new and improved versions of your favorite HERSHEY’S treats. At the bakery station, you’ll find dozens of fresh-baked goodies, from chocolate-dipped strawberries and a plethora of homemade fudge to brownies and cupcakes inspired by individual HERSHEY’S sweets.

During your visit, to help you digest all the edible goodies you’ve enjoyed during your Las Vegas vacation, you can delight in a number of unique HERSHEY’S experiences, like designing your own HERSHEY’s Chocolate Bar wrapper or understanding your perfect combination of peanut butter and chocolate in a REESE’S Peanut Butter Cup. Bring a little HERSHEY’S Chocolate World Las Vegas back to your hotel by filling up bags with your favorite varieties of HERSHEY’S KISSES chocolates, JOLLY RANCHER candy, and any of the other 800 types of Hershey’s candy.

When you visit Las Vegas, America’s headquarters for topnotch food, you want to sample as much as you can in the limited time you have. Buffets are one of the best ways to save money and maximize your exposure to the various cuisines of the city. Instead of missing out on any of your favorite foods during your dream vacation, you can have it all — at the perfect price — with amazing ambiance, too — at these amazing buffets.

So, you came to Las Vegas, enjoyed the shows and games, and went back home — but you can’t get the delicious treats you sampled at the HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE WORLD Las Vegas store off your mind. Whether you nibbled a brownie sandwich, sunk your teeth into a cupcake, or enjoyed a slice of cake, you simply didn’t get enough of that perfectly sweet HERSHEY’S taste. We understand; it’s only natural that the fresh baked goods at our bakery counter have become your hands-down favorite dessert of all time. They are ours, too.

However, we’re going to let you in on one of our bakers’ best kept secrets: It’s all in the frosting. Freshly made frosting from delectable HERSHEY’S ingredients just can’t be beat. If you are hoping to recreate the luscious chocolaty experience you had at the HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE WORLD Las Vegas store, you absolutely must master the lost art of frosting. Here are a few simple and sweet recipes to get you started.

1. Traditional Chocolate Frosting

This recipe is so fast and easy, you’ll wonder why you ever opted for the canned frosting at the grocery store. All you need is a few regular kitchen tools, ingredients, and a mixer.

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups HERSHEY’S baking cocoa
• 1/3 cup milk

In the bowl, cream the butter until it is smooth and creamy. Then, mix in the sugar, vanilla, and cocoa. Continue to mix the ingredients, slowly pouring in the milk until everything is integrated.

This frosting is creamy and sweet without being dense or cloying. It works just as well on light vanilla cupcakes as it does between layers of devil’s food cake. In fact, there are a variety of unexpected and amusing ways to use frosting that you’ve likely never considered, like in truffles or on waffles.

2. Milk Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

The word “buttercream” makes most dessert-lovers start shivering with delight, but the truth is that most frostings we enjoy on modern cakes are different versions of buttercream. “Buttercream” simply denotes that the baker whipped thick fats, like butter or shortening, to create the frosting. You may notice that the recipe above should also makes a buttercream frosting.

However, the connotation of the term “buttercream frosting” is one of unparalleled lightness and fluffiness, and not all definition-true buttercream frostings achieve this. With the addition of whipping cream — and the substitution of slightly bitter baking chocolate for pleasantly sweet HERSHEY’S milk chocolate — the following frosting is simply a cut above.

• 4 HERSHEY’S milk chocolate bars, chopped
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt the chopped chocolate using the microwave or a double boiler, and then set aside to cool. Meanwhile, cream together the butter and the powdered sugar until light. In a separate bowl, stir together the heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract, and then gradually pour the whipping cream–vanilla mixture into the creamed butter while stirring. After these are fully incorporated, fold the cool, melted chocolate into the cream mixture, and then beat for an additional three minutes.

3. Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting

Unlike the previous two recipes, this frosting doesn’t require butter, which makes it airier than buttercream. If you already have a particularly dense baked good, like brownies or cookies, you might appreciate such a light frosting on top. Additionally, it is significantly faster and easier to whip sugar into cream than it is to cream sugar into butter, so whipped cream frosting is a perfect solution for home bakers in a time crunch.

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup baking cocoa

Combine all ingredients in a mid-sized mixing bowl, and then refrigerate for about 15 minutes. Chilling the mixture isn’t a necessary step, but it does make whipping slightly easier. Using an electric mixer (or a whisk and a strong wrist) beat the mixture until stiff peaks form.

