Sweet Gift Ideas for Your Foodie Valentine

Traditionally, Valentine’s Day is celebrated with the gifting of cards, flowers and chocolates. This year’s Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Are you still looking for gift ideas? You don’t have to break the bank to impress your valentine – check out the following chocolatiers and patisseries. They offer some beautifully crafted, delicious treats that I would be excited to receive this Valentine’s Day:

Bon Macaron Patisserie

Their 2016 Valentine’s Collection consists of 5 specialty flavours with unique designs. They are available in a beautiful gift box that fits not only all five specialty macarons, but also two extra macarons in your choice of flavours.

The five specialty macarons are:

• Cinnamon Heart – A white macaron decorated with tiny candy hearts.
• Kir Royal – A deep pink macaron flecked with gold.
• Mon Cheri (Chocolate and Cherry) – An adorable macaron based on the “heart eyes” emoji.
• Rose – A bright red macaron sculpted to look like a rose.
• Passion Fruit – Mini-macarons in the shape of hearts, X’s and O’s

On a regular basis, Bon Macaron produces some really interesting flavours, including Curry Mango Chutney, Goat Cheese & Fig, and White Truffle & Sea Salt. I’ve tried these flavours and thought they were quite spot on. Depending on your taste buds, you may taste the sweet first, or if you’re like me, I tasted the savoury flavours first. Either way, they were interesting, intriguing, and inspiring.

Bon Macaron Patisserie (3 locations)
2823 West Broadway, Vancouver
545-1689 Johnston Street, Vancouver (Granville Island)
1012 Broad Street, Victoria
www.bonmacaronpatisserie.com

Cartems Donuterie

You remember how much I enjoyed Cartems’ Christmas donut flavours. For Valentine’s Day, they have 4 special offerings:

• Strawberry Sponge Cake – fresh strawberries in and on a light sponge cake donut (limited quantity)
• Raspberry Boom Boom – White chocolate mousse glaze with raspberry caviar
• Passion Fruit – Passion Fruit butter cream with edible flowers
• 6-inch Heart-shaped yeast donut cake

These will only be available from February 12-14. You’ll need to pre-order them via email with at least 24-hour notice if you would like larger quantities.

Cartems Donuterie (2 locations)
534 West Pender Street, Vancouver
2190 Main Street, Vancouver
cartems.com

Faubourg Paris

I have enjoyed my occasional latte and almond croissant date at Faubourg downtown. For this Valentine’s Day, they will have the following available Feb 12-14:

• Macaron Heart – A heart-shaped macaron filled with dark chocolate mousse, a salted caramel centre and fresh raspberries.
• Valentine’s Day Pastry – A pineapple mousse and passionfruit curd over a vanilla sponge cake, finished with a raspberry mousse heart over chocolate crémeux.
• Linzer Cookie – Heart-shaped linzer cookie filled with house-made raspberry marmalade and finished with icing sugar.
• Raspberry Rose and Strawberry Blackpepper Macaron – A little pink treat to celebrate their love.

Faubourg Paris (3 locations)
2156 West 41st Avenue, Vancouver
769 Hornby Street, Vancouver
792 Main Street, Park Royal South, West Vancouver
www.faubourg.com

Thomas Haas Chocolates & Patisserie

For the 2016 Valentine’s Day, Thomas Haas has introduced four items to their lineup:

• Love Birds – A pair of handcrafted, ornately decorated love birds, along with a selection of chocolates and truffles.
• Chocolate Heart – Hand-painted chocolate heart airbrushed and decorated with 23-karat gold leaf that contains an assortment of chocolates and truffles.
• Valentine’s Jewellery Box – Handcrafted chocolate box filled with nine assorted dark, milk or white gourmet chocolate truffle hearts.
• Valentine’s Flowerpot – Combine two gifts in one by giving chocolates and flowers with this edible chocolate flowerpot and a selection of chocolates and truffles.

Seriously, how can you not be excited about getting one of these?!

Thomas Haas Chocolates & Patisserie (2 locations)
Unit 128, 998 Harbourside Drive, North Vancouver
2539 West Broadway Avenue, Vancouver
www.thomashaas.com

Final Thoughts

Of course, these are not the only options for local sweets but hopefully these will make it on your list for this year’s V-Day shopping. And can someone please hint to Mr. about what to get me this Valentine’s Day? 😛