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Sweets for the Sweet: L.A. Valentine Dessert Roundup
Looking to get your sweetie something better than the usual boring box o' chocolates this Valentine's Day? Surprise your Valentine and secure some V-day night sugar of your own (wink, wink) when you present them with the following goodies which range in price from the very affordable $2 chocolate strawberry to a $90 sweets extravaganza.
To really blow your Valentine away, present them with a L'Amour Hatbox from Boule. This decadent gift ($90) contains every sweet tooth's heart desire -- a limited edition Valentine six-piece box of chocolates that includes two guava pink peppercorn, two rose caramel and two honey lavender chocolates; a box of vanilla Sables or Korova Sables; 20 handmade fleur de sel caramels; a bag of pink chocolate dusted and enrobed almonds....deep breath...a box of milk or dark chocolate rochers; two strawberry violet dark chocolate truffle pops; and even a personalized note made of chocolate. Whew!
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Mmmm, Lovvvve Nuts. You're probably going to want to keep these gourmet goodies for yourself because they sound too good to give away or even share. Compartes Chocolatier's Love Nuts are nuts hand-roasted with real Tahitian vanilla beans, sprinkled with sea salt, layered with Venezuelan chocolate and then covered with French cocoa powder. Drooling yet? $9.95 for a bag of pecan, macadamia, almond or cashews; $21 for gift set.
Leave that ratty heart-shaped candy box behind and present your love bug with a basket of treats from Joan's on Third in Mid-City West. Valentine cupcakes, Linzer heart cookies, pecan shortbread hearts and chocolate sandwich cream hearts go for $3 each. Or after your romantic dinner, whip out a decadent Be Mine chocolate heart-shaped cake that's layered with raspberry filling ($15 serves two). Awww!
If you're wondering where you can get some chocolate-covered strawberries, check out Milk on Beverly Boulevard. This Valentine treat is presented in a special box and runs $18 for a dozen or $2 each (available February 12-15). And who doesn't love red velvet cake, especially when it's red velvet ice cream cake made of vanilla ice cream, raspberry sorbet and red velvet sponge cake ($22 for 6-inch cake)?
Why mess with a good thing? Sprinkles in Beverly Hills is once again celebrating V-day with its festive
XOX dozen box containing red hot velvet (Southern red velvet cake with spicy cinnamon cream cheese frosting), chocolate marshmallow, dark chocolate and vanilla cupcakes decorated with XOXs and hearts. $36 a dozen. From February 6 to 15.
Sweet Susina Bakery in West Hollywood has the cake to melt your honey bunny's heart: a heart-shaped chocolate molten cake with a gooey chocolate ganache center ($5). Or several heart-shaped cakes in red velvet, vanilla, or chocolate ($25 for a 6-inch cake, $40 for 8-inch).
You know Vanilla Bake Shop in Santa Monica will have some of the cutest cupcakes for this Hallmark holiday. Woo your sugar muffin with a red velvet cupcake with a red heart, vanilla bean with pink sanding sugar and a red heart, bittersweet dark chocolate with a red heart and/or chocolate vanilla bean with red sanding sugar and a red Heart ($3.25 each). The adorable cupcake babies are three for $5 and would be an excellent bonus present.
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