Published: October 21, 2010

It’s that time of year again, the leaves are turning orange, the air is getting crisp and the delicious Pumpkin Spice Latte makes its return to the Starbucks menu. Yes, it’s October and that can only mean one thing: Halloween. As college students, we can’t really indulge in all that free trick-or-treat candy, no matter how much we want to.

Instead we can satisfy our sweet tooth and take advantage of seasonal delights at some of the most delectable candy stores in the city.

For the Nostalgic Candy Pleasures:
Sweet Life
63 Hester St.
Phone Number: (212) 598-0092
Website: www.sweetlifeny.com
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m.; Sat.-Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

For simple and nostalgic candy pleasures, visit the Sweet Life in the Lower East Side. Along with a wide variety of hard and gummy candy, this shop also has special treats that you may have enjoyed as young trick-or-treaters.  Candy corn mix, licorice twizzlers, gummy teeth, spiders and even rats are sold at this shop. Biting into a gummy spider may not be on the top of your Halloween agenda, but it will surely bring back memories of going door-to-door and getting all those delicious sweets.

For the Chocolate Connoisseur:
Kee’s Chocolates
SOHO: 80 Thompson Street
Midtown: 452 Fifth Ave. (inside HSBC)
Phone Number: (212) 334-3284
Hours: Tue.-Fri. 9 a.m.- 7 p.m.; Weekends 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Website: www.keeschocolates.com

While we’ve all had the good ol’ Hershey’s bar and even a truffle from Godiva, this Halloween treat yourself to a brand new chocolate experience. At Kee’s chocolates, your taste buds will go wild with all the unique flavors offered.  For the adventurous type, Kee’s offers a Black Rose truffle made with dark chocolate, black tea and rose petals. Those more cautious can play it safe with the Cappuccino truffle made with mocha and espresso. And if this doesn’t convince you to make your way to this chocolate shop, there’s one more special treat Kee’s offers: next door to the shop in SoHo, you can watch the chocolates being freshly made by workers and even Kee herself. Think about that the next time you reach for a Snickers.

For the Kid in You:
5th Avenue Chocolatiere
693 Third Ave. at 43rd Street
Phone Number: (212) 935-5454
Website: www.5thavenuechocolatiere.com
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m. -5 p.m.

Talking about all these serious sweets might make you crave something simpler and lighthearted. 5th Avenue Chocolatiere can cater to just that. Not only are their chocolates delicious but they are molded into whimsical shapes. So go ahead, we dare you to bring out your inner child, and indulge in some milk chocolate ballerina slippers or a white chocolate dinosaur. They also carry a wide variety of other shapes and sizes of fun chocolates that can please any personality.

For the “I want it all”:
Economy Candy
108 Rivington St.
Phone Number: (212) 254-1531
Website: www.economycandy.com
Hours: Mon.-Fri., Sun. 9a.m.-6p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

In business since 1937, Economy Candy has more than a little room for bragging, carrying everything from traditional jaw breakers and licorice sticks to an assortment of dried fruit. From hand-dipped cocoa truffles and ivory almond bark to an unbelievable collection of sugar-free alternatives, this Lower East Side haven definitely caters to all taste buds. A one-stop shop for those of us in a time crunch, so that we can get everything we could ever want in our makeshift trick-or-treat bag. Just don’t blame us if you spend more time in there than expected!

For the Vegan:
Cocoa V
174 9th Ave.
Phone Number: (212) 242-3339
Website: www.cocoav.com
Hours: Mon. 1 p.m.-8 p.m.; Tue.-Thu. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fri. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sat. 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun. 12 p.m.-8 p.m.

Fordham’s vegans can also enjoy this Halloween, cruelty-free. At Cocoa V, located in Chelsea, customers can enjoy sweets made from 100 percent vegan and organic ingredients. This boutique is half chocolate shop and half wine bar, and has space for dining. Cocoa V offers vegan “milk” chocolate truffles, bon bons with a variety of fillings from peanut butter to passion fruit, cookies and cream bark among other delights. If you’re in the mood for something with a little autumn flavor, try the pumpkin seed brittle.

For the Dare to be Different:
Bouchon Bakery
10 Columbus Circle, Third Floor
Phone Number: (212) 823-9366
Website: www.bouchonbakery.com
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. ; Sun. 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m.

For those of us who prefer to satisfy our sweet tooth with delightful desserts rather than straight candy, visit the Bouchon Bakery in the Time Warner Center. Being the closest to campus, this stop is the most convenient of all the options. The bakery always carries artisan baked goods, like muffins, quiches and cookies, but for Halloween, they make an additional, different set of treats. The display case houses witches’ hats, pumpkins, bats and caramel apples. Bouchon Bakery has long been known as a gourmet café serving the some of the best food in the city, so it comes as no surprise that the Halloween treats are also exquisite. The witch’s hat is a s’mores-like dessert with graham crackers and marshmallow (both homemade) and milk chocolate. It’s almost too pretty to eat (almost!). The pumpkin is a devil’s food cupcake with hazelnut mousse, while the bat is a cookie filled with white chocolate ganache. The caramel apple, at $8.50, is the most expensive treat listed. It boasts ingredients like Spanish peanuts and caramel on a Granny Smith apple. As a long-time caramel and candy apple fan, this apple did not really wow me, but the other desserts were scrumptious (and cheaper!)