Sure, there’s all the trite commercialism people complain about. I hate that the heart-shaped candy boxes go on the shelf Dec. 27. Show a little restraint people! The body isn’t even cold yet. But there’s that other side of Valentine’s day. Beyond anything you can buy in the store, it’s sentiment.

So, celebrate the schmaltz. Revel in the romance. And let the love linger a little longer than just one day.

Adding a little love to the Naughty Bits

Naughty Bits Brownies sponsored Woo at the Zoo this year, an annual event the Smithsonian National Zoo has hosted for the past four years. It is a fun event in celebration of Valentine’s Day for which scholarly zoo professionals get down and dirty talking about how the animals do it.

How do brownies fit into all that monkey business? Well, after getting all hot and bothered listening to the experts, guests were invited to decorate their own Naughty Bits (never try decorating someone else’s Naughty Bits without asking!)

All that chocolate and talk of mating rituals certainly put us in the mood. We hope you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!

I will admit that after baking hundreds of batches of brownies, I’m a bit inured to the aroma. Not that I don’t love it. But when you’re enveloped in it, it’s hard to make sense of. The smell that hits me anew every time is that of cocoa powder blending with butter before the first batch is in the oven. The fat releases the rich, earthy smell into the air and it’s like love, sex and the innocence of a baby all rolled into one.

I’ll never tire of that.

The Shiksa is pretty much the perfect guest at any Superbowl party. I’ll admit that I recoiled when my sister first suggested I create a bacon brownie. But I love a challenge and kept thinking of ways to make it more than a gimmick. The “bridge” flavor of toffee really brings it all together.

The Shiksa is for those who like to drag their sausage through their maple syrup. You know who you are.

So, on this day of all holy American days when we honor everything fatty and salty, it seems only fitting that we raise a bacon-toffee brownie to the most revered kick-off of the year. Hike!

And that’s not all. The chocolate-covered flavor of Pop Rocks are no longer in production. I spent many hours tracking down the dwindling, elusive candy like a hunter sniffing out Sasquatch.

Upon discovering their rarity and according price, I could have gone back to the drawing board (or the mixing bowl, as it were), but I’m a pretty committed chick. There was something so marvelous about the effervescent chocolate buzz that came from THESE Pop Rocks, that I stayed the course. I’m glad I did too. They are as spectacular as they are fleeting.

The Starlet is the Special Edition flavor the celebs will receive (topped with chocolate-covered Pop Rocks and sprayed with edible gold), along with the complete line of six flavors. We’re making it available to you for a limited time. You can nibble on the same brownie as George Clooney! Well, almost.

They are the little black dress of desserts. The canvas of chewy chocolate allows endless alterations. Some combinations are stunningly simple (the Barista Bar) and some meld the unexpected in perfect harmony (Geisha Girl). I love to explore the endless combinations of traditional brownie with novel flavor profiles.

Brownies are the quintessential all-American dessert. They are not cake. They are not fudge. They walk the thin line between the two, marrying them into a deeply chocolaty, chewy delight. What could be more American than innovating a classic?

Brownies are comforting, confident and timeless. They are inviting, inclusive and tolerant. If you ask me, that’s dead sexy.

About this blog: Here’s where I get to riff on food, life, love and occasionally… brownies. So, write to me when you need to vent about your best friend’s plunging neckline on her (second) wedding dress, when your Mother in Law’s Christmas letter mentions her dog’s skin disease at length, but forgets to mention your six month old baby. Madame Leigh is here to listen – and kibitz.

Don’t try bringing this babe home to meet Bubbie. But, chew the fat with the voluptuous gal and she’ll have you believing pigs can fly.

A hand-holdable tropical fantasy. He’s not the brightest bulb in the marquee. But who needs brains when you taste like this?

If you like your brownies the way you like your men – strong and dark – this rich blend is for you. He’s studded with chocolate-covered espresso beans. We even threw in a shot of Kahlua – just ‘cus you’re cute!