[Photo provided to China Daily]

Ahead of Valentine's Day, French chain Comptoirs de France Bakery, headquartered in Beijing, launched a specially-made Paris-Brest this week. The famous French dessert has traditionally been round－to commemorate the Paris－Brest－Paris bicycle race that began in 1891－but the bakery's new version will be heart-shaped, and is decorated with strawberries and custard cream. A colorful and tasty treat for dreary winter days, the dessert will be available through the month in the bakery's 13 branches in the Chinese capital and two in Tianjin city. Other bites of love: heart-shaped craft chocolate and cupcakes.