Sweet Ideas for Cupid
Photo by Brett Hills, courtesy 999dine.com
Chocolate bourbon torte adorned with fold-leaf accents from the organic Tree House Pastry Shop and Café
Sweets for your sweet sounds the perfect cliché, but what better day for laying on the sugar than February 14? Indulgence is the name of Cupid’s game, and these favorite local bakers and sweets makers promise creations that are intoxicating and irresistible.
Chocolate Maven
Chocolate Maven does chocolate, of course—and cakes, and breads, and “the best brownies on earth,” so they claim about these dense chocolate creations good enough to tempt food guru Giada De Laurentiis. But sugar cookies don’t come prettier than this bakery’s version for Valentine’s Day. Big, bold, and frosted in dazzling pinks and whites, the sugar cookies come by the bag or individually wrapped in clear cellophane pockets. A single, curvy heart—house-made and always trans-fat-free—sends a bold message. Plus, it’s too big to eat alone: intentionally baked with two in mind, these cookies are ideal for sharing. 821 W San Mateo, 505-984-1980, chocolatemaven.com; online ordering available
Tree House Pastry Shop and Café
The dynamic duo behind this charming bakery and café—who use all organic ingredients, many from our regional farmers—won my heart last Valentine’s Day with their luscious heart-shaped chocolate truffles. These seductively rich mouthfuls are back by popular demand, available alone or as part of bakers Maria Bernal and Carole Kozak’s combination gift boxes. Add to the mix prim and pretty heart-shaped sugar cookies with shimmery frosting, or woo your loved one’s palate with what the chefs describe as the “super duper” seducer—a triple chocolate bourbon torte with gold-leaf accents. 3095 Agua Fria, 505-474-5543, treehousepastry.com
