Sweets for Your Sweet... Or Yourself!

In Louisville

Art Eatables 631 S. 4th St.; 502-589- 0210; ArtEatables.com Art Eatables specializes in bourbon truffles. Every Kentucky bourbon you can think of has a truffle to match it—a variety of ultra-dark, dark, milk and white chocolates are used to complement the spirit. It’s difficult to pick a favorite, but Town Branch is worth a shot. There are also truffles inspired by mixed drinks, including the Old Fashioned.

Cake Flour: A Natural Baking Company 2420 Lime Kiln Ln. Suite C; 502- 425-0130; CakeFlourBakery.com Warm your sweetie’s heart with Love Bugs! Deliciously dense, fudgy chocolate cake glazed in ganache. Share your favorite #Lovebugs picture for a chance to win one dozen Love Bugs. Winner randomly selected February 13.

Cellar Door Chocolates 1201 Story Ave. #109; 502-561- 2940; CellarDoorChocolates.com Cellar Door sells truffles, buttercreams, barks, covered things like coffee beans and almonds, and cups filled with caramel or peanut butter. If you’re anticipating a desert island stay, take a box of chocolate cups filled with caramel and topped with sea salt. The chocolates are sold in several retail locations around town, 601A S. 4th St., in addition to the Butchertown location.

Dundee Candy Store 2112 Bardstown Rd.; 502-452- 9266; DundeeCandy.com An old-fashioned candy shop with an unbelievable range of choices, Dundee has been selling candy to generations of Louisvillians since 1946. Choosing is never easy, but if you like coconut don’t miss the haystacks.

Happy Balls Handmade Kentucky Bourbon Candy 1390 S. 3rd St.; 502-637-2227; GetHappyBalls.com Handmade bourbon buttercream balls studded with “drunken” bourbon-soaked pecans then hand-dipped in semi-sweet chocolate. Using Knob Creek 9-year-old single-barrel bourbon and Guittard dipping chocolate.

Muth’s Candy 630 E. Market St.; 502-585- 2952; MuthsCandy.com From brittle and taffy to chocolate creams and bourbon balls, Muth’s has been keeping Louisville in candy for 96 years. They are known for the heavenly Modjeska, a slice of marshmallow covered in caramel, an invention at the turn of the century to honor a Polish opera singer who visited Louisville.

In the Bluegrass

Midway School Bakery 510 S. Winter St., Midway; 859- 846-4336; MidwaySchoolBakery. com Valentine’s heart-shaped cookie, $2.25; red velvet cupcake, $3.95; heart-shaped doughnut, 80 cents (February 13–14 only).

Old Kentucky Chocolates Factory and Retail Store 450 Southland Dr., Lexington; 859-278-4444; OldKyCandy. com; additional locations in the Lexington Civic Center Shops and in the Landsdowne Shoppes at 3385 Tates Creek Rd. Bourbon Cherries wrapped in red foil and Bourbon Truffles, both made with Jim Beam bourbon, are signature products of Old Kentucky Chocolates. Bourbon Pecan Cake, assorted chocolates and chocolate-covered potato chips are other customer favorites. Serving the Bluegrass for 30 years, their large stores have Kentucky and other gifts to complement the chocolate selections.

Rebecca Ruth Candies 3295 Versailles Rd., Frankfort; 502-695-2486; and factory and retail store (Historic South Frankfort District), 116 E. Second St., Frankfort; 502-223-7475 Inventor of the famous bourbon ball, The Evan Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon and crème center is coated in signature dark bittersweet chocolate to produce an elegant adult confection. Other options include Ruth’s Liquor Chocolates, French Vanilla Cremes and liquor-free options.

Ruth Hunt Candies 213 Walton Ave., Lexington; 859-268-1559; and factory and retail store, 355 N. Maysville Rd., Mt. Sterling (tours available—call for information/times); 800-927- 0302; RuthHuntCandy.com The name Ruth Hunt has been synonymous with Kentucky confections including bourbon balls for almost 100 years. The chocolatier for Woodford Reserve, Ruth Hunt Candies produces the famous bourbon balls and other Woodford Reserve bourbon candies including bourbon caramels, bourbon mint juleps and bourbon butter crunch—the Woodford Reserve Sampler Box has it all. For Valentine’s Day, Ruth Hunt’s factory turns into strawberry fields as they dip and decorate over 40,000 extra-large strawberries in dark and white chocolate. Available February 12–14 only at the firm’s Lexington and Mt. Sterling stores. Other favorites include cream candy, Blue Monday bars, salt caramels and meltaways (truffles).

Sharp’s Candies 2021 Regency Rd., Lexington; 859-276-4625; SharpsCandies.com Creating handmade confections has been a Sharp family tradition for three generations. The candy at Sharp’s is made fresh daily the old-fashioned way: hand-stirred and cooked slowly in large copper kettles. Only the finest chocolate, butter, cream and natural ingredients are used. No preservatives are ever added. They offer a wide variety of candies including bourbon creams, assorted chocolates, saddles, brittles and cream candy. Sharp’s Candies is family owned and operated. Owner Rob Sharp follows each batch of candy from production to sales to insure the standard of excellence Sharp’s customers have come to expect.