Here are some Central New York shops offering Valentine's Day sweets for your sweetie

Mike Jaquays
·3 min read
A colorful display of Valentine's Day sweets lights up Maxwell's Chocolates and Ice Cream Jan 25 in Hamilton. Area shops are gearing up for the holiday with a wide variety of gift items for that special someone.
A colorful display of Valentine's Day sweets lights up Maxwell's Chocolates and Ice Cream Jan 25 in Hamilton. Area shops are gearing up for the holiday with a wide variety of gift items for that special someone.

Perhaps nothing expresses Valentine's Day love and affection like a sweet treat created with a passion for confection and bought with love for that special Valentine sweetheart.

From traditional chocolates to selections that are a bit more extravagant, here is a small sampling of some of the many shops offering festive holiday fare for lovers throughout the Central New York area.

The general consensus among all of the sweet shop owners is to order early to avoid the heartbreak of going without come Valentine's Day. Check out your favorite shop's Facebook page for more information and additional items.

Annie's Sweets & Treats

Co-owner and namesake Annie Skinner promises to be the "go to" location for Valentine's Day delicacies in the area. The Morrisville shop is offering chocolate-covered strawberries and other assorted chocolates by the box or by the tray for that special valentine.

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They also will have Valentine's Day sugar cookies as well as all of their traditional baked goods and pastries, ice cream cakes and plenty of other chocolate selections. Guests also can build their own sandwiches and their own salads right there to make a complete holiday meal before enjoying dessert.

Annie's Sweets & Treats is located at 10 E. Main St. in Morrisville.

Bella Vita Café

A taste of the good life awaits at the Oneida shop as owner Lori Seef unveils an alternative to candy in her baked goods especially made for the Valentine's Day holiday. Some can even be personalized with a message of love if ordered early.

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Valentine's Day will see a definite heart theme at the café with heart shaped, family-sized baked cinnamon buns; red velvet, vanilla and chocolate heart-shaped cakes; homemade cheesecake; 3-inch conversation heart sugar cookies; and heart-shaped giant chocolate chip cookies.

Bella Vita Café is located at 115 Main St. in Oneida.

Maxwell’s Chocolates and Ice Cream

Shop owner Jenn Jury has the perfect combination of sweets and flowers at her Hamilton shop: a long-stemmed chocolate dipped strawberry. She has been hard at work dipping chocolates, many with traditional pink and red Valentine's Day coloring, and conversation hearts - a Valentine's Day staple - are back after a year's hiatus.

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But beyond the sugary succulence of both her Valentine's Day and regular sweets including a wide variety of bulk candies, she offers festive holiday packaging to make each gift truly a gift from the heart. And Jury reminds everyone that "stressed" spelled backwards is "desserts."

Maxwell's Chocolates and Ice Cream is located at 14 Utica St. in Hamilton.

A stuffed bear awaits a loving home at Minty's Candies & Treats in Norwich, just one of the many shops prepping their sugary fare for a festive Valentine's Day holiday.
A stuffed bear awaits a loving home at Minty's Candies & Treats in Norwich, just one of the many shops prepping their sugary fare for a festive Valentine's Day holiday.

Minty's Candies & Treats

Co-owner and namesake Mindy "Minty" Chawgo said the Norwich shop will feature chocolate-covered strawberries for the sweetheart. They also will offer a variety of decorated Valentine's Day gift sets, including candy and stuffed animals, for that special someone in addition to their normal wide range of bulk sweets.

Candy of the past: Minty's in Norwich offers sweet nostalgia

They will have special hours Saturday and Sunday of Valentine's Day weekend plus deliveries that Monday. Minty's promises all of the fun of an old fashioned Valentine's Day thanks to their penchant for nostalgic candies.

Minty's Candies & Treats is located at 33 S. Broad St. in Norwich.

Sweet Life of a Baker

Owner and TV baking show contestant Andrea Maranville said she will be offering cheesecakes, chocolate flourless tortes, cupcakes and a variety of sweets in the case at her Sweet Life of a Baker bakery in Sherrill. She also will have chocolate-covered strawberries for pre-order or as they last.

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The shop case also will have red velvet cake and her signature Valentine's Day "Chocolate Lovers" cookie platters return with mini chocolate chip cookies, gourmet chocolate brownie bites, vanilla bean sprinkle cookies, chocolate glazed and Valentine's Day tri-color almond cookies.

Sweet Life of a Baker Bakery is located at 552 Sherrill Road in Sherrill.

There certainly are many more candy shops and bakeries in the area offering their own Valentine's Day goodies ... if you don't see your own favorite listed here be sure to check them out as well.

Mike Jaquays is the community news reporter for the Mid-York Weekly. Email him at mjaquays@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Central New York shops offer Valentine's Day sweets for your sweetie