Candymakers in Lehigh Valley, Philly, and South Jersey deliver chocolate nostalgia for Valentine’s Day

I love the exquisite beauty of a refined Euro truffle or the high-cocoa intensity of a single-origin bean-to-bar chocolate as much as the next food writer. But Valentine’s Day, I learned many years ago, is not about my latest curiosities in the chocolate world. What matters is what Elizabeth LaBan wants. And my wife unfailingly prefers old-fashioned chocolates, from chocolate-draped cashew turtles to chewy caramels and the salty dark sweetness and crunch of chocolate-covered pretzels. The more retro the better. And if they come from Premise Maid in Breinigsville, I’ve fully scored.

There’s a deep family nostalgia tied to Premise Maid, because that Lehigh Valley institution was always where Elizabeth’s late mother, Barbara Trostler, would stop for holiday candies on the way from their home in Westchester County, N.Y., to visit relatives in Reading. Our family has since visited, as well, taking in this rambling complex of half-timbered vintage charm near Kutztown University, where they also produce ice cream and cakes.

“We sell a lot of ambience with our candies,” says Joe Damiano, the second-generation co-owner of a business launched by his father in the 1970s.

The chocolates, though, are also top-notch for their genre, which I was reminded of this year when I ordered a few boxes early to beat the holiday rush for a change, but then devoured them so swiftly that as Valentine’s Day nears, we’re already almost out. The deadline for shipped orders was Feb. 7, the last date Premise Maid could reliably assure delivery before the holiday. That factors in the COVID-driven delivery woes that, along with supply chain issues that have sparked a national chocolate shortage, has raised prices this year for many producers by 10%-15%, says Damiano.

The good news is that if you don’t have time for a drive to the Lehigh Valley, there are many other venerable chocolate makers in the immediate Philadelphia region that can deliver that taste of chocolate nostalgia. Shane Confectionery at 110 Market St. in Old City, which has roots dating back to 1863 and is currently operated by the owners of Franklin Fountain, is an outstanding choice for high-quality throwback sweets. But we’re also fans of 102-year-old Aunt Charlotte’s Candies in Merchantville, which was opened before the Ben Franklin Bridge was even built.

I’m grateful we don’t have to take the ferry to South Jersey for chocolates anymore, but Aunt Charlotte’s still makes its sweets by hand from the same recipes that Charles Brooks Oakford began with in 1920. Oakford’s great-grandson, Ryan Trost, is now the fourth-generation candymaker overseeing production of the chocolate crabs (Aunt Charlotte’s version of turtles with bits of nuts still poking out) and distinctively old-time vanilla caramels that have enough chewiness that simply biting into one forces you to slow down for a moment to savor its creamy sweetness.

I’m particularly partial to the dark chocolate nonpareils still piped into button-shaped drops by hand through vintage funnels onto trays of sugared beads. Those nonpareils are one of the holiday gifts we look forward to every year from former Inquirer Food Editor (and South Jersey resident) Maureen Fitzgerald. Of course, that Christmas batch of nonpareils is long gone. So, now I know where we’re heading to restock for Valentine’s Day, part two.

Chocolates range from $21-$24/lb. at Premise Maid, 10860 Hamilton Blvd., Breinigsville, 610-395-3221, premisemaid.com; and $21.95-$22.95/lb. at Aunt Charlotte’s Candies, 5 W. Maple Ave., Merchantville, 856-662-0058; auntcharlottescandy.com.

Both are currently open with extended hours for walk-in visitors.