If you want to play around with fancy frosting decorations, whipped cream frosting makes for the best practice. Since it is thinner and lighter than buttercream, you don’t have to squeeze the pastry bag as firmly, giving you more control over the tip. It is best to try out your designs on paper or cookie sheets before you experiment on real baked goods; that way, you don’t have to worry about wasting valuable treats.

4. Chocolate Ganache

Like “buttercream,” the word “ganache” often excites those with a sweet tooth. Thick with inimitable chocolate flavor, ganache is the reigning royalty of chocolate desserts. Yet, many home bakers don’t realize how easy it is to wow their loved ones with their very own ganache-topped treats.

• 1 1/3 cups HERSHEY’S semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

In a small pot on the stove, bring the cream to a low simmer. As soon as the simmer begins, pour the cream over the chocolate chips and cover the bowl to trap in the heat. Let sit undisturbed for five minutes. Then, using a whisk, swirl the chips and cream from the inside out; it should become thick and velvety. Wait an additional 15 minutes before attempting to spread the ganache on baked goods.

Sin City offers some of the world’s most luxurious entertainment, from one-of-a-kind shows and concerts, to exceptional cuisine, to all sorts of thrilling games of chance. Visitors could easily spend days exploring the theaters and halls of the Strip, enjoying the flashing lights, raucous sounds, and scintillating tastes and smells. It’s true: A vacation in Las Vegas can be incredibly exciting — and extraordinarily expensive.

However, in the interest of welcoming all sorts of visitors — not just those with personal islands and 20-car garages — Las Vegas also offers hundreds of free and budget entertainment and attractions. If you love traveling to Las Vegas but hate the way your bank account looks when you return to reality, on your next visit, you should consider enjoying any of the following shows, eats, and games sure to keep you and your wallet happy.

Shows

Whether or not you have cash to spend, you should absolutely visit Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas for a free experience you won’t soon forget. The Freemont Street Experience is a concert, party, and festival rolled into a messy package you are sure to enjoy. Every night, artists of all colors and creeds converge to entertain crowds with all sorts of street performances; even famous artists have been known to pop up on Fremont Street: Bret Michaels and Dee Snider held concerts during last year’s “Rock of Vegas” event.

Believe it or not, hotel and casino Circus Circus does have its own circus. In fact, the troupe of jugglers, acrobats, high-wire walkers, and trapeze artists that performs every half hour above the casino’s main floor make up the world’s largest permanent circus. The show is absolutely free — and absolutely dazzling, just like a good circus should be — but you may need to arrive early to secure a good spot: There are only 60 seats, but there is plenty of standing room for those who arrive late.

Eats

Usually, if you are willing to dine early, you can save a bundle at Las Vegas’s best food joints. For example, Estiatorio Milos, a fancy Greek restaurant in the Cosmopolitan, offers three-course lunches for under $20 a person, when their dinners are pushing the limit in the four-dollar-sign category. If you make reservations at your favorite top-tier restaurant for breakfast, lunch, or early dinner, you should be able to cut costs. Alternatively, you can usually find good deals at the city’s iconic buffet tables, which have upgraded in recent years to provide refined and delicious food at unbeatable prices.

If you love authentic Asian food and are willing to venture deep into Vegas to find some without exorbitant prices, you should head straight to Chinatown, where there is no end to delicious and inexpensive Asian eats. Chinese restaurant China Mama inarguably makes the best soup dumplings in the Southwest, and Japanese noodle house Monta offers ramen that will transport you straight to Tokyo. However, the best fare can be found in the food court of Greenland Supermarket, where you can find the height and breadth of Korean cuisine for much less than $10 a plate.

Most restaurants tag desserts with prices to rival their entrees, so if you are craving something sweet after your meal, you should head to the HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE WORLD Las Vegas store to find your favorite candies with some unique twists. Of course, you can find all of your favorite HERSHEY’S sweets, from HERSHEY’S KISSES chocolates to REESE’S PIECES candies and more than 800 other Hershey’s varieties, but the real magic is at the in-house bakery counter, where dedicated chefs and confectioners develop fantastic new treats and bake them fresh every day for Hershey’s aficionados like you.

Games

Everyone knows how costly it can be to play the slots and table games on any Las Vegas casino floor. However, if you know what you’re doing, you have a much better shot at adding some padding to your vacation budget. If you want to try your hand at some gambling but want to avoid depleting your savings account, you should sign up for some complementary classes on the art of chance offered by various casinos. At the Luxor, you can receive free instruction on blackjack and dice, and at the Stratosphere, you can learn all about craps and roulette.

