Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 2/3/2022
EAST LONGMEADOW/ENFIELD, CT – Those looking to buy sweets for their sweet this Valentine’s Day don’t have to travel far. The local area has plenty of shops and bakeries offering chocolates, cookies, cakes and more.
Maureen’s Sweet Shoppe
“We have the most amazing truffles and chocolate,” said Maureen Basile, owner of Maureen’s Sweet Shoppe. She also sells a variety of chocolate-dipped treats, from Oreos to apples to strawberries – one of the business’s best sellers this time of year. Another big seller is a large heart-shaped chocolate shell that can be broken apart with a small mallet to reveal assorted chocolates inside. This adds an interactive touch to the Valentine’s Day gift.
Basile expects business to be very busy this Valentine’s Day, despite the impact inflation has had on the economy. “When it comes to Valentine’s Day,” she said, “Love before inflation.” No matter the economy in any given year, she said, people always buy chocolate and candy for the holiday.
Basile’s advice to customers is to pre-order. “Order ahead and we will make sure it’s here. We’ve had a quite a few,” pre-orders already ahead of the Valentine’s Day holiday, she explained. While walk-in customers are welcome, she warned that there is a bit of a wait on the holiday.
Maureen’s Sweet Shoppe is located at 6 Center Sq., East Longmeadow. The business will be open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. the week of Valentine’s Day and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. that weekend. For more information, visit https://maureenssweetshoppe.com. The shop can be reached at 222-2642.
Pete’s Sweets
Like Basile, Peter Gray, owner of Pete’s sweets, isn’t concerned about the economy cutting into his business. “It does not matter how tight money is, you do not want to skimp on sweets for your loved ones,” he said.
The top Valentine’s Day sellers at Pete’s Sweets are chocolate-covered strawberries and chocolate-covered bacon. Gray also sells a high volume of cookies and, “thousands of cupcakes for Valentine’s Day,” he said.
Pete’s Sweets opens at noon the week before Valentine’s Day and will be open until 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, until 4 p.m. on Sunday and until 5 p.m. on the Monday holiday. The shop is located at 32 Shaker Rd, East Longmeadow and can be reached at 525-6062.
Russo’s Bakery Italian Pastry Shop
Russo’s Bakery Italian Pastry Shop, located in Enfield, hasn’t received any pre-orders yet, but they expect to do a brisk business this Valentine’s Day. While Christmas is the busiest time for the shop, which offers cookies, cakes and other Italian pastries, Valentine’s Day also sees a huge influx of customers.
The best sellers this time of year are heart-shaped cakes and sugar cookies, as well as chocolate-covered strawberries and cake pops, all decorated for the season.
Russo’s Bakery Italian Pastry Shop is located at 739 Enfield St. and can be reached at 860-741 7844. For more information, visit http://www.russosbakeryct.com.
C’Sweets
While the other shops on this list have a storefront where customers can browse the options, C’Sweets takes a different approach. As a cottage bakery, the business specializes in custom order butter cookies, made in owner Cathy Doner’s licensed home kitchen in Enfield.
Doner said she has already received a few orders for the Valentine’s Day holiday, and from those celebrating “Galentine’s Day,” an unofficial holiday in which people get together Feb. 13 to celebrate their female friendships.
The cookies are decorated to any theme or design the customers can imagine. In addition to cookies, Doner also makes custom cakes, edible glass and homemade sprinkles. Doner recommends customers contact her early as custom orders take hours to create, and her calendar fills up fast.
To see Doner’s work or place an order, visit https://csweetsonline.com. C’Sweets can also be reached at csweets.cathy@gmail.com.