A affection for chocolate

Valentine's Day facts

Flowers, chocolate, and adornment became accepted for Valentine's Day ability during the additional bisected of the 20th century. Afterward are some Valentine's Day facts:

The aboriginal box: of Valentine's Day chocolates was created by acclaimed British chocolatier, RichardCadbury, in 1868.

Cards: On Valentine's Day it is estimated by the U. S. Greeting Agenda Association that there are added than 190 actor cards exchanged, authoritative Feb. 14 the best agenda giving holiday, additional alone to Christmas.

Flowers: Valentine's Day is the third best important day for flowers, afterward Christmas and Mother's Day. It is additionally estimatedthat 73 percent of the floral buyers are men.

Sales: Amber sales for the Valentine's Day absolute added than$1 billion every year.

Worldwide: it is estimated that over $14 billion is spent anniversary year in account of the anniversary of Valentine's Day.

While Valentine's Day shoppers are on the cruise for the absolute allowance for that appropriate someone, breadth amber shops are dispatch up to the plate, advancing their finest treats for the occasion.

For the owners of Amber Passion, Zulay and Terrance Quinn , Valentine's Day agency continued hours in the kitchen. The anniversary afore the holiday, they assignment 20 to 22 hours a day, authoritative amber truffles and dipping beginning strawberries in chocolate.

"I beddy-bye one or two hours," Zulay said. "It's absolutely the busiest time of year."

She said barter started callingin mid-January to abode orders for chocolate-covered strawberries and allowance baskets.

All of the truffles at Amber Passion, amid at 1520 North Frazier Street in Conroe, are handmade with all accustomed ingredients. Beginning excellent leaves arecrushed for the aspect of the excellent truffle. Beginning amber and lemon, blueberry and raspberry purees are added accepted ingredients.

The amber alternative includes about 25 altered flavors, with new options consistently offered. The card additionally includes orange and affection bake-apple truffles, as able-bodied as champagne, peanut adulate andcoconut flavors. The amber covered blooming truffle is a customer-favorite for Valentine's Day.

Zulay said her bedmate and business partner, Terrance, consistently capital to be a chocolatier. "His dream was to accessible a amber shop," she said. "He's a accurate connoisseur."

Their boutique has now been accessible for seven years. The brace uses amber fabricated with chargeless trade, distinct agent Venezuelan cacao of the Criollo variety.

"The Venezuelan Criollo amber is awful accepted by chocolateconnoisseurs attributable to an absenceof acerbity and astringency, while accouterment a authentic and abiding amber aftertaste with circuitous acidity notes," Terrance said.

Different flavors

The Quinns apparent the variety, while visiting Zulay's built-in Venezuela. They begin it back they chock-full at a cacao acreage that was added than 400 years old.

"The agriculturalist captivated in assuming us actual old spikes and irrigation systems of the aboriginal plantation," Terrance said. "We came to adulation the admirable affluent flavors of the Criollo chocolate."

The Quinns may accept a affection for chocolate, but they additionally booty pride in authoritative espresso. Their caf¨¦ offers a array of coffees, frappes, smoothies, teas and Italian sodas.

They accept a 5-star pastry chef on agents to adapt cakes for all occasions. For barter who adopt article not as sweet, Amber Affection serves sandwiches, soup and salad, as able-bodied as some Venezuela fare.

"The restaurant allotment about happened by accident," Zulay said."Customers started allurement for little sandwiches and candy to gowith the amber and coffee."

Terrance reminds barter that chocolate is acceptable for added than Valentine's Day gifts. "It is now acclaimed that aphotic amber isrich in antioxidants by the medicalprofession," he said. "Medical studies from celebrated medical schools such as Harvard accept apparent that aphotic amber improves claret circulation, cardiovascular health, and is of advance a affection elevator."

The owners of Aly's Apples are additionally alms a "healthy" amusement forValentine's Day. Their specialties are caramel or chocolate-dipped apples. They are currently developing a compound for a different angel for this Valentine's Day.

Shane Deason co-owns the business with his wife. They started in Conroe three years ago and called their business afterwards their new daughter, Aly. Now they accomplish their online business in The Woodlands.

Busy season

Deason said they accept already started demography orders for Valentine's Day, which is their additional busiest time of year afterChristmas.

"We appealing abundant do annihilation covered in chocolate," Deason said.

Aly's Apples will not alone dip apples in milk, white or aphotic chocolate, but additionally dips oreos, rice brittle treats and pretzels. For Valentine's Day, strawberries are still their customer's favorite.

"We do added strawberries than annihilation else," Deason said."People who accept shopped with us afore consistently get their ordersin early, because they apperceive we get active this time of year."

The brace absitively to alpha their own business about the biconcave angel concept. "It's a specialty product," Deason said. "Not a lot of bodies were accomplishing it locally. It was adamantine to find."

They accept a gourmet angel is agreat allowance for any occasion."We've never had any complaints,"Deason said. "It's one of those articles that creates a lot of nostalgia."