Still stuck on what to get that special someone for Valentine's Day?
SPAGnVola Chocolatier (360 Main St., Gaithersburg, Md., less than an hour from downtown D.C.) is offering a unique twist on an old tradition. Instead of buying a box of generic chocolates at your local CVS, or, fine, that Union Station Godiva store, you can make your own!
During a chocolate-making and tasting workshop, you'll get to tour the store's truffle factory and learn about the intricacies of chocolate-making. Highlights include a lesson in the origin of the special Spagnvola cacao beans and how they are roasted and refined into chocolate.
The factory's head chocolatier will lead a class on tempering, where you'll use artisan tools to crystallize the chocolate before moving on to create a chocolate ganache from scratch. Soon you'll have a sweet DIY Valentine that's sure to impress.
The workshop is scheduled for right before Valentine's Day on Saturday, Feb. 12 and runs from noon until 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 per person and tickets can be purchased online.