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Cupcakes and classics at Lulu’s Sweet Shoppe

Short orders

THIS STORY APPEARED IN

February 08, 2012|By Ann Trieger Kurland

Sandy Russo, owner of Lulus Sweet Shoppe. (ESSDRAS M SUAREZ/GLOBE…)

When customers walk through the door of Lulu’s Sweet Shoppe in the North End, eyes light up.

Beloved retro goodies like Sugar Daddy suckers (35 cents each) and bubble gum cigars (75 cents each) line shelves.

There are bins of Sweet Tarts and Mary Janes ($8 a pound) and Pixy Stix in cherry cola, lemon lime, and sassafras (25 cents each) fill jars.

But the focal point in this modest space is a case filled with owner Sandy Russo’s two-dozen varieties of moist cupcakes baked from scratch ($2.75 each; 6 for $15).

For Valentine’s Day, her specialties include cherry bomb cupcakes made with dark chocolate cake infused with cherry liquor, crowned with chocolate buttercream, a cherry, and a drizzle of melted chocolate.

Heart-shaped sugar cookies decorate other cupcakes, and pink whipped cream oozes out of her version of the Hostess. There are also heart-shaped Linzer cookies ($2.50) and bite-size chocolate cake truffles ($1.35).

Russo’s cupcake recipes are from her mother, Rose, who grew up in the North End and was known in the neighborhood as a fabulous baker.

On Valentine’s Day, she will start baking at 4 a.m. to meet the demand. “Cupcakes have replaced a box of chocolates,’’ Russo says. “They’re more fun.’’