This year for Valentine’s Day, it would be hard to find a more appropriate gift than a selection of handmade chocolates from the new EHChocolatier shop in Cambridge. Just in time for the holiday, local chocolatiers Elaine Hsieh and Catharine Sweeney (both Cambridge residents) moved their nearly 9-year-old business from an industrial space in Somerville to a 1,145-square-foot location that houses a kitchen, packaging area, and retail space. Passersby can watch the meticulous process of crafting delicate bonbons, nutty clusters, luscious enrobed caramels, and more through the large storefront windows that face onto the sidewalk. The inviting shop area, painted in cool slate and soft white, holds the full selection of the chocolatiers’ creations — including sipping chocolates, bars, and other specialty items — beautifully displayed in glass cases and open shelves. With the new space Hsieh and Sweeney are excited to be able to experiment with weekly specials and more perishable items, like chocolate cups filled with mousse. “That’s what we really like to do and we had less and less time to do it,” says Hsieh. “We might even bake sometimes.” Valentine’s Day items include strawberry roses filled with ganache made from single-origin cocoa beans from Madagascar; a vegan version, called strawberry meltaways; red hot crunch bars, in white or dark chocolate with crushed Red Hot candies, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper; salted caramel hearts; and a special bonbon collection. The visit alone is a treat. But you might want to leave with something edible for yourself, too. EHChocolatier, 145 Huron Avenue, Cambridge, 617-284-6096, ehchocolatier.com.
ANDREA PYENSON
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