For a more nostalgic gaming experience, you should ignore the loud, glitzy video game lounges and bar-cades that are popping up all over the strip — where the games and the drinks can drive your tab up fast — and head to the Pinball Hall of Fame, a museum and arcade in one, filled with more than 400 classic and contemporary games that all cost only a quarter to play. Even better, most of the money accumulated by the games is sent directly to charities like the Salvation Army.

Las Vegas is in miniature what the United States is on a grand scale: a melting pot. Every year, millions of people journey to our mecca of worldly pleasures from all corners of the globe. Peoples as disparate as New Yorkers and Egyptians delight in the attractions of Las Vegas, and in response to its worldly reputation, it constructed some of the most recognizable monuments on Earth.

Next time you visit, take a tour of the grandest tributes to world cultures located all over Las Vegas. Even walking up and down the humble Strip, you’ll travel from Southeast Asia to Paris and more. With just a little imagination, you will be able to see the world without leaving the city.

1. New York

New Yorkers visiting Las Vegas for the first time might feel more at home staying at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino, which does its best to replicate the best aspects of the Big Apple in the Southwest. Not only does the resort offer the culture of America’s most important city — fantastic New York pizza is available as well as ample shopping opportunities — but it presents visitors with familiar sights and sounds, too. Inside, guests can experience the joys of Coney Island with the Big Apple Arcade and Big Apple Roller Coaster. Outside, the New York skyline marks the location of the resort, including structures such as:

• The Empire State Building
• The Chrysler Building
• The Statue of Liberty
• The Brooklyn Bridge
• The Whitney Museum of American Art
• Ellis Island
• Grand Central Station

While you’re in the neighborhood, stop in Hershey’s Chocolate World to see more familiar New York monuments in a new medium: chocolate. On display are both the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building, which were created using more than 800 pounds of chocolate and 1,800 Hershey’s Chocolate Bars, respectively. The edible works of art are excellent for selfies, and when the photo-op is done, you can explore the world of Hershey’s and sample some fresh, new treats.

2. Venice

Even if the original sinks completely into the Mediterranean Sea, Las Vegas offers an excellent replica in its renowned resort, the Venetian. Walking along narrow streets and bridges and shopping in quaint boutiques located around the resort, you cannot help but feel transported to Old World Italy. However, if that isn’t enough, you can cross the Rialto Bridge into St. Mark Square, where human artists mimic the statuary that ornaments the real place. For a touch of romance, hire a trained gondolier to take you and your love on a moon-lit gondola ride down the Grand Canal, just like you would in Venice.

The resort is even dedicated to recreating Venice indoors. A bright blue, Mediterranean sky is painted on ceilings throughout the common spaces, and the sound of chirping birds makes strolling the halls absolutely delightful. Additionally, frescoes of other Venetian landmarks adorn the walls, perpetuating the Italian feel of the place.

3. Paris

Continuing a theme of romantic Western cities, Las Vegas offers a small-scale Paris where you can find everything from Renaissance architecture to fresh baguettes. Paris, Las Vegas is marked by the soaring Eiffel Tower — the top of which contains a restaurant with some of the most exhilarating views in the city. However, other familiar Parisian monuments represented here include the Arc de Triomphe and La Fontaigne des Mers, while the hotel itself replicates the façades of the Paris Opera House and the Louvre. If you can commit to eating croissants and crème brulee for the duration of your stay, you might forget which continent you are on.

4. Cairo

In the 1920s, Egyptian fashion swept the United States as significant discoveries in age-old tombs increased knowledge and awareness of the great ancient empire; however, even as fascination waned toward the late 20th century, the exotic appeal of Egypt never quite waned in Las Vegas. Today, three tributes still stand to commemorate the influence of Egypt on the Western world: the pyramid, the obelisk, and the sphinx.

The Luxor Hotel and Casino, built to replicate the infamous Great Pyramid of Giza, is one of the most iconic hotels on the Strip due to its instantly recognizable design. Thirty stories tall and covered in dark, bronze glass, the Luxor looks like a modernized pyramid any Egyptian pharaoh would be proud of. Neighboring the hotel are a 140-foot-tall obelisk and a slightly miniature sphinx, which are some of the most familiar icons of Ancient Egypt. As a bonus, you can sleep in this pyramid without even the slightest fear of being cursed by a disturbed mummy.

