Chocolate-covered jalapenos blend sweet and spicy

From conversation hearts to boxes of chocolate, Valentine’s Day treats are traditionally pretty sweet. But if you want to turn up the heat this year with a spicy dessert, you can order a box of gourmet chocolate-covered jalapeños.

A riff on the classic chocolate-covered strawberries, Harry & David is selling the hot peppers that are dipped in pure Belgian chocolate and then decorated with chocolate stringing. The company, known for their gourmet food gifts and baskets, describes the jalapeños as a “delicious and daring combination.”

These delicacies almost look like little chocolate-covered bananas, but their green stems are a giveaway that they’re packing some spice.

The jalapeños, according to Harry & David, are harvested and quickly shipped to the chocolatiers to ensure maximum freshness so that they retain that crisp pepper crunch underneath the layers of chocolate.

“For those who enjoy spicy food, these chocolate-covered hot peppers are a crisp, surprisingly juicy specialty treat,” the product description promises.

You get 15 ounces of the chocolate-covered jalapeños, and between nine and a dozen of the peppers come in the delivery. The chocolate-covered jalapeños cost $55. For those who love chocolate-dipped everything, Harry & David also sells a $100 Belgian chocolate-dipped fruit box packed with juicy pears and crisp apples, plus dried fruits like kiwi, pineapple, apricots, blueberries, mangoes, cherries, and cranberries — all of which get the gourmet chocolate treatment.

Of course, you could try your hand at making a batch of these chocolate-covered peppers at home. Slap Dash Mom has a chocolate-covered jalapeño recipe on her blog that goes a step further by filling the peppers with peanut butter first.

Or, if you’re more of a traditionalist and love chocolate-covered strawberries, here are some pro tips for making the treat at home, including how to consistently get an extra thick chocolate shell on your berries.

Would you try a chocolate-covered jalapeño?