Be Local: Plenty of sweet area options for Valentine’s Day treats
Paradise Confectionery offers the popular “Frozen Worlds” treat.
Paradise Confectionery’s famous “Frozen Worlds” treat.
Sarris Candy in Canonsburg offers plenty of varieties of treats and ice cream for any occasion.
Editor’s note: This is a weekly series focusing on the importance of buying local.
Is there a better day than Feb. 14, which is Valentine’s Day and National Cream-Filled Chocolates Day?
Brace yourself for today.
On this date, about 58 million pounds of chocolate will be purchased. Much of it will be in heart-shaped boxes, filled with bite-sized chocolates with ooey, gooey centers. Quite a few of these cream-filled goodies will be exchanged and shared because it’s Valentine’s Day.
Chocolate makers near and far offer a wide variety of cream-filled goodness. Consumers have their pick from marshmallow cream, chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, coconut, hazelnut creme and even creme de menthe. Even coffee cream filled chocolates can be found.
Just about every fruit imaginable can be made into some sort of creamy center.
Locally, two longstanding and much celebrated chocolate makers – Paradise Candy and Sarris Candy – admit cream-filled chocolates remain a favorite.
At Paradise Confectionery, Washington, the choice for cream-filled chocolate candy remains steady and strong.
Anna Paradise Berg, owner, said traditional creams such as vanilla, peppermint and maple do well. The business has added cherry and orange.
“Peanut butter, people love,” she said. “It’s one of our biggest sellers. We sell a lot of coconut cream filled eggs at Easter. We also make our peanut butter ball. We used to have them in our store (owned and operated by her late father Pete until 1973). My husband and I started making them again.
“It’s a lot of work. But people enjoy our creams. As long as they enjoy them, we’ll make them. We want them to be happy.”
Berg also offers the not-so-secret weapon – the Frozen Worlds – vanilla ice cream covered in chocolate.
“Ice cream covered with chocolates is one of the most popular items we have,” Paradise said. “It’s unique and a hand-held treat. People like hand-held treats.”
She happily reported the store sold out of its chocolates a couple days before Christmas, making it one of the best Christmas Seasons in the store’s 101-year history.
“We are thankful,” Berg said, “and blessed. We have wonderful customers.”
Bill Sarris, owner of Sarris Candies, Canonsburg, said cream-filled chocolates have been around a long time and remain popular but have lost ground to various types of meltaways in recent years.
“Cream-filled chocolates have been around a long time,” Sarris said. “They are not as popular as the peanut butter meltaways and plain chocolate meltaways. Times change. People move on and different things become favorites.
“Our maple creams aren’t as popular. We still make them because we want to please as many customers as possible. You can’t take away peoples’ favorites. We make sure we offer as many creamed-filled chocolates as possible.”
Sarris said the company’s ice cream runs the same.
“We do a lot of standard flavors,” he added. “People grow up with them and they become favorites.
“We don’t allows sitting inside right now. We have people getting served who go outside and sit and eat their ice cream. Some put on their winter coats, pulled down the back of their SUVs. It’s like a tailgate.”
For those who receive a box of cream-filled chocolates, what’s inside those hard chocolate shells can be an issue. Many chocolate makers provide a map, so you can eat what you like. One way to completely avoid the mystery is to create your own gift box with flavors you select. Some chocolate makers offer this option.
Another way to make cream-filled chocolates extra special is by making your own.
No matter how you celebrate, biting into a cream-filled chocolate or two is a delight.
“In our times right now, we want to make people happy,” Sarris said. “Right now, candy and ice cream make people happy.”
Those interested in joining the Be Local Network can contact Chris Slota at 724-225-1326 or by email at chris@belocal.net. Discount cards are available at the Observer-Reporter and Almanac office, 122 S. Main St., Washington.