5. Marrakesh

Morocco is unlike any country on Earth: It is a mixture of Muslim, African, Spanish, and French cultures celebrated by one people within one border. Perhaps the similarity between the amalgamated cultures of Morocco and Las Vegas is why the art and architecture of Marrakesh is replicated so perfectly in one of Sin City’s oldest resorts: the Sahara. Containing plenty of pools and palm trees that offer respite from the biting heat of the desert, the Sahara bleeds Moroccan luxury.

In a previous blog post, we explored the various ways to enjoy candy bars — in cookies, cakes, shakes, and more — but there is one important form we neglected to include: the cocktail. Cocktail culture is coming back in a big way, especially in thriving cities like Las Angeles and Las Vegas. Since its creation in the late 19th century, the cocktail has experienced periods of popularity and infamy, but cocktail lounges, like Vegas’s Level 107 and miX, are replacing dingy dive bars all over the country with their skilled bartenders and sophisticated atmosphere.

Believe it or not, your favorite Hershey’s candy bar can be shaken or stirred into a delicious beverage to be enjoyed after 5 p.m. The next time you are looking for a refreshing pick-me-up, look no further than the nearest Hershey’s Chocolate World for unique inspiration for a fantastic drink.

1. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Martini

We argue that Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup is perfect the way it is — and countless peanut butter lovers will agree with us — but, after all, there is no wrong way to eat a Reese’s, so this beloved treat must be excellent imbibed as well. While this cocktail takes a few days’ preparation to create, the wait is certainly worth it.

• 1/4 cup Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
• 6 ounces Vodka
• 4 ounces milk
• 1 teaspoon Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup
• 4 mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (for garnish)

First, smash the Reese’s Peanut Butter cups and combine with vodka in a sealed container. Allow this concoction to sit in a cool, dry place for at least five days, shaking it a few times a day. After the allotted time, strain out the peanut butter cups. Then, shake the infused vodka, milk, and chocolate syrup over ice for about 30 seconds. Pour into martini glasses, and garnish with the mini Reese’s cups.

2. Almond Joy Martini

Not nearly as cherished as the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, the Almond Joy is nevertheless an old regular in Hershey’s candy lineup. The almond and shredded coconut add mature flavors to balance the sweetness of Hershey’s famous milk chocolate, making the Almond Joy a favorite among adults pilfering from their children’s candy stash. Now, the taste of an Almond Joy can be prepared strictly for adults only in this exceptional cocktail.

• 1/2 ounce amaretto
• 1/2 ounce crème de cacao
• 1/2 ounce coconut-flavored rum
• 1/2 ounce heavy cream
• Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup (for garnish)

Combine all ingredients over ice in a cocktail shaker, and shake for at least 90 seconds — until mixture is cold. Strain the cocktail into a martini glass, and drizzle decoratively with chocolate syrup.

3. York Peppermint Pattie Cocktail

The York Peppermint Pattie is refreshing in and of itself, with thick, brisk peppermint ensconced in a thin shell of crisp dark chocolate. Just one bite is enough to cool a person through on a hot summer day. Still, there is nothing quite like sipping from a glass dripping with condensation to create pleasurable chills, and in honor of this sensation, we present the York Peppermint Pattie cocktail.

• 2 ounces Vodka
• 1 ounce peppermint schnapps
• 1/2 ounce white crème de cacao
• Chocolate shavings from Hershey’s Dark Chocolate bar (for garnish)

Mix ingredients over ice in a cocktail shaker, and give it a few rough, fast shakes — the peppermint should provide enough cooling sensation without the added cold temperature from the ice, so the shaking is mostly to combine rather than chill. Strain the mixture into the cocktail glass of your choice, and cover with chocolate shavings.

4. Jolly Rancher Vodka

Vodka can be a bit biting for most people to drink straight, which is why most vodka companies have released countless flavored vodkas, from lemon to whipped cream. However, budding mixologists can craft their own flavored vodkas in honor of some of Hershey’s most treasured hard candies: Jolly Ranchers. Bottles of these bright, gemstone-colored vodkas will illuminate any bar and send drinkers into fits of nostalgia and delight with their sweet, familiar flavors.

• 60 Jolly Ranchers, 12 in each flavor
• 1 liter of vodka

Divide the Jolly Ranchers by flavor into five stacks, and place the candies into separate sealable containers. Pour the vodka equally into each of these containers, and remove to a cool, dry place to sit. After about 15 hours, Jolly Ranchers should be completely dissolved; if not, leave containers alone for an additional two hours. Once the vodka is fully infused, place in the freezer for two hours, and serve.

