A day dedicated to sharing affection with loved ones tends to be made bland with pre-packaged candy and cheesy, mass-produced cards and presents. This Valentine’s Day, ditch the basic bouquets and heart-hugging teddy bears for sweet treats whipped up with heartfelt intent.
Candy Heart Bark
Chocolatey and simple to prepare, this candy bark can easily replace those boxed chocolates you’d give to a cocoa-loving friend. Melt 6 ounces of white chocolate with any color candy melts in a microwave, stirring every 20 seconds. Mix either vegetable or canola oil into the melted chocolate, and do the same process separately with your dark or milk chocolate of choice. Pour one of the melted mixtures into a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, swirling the other on top with a toothpick. Add any final touches of sprinkles or conversation hearts! Let it set in the fridge for 2 hours, break into any size pieces, and you’re done.
Linzer Cookies
Arguably the cutest cookies ever, Linzer cookies are perfect for your equally as cute Valentine. Begin by blending 1 cup of room-temperature unsalted butter, 1 cup of sugar, and ¼ teaspoon (tsp) of salt with a mixer. Fully incorporate two eggs, a tsp of vanilla, and ¼ tsp of almond extract, then add three cups of flour on low speed. With parchment paper on the top and bottom, roll out the dough to be about ⅛ of an inch. Chill it for 20 minutes as the oven is preheated at 350°F. Use cookie cutters to get the iconic Linzer cookie shape; cut out a 1:1 ratio of plain cookies and another one with the heart in the middle. Freeze for 3-5 minutes and bake for 8-10, ensuring the edges don’t brown. Dust powdered sugar on the top cookie, spread any jam on the plain one, and finally, sandwich them together.
Orejas
Orejas, also known as Palmeras or Palmiers, is the ideal combination of a buttery, flaky, and crunchy pan dulce. Preheat your oven to 425°F and mix ½ cup of sugar with ¾ tsp of cinnamon. Using 16 ounces of puff pastry, melt 2 tablespoons of butter, spreading it on one side. Then, sprinkle about ¼ cup of the blend onto parchment paper and set the buttered side down on the sugar. After, butter the top side as you dust the rest of the blend on top, incorporating it by gently rolling it with a rolling pin. Fold in the dough from the long side bit by bit until each side reaches the middle; this should look like a long U-shape once cut into about 1-inch slices. Transfer these, cut side down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet with even spacing between each pan dulce (as they expand a lot). Bake at 425°F for about 6 minutes, flip them over, and bake for another 3 minutes. These adorable heart-shaped snacks make for a fun baking session or Valentine-themed treat.
Even if gifting your Valentine a bundle of their favorite flowers or a box of assorted chocolate seems like a tempting (and fairly easy) alternative to homemade gifts, you should take the time and effort to bake these sweets for your special someone — because it’s truly the thought that counts.
