By Emma Barhydt
With the warm weather this week, it’s easy to believe Easter is right around the corner. In our family, crafting the perfect Easter basket isn’t just a fun tradition, it’s an art. Yes, each year the “Easter Bunny” takes over the dinning room, turning it into a pastel war room. While Easter grass has long been outlawed, all manner of other treats, gifts, and delights cover the room in preparation for Easter Basket creation. We all have our timeless favorites (for me, it’s Cadbury eggs) but I always find myself asking how do I keep easter baskets exciting?
This year, why not elevate the standard fare with some of my favorite inclusions that always make the perfect easter gifts? Here’s how to assemble an Easter basket that marries tradition with a touch of unexpected luxury.
This year, Venchi’s “Taste The Surprise” Easter Collection is the cornerstone of my baskets. It’s one enormous egg, making it perfect for any chocolate lover or a family basket. They have a number of innovative flavors and textures in this year’s collection with a particular spotlight on the Connolo Egg. The Cannolo Chocolate Egg, inspired by the beloved Sicilian dessert is an adventure in flavor and texture.
When I tried the Connolo Egg, I approached with curiosity; it sounded delicious, but… ricotta chocolate? However, Venchi’s craftsmanship quickly dispelled any doubts. The dark chocolate shell, far from overpowering, provided a rich yet balanced backdrop to the creamy ricotta white chocolate, achieving a delicate equilibrium that elevated the overall flavor profile. The inclusion of the (gluten free!) biscuit pieces added a welcome textural contrast. What truly surprised me, however, was the subtle infusion of orange flavor, which, rather than dominating, left a lingering citrusy and floral aftertaste.
The commitment to quality is a hallmark of Venchi’s ethos, with ingredients like IGP Piedmont Hazelnuts and the inclusion of gluten-free and vegan options ensuring that the joys of Easter are accessible to all. You can order Venchi’s eggs directly from their website: https://us.venchi.com/
Beyond chocolate, no Easter celebration is complete without an abundance of flowers. It is the holiday of rebirth and renewal, after all. For flowers like no other, look to McArdle’s Florist and Garden Center. McArdle’s range of blooming plants, orchids, succulents, and terrariums, along with their special Easter & Passover collection, provides a wide selection of options for those looking to add a touch of spring to their homes or find the ideal Easter gift. You can visit McArdle’s at 48 Arch St, Greenwich, CT, or visit their website, https://www.mcardles.com/
Our family is full of voracious readers and know-it-all book worms, so every holiday comes with at least one book. Fortunately in Greenwich, we have some incredible independent bookstores that we love to support! In our house, no holiday would be complete without an iconic little red package from Diane’s Books.
For younger Easter basket receivers, their perfect basket includes toys and stuffed animals. For any needs along that vein, I always make sure to make a stop to Smart Kids. They have an incredible selection of board games, toys, and all manner of fluffy friends. I particularly love their selection of hands-on science activities which range from rock tumbling to growing crystal hedgehogs to fingerprinting and master detective sets.
For anything else and anyone getting a basket over twenty, my final stops are Dogwood Books and gifts and Sophia’s. Dogwood has a beautiful assortment of tea towels, napkin rings, hand lotions, candles, and all other manner of delightful treats for those who might have outgrown a crystal hedgehog growing kit. There’s always something to fill the little empty spaces, and as an added bonus if you forgot to get a book for someone you can pick one up there!
Sophia’s has gorgeous lotions and soaps, jewelry, funny kitchen towels and eclectic gifts for those seeking to gift items that marry beauty with a personal touch. The charm of Sophia’s lies not just in its diverse array but in the quality and uniqueness of each item. I love choosing soap and candle pairings from Sophia’s; a matching set is so luxurious yet understated, or you can mix and match to find the perfect balance of fragrance.
For me, gifting these easter baskets is a way of saying ‘I see you’ to my family and friends, creating for them a very personal gift that celebrates them as an individual as well as my relationship with them. Making Easter Baskets always feels magical, but I also remind myself that the true celebration of Easter is in creating moments of happiness and memories that linger long after the chocolate has been savored and the flowers have bloomed. It’s a testament to the joy of giving, the pleasure of surprise, and the beauty of springtime renewal.
As we look forward to gathering together this Easter, let’s take a moment to appreciate not just the baskets we’ve assembled but the hands that filled them, the hearts that envisioned them, and the family and friends they celebrate. May this Easter be a reminder of all that is joyful, hopeful, and loving in our lives. Here’s to an Easter filled with surprises, laughter, and the warmth of family—a celebration of all the things that make life truly beautiful.