5. Raspberry Kiss Shooter

Hershey’s Kisses are absolutely the shots of the candy world: One can feel fully satisfied after a single mouthful, yet one always has room for more. Though the iconic Kiss is Hershey’s famous milk chocolate through-and-through, the raspberry variety is particularly balanced in creamy, fruity flavors, which make for a perfect shooter.

• Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup
• 1 ounce raspberry vodka

Layer the bottom and drizzle the sides of a shot glass with chocolate syrup, and top off with raspberry vodka. The resulting drink can be sipped or slammed, as per the drinker’s desire.

In 1907, Milton Hershey took a chance in a unique chocolate stamping machine that created bite-sized drops of his iconic American milk chocolate. At the time, bars of chocolate dominated the candy market, and the new, tiny treats were untested with the American public. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the new candies became instant classics among sweet eaters everywhere, and the Hershey’s Kiss was born.

Thought to be named for the sound and motion of the chocolate stamping machine, the Hershey’s Kiss is unmatched in the rest of the wide candy market. Hershey’s Kisses have been some of the most popular chocolate treats with the public, and now, more than 600 million original milk chocolate Kisses are produced in Hershey’s factories every day. Undergoing subtle changes throughout the intervening century — including wrapping by machine in 1921 and adding the paper plume in 1924 — Hershey’s Kisses have maintained their bright foil wrapper and signature shape which makes them so recognized around the world.

However, Hershey’s chocolatiers have historically been unafraid to tinker with the taste of the Kiss; the first variations from standard Hershey’s milk chocolate — named Sweethearts, Silver Tops, and Silver Points — were released in the early 20th century, and countless dozens have been released since. Here’s a look at some of your favorite varieties of Hershey’s Kiss, many of which can still be found among Hershey’s Chocolate World’s 800 different candies.

1. Air Delight

Inside these Kisses’ normal-looking chocolate shell dwells a filling unique to American taste buds. Aerated chocolate is quite common amongst our cousins across the pond, but only recently has Air Delight chocolate began appearing in American stores. This Kiss is traditional chocolate imbued with air, giving it a creamier texture that melts away on the tongue.

2. Buttercreme

As the name suggests, these Kisses are filled with sweet, buttercream icing. The chocolate and the buttercream melt together deliciously for a decadent treat.

3. Chocolate Meltaway

Continuing to improve upon the standard Hershey’s chocolate, chocolatiers created in the Meltaway Kisses a variety of chocolate that easily melts in one’s mouth. The flavor is slightly different from original milk chocolate, and many suggest Meltaways taste more like brownies than chocolate candies.

4. Cookies-N-Creme

One of the most beloved flavors of ice cream is now one of the world’s most unique Hershey’s Kisses. Sweet vanilla cream enrobes tiny chocolate cookie bits for a delightful crunch inside a smooth Kiss.

5. Crème de Menthe

Originally a holiday-themed Kiss just for St. Patrick’s Day, these chocolate and mint Kisses were such a hit that devoted Kiss lovers can usually find them any time of year. The soft mint filling is bright green to match the festive wrapper.

6. Green Tea

Not all Kiss flavors are targeted at American tastes; the green tea Kiss, for example, is sold almost exclusively in Asian countries. In this Kiss, milk chocolate surrounds a rich green tea–flavored center for an uncommon and mild Hershey’s experience.

7. Hugs

While many may argue that Hugs are a completely different candy from Kisses, their similar shape and contents classify them within the Kiss taxonomy. However, Hugs do set themselves apart from the rest by boasting a white chocolate coating instead of the signature milk or dark chocolate of Kisses. Here are some of the more popular Hugs available today:

• Original. The one-and-only true Hug is a white chocolate shell with stripes of milk chocolate and a soft milk chocolate center.
• With Almonds. Almost identical to the original Hug, this treat contains chunks of almonds to give it a singular crunch.
• Raspberry. Instead of milk chocolate, these Hugs are striped with a sweet, fruity raspberry flavor, but their filling continues to be milk chocolate.

8. Peanut Butter

PB-lovers usually prefer Hershey’s more famous Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups to the generally chocolate-centric Kisses, but these Kisses mark the exception to the rule. The rich peanut butter flavor perfectly complements the sweet milk chocolate, making the perfect treat for either eating or baking.

