Brussels-based chocolatier Pierre Marcolini sees Valentine’s Day as “a moment for cherishing your loved one…a tender, passionate celebration symbolised by a beautiful heart.”

The master chocolatier, whose lovely red chocolate hearts are his signature creation, has some scrumptious Valentine’s Day treats in store: a stunning red heart containing ten delicious chocolate hearts, a five-tray assortment of chocolates, and some elegant round gift boxes.

Cache Coeur features ten red chocolate hearts filled with raspberry-infused dark chocolate ganache with a touch of lemon zest.

Sac aux tiroirs has no less than five trays of chocolates, including bonbons, pralinés and ganaches.

Marcolini’s signature red chocolate hearts, filled with raspberry ganache.

Available at Pierre Marcolini, 89, rue de Seine, 75006 Paris and 3, rue Scribe, 75009 Paris

Photo: © Pierre Marcolini

“Be my valentine,” is the message from Parisian chocolatier Jean-Paul Hévin, who has created some romantic chocolate treats that say just that.

The delicious line-up of Valentine’s Day confections from the master chocolatier features single-origin chocolate from Costa Rica and the Caribbean, caramel, grapefruit, lime, spices and other wonderful flavours.

The goodies on offer include a luscious chocolate dessert for two, an antique chocolate key, an assortment of milk and dark chocolates with exotic fillings and a glossy red chocolate apple with some surprises inside.

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The ambrosial flavour of pink grapefruit is the theme of Ladurée‘s Valentine’s Day treats this year — dainty macarons and a luscious chocolate-covered heart-shaped tart.

And what a wonderfully romantic flavour it is: tangy grapefruit paired with vanilla makes for a sweet and sensuous tastebud experience.

Ladurée, which celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2012, is offering a stylish gift box containing six deliciously fragrant pink grapefruit macarons.

The limited-edition anniversary box features a velvet ribbon and a heart-shaped seal.

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For Valentine’s Day 2012, Dalloyau has created his and hers gourmand pastries: Valentine & Valentin, a tasty duo of religieuses, the round éclairs first invented in 1856 at the Café Frascati in Paris.

The Frascati, an upscale establishment immortalised in the works of Honoré de Balzac and Alexandre Dumas, was located at the corner of boulevard Montmartre and rue de Richelieu (2nd arr.). It was demolished in 1857, but the plucky religieuse has endured as a classic of French pâtisserie!

Dalloyau’s Valentine’s Day adaptations of the 156-year-old pastry: Ma Pulpeuse Framboise, a “voluptuous” religieuse, covered with a scarlet, violet-infused glaze, and filled with luscious raspberry centre. And Mon Tendre Caramel, covered with a delicious rum-flavoured glaze and filled with a smooth caramel fondant.

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The Parisian pâtisserie Ladurée is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.

To mark this milestone, the company has launched a line-up of spectacular desserts and pastries — one for every month.

The sweets, created under the direction of Ladurée head pastry chef Vincent Lemains, will be unveiled one at a time, throughout 2012.

January’s pastry is the Bostock Cacao: a rich chocolate brioche and chocolate almond cream, topped with a chocolate corolla!
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Paris’s oldest sweets shop, A la Mère de Famille, is one of the city’s most famous historic shops.

Founded in 1761, the flagship store on rue du Faubourg Montmartre has been operating in the same location for more than 250 years. Both the exterior façade and the interior décor date from the 18th century.

A la Mère de Famille is known for its artisanal chocolates, calissons, ice cream and other confections.

Chef Julien Merceron has created a lovely chocolate Chinese lantern, in French known as “amour en cage” (love in a cage), for Valentine’s Day.

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Abanico Chocolat, is one of Paris’s newest chocolate shops. Founded in 2009 by Victoire Finaz, the company sells mainly online but also has a shop in Paris’s 8th arrondissement.

The name Abanico means “fan” in Spanish and the company’s signature chocolates are presented in a distinctive layered box that fans out to reveal the chocolates contained within.

For Valentine’s Day, Victoire Finaz has created Cœur Dentelle, a delicate lace-like chocolate heart containing seven of Abanico’s finest ganaches and pralines.

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To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Michel Cluizel is offering Chocolove, a delicious trio of dark- and milk-chocolate hearts.

Created by his daughter, Catherine Cluizel, who runs the flagship store on rue Saint-Honoré, Chocolove combines elegant design and succulent flavour in the form of a romantic chocolate sculpture.

Chocolove features hearts of velvety smooth 63% cacao dark chocolate and 45% cacao milk chocolate infused with subtle hints of vanilla and gingerbread.

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As it has for the last five years, the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau is once again holding its popular “Paris Romantique” Saint Valentine’s Day-themed campaign, featuring special offers and promotions throughout the month of February.

The campaign includes discounts for restaurants, tours, hotels, and theatres as well as some yummy freebies!

As in previous years, Pierre Hermé chocolate and pastry shops will be giving away free goodies on presentation of a complimentary gift card issued by the Convention and Visitors Bureau.

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Nestlé is no longer a shareholder in Brussels-based chocolatier Pierre Marcolini’s holding company, the company has announced.

Pierre Marcolini, along with three Belgian minority shareholders, has bought back the 29 per cent stake acquired by Nestlé over the past four years, making his company, Les Chocolats de l’Iris (soon to be renamed Les Chocolats Marcolini), once again wholly Belgian-owned.

Nestlé first acquired 4.5 per cent of Marcolini back in 2007, progressively increasing its stake to 29 per cent in 2010.

The arrangement allowed Nestlé to benefit from Pierre Marcolini’s know-how and artistic talent in developing premium chocolate products, notably its luxury Nespresso line of chocolates.

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