LA's Valerie Confections Opens Westlake Boutique

Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and luckily Angelinos now have the perfect place to peruse and purchase a variety of chocolates and sweets for their significant others.

Valerie Confections has opened a third location in Westlake. The new boutique houses petit fours, chocolates, toffees, preserves, olive oils, brownies, cookies, and gift boxes.

Founded in 2004 by Valerie Gordon and Stan Weightman Jr., Valerie Confections began business with a line of six flavors of chocolate-covered toffees, which has now expanded to 15 flavors including almond, pumpkin seed, almond fleur de sel, bittersweet chocolate, and toffee with Durango hickory smoked salt.

Gordon and Weightman soon outgrew their original namesake confectionary and opened a teahouse and bakery in Echo Park and later Valerie at Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles. Both locations serve pastries, sandwiches, salads, and desserts.

Last October, they opened a new 1,000-square-foot boutique dessert shop next to the original shop and bakery.

The new location is the perfect spot to shop for sweet surprises and gifts for Valentine's Day. Gordon has just launched a new line of Hearts and Arrows chocolates centered on a boudoir theme. Highlights of the new Valentine's Day gift boxes include a 20-piece Pink Box, including liquid caramel hearts and blushing berry truffles ($46); a small Valentine's Day gift set with sweet sencha tea, chocolate truffle arrow box, and chocolate bars with crushed rose petals and raspberries ($60); and a large Valentine's Day gift set with floral sugar cookies, a black heart box with almond toffee in bittersweet chocolates, berry jam, and designer chocolate bars.

Valerie Confections can also be purchased online.