9. Pumpkin Spice

It seems that fall now brings pumpkin spice-flavored everything, from lattes to muffins, and now, to Hershey’s Kisses. A creamy orange shell hides a creamier filling that tastes almost exactly like your mother’s pumpkin pie.

10. Milk Chocolate Caramel Apple

Another Kiss variety with a distinct feeling of fall, these treats consist of milk chocolate surrounding a gooey caramel center. Imbued with the scent and taste of fresh apples, these Kisses will make you nostalgic for orange leaves and sweater weather.

11. Milk Chocolate With Nuts

Kiss lovers seem to go nuts over nuts. Throughout the years, there have been countless types of Kisses stuffed with different types of nuts, though some are more popular than others. Almond is inarguably America’s favorite nut-filled Kiss, but there are also varieties that contain macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, and coconut.

12. New York Cheesecake

These Kisses are a tribute to the Big Apple, where cheesecake has been perfected. Inside a Hershey’s milk chocolate exterior is a small taste of rich cheesecake that is just as iconic as the Kiss containing it.

13. Trio

These Kisses are some of the rarest around perhaps because of their flavorful complexity. As the name suggests, Trio Kisses contain three different kinds of chocolate: A base layer of milk chocolate is surrounded by luscious dark chocolate and then the Kiss is drizzled with sweet white chocolate for a distinct look and delicious taste.

Hershey’s Kisses image by Smabs Sputzer from Foter.com

Las Vegas is one of the most romantic cities in the United States. Full of culture and life, it exudes an atmosphere of excitement and love; perhaps it should come as no surprise that as much as five percent of all marriages in the United States take place here.

From the plentiful wedding chapels to the stunning performances and excellent food and drink, Las Vegas has everything a couple needs to celebrate an extraordinary Valentine’s Day. Read on to find out exactly what Las Vegas has on offer for February 14, 2015.

Decadent Dining

Las Vegas offers many romantic places to dine on Valentine’s Day. Not every hole in the wall will be able to provide the ambiance necessary for lasting love, which is why you should first consider the following establishments for all of your February 14 meals:

• Eiffel Tower Restaurant. Paris is known worldwide as the City of Love, but not everyone can fly to France on a weekend in February. However, you won’t feel like you’re settling when you sit down to excellent French cuisine at the top of the Eiffel Tower. As a bonus, the Eiffel Tower Restaurant can provide special services to those looking to pop the question, including packages with Champagne and rose petals.
• Hugo’s Cellar. Hugo’s Cellar has been a feature in Downtown Las Vegas for decades, servicing countless couples with unparalleled elegance and romance in a more casual setting. Filled with the feeling of Old Vegas, this restaurant is as charming as it is amorous.
• Andre’s. With an AAA Four Diamond rating, Chef Andre Rochat’s restaurant offers the typical elements of fine dining: white linens, fine silver, and candlelight — as well as outstanding cuisine.

Hershey’s Chocolate World

Take a trip to Hershey’s Chocolate World and experience more than 800 different varieties of America’s favorite chocolate. It’s a sweet experience that offers interactive fun and all of your favorite Hershey’s treats and sweets.

The High Roller

There is even more opportunity for romance rocking 550 feet in the air while sipping Champagne and nibbling on pastries. The world’s biggest and best observation wheel stands proudly at the center of Las Vegas, and while usually the High Roller caters to any and all thrill-seekers visiting Las Vegas, on Valentine’s Day, this attraction especially welcomes pairs with a variety of packages. The High Roller will provide loving couples with world-class drinks and snacks during long rides up and over dazzling Las Vegas.

Marriage Licenses

As the only holiday celebrating romantic love, February 14 is a popular day for couples to tie the knot. Traditional wedding venues in Las Vegas are regularly booked solid for months if not years in advance, and even quick wedding chapels fill up their availability surprisingly soon.

However, if you and your sweetheart have a will to be wed on your Vegas Valentine’s Day, there certainly is a way. Here are the steps to procuring a valid marriage license in Las Vegas:

• Locate a licensed chapel, or visit the Office of the Clark County Commissioner of Civil Marriages. Churches and synagogues usually require some advance notice, whereas typical Vegas wedding chapels and the Civil Marriages Office take walk-ins.
• Consider the amenities offered. Wedding chapels have several different wedding packages to choose from, which vary in price and amenities included. You will need to know ahead of time if you want special decorations, photography, or officiants.
• Procure a marriage license. Unlike other cities, Las Vegas makes getting married simple because it does not require a waiting period to solidify your relationship. You will need two licenses, one for each of you, submitted to the Civil Marriages Office before you perform the ceremony.
• Remember that marriage is real, even in Las Vegas. Though our city’s motto is “what happens here, stays here,” the same is not true of marriage. Do not enter into marriage lightly, even on the holiday of true love.

