10 great places to hit your sweet spot for Easter

— -- Need help filling your Easter basket? Dylan Lauren, founder of the popular Dylan's Candy Bar (dylanscandybar.com), a whimsical candy emporium with five locations, is a self-described Easter enthusiast and candy addict. She shares her favorite places to shop for sweets with Kathy Baruffi for USA TODAY.

Cottage of SweetsCarmel, Calif. "This unique shop has a homey feel and is one of the town's most charming landmarks," Lauren says. "It has a nice assortment of prepackaged and bulk candy." Licorice lovers will be in heaven to discover the many varieties, from sweet to salty, available here. There's also a great assortment of hard-to-get European candies and nostalgia mixes. 831-624-5170; cottageofsweets.com

CandyliciousHouston "This bite-sized candy store has fun, retro candy," Lauren says. "They also have 'candy cakes' made on site," custom creations that are made with foam core and studded with candy. The Easter Hut, a springtime version of these popular items, is as alluring as a Christmas gingerbread house and can be used as a centerpiece or in lieu of an Easter basket. There are two locations. 713-529-6500

The Candy LadyAlbuquerque "People often call me the candy lady," Lauren says. "But in Albuquerque's historic Old Town, Debbie Ball is second-generation. She brings true Southwestern flavor, including red chile, to fudge and other sweets at this cozy shop created by her mother." She also uses pinyons, the delicately sweet cone seeds from pinyon pines, the state tree, to make nut clusters, toffee, caramels, brittle and fudge. No hollow Easter bunnies here, only solid chocolate. 800-214-7731; thecandylady.com

Sugar HeavenBoston "Their motto is 'We have something for everyone,' and it's definitely true," Lauren says. "This store has a very cool collection of vintage tins and lunchboxes for the bulk and novelty candy. They let you mix and match items, which is perfect for a personal touch on an Easter basket." Boston Baked Beans, candied fruit slices and Atomic Fireballs are among 15,000 items to choose from. Other locations include Canada and Florida. 617-266-6969; sugarheaven.us