If you must celebrate Cupid's impending day of reckoning (aka Valentine's Day), may we recommend you do it with a cupcake with a giant mound of frosting, a fudgy brownie or perhaps a whole damn pie rather than an overpriced prix-fixe dinner at a very crowded restaurant? And of course, if you happen to be single on this most dreaded of made-up holidays, an box of French macarons and a Netflix date doesn't sound too bad either. Regardless of your plans for Friday, here are ten places to snag last-minute sweet treats. (And if chocolate's more your thing, there's a map for that too.)
If your Valentine's sweet tooth is less sugary, more sophisticated, ever-popular Empire might be a good option. Ultra-rich, fudgy chocolate brownies never fail, or for a slightly more cheesy option, try the giant heart-shaped Linzer cookies filled with raspberry jam.
Pie is perhaps not the first baked good that comes to mind when considering Valentine's Day, but we'd urge you to reconsider. The Dr. Love plops a sweet-and-tangy red velvet and cream cheese filling on a flaky crust, and best of all you can still submit a pre-order via Emporium's website for Friday pickup. (Don't forget there's also a downtown McKinney location now, too.)
Oak's talented pastry chef Lucia Merino is a master of the French macaron, the delicate filled almond cookies that admittedly make a pretty precious V-Day gift. Call Oak to order 'em by the half-dozen for $15.
Hey, vegans need love too. Pre-orders are already closed for this all-vegan Richardson bakery, but that doesn't mean you can't swing by and grab treats like red velvet brownies, brownies, heart-shaped whoopie pies and handmade pretzels jazzed up with chocolate and sprinkles.
For true sugar fiends, it's hard to go wrong with a classic red velvet cupcake topped with a weighty cap of sweet, sweet cream cheese frosting (plus, Sprinkles now has gluten-free, sugar-free, and vegan versions daily). If one just isn't enough, considering tacking on one of the seasonal specials: salty caramel or raspberry chocolate chip. Bonus: If you really wait till the last minute, you can always stop by the 24-hour cupcake ATM.
For homey, comforting baked goods like chewy M&M cookies or red velvet cupcakes with giant mountains of sweet frosting, Lower Greenville's recently relocated bakery is an excellent option. If you feel the need to stick with the semi-cheesy Valentine's Day theme, there's also iced petit fours piped with fancy frosting flowers.
Skip the grocery store chocolate-covered strawberries and find much higher-quality versions here; they also specialize in cream puffs, cheesecake bites, and colorful French macarons in flavors like pistachio, hazelnut or raspberry. (And come on, it's located on LOVERS LANE.)
This cutesy Knox bakery is full up on Valentine's Day pre-orders, but you can still swing by and pick up a box full of mini cupcakes. The sweet "Caramel Eileen" flavor is a favorite, and grab a PB&J or two (filled with grape jelly and topped with peanut butter fluff) for a little grade school nostalgia.
Gluten-free baked goods abound these days, but few do it as well as Tu-Lu's. If your Valentine has dietary restrictions, you'll find plenty of options here, including dairy-free and gluten-free cupcakes, soft iced sugar cookies, rich brownies and more; they even sell cookie dough balls if you want to go the extra mile and bake them yourself. Awww. (Psst: There's also a West Village location.)
If your Valentine's (or uh, your) prefers fine French pastries, Village Baking Co. is the place to be for irresistible kouign amann, crispy-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the-inside caneles de Bordeaux or classic pain au chocolat. (They're open till 7 p.m., but show up early for the best -- and freshest -- selection.)
If your Valentine's sweet tooth is less sugary, more sophisticated, ever-popular Empire might be a good option. Ultra-rich, fudgy chocolate brownies never fail, or for a slightly more cheesy option, try the giant heart-shaped Linzer cookies filled with raspberry jam.
Pie is perhaps not the first baked good that comes to mind when considering Valentine's Day, but we'd urge you to reconsider. The Dr. Love plops a sweet-and-tangy red velvet and cream cheese filling on a flaky crust, and best of all you can still submit a pre-order via Emporium's website for Friday pickup. (Don't forget there's also a downtown McKinney location now, too.)
Oak's talented pastry chef Lucia Merino is a master of the French macaron, the delicate filled almond cookies that admittedly make a pretty precious V-Day gift. Call Oak to order 'em by the half-dozen for $15.
Hey, vegans need love too. Pre-orders are already closed for this all-vegan Richardson bakery, but that doesn't mean you can't swing by and grab treats like red velvet brownies, brownies, heart-shaped whoopie pies and handmade pretzels jazzed up with chocolate and sprinkles.
For true sugar fiends, it's hard to go wrong with a classic red velvet cupcake topped with a weighty cap of sweet, sweet cream cheese frosting (plus, Sprinkles now has gluten-free, sugar-free, and vegan versions daily). If one just isn't enough, considering tacking on one of the seasonal specials: salty caramel or raspberry chocolate chip. Bonus: If you really wait till the last minute, you can always stop by the 24-hour cupcake ATM.
For homey, comforting baked goods like chewy M&M cookies or red velvet cupcakes with giant mountains of sweet frosting, Lower Greenville's recently relocated bakery is an excellent option. If you feel the need to stick with the semi-cheesy Valentine's Day theme, there's also iced petit fours piped with fancy frosting flowers.
Skip the grocery store chocolate-covered strawberries and find much higher-quality versions here; they also specialize in cream puffs, cheesecake bites, and colorful French macarons in flavors like pistachio, hazelnut or raspberry. (And come on, it's located on LOVERS LANE.)
This cutesy Knox bakery is full up on Valentine's Day pre-orders, but you can still swing by and pick up a box full of mini cupcakes. The sweet "Caramel Eileen" flavor is a favorite, and grab a PB&J or two (filled with grape jelly and topped with peanut butter fluff) for a little grade school nostalgia.
Gluten-free baked goods abound these days, but few do it as well as Tu-Lu's. If your Valentine has dietary restrictions, you'll find plenty of options here, including dairy-free and gluten-free cupcakes, soft iced sugar cookies, rich brownies and more; they even sell cookie dough balls if you want to go the extra mile and bake them yourself. Awww. (Psst: There's also a West Village location.)
If your Valentine's (or uh, your) prefers fine French pastries, Village Baking Co. is the place to be for irresistible kouign amann, crispy-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the-inside caneles de Bordeaux or classic pain au chocolat. (They're open till 7 p.m., but show up early for the best -- and freshest -- selection.)
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