If you sit on this Santa’s lap, you just might want to ask him for help with your dry cleaning bill. It’s a life-sized sculpture of St. Nick made entirely of chocolate. It’s on display through December at the Walt Disney Swan & Dolphin.

The sculpture is the work of the hotel’s executive pastry chef and only two-time world champion pastry chef, Laurent Branlard.  Branlard is renowned for intricate chocolate and sugar sculptures and this piece marks one his largest and most difficult ones to date. It included:  

Man Hours: 300 hours
Dark Chocolate: 880 lbs.
Milk Chocolate: 132 lbs.
White Chocolate: 154 lbs.
Cocoa Butter: 120 lbs.

And just in case any chocolate lovers are thinking of taking on the challenge of consuming this enormous sweet, they should consider that it is 2,956,818 calories! (Please note that the sculpture is not available for tasting.)

Merry Christmas from SJO.

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