valentine's day treats!

CHOCOLATE DIPPED STRAWBERRIES

20 Large, ripe but firm Strawberries

6 oz. Semisweet Chocolate Bits

3 oz. White Chocolate Bits

Wooden Skewers, if desired for serving

Parchment Paper

Melt Dark and Light Chocolates in separate bowls either with double boiler or microwave 1 minute.

Hold stem of strawberry, or place each strawberry onto end of skewer. Dip one at a time into dark chocolate, and lay on parchment paper for 30 minutes to set until chocolate is hardened.  Dip fork into melted white chocolate and drizzle over dark chocolate.   Refrigerate until served.

FRUIT KABOBS

Strawberries

Blueberries

Grapes

Any type of fruit cut into chunks such as apples, pineapple, orange slices, kiwi, etc.

Place fruit on wooden skewers, alternate fruits for a colorful display!

FRUIT PLATTER

Strawberries

Red Grapes

Raspberries

Blackberries

Wax Paper

Cut heart shaped wax paper and place on platter.  Cut whole strawberries in half lengthwise and place on outer edge of heart shaped paper.  Place Raspberries just inside strawberries on paper.  Place Red grapes just inside raspberries to continue filling in heart.  Place blackberries in center, following heart shaped arrangement of raspberries.

YOGURT CUP

Yogurt

Red Fruits, sliced

In a clear cup, alternate yogurt and red fruits, cut into slices for a festive snack!

HEART FILLED APPLES

Red Apples

Filling:  Fruit Dip or Yogurt or Peanut Butter

Topping:  Granola, chocolate bits or Chopped Nuts, if desired

Slice apples widthwise, across core, approximately 1/2" thick.  Cut out core for a heart shaped center.  Stuff filling into center of apple.  Top filling with topping of choice, if desired.

ATTACH A NOTE TO WHOLE FRUITS

""You're a Peach"  "You're the Apple of my eye"  "I'm Bananas for you"  "I think you are Pearfect"  "Orange you glad we met?" "I'm Grapeful for you!"  "Kiwi be friends?"  

RASPBERRY FILLED SANDWICH COOKIES

1 large heart shaped cookie cutter

1 small heart shaped cookie cutter

Parchment Paper

1-1/2 C. Flour

1/8  TSP Baking Soda

1 TSP Ground Cinnamon

3/4 C. Softened Butter

Pinch Salt

1-1/2 C. Confectioner's Sugar

1/4 C. Almond Flour

2 Large Egg Yolks

1 TBSP Dark Rum

1/2 TSP Vanilla Extract

1 C. Raspberry Preserves

Combine flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.  In a separate bowl, mix on low speed the butter and Confectioner's sugar, (put aside 2 tbsp sugar for dusting).  Add Almond flour, vanilla and rum.  Add egg yolks.  Add flour mixture.  Knead dough on floured surface.  Split into two  equal portions.  Wrap and refrigerate 2 hours.  

Prepare sheet pans with parchment paper liners and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

When dough is firm, knead and roll chilled dough to 1/8" thick.  Cut with large heart shaped cookie cutter.  Space 1/4" apart on pan.  Roll out second dough ball as the first, cutting first with large heart cutter, then small heart cutter to remove center.  Place on second prepared pan.

Bake until golden brown, approximately 6-8 minutes.  Cool

Spread raspberry preserves onto flat side of cookie bottoms.  Place tops with cutouts on top of prepared bottoms.  Dust tops with Confectioner's sugar.  Pipe preserves into heart shaped cutouts.  

SUGAR COOKIES

1-1/2 C. Softened Butter

2 C. Sugar

4 Eggs

1 Tsp Vanilla

5 C. Flour

2 Tsp Baking Powder

1 Tsp Salt

Red food coloring (if desired)

Decorative toppings:  Conversation hearts, red cinnamon dots, red or pink candies, white chocolate bits, sprinkles, Icing or other decorative  items, if desired.

Mix together on low speed, butter and sugar.  Beat in eggs and vanilla and 2-3 drops food coloring, Stir in flour, baking powder and salt.  Cover and chill 1 hour minimum.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Roll out dough on floured surface to 1/2" thick, then cut out cookies using heart shaped cutter. Bake 1" apart on ungreased cookie sheet 8 minutes.  Add decorative toppings as desired.  Cool.  If using icing, cool cookies before decorating.

VALENTINE PEANUT BUTTER BLOSSOMS

1/2 C. Sugar

1/2 C. Packed Brown Sugar

1/2 C. Creamy Peanut Butter

1/2 C. Softened Butter

1 Egg

1-1/2 C. Flour

3/4 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

1/2 C. Additional Sugar

3 Dozen Chocolate Kisses (Pink or White if desired)

Red food coloring (if desired)

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Beat together sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, a few drops of food coloring and egg.  Stir in flour, baking soda and baking powder.  Shape dough into 1" balls, roll in additional sugar, place on cookie sheet 2" apart and bake 8-10 minutes.  Remove from oven and place unwrapped candy kiss into center of hot cookie.  Cool.

EASY CAKE POPS

1 Cake Mix

1 Can Prepared Frosting 

1/4 C. Candy Melts

Red, Pink, White Jimmies 

Lollipop Sticks

Mix cake mix and bake according to package.  Cool.  Crumble cake into large bowl.  Add frosting slowly, just until mixture  sticks together.   Chill in refrigerator 30 minutes.  Form cake mixture into 1-1/2" balls and place on baking sheet.  Insert a lollipop stick into each ball.  Melt candy melts.  Dip cake pops into candy, then roll in jimmies.  Place sticks in a block of Styrofoam  to hold until hardened.

VALENTINE PIE

Any pie can become a Valentine Pie with heart shaped cut outs in the top crust, or heart shaped dough placed on top of the filling!  Using a red filling, such as cherry. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping.

HEART DECORATED CUPCAKES

Cake Mix

Frosting

Valentine Cupcake Wrappers

Conversation Hearts, Heart lollipops, Jimmies

Bake cupcakes in festive tins or wrappers