Carrie Zensinger shows off one of the several heart-shaped cakes available at Carlo’s Bakery in Red Bank, above. ArtSea Gallery in Sea Bright carries chocolate Kewpie dolls, below. (Photos by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)
By SUSAN ERICSON
With the approach of Valentines Day, the heart swells – especially for those foodies who like their treats in the shape of a heart.
And there are plenty to set culinary hearts a-flutter, as PieHole discovered earlier this week on a tour of the Greater Red Bank Green in search of heart-shaped foods and desserts.
Cupid’s Choice Camembert Cheese from the Old Chatham Sheepherding Company comes in the shape of a heart. (Photo by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)
In Sea Bright, Megan Gilhool owner of ArtSea Gallery on Ocean Avenue is selling a selection of chocolate Kewpie dolls from Suzi’s Sweet Shoppe in Middletown. The cherubic little Cupids come in two sizes: large for $15.99, and small for $9.99. Question is, what part do you bite into first?
If that doesn’t conjure romance for you, how about a great big heart-shaped cake? Carlo’s Bakery has several varieties, including a gorgeous cheesecake topped with some of the largest glazed strawberries PieHole has ever seen. At $39.95, it’s still cheaper than a dozen roses and can feed a crowd.
We found a sophisticated little heart of Camembert Cheese called Cupid’s Choice, made by the Old Chatham Sheepherding Company, at the Cheese Cave on Monmouth Street in Red Bank that won’t break the bank at $9.95.
Fixing a meal in your own kitchen can be a romantic gesture, made more so if you include heart-shaped food in your menu. In Little Silver, Sickles Market carries heart-shaped ravioli filled with cheese ($9.99) or lobster.
Circling back to Red Bank, Antoinette Boulangerie on Monmouth Street has several personal sized heart-shaped desserts, including linzer tart cookies, fruit-topped tarts, and the chocolate mouse cakes ($6) seen below. The pretty red mousse hearts are gluten-free, and the chocolate might appeal to that devil’s food lover in your life.
