Dine Magazine South Florida

Sweeten up Your Valentine’s Day with a Chocolate Treat

For this Valentine’s Day, may we recommend everything chocolate –  because, really, does life get any better? And since it only comes around once a year, you have every excuse to indulge in rich, decadent chocolate treats. I feel the rush already.

Create your own chocolate bar with Chocri. This newly launched company allows you to customize your chocolate gift with your favorite ingredients. Start off with you choice of base (either white, milk or dark chocolate) and then add in your favorites — fruits, spices, nuts, confections, decor and grains. For Valentine’s Day, there are special romance themed add-ins including: Candied Rose Pedals, Mini Heart Decorations and Silver Pearls. After you have created the perfect candy bar,  create the perfect name and inscribe it on the package. Minimum 3-bar purchase and the starting price is $7.90.

Have you been dreaming up the perfect ice cream combination? Now, you can create it with eCreamery – for a life less vanilla. Select your favorite base (either sorbetto, gelato or ice cream), up to two flavors (anything from a chocolate malt or tiramisu to a more exotic chipotle) and up to two mix-ins (think chocolate walnut brownie pieces or chocolate covered peanuts). Now its time to select your packaging and give your ice cream a name. Your frozen treat can be ordered by the 1/2 gallon for $49.99+shipping or the full gallon for $89.99 plus shipping.

If you want to stick to the tried and true chocolate truffles, why not try the CocoLove Chocolate Truffle Pack ($26)? This gift pack comes with 15 pieces of luscious dark chocolate fudge truffles — Rosie Posy, Planet Marz and Naked Hottie. These hand-dipped artisanal chocolate balls are rich, simple and purely divine.

Express your love to your sweetie with these chocolate covered fortune cookies. Not only will they be an indulgent treat, you can add in a personalized message and be assured you will get your date’s attention. Choose a traditionally flavored cookie or a more exotic one (strawberry, graham cracker or cappuccino), dip it in chocolate — and add on sprinkles if you’d like. Whatever the case, get ready to wow your significant other. If you’d like something even more unusual, why not go for the giant fortune cookies? Oh yes, imagine a 5″ x 7″ fortune cookie that weighs over 1 lb. Available online at Fancy Fortune Cookies.

Spice up this Valentine’s Day while putting one of your favorite ingredients to work — paint, lick, lather or simply indulge on a rich, chocolate treat with the Let the Body do the Talking Gift Basket from Edible Gift Baskets ($39.99). This sexy gift basket is filled with romantic treats including rose pedals, chocolate lips with a hint of chili, chocolate body frosting, stencils and a paint brush — a perfect and risque addition to this already sensual date night.

Custom Created Foodie Gifts

If you are looking for a gift for that foodie friend of yours, why not put together something that is both custom made just for them and delicious? Whether the recipient is a cereal fanatic, a chocoholic or an ice cream aficianado, you will be able to create something that they will satisfy their taste buds.

• [Me] & Goji: This custom created cereal and granola company is the first on the market. Start off by selecting one of the 5 bases, add your choice of fruits, nuts and seeds, name your cereal creation and you will receive this new cereal within a week. It comes in a canister that is easy to throw in a bag and seal up so it’s perfect to travel with or to keep at home.
• Chocri is a custom made chocolate bar company out of Germany, and this isn’t just a personalization company, but it actually lets you make tasty treats. Just like the cereal company above, you start off with your base of either milk, dark or white chocolate. Next, you add your fruits, nuts, spices and choice of candy. You are allowed to add up to 5 ingredients. But beware, as their website is in German.
• eCreamery: Start your day off right with custom-made ice cream. Start off by selecting your base and flavor. Continue customizing with your favorite add-ins, select a creative name and decide on the packaging and you’ll be all set to go. Whoever said it was impossible to find Green Tea Ice Cream with Macadamia Nuts?