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Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: A Year of Chocolate

20071201garrison.jpgMost Serious Eaters love chocolate, so thanks to the good folks at Garrison Confections today we're giving away a chocolate gift that keeps on giving—a year's worth of serious chocolates.

How does the Year of Chocolate work? About every three months, you will receive a 24-piece box of a Garrison Confections Seasonal Collection: Winter Solstice, Vernal Equinox, Summer Solstice, Autumnal Equinox.

Shipment will start with the Winter Solstice 2008 Collection, which will ship in January 2008. Additionally, you will receive a 12-piece limited edition Legendary Lovers IV collection, Garrison Confections' special Valentine's Day chocolate collection available only between February 1 and February 14 and limited to 1,000 boxes

To win, just answer this in the comments below: Which do you prefer, milk or dark chocolate?

You have until noon ET tomorrow (Sunday, December 2) to enter. One winner will be chosen at random from among the commenters. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.

If you must have your chocolate fix now, you can order some Garrison confections here and get 15 percent off your order by using the promotional code SEATS2007 at checkout. If there are any chocolate lovers on your holiday gift list you will make them very happy with something from Garrison Confections. Andrew Shotts is one of the great chocolatiers in America.

Comments are closed: 340 Comments:

Oh definitely dark -- a good bitter or semisweet.

Dark Chocolate, but not too dark (60%)

definitely dark chocolate, though good (not hershey's) milk chocolate is alright too

dark chocolate - can't stand the sugariness that milk chocolate sometimes has.

I like both...but, usually, I prefer dark chocolate. 60% is generally pretty delicious :).

an unfair question. Both for eating, definitely dark for baking.

Dark, like the more intense flavor that you can savor...Chocolate is always a treat!

Dark, absolutely, especially for eating...

I prefer my chocolate so dark that it absorbs all light around it, its density such that it bends space-time, acting as a force so powerful that nothing which gets near it can escape is overwhelming pull.

That said, I also enjoy the occasional bit of milk chocolate.

Definitely dark. I'm kind of embarrassed to say that I was "converted" from milk chocolate due to nutritional reasons, but now I'm totally in it for the taste!

Dark had always been my favorite, even since I was a wee girl (back in the 1950's). My siblings would always pick out the Hershey's dark chocolate mini bars (wasn't it called "semi-sweet" back then?) out of all our holiday and Hallowe'en candy and disdainfully throw it my way. I would hoard it, and savor it when I was alone, usually with a Nancy Drew book, sometimes with a Cherry Ames book. Until a few Easters ago when my spouse gave me $100. worth of very good assorted dark chocolate bars, which took me many months to eat.

Since then, my favorite has been Belgian milk chocolate with whole hazlenuts. I've been trying to OD on it, but haven't yet managed to do so...

it's gotta be dark chocolate

Though I welcome chocolate of all kinds, dark is my favorite.

Dark, but not so dark that it's bitter. A really good Ghiardelli, say. Or, for sheer quantity, Toblerone.

60% dark is a little slice of heaven.

Definitely dark. Lindt 85% and Chocolove 77% are two of my favorites.

I also like an an occasional bite of the white stuff (kinda weird huh?)

dark chocolate! I love theo chocolate from portland.

I used to prefer milk chocolate, then got swayed by dark..now, I just want something in-between! Can my answer be: both?

Dark baby. It's the only real chocolate.

definitely dark.

Dark chocolate all the way!

Dark - especially bittersweet.

Dark chocolate, any time, any place.

DARK Chocolate... all the way!

I'll second Dark, but not too dark

dark please!

dark. no question.

milk if eating by the bar or piece--but melted.... dark all day long!!!!

Dark, not too dark, with something textured in it -- nuts, orange rind, etc.

Dark chocolate soothes the soul.

MILK MOST DEFINITELY

Mmmm...definitely dark!

Milk chocolate

It depends on the other flavors involved.

Straight: dark chocolate always wins. There's just so much more complexity. Also, it goes so well with fruit.

Buuuutt...milk chocolate is awfully good in combination with things like almonds and toffee.

Always dark!

Dark - always.

Dark, Darker, Darkest

Dark! If Nature had intended us to eat milk chocolate, then cows would make chocolate milk.

Milk chocolate is candy, not chocolate. And I don't like candy.

So dark.

White chocolate. But between dark and milk the slightly fruitier dark stuff.

Everyone in my family prefers dark, and I know it's "better" for me than milk, but I just haven't aquired that taste yet. So, milk it is for me!

Ooooh, dark.

Dark chocolate at 70 percent. Thank you very much!

Milk chocolate.

I love dark chocolate :)

Grew up with milk and I am transitioning to dark for health reasons...but I guess I would have to say milk.

White. Oh, but wait that's not an option.

So, milk plain. Or dark truffles. Yum!

