Silver Gianduja Skulls

The upscale grocery chain Dean & DeLuca is best known for hoity-toity luxury food items, such as artisanal pickles, organic pumpkin pie and lobster gazpacho. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t like to get into the Halloween spirit like everyone else.

In the spirit of the holiday, the chain is offering silver gianduja skulls. Described as “miniature silver-dusted dark chocolate skulls… filled with a creamy gianduja made with hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, and almonds,” Dean & DeLuca Chief Merchant Michael J Scibilia said that this unique item hearkens back to the folklore of numerous cultures.

“There is a long tradition of featuring candied skulls in Mexico for the much-celebrated Dia de los Muertos, as well as in parts of Italy and Southern Europe to celebrate All Souls’ Days,” he said.

He said that the skulls, which are dusted with edible silver, “are made of a sweet, decadent chocolate filled with gianduja, a mixture of macadamias, almonds, and hazelnut first developed in the Piedmonte region in Northern Italy… the flavor is sophisticated and complex.”

All fine and good, but will little kids looking for Gummi Worms receive these treats warmly? If the response that Scibilia has seen so far is any indication, the answer is a resounding yes.

“They’re flying off the shelves,” he said.