Twenty chocolate elves are at play in holiday displays at Bellagio and Aria.

AN elf on a shelf? How about six elves on six shelves? Or how about 20 elves? That’s how many of the little people the artisans at Jean Philippe Patisserie have crafted of chocolate, with fondant clothing and colored-cocoa “cosmetics,” for display at Bellagio and Aria this season.

In keeping with Bellagio’s holiday theme focusing on toys, the six elves on shelves in the pastry shop there are busy with Lego building blocks, playing with them, buried in them and, in a scene that will be painfully familiar to many parents, even stepping on one. And yes, the Lego blocks are chocolate, too.

Elves have taken over the pastry shop at Aria as well, posed in conjunction with the shop’s beloved polar bears and not-so-beloved Grinch. Both shops have wrapped presents, holiday scenes and more, all made of chocolate.

Romain Fournel, Jean Philippe Patisserie’s assistant executive pastry chef, said the crew started talking about the project in August and working on it in September. Asked how many hours were involved in creating the displays that used 200 to 300 pounds of chocolate, he said, “We don’t count.”

The whole crew participated, he said, and that’s a reflection of the theme.

“We did the elves because it’s like a family working with Santa to create toys,” he said. “It represents the team working as a family.”

The elves and other holiday components will be on display through the new year.

Benjamin Hager Las Vegas Review-Journal @benjaminhphoto Artisans at Jean Philippe Patisserie shops at Aria and Bellagio have incorporated almost two dozen chocolate elves into this year’s holiday displays.

reviewjournal.com/chocolateelves Video Assistant Executive Pastry Chef Romain Fournel creates chocolate elves. ▶