LINCOLN SQUARE — New couple alert: Savory Spice Shop and Amy's Candy Bar have been spotted canoodling in Lincoln Square.
The pair reportedly bonded over a shared interest in candy.
Just in time for Valentine's Day, the two shops have created a four-pack of limited-edition chocolates and caramels that marry Amy's sweets with Savory's spices.
"They were all new flavors for me," said Amy Hansen, the confectioner behind Amy's Candy Bar.
After looking over Savory's baking spices and consulting with manager David Trout on which of his store's offerings were the most popular with customers, Hansen narrowed down her options and began cooking up mini test batches.
Patty Wetli says the partnership is a good fit:
The challenge: to push the boundaries of traditional chocolates by incorporating unexpected flavors while still retaining enough familiarity for most people's palates.
In the course of her experiments, Hansen rejected a Vietnamese lemon curry — "too much garlic" — and a rub more commonly used on steak as "good but not good enough."
Ultimately she settled on caramels with a chai spice seasoning, a dark chocolate truffle with Moroccan seasoning, an espresso truffle with an extra hit of coffee and spices, and a cinnamon dark chocolate truffle dusted with aleppo chile ("They're a sweet chile, not hot," Hansen said).
Hansen said she nailed some of the new candies on the second try, but it took three or four attempts to get the right proportion of seasonings in others, with Trout taking on the role of willing taste-tester.
Her biggest concern now, she said, is knowing how many chocolates and caramels to prepare for V-Day.
"Valentine's is the craziest because it's all last-minute," said Hansen, shattering the delusions of women everywhere who believe their sweetheart has been making Valentine's plans for months.
The candies, which sell for $8.50 a box, are available now through Valentine's Day or while supplies last, at both Amy's Candy Bar, 4704 N. Damen Ave., and Savory Spice Shop, 4753 N. Lincoln Ave.
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