Super Sweet, Last-Minute Baking: Valentine’s Edition
By Minna A in Food on Feb 14, 2012 7:00PM
Let's say you don't have plans or you accepted our advice to avoid dining out on Valentine's Day. Now what do you do? Whether you’re looking for a sweet way to show your love, a fun activity to share as a couple or simply an excuse to overindulge in chocolate, we’ve brought you two super simple Valentine’s Day desserts made to share... or hoard.
Valentine’s Day Buttons
Ingredients
1 bag of square shaped pretzels
1 bag of Hersey kisses (we prefer hugs)
Heart-shaped Candy Decorations (use M&Ms in a pinch)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. While the oven is heating up, line up the pretzels in one layer on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Peel the kisses and place one on each square. Place the baking sheet in the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 5-6 minutes, enough so that the kisses/hugs are sweating, but not melting. Take them out and push in one heart decoration into the center of the concoction. Chill until the chocolate has been hardened, then share!
Brownie Pops
Ingredients
1 bag of lollipop sticks (commonly found at craft stores like Michaels)
1 box of brownie mix (and all other ingredients required for such)
1 bag of candy melts
Decorations
Directions
Make brownies according to directions on the box (Tip: we used less oil and water than instructed for a more fudge-like texture). Once the brownies are cooked, cool and cut off the crusts to eat later. Use a fork to crumble the center portion of the baked brownies in a separate bowl. If your brownies are more fluffy and cake-like