From erotic, exotic and peppery chocolates to spice up your love life, to fairytale cakes that would make even the hardened heart flutter, master chocolatiers and top luxury pastry boutiques have come out with another wide assortment of sweet treats for this year’s edition of Valentine’s Day. You may want to still your beating heart for this virtual sampling of “I heart you” desserts.
Pierre Hermé has three. One with a discreet heart in the bottom left corner is a litchi and rose pâte de fruit, or fruit jelly, covered in a raspberry ganache.
The Ella Heart making no apologies to romance is made with a base of olive oil and lemon biscuits, an ode to red berries, and is filled with a light lemon mousse.
In a lighter shade, Hermé’s Tarte Cœur Infiniment Jasmin, or Infinitely Jasmine Heart, is made with shortbread, jasmine–infused ganache, jasmine tea biscuit and Marscapone cream.
Dalloyau’s collection of three signature heart-shaped offerings include the Macaron of Love, a raspberry-flavoured cookie filled with a Madagascan vanilla cream and raspberry compote.
Another is a shortbread pastry filled with a Sabayon mousse and berries, and the third a choux-pastry filled with vanilla and raspberries.
Want to spice up your regular repertoire? French chocolate boutique La Maison du Chocolat has come out with special edition bonbons with interesting flavour pairings.
Among them are a vanilla and Jamaican pepper-spiced praline filled with almonds and hazelnuts, and Galanga and lemon chocolates.
Godiva’s signature gold box is an assortment of 36 milk, dark and white chocolate bonbons, pralines and ganaches.
