LIKE Christmas, Bissinger’s chocolate-covered blackberries come but once a year. When the large, black-purple berries arrive from the Pacific Northwest, they’re quickly dipped and shipped overnight from the St. Louis confectioner. The French parent company was a favorite of Napoleon and King Louis XIV.

Ten candymakers will coat 250,000 fragile fruits in creamy fondant and rich dark or milk chocolate before the season ends Sept. 20. The deeply flavored sweets – which cost $34 per pound, plus shipping – are known to be so juicy, they require napkins to guard against dribbles. To stake your claim, call (800) 325-3881 or log on to http://www.bissingers.com.