A really good milk chocolate is a gastronomic joy!

milk chocolate, definitely. preferably scharffenberger's.

Yum...Make mine dark, please!

give me the darkest! sometimes i rather enjoy dagoba's prima materia 100%

Bittersweet... the darker the better!

I don't discriminate, I love both milk and dark chocolate!

Milk unless it is with orange then I like dark

Dark, Absolutely

The only chocolate disappointment I've experienced was when my 5 year old self climbed the pantry shelves to bite into a bar of baker unsweetened. (Ugh!) Now, though any chocolate will do, dark is by far my favorite.

Dark chocolate has a slight edge over milk chocolate in my mind -- but I wouldn't turn down either one!

Dark, somehow it seems healthier in my mind...

D A R K
please

dark is my preferences.

Dark, Dark, Dark.... hooray for Dark!!!

I will eat anything, but I do prefer a good piece of dark chocolate!

Dark; thanks!

i really love all chocolate, but if i had to choose i would go with dark :)

Dark most of the time...milk some of the time.

Dark filled with fruit

DARK! Heavenly.

Split down the middle...but whatever kind it is, it's better if it's high quality!

Always dark!

milk chocolate

super dark....

That's easy, dark is king of my world.

Dark works for me!

I hate to say it, but milk!

definitely dark.

Generally dark, but good milk chocolate can be pretty great, too!

Ooh tough choice! I'd say dark chocolate overall though. :)

I should say dark, but I always crave milk.

Dark.. Unfortunately, my better half is a milk chocolate gal... It has caused nothing but trouble over the past 5 years... :)

milk chocolate, absolutely.

Dark chocolate, by far. It's a finer, richer quality, though dark chocolate can get "too dark". At that point it's a bit too bitter and best left with dedicated coffee drinkers.

i'd go with milk chocolate i think

Dark, except when there are hazelnuts involved.

I like dark chocolate.

Mostly dark, but recently I have begun craving the sweet, smooth, richness of milk for the occasional treat.

Dark chocolate definitely - especially combined with fruit (dark chocolate covered cranberries sound fantastic right now)....milk chocolate every once in a while

Both. But OK, dark.

Dark. But I won't turn down either if they have nuts!

I love dark chocolate to eat plain.
I love milk chocolate with passionfruit though, something about that combination.
I love the combination of peppermint and dark chocolate.
I agree with the hazelnut with milk chocolate preference that someone else echoed.
Candied orange peels seem to go best with dark chocolate for me.

So...it depends. LOL. I will say there's nothing finer than eating good chocolate while walking down la rue st. honore.

Dark chocolate. But I never refuse a good milk chocolate. Okay, I never refuse a Hershey Kiss....

Mmm...dark chocolate...

dark - like 72% dark...

dark of course. darker the better.

dark, something like 70% and made in Oregon, if possible.

DARK and BITTER

Same as turkey -- dark.

But pumpkinkingdom: darker the better? Does that mean you sit around eating 100%, unsweetened? Grody to the max.

The Darker the better and with a shot of whole milk chaser.

Dark again! Once I switched over to dark I find now that I don't even care for milk chocolate all that much. It was too sweet & lacking in any real flavor.

Mostly dark, with some milk mixed in every once in a while.

Definitely prefer dark chocolate :)

I know I'm supposed to like dark more, but there's something about the creaminess of milk that I adore...

Baking: Dark, Eating straight: Milk

wow - tough call. both are soooo delish, but if I had to pick, I suppose I prefer the rich, semi-sweet flavor from dark chocolate. Yummm!

Dark chocolate! But only if it's very, very high quality. Otherwise it can just taste like crayons.

Hershey's = crayons.

Milk chocolate, always

once you go dark, you never go back...?
definitely dark for baking and eating.

Dark for sure.

I prefer dark chocolate; milk chocolate is a bit too sweet for me.

used to be milk, but now my preferred cacao content is 65-70%. Unless it's a Cadbury Nuts and Raisins bar...

Although you will never find me turning down chocolate of ANY form, I absolutely love dark chocolate.

definitely dark chocolate, 70-75%

Dark, dark, dark. All that milk just gets in the way of the chocolatey goodness.

love love love both. dark preferentially, though!

Dark chocolate has always been my favorite.

Dark is best

Dark. I was the kid who picked out the Special Dark bars from the Hershey's bag.

Dark is my favorite, and it is good for you!

Dark gets my vote!

Dark with fruit (or in baking), milk for eating solo.

Definitely dark

Dark, though milk won't get thrown out of the kitchen if dark's not available.

Dark, around 70%. But this does not preclude me tearing into the occasional Hershey bar!

Are you kidding? DARK CHOCOLATE!!!

50-65% dark is perfect for me!

as i get older, i find myself appreciating dark chocolate more and more. i'm only 20, so by the time i'm 80 i'll probably be enjoying pure, raw cocoa.

dark is the only way

Dark - no contest!

dark. 70-90%. occasionally, a chunk of dagoba's 100% prima materia for a kick in the pants.

