If the traditional box of Valentine chocolates is hard to find in a gluten-free variety, or if you just want an alternative to the usual Valentine sweets, create a basket based on something that your sweetheart would consider a special treat. Most cheeses are gluten free, and a basket of fine cheeses – perhaps a small round of Brie, a wedge of Wensleydale with cranberries, and a container of Boursin, for example – with a package of gluten-free crackers or homemade rolls, and a bottle of sparkling cider would delight a cheese aficionado. For the coffee lover, put together a couple of flavors or varieties of coffee with some homemade gluten-free cookies or a loaf of banana bread. An assortment of gourmet teas, a tea infuser, and a good book or special magazine would make a nice basket for the tea drinker who enjoys reading. For something completely different, get two or three herb plants in four-inch pots and arrange them in a basket or box with a watering pot, gardening gloves, or small gardening tools.

If you just cannot imagine a Valentine's Day without chocolate or fear that your sweetheart would be disappointed without some kind of candy, toss a bar of dark chocolate into the basket you assemble. After all, we may console ourselves with the thought that current research says that chocolate is good for us!