Valentine’s at Roni-Sue

Valentine’s Day is supposed to make you feel good, right? All the love and friendship… all the big hearts and dark chocolate…

Well, you can really, really feel good getting treats from Roni-Sue. Every Valentine’s Day, she creates her edible rose truffles: one, a hand rolled and dipped dark chocolate ganache truffle, topped with a fresh-dried rose petal, and the other, a rose-shaped bonbon, filled with white chocolate-rose ganache. Buy a box of 12, and a portion of the sale goes to the Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

More, more, more!

There can never be enough chocolate in the world. Nor too many cupcakes.

Chocolate Bar is now open (again) in the West Village.

Billy’s Bakery is sending its banana cake goodness downtown to Tribeca.

And stay tuned for even more truffles with Roni-Sue’s expansion in the Essex Street Market next month.

V-Day countdown: Roni-Sue

Rhonda Kave has been dreaming up wonderful homemade truffle flavors on the Lower East Side for a couple years now, and she has a seemingly infinite supply of creativity. And good taste.

Last year for Valentine's, she created red and white rose truffles. At their centers, they both have a beautifully blended ganache of rose liqueur, fresh-dried rose petals, rose-hip marmalade, rose petal jam and rose syrup. The ganache for the red rose truffles is made with dark chocolate, while the white rose uses, you guessed it, white chocolate. Buy a dozen of either (they're both wonderfully sweet), and $5 goes to the Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Essex Street Market, Essex Street at Delancey
212.260.0421

The mixing bowl: Rhonda Kave

Rhonda Kave has been churning out bonbons for over 20 years, but it was only last winter that she started selling her imaginative truffles and now her latest, Pig Candy — chocolate-covered bacon — from her downtown shop. Though buttercrunch is her trademark, coconut is her favorite.

Growing up, my favorite sweet was:
Coconut candy strips, watermelon slices or Tastykake butterscotch krimpets.

My favorite sweet now is:
Still anything coconut — cake, candies, etc.

My personal favorite from Roni-Sue:
Fresh coconut truffle, buttercrunch or whatever I'm currently working on.

What I love about the Lower East Side is:
The cultural mix & that there's always something going on, day or night.

Truffles or pralines:
Truffles

White, milk or dark:
Mostly dark

Caramel, ganache or cream:
Caramel

The perfect pairing:
A glass of sherry or port, some nice cheese and my Portly Fig truffle.

I'd love to create a flavor for:
My son Corwin's restaurant (when he's ready to open his own!).

Kitchen essentials:
Salad spinner, whisk, espresso pot, KitchenAid mixer & food processor.

Style essentials:
My collection (vintage & non) of hats, handbags & jewelry.

Pastry chefs I admire:
There are so many — all those who cook from the heart! I do love Carole Walter for her dedication to all things pie related.

I'm most inspired when:
I'm in the shower — or when I discover a new & unusual ingredient.

How much is too much?
Who knows? Keep pushing the envelope!

Favorite movie snack:
Popcorn, no butter & Jr. Mints.

Guilty pleasure:
Chile rellenos @ Shopsin's & the occasional bag of cheddar cheese/pretzel Combos.

Other favorites:
Jazz, Mexican food, science fiction, Harold & Maude, Paris, and community organizing/social justice work.