Dark chocolate, the darker, the better.

milk - it's the childhood comfort thing

A good milk chocolate, sweet, but not too sweet. So yummy.

Both! But I'm slowly liking darker and darker chocolate. Like 75% with chipotle chiles and cranberries -- YUMM..

dark. milk chocolate makes my teeth hurt.

....love it all, prefer the dark

the darker the better.

dark. DARK. d.a.r.k. D.A.R.K.

I'm beginning to appreciate dark more and more but milk is still, currently, my favorite.

dark for baking, both for eating .... if I could only choose one it would have to be dark. :-)

Dark, but I'll eat (almost) any chocolate you put in front of me :)

Milk chocolate reminds me of childhood & halloween- always a good mood booster, but dark is so much more complex of a flavor- so much more decadent... hmmm... I'm going to have to say both. One in each cheek, sometimes!

Depends on the mood, but usually dark :)

really good quality plain milk chocolate...and good dark chocolate truffles

I like both but there's something to be said for eating a nice piece of dark chocolate paired with a good, fruity red wine.

The darker the better, at least 70%. Preferably with chilies or dried tart cherries.

Definately dark chocolate!

Love, love, love....creamy milk chocolate!

Dark, but I would never turn down milk

Creamy, smooth milk chocolate please....

You know, I feel like each one has their own ideal application. But right now I'm feeling the darkness.

There is absolutely no doubt about it. I'm a dark chocolate lover; in fact it's the only chocolate I care to eat, milk chocolate can be to sweet sometimes, and the complexity of good dark chocolate just can't be beat.

For a long time I definitely would have said milk, but now I definitely prefer dark -- especially if baked into cookies.

The older I get, the darker I like my chocolate.

I love them all, but if I must choose, the winner is: DARK.

Definitely dark.

Dark, but I really like the high cacao content milks that are are out now.

Yo, among this crowd is this seriously a question? Dark choco, hands down.

milk chocolate!

Definitely dark!

milk, how love started in the first place.

Dark!!!! Wth a sip of red wine as a chaser. mmmmmm

The darker, the better

Dark Chocolate

Definitely dark!

Good chocolate - can be either dark or milk!

Since I've been eating dark chocolate I find milk chocolate too sweet.

Gotta be dark.

Mo-o-o-o-o-o-o. Mi-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-ilk.

Dark Chocolate.

i feel like i am supposed to say dark. . . . .but i really like milk better!

Yes!

Always was milk chocolate until I started eating dark for all the healthy reasons & now I actually like it better.

Like many of the commenters, I've grown into dark...still prefer sweet things in most other food arenas, but dark chocolate just tastes so much more like chocolate than milk chocolate. Also, most fine chocolatiers tend to use dark chocolate in their extraordinary confections, whereas milk chocolate is still mostly done by the lower tier, so that helps my (and others') impression of dark, I think. I can't remember the last time I had a really classy piece of milk chocolate.

dark chocolate FTW.

Dark all the way!

dark chocolate, the darker the better!

Dark.....mmm, please please I can has choklitallyrlng?

Gotta get me some nice dark chocolate. Not too bitter though.

darky dark dark, baby!

Creamy milk chocolate all the way!

Dark chocolate Mounds bar
Dark chocolate covered candied orange rinds

or

Milk chocolate covered Gummi Bears
Milk chocolate covered strawberries
Hot chocolate with marshmallows

Guess I'd have to choose milk chocolate

dark chocolate, for sure

I like both...Milka is yummy, but I love dark chocolate too. If any chocolate is in a great combination with other flavours, I love it (hard to come by though). Pascal chocolates from France are great. :)

I prefer the taste of milk chocolate over dark chocolate but switched to dark for health reasons (70% cacao preferably). The dark chocolate is a guilty pleasure that I now can enjoy without the guilt... :)

I am drooling at the thought of winning this one! Dark chocolate, the darker the better!

I like both...Milka is yummy, but I love dark chocolate too. If any chocolate is in a great combination with other flavours, I love it (hard to come by though). Pascal chocolates from France are great. :)

I must go with dark chocolate - anything else isn't real chocolate to me!

70% dark chocolate, especially dipped with godiva strawberries or orange peel

I definitely prefer dark chocolate (but I like good-quality milk chocolate too).

To me there is chocolate and there is milk chocolate. I prefer chocolate, which some call dark chocolate.

I prefer dark most of the time, but sometimes I crave creamy milk chocolate.

Dark chocolate and chocolate milk!

I prefer dark chocolate, however, I would not refuse quality milk chocolate.
Dark chocolate seems to satisfy me and doesn't have all the sweetness of milk chocolate.

Dark chocolate. I think only teenagers love milk chocolate!