Love and hate: Local Valentine’s Day treats for the rare chocolate critic in your life

I can honestly say that I’ve never looked forward to Valentine’s Day, but not for the reason you might think. Rude!

Reservations are difficult to make, roses (which I routinely buy for myself) are sold out, everything is suddenly too many shades of pink, and add in here something bitingly clever about consumerism. The worst part, however, is the number of times I have to say “thank you” for pieces of chocolate that I have no intention of eating.

Whether you think we’re lucky or cursed, there is a small but very real percentage of sweet enthusiasts who not only dislike chocolate, but we also hate chocolate. White, milk, dark, etc. – there is truly no acceptable variety. And don’t come at me with, “Oh, well you haven’t tried this kind,” because I have tried it, Brenda. And it’s awful.

So, if you happen to care for one of these bitter, chocolate-hating Betties, please consider this list of locally available Valentine’s Day-appropriate, chocolate-free treats.

Sweet Frostings Blissful Bakeshop offers a variety of royal icing sugar cookies with designs including “Sweet Hearts” for a traditional approach; “Love Stinks” for the anti-Valentine’s Day-ers; “You’re a Catch,” a two-cookie combo featuring a football and field goal for a Super Bowl-Valentine’s theme; and “You’re Dino-mite!” a two-cookie combo featuring a dinosaur with heart scales and a sweet red heart.

Sweet Frostings also offers two buttercream iced sugar cookies including “Love Birds,” large sugar cookie hearts iced to resemble cuddly love birds on a tree branch; and buttercream hearts, iced with a simple zigzag pattern and topped with a Valentine’s Day sprinkle mix. For more information, visit sweetfrostingsbakeshop.com.

Rind and Wheat offers a chocolate-free Valentine’s Day cookie decorating kit with eight sugar cookies, three colors of royal icing and two kinds of sprinkles for $20. For more information, visit rindandwheat.com.

At Hello Sugar, nonchocolate doughnut options abound with more than 20 flavors, including the “Hello Sugar,” the signature pink vanilla; the “Dutch Baby,” with fresh-squeezed lemon and powdered sugar; and the “Cinnamon Sugar,” among others. For more information, visit hellosugarspokane.com.

Made With Love Bakery is offering heart-shaped sugar cookies in packs of six small hearts for $9 and single large hearts for $3.50. For more information, visit mwlbakery.com.

Boots Bakery & Lounge always offers giant, heart-shaped shortbread cookies, but they’re especially appropriate this time of year. Other options include coconut macaroons, ginger crinkles, Russian teacakes and strawberry shortcake and raspberry lemon cupcakes. All items sold at Boots are vegan and gluten-free. For more information, visit bootsbakery.com.

At Sweet Peaks Ice Cream, nonchocolate classics include Salty Caramel, Wild Blend Espresso and Huckleberry. But if you’re looking for something a little more unconventional, try the “Inversion,” a twist on London Fog featuring Earl Grey tea steeped in milk and swirled with lemon ice cream and vanilla biscuits. For more information, visit sweetpeaksicecream.com/spokane.