If your idea of a Valentine’s gift is an artificial-ingredient-laden Whitman’s Sampler, it may be time to expand your chocolate horizons and look local.
Case in point: Chantilly Patisserie in Bronxville. There, February 14 is an anything goes kind of day, according to co-owner/cake artist Maria Delgado Gambini. The shop has Valentine’s Day classics like mini pastries (pictured) plus alternatives like rich, flourless chocolate cake with hazelnut and chocolate layers topped with gold dust and assorted fruits; and cupcakes in flavors including Snickers and hummingbird (made with banana, pineapple, pecans, and cinnamon). A signature at Chantilly is the French macarons with hand-painted scenes (the paints are edible, of course!) in flavors like peanut butter and jelly, dulce de leche, espresso, and more ($21/dozen); they make for a colorful display that will dazzle your sweetheart.
More Valentine’s Sweets: Taste Test — The Best Valentine’s Day Chocolates In Westchester
Lil’ Chocolate Shoppe in Pleasantville may be close quarters, but who’d complain when surrounded by the aroma of chocolate? You can design your own made-to-order heart-shaped chocolate box or simply go with the classic Valentine’s box trimmed with velvet, lace, and roses; either can be filled with more than 60 varieties of chocolates. There are silky, handmade Amaretto-, cappuccino-, and Champagne-flavored truffles; hand-dipped stem cherries; and almond bark. Mother-daughter owners Annette and Bianca Colasuonno keep the store open in inclement weather, so no worries if there’s a raging snowstorm and you’ve waited until the last minute.
