Temperature Control Policy

Cake pops and baklava are sensitive to heat and humidity. A little planning goes a long way toward keeping your order looking and tasting the way it should. Here's what to know once your order is in your hands. ## Storage Store your treats in a cool, dry place at room temperature. Cake pops keep their best texture and look for 5 to 7 days. Baklava holds well for up to 7 days. Refrigeration is generally not necessary and can actually work against you: the cold air pulls moisture out of cake pops, dries the cake center, and can cause the chocolate coating to bloom or develop condensation when it comes back to room temperature. Refrigeration can also soften baklava's phyllo layers. Keep your order away from direct sunlight, hot windows, and warm spots like the top of a refrigerator or an oven that's been running. A pantry or interior shelf works well. If you need to keep the order longer than the shelf life above, cake pops can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw them sealed at room temperature before opening to avoid condensation on the coating. We do not recommend freezing baklava: freezing crystallizes the syrup and sugars, which ruins the texture of the pastry. ## Transporting your order Houston gets hot. If you're picking up an order or accepting delivery and won't be heading straight home, plan for the heat: - Bring a cooler with an ice pack for car transport, especially in summer. Keep the ice pack near (not directly touching) the box. - If you have to leave the order in the car, don't. Even ten minutes in a closed car in a parking lot can melt chocolate coating and soften baklava. - Keep the box flat. Stacking other items on top can crack coatings and crush phyllo layers. For longer trips or events, let us know in advance. We can suggest packaging adjustments that hold up better to extended time out of refrigeration. ## What we do on our end Our kitchen is kept at a controlled temperature year-round. Finished cake pops are held in a cool environment until pickup, and we move products to refrigeration before handoff if conditions call for it. Orders are packaged in food-safe containers chosen to buffer short transport times, and for delivery we drive directly from the kitchen to your address. Once the order is handed off, keeping it in good condition is up to you. ## Quality concerns If your order arrives in poor condition because of a temperature or handling issue on our side, contact us within 24 hours with a photo. See the Refund Policy for how we handle quality issues. ## Contact Questions? Email lotussweettreatsllc@gmail.com or call 713-909-6697.