Make no mistake about it, Valentine's Day is about eating great food.
So, whether you're swooning over a lover or just feeling lucky to be around those you love this Valentine's day it's worth celebrating with some serious thought about what special treats and cuisine you're serving.
Like David Beckham said: "If you love someone, you want to treat them, surprise them, remind them how you feel".
Here are four simple Valentine's Day recipes worth falling in love with this holiday:
Fresh Strawberry Sugar Cookies
Cookie:
cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
cup sour cream
3 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
teaspoon salt
Mix all ingredients together. Roll out to " thick. Use your favorite cookie cutter. Place on baking sheet. Bake @ 350 for 9 minutes.
Fresh strawberry frosting:
1 cup softened butter
1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
2 pounds powdered sugar
teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Cherry Cheese-Cake Tart
Graham Cracker Crust:
cup butter or margarine
cup sugar
1 cups graham cracker crumbs
Melt butter. Add sugar and graham cracker. Mix well. Place cupcake papers in muffin tin. Press 1 tablespoon graham cracker crust in bottom of cupcake cups. If using mini muffin tin press 1 teaspoon graham cracker crust in bottom of cups.
Cream Cheese mixture:
2- 8 ounces packages cream cheese softened
cup sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons Bisquick pancake mix
Beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time while mixing. Add almond flavoring and Bisquick. Blend until smooth.
Fill cupcake cups with crust full. Bake for 10 minutes at 350. Turn oven down to 300 and bake an additional 10 minutes. Cool completely. Top with cherry pie filling.
Cherry O'Lets
12 ounces milk chocolate chips
cups peanut butter
12 ounces salted peanuts chopped
1 can cherry frosting
18 large marshmellows
Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter over medium heat. When melted and smooth add chopped peanuts.
Pour chocolate mixture in bottom of prepared 9x13 pan. Place in freezer.
Melt marshmellows in double boiler. Add frosting and blend well. Spread on cooled chocolate. Chill for 10 minutes in freezer. Top with remaining chocolate mixture. Place back in freezer. Cut and serve while frozen.
Valentine Chocolates
Caramels:
2 cubes butter
2 cups sugar
2 cups corn syrup
2 cups heavy cream, divided
teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper. In a large pot combine butter, sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1 cup heavy cream over medium-low heat. Gently stir until sugar dissolves (do not rush this process). When sugar has dissolved, place candy thermometer in pot and turn heat up to medium/medium high. Cook until thermometer reaches 224, stirring occasionally. Add the last 1 cup heavy cream and continue cooking until thermometer reaches 236, stirring occasionally. Stir in vanilla. Pour caramel into prepared pan. Cool caramels for 7 hours.
Melt 1 pound milk chocolate.
Cut carmels into small squares.
Dip carmels in melted chocolate. Let excess chocolate drip off and place on wax paper. Set aside until chocolate is set.
So, whether you're swooning over a lover or just feeling lucky to be around those you love this Valentine's day it's worth celebrating with some serious thought about what special treats and cuisine you're serving.
Like David Beckham said: "If you love someone, you want to treat them, surprise them, remind them how you feel".
Here are four simple Valentine's Day recipes worth falling in love with this holiday:
Fresh Strawberry Sugar Cookies
Cookie:
cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
cup sour cream
3 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
teaspoon salt
Mix all ingredients together. Roll out to " thick. Use your favorite cookie cutter. Place on baking sheet. Bake @ 350 for 9 minutes.
Fresh strawberry frosting:
1 cup softened butter
1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
2 pounds powdered sugar
teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Cherry Cheese-Cake Tart
Graham Cracker Crust:
cup butter or margarine
cup sugar
1 cups graham cracker crumbs
Melt butter. Add sugar and graham cracker. Mix well. Place cupcake papers in muffin tin. Press 1 tablespoon graham cracker crust in bottom of cupcake cups. If using mini muffin tin press 1 teaspoon graham cracker crust in bottom of cups.
Cream Cheese mixture:
2- 8 ounces packages cream cheese softened
cup sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons Bisquick pancake mix
Beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time while mixing. Add almond flavoring and Bisquick. Blend until smooth.
Fill cupcake cups with crust full. Bake for 10 minutes at 350. Turn oven down to 300 and bake an additional 10 minutes. Cool completely. Top with cherry pie filling.
Cherry O'Lets
12 ounces milk chocolate chips
cups peanut butter
12 ounces salted peanuts chopped
1 can cherry frosting
18 large marshmellows
Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter over medium heat. When melted and smooth add chopped peanuts.
Pour chocolate mixture in bottom of prepared 9x13 pan. Place in freezer.
Melt marshmellows in double boiler. Add frosting and blend well. Spread on cooled chocolate. Chill for 10 minutes in freezer. Top with remaining chocolate mixture. Place back in freezer. Cut and serve while frozen.
Valentine Chocolates
Caramels:
2 cubes butter
2 cups sugar
2 cups corn syrup
2 cups heavy cream, divided
teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper. In a large pot combine butter, sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1 cup heavy cream over medium-low heat. Gently stir until sugar dissolves (do not rush this process). When sugar has dissolved, place candy thermometer in pot and turn heat up to medium/medium high. Cook until thermometer reaches 224, stirring occasionally. Add the last 1 cup heavy cream and continue cooking until thermometer reaches 236, stirring occasionally. Stir in vanilla. Pour caramel into prepared pan. Cool caramels for 7 hours.
Melt 1 pound milk chocolate.
Cut carmels into small squares.
Dip carmels in melted chocolate. Let excess chocolate drip off and place on wax paper. Set aside until chocolate is set.