Bellagio Fountains

At the end of the night, just before you head back to your room to enjoy more Hershey’s chocolate, stop and admire the magnificent Bellagio Fountains. This attraction is particularly beautiful, with its inspiring music and dancing water, which is perhaps why so many proposals and weddings occur at its feet every year. You and your love can stand, hand in hand, and watch the serene fountain as you think back on all the unforgettable memories you made on Valentine’s Day in Las Vegas.

It comes around on the exact same day every year — February 14 — and yet every year you find yourself scrambling to buy a gift for your significant other on Valentine’s Day. Finding the perfect present that says “I love you” can be a challenge, especially in a time crunch.

Fortunately, a short trip to Hershey’s Chocolate World should prevent any gift-related Valentine’s Day disaster. We have everything you need and more to show your sweetheart how sincerely special he or she is on the most romantic of holidays.

1. Personalized Hershey’s Bar

Chocolate has become a Valentine’s Day gift essential and you can impress your significant other with a unique and specially designed Hershey’s Chocolate Bar from Hershey’s Chocolate World. At our studio, you can add meaningful images and text to the iconic Hershey’s wrapper to create a bar meant exclusively for your loved one.

2. A Collection of Kisses

If there is anything more romantic than a kiss in chocolate form, we would like to see it. Hershey’s lovers know too well that Hershey’s Kisses are as wonderful as the real thing — especially when there is an assortment to sample. Hershey’s Chocolate World offers dozens of varieties of Hershey’s Kisses, from gooey caramel to refreshing mint to tart raspberry, in bulk bins you can pull from at your leisure. You can quickly and easily assemble a bag of your love’s favorite kinds so he or she can the Kisses all day long.

3. World’s Largest Candies

Alternatively, you can show your darling the extent of your feelings with a huge gift destined to impress. Hershey’s is the proud purveyor of some of the world’s largest chocolate candies. Watch your love’s eyes pop and mouth water as he or she unwraps any of the following massive treats:

• World’s Largest Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar. Weighing in at five pounds of pure milk chocolate, this bar will probably take even the most avid chocolate fan a few days to destroy.
• World’s Largest Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup If the regular size of Reese’s represents an absolutely perfect combination of peanut butter and chocolate, this gigantic dual pack of one-pound Reese’s Cups must be absolutely divine.
• The Ultimate Kiss. If the normal size of Hershey’s iconic bite-size candy is called a Kiss, then this enormous one-pound monster deserves to be named the Ultimate Kiss.

4. Fresh Hershey’s Treats

While Hershey’s candy will fulfill an everyday sweet treat, Hershey’s baked goods are reserved for special occasions — like Valentine’s Day. Every morning, Hershey’s bakers are hard at work crafting amazing edible creations inspired by everyone’s favorite Hershey’s sweets, and there is nothing quite like a freshly made cake, cookie, or brownie to demonstrate your love. One of the bakery’s all-time bestsellers is the Supreme Brownie Sandwich, which is composed of rich peanut butter buttercream filling surrounded by two dense, fudgy peanut butter brownies and topped with Reese’s chunks and Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup.

These masterpieces of cake and cookie are available only at the bakery counter in Hershey’s Chocolate World, and you might need to wake up early to beat the Valentine’s Day rush.

5. Valentine’s Day–Themed Goodies

Hershey’s understands the haste required of last-minute Valentine’s Day shopping, which is why it has a line of gifts specific to procrastinating partners’ needs. Colored bright red and covered in hearts, any of the following gifts will scream “It’s Valentine’s Day and I love you!” and will show that you care enough about your sweetheart to give them something special for the holiday.

• Hershey’s Large Velvet Heart. Velvet is a luxurious material, and the soft feel of velvet on this box of assorted Hershey’s treats is sure to woo any recipient.
• Valentine’s Day Chocolate Molds. These standard-sized Hershey’s Chocolate Bars have a special message inside: Instead of the signature bricks imprinted with the Hershey’s name, these bars have ornate decoration, including hearts and roses, with special messages like “I love you.”
• Chocolate Lover’s Towers. In assorted sizes and shapes, these stacks of boxes brimming with Hershey’s treats will make any chocolate lover fall in love with you, too. The Rectangular Tower has all sorts of chocolate bars, Reese’s Cups, Kisses, and Hershey’s minis, and the Square Tower comes topped with the Ultimate Kiss.

