Buttercreams in a Traditional Heart-Shaped Box

Give the gift of True Treats’ uniquely “old fashioned” buttercreams, set in the quintessential heart shaped box with a keepsake card. Popular since the late 1800s, the flavor is rich and buttery with a quintessential sweetness, for a smooth, luxurious mouthfeel. All our buttercreams are made by hand in a small family confectionery, now owned by the third generation of candy-makers. No corporate shortcuts here – the ingredients are original, each chocolate made a week or two before being shipped – sometimes sooner!

Buttercreams pair nicely with fruits and nuts, a traditional combination, and go well with wine, tea or coffee, after a meal or as a midday delight. Buttercreams were given as a gift or served as a dessert, nicely displayed on a plate. They were also a gift in “courtship” and a beach-time delight

The History of the Heart

Why the Heart Shape of Valentine’s Day
The iconic heart shape is so common – especially around Valentine’s Day – it’s practically redundant.  It’s on cards, decorations, and clothing, plus heart-shaped cakes and cookies and, above all, candy boxes. So, where did this wildly popular symbol came from? Face it: the Valentine’s Day heart looks nothing like the real thing! Actually, the story of the heart shape weaves together ancient plants, playing cards, and clever marketing.

The Heart’s Ancient Beginnings
The heart shape dates back to an ancient and now-extinct plant called silphium. Used in the fifth century by the Romans, silphium had a variety of purposes—it was a spice, an aphrodisiac, and even a form of birth control. Most notably the plant’s seed pod had a distinct heart-like shape, similar to the delicate bleeding hearts found in gardens today. The silphium was popular - so popular in face, it became extinct. 

From Pinecone to Playing Cards
Around 1250, the heart began appearing in religious and romantic imagery, often depicted as an inverted pine cone. By the mid-1300s, the heart shape we recognize today emerged in European artwork and made its way onto playing cards, where it took its place alongside spades, clubs, and diamonds.

Cadbury and the Candy Box Revolution
Fast forward to the late 1800s, when the British Cadbury Company brought the heart shape into the world of sweets. They introduced the first heart-shaped candy boxes, perfectly timed for Valentine’s Day. Their innovative design, coupled with the growing power of advertising, turned the holiday into the grand celebration of love (and love making) of today.

Do you have a favorite heart-shaped candy or Valentine’s Day tradition? Let us know—we’d love to hear your story!