Valentine's Day is on Wednesday.
So with a few days to spare, we sent the always-adventurous Eric Sever out for his sweetest mission yet -- visiting Ann LoParo, owner of Annie's Signature Sweet, to get the low down on making sweets for your sweetie.
"Baking is my passion," says LoParo, a former social worker turned pastry chef. "Dessert has always been my side gig."
She turned her passion into a fulltime career in September when she launched her business, complete with catering services and pastry classes being offered in the Hildebrandt Building in Cleveland.
She shared her chef's secrets for tarts, ganache and cookies for those who want to give their Valentine that special hand-made touch.
Thought it's too late to order for this Valentine's Day, Annie's Signature Sweets creates handmade desserts year-round. They say they do everything but cakes.
"With my big family, there was always so much to eat, so they didn't want a big cake," says LoParo. "They said finger foods, finger foods. And that was the idea behind my mini desserts."
LoParo's best-selling creation is her Lemon Lavender Shortbread cookie, but other treats include citrus-rosemary and pistachio-rosewater cookies, toffee-almond brownies, and cheesecake flavors like honey-lemon, Bailey's and a seasonal pumpkin variety.
For more information on the desserts and classes offered at Annie's Signature Sweets, visit here.