Las Vegas is full of feasts for each and every meal, and visitors can easily spend weeks without sampling even a fraction of the delectable goodies available on the Strip alone.

Still, at least one day of your vacation should be spent taking in some of the delicious fare, and to help you decide, here is a list of the absolute must-visit eateries in Las Vegas.

Breakfast and Brunch

Whether or not breakfast is the most important meal of the day, most people can agree that breakfast foods are some of the most enjoyable no matter the time of day. Luckily, Las Vegas understands that breakfast may happen in the morning, afternoon, or evening — especially considering the plethora of late-night activities around the city — so these two exceptional breakfast joints offer their fare all day long.

• Bouchon. The Las Vegas masterpiece of one of America’s greatest chefs, Thomas Keller, Bouchon offers world-class service and an elegant atmosphere with its award-winning breakfast menu. Dishes are inspired by classic French bistro fare, which means you can expect to find exceptional renditions of waffles, crepes, and eggs.
• O Face Doughnuts. Breakfast doesn’t always have to be a theatrical event; sometimes, all you need to refuel after a long night in Vegas is a simple doughnut and a cup of coffee. O Face Doughnuts can certainly provide the coffee — but simple doughnuts are hard to find here. A mix between an experimental pastry kitchen and a hip neighborhood doughnut shop, O Face will revolutionize your definition of doughnut.

Lunch

While breakfast is the most-often skipped meal of the day, lunch is perhaps the least appreciated. A light meal in the middle of the day, lunch can merely bridge the stomach-grumbling gap between breakfast and dinner — or it can offer unique foods you wouldn’t explore during the day’s bigger meals. Here are Las Vegas’s best original lunch spots to curb your noontime hunger.

• Sushi Roku. Offering picturesque views of the Strip as well as an unbeatable sushi experience this far from Japan, Sushi Roku is the lunch spot for countless celebrities visiting the city. The lunch menus stay well within any traveler’s budget, and daily specials can introduce diners to incredible new tastes.
• Baja Miguel’s. When in the Southwest, you should dine like Southwesters do: namely, on delicious, authentic Mexican food. Baja Miguel’s is hands-down the best Mexican fare you will find in Las Vegas, and its menu is expansive, including tamales, flautas, fajitas, and more.

Dinner

Las Vegas is a must-visit destination for most world travelers, which makes it a desirable restaurant location for most celebrity chefs. Big names like Gordon Ramsay, Wolfgang Puck, Emeril Lagasse, Giada de Laurentiis, Bobby Flay, and more have come down to the Strip, hoping to entice visitors with their world-class tastes and smells. These places are best attended at dinner, when the meals turn into all-night feasts. However, there are a couple lesser-known but just as delicious dinner spots around downtown that shouldn’t be missed by the discerning palate, including:

• Wicked Spoon. Las Vegas is renowned for its buffet dining, but Wicked Spoon is changing the expectations of this age-old all-you-can-eat style. Instead of questionably aged bowls of salad or shrimp and greasy pizza pies laid out under heating lamps, Wicked Spoon offers individual tapas plates of everything from fried chicken to carved roast. Each meal is made to order and is artfully constructed, which surprisingly transforms the second-rate buffet experience into desirable upscale dining.
• Le Thai. Believe it or not, the best Thai food in the nation isn’t located anywhere in California but in the heart of downtown Las Vegas. One strip mall in particular contains some of the highest rated Southeast Asian cuisine in the world, from recognizable dishes of pad Thai to authentic kaeng phet pet yang. The latest and greatest addition to the Thai scene is Le Thai, which interprets familiar classics with unique flavors and presentations.

Dessert

Traditionally, dessert comes after you dine — but in Las Vegas, no one will look down on you for indulging in a sweet treat before any of the three meals of the day, especially when the world’s most amazing dessert store is just waiting for you to visit. Hershey’s Chocolate World can service any and all of your dessert needs. With more than 800 of your favorite Hershey’s candies as well as ice cream, milkshakes, and fresh-made baked goods, there are enough sweets in this store to last a lifetime — or at least finish off a gluttonous day in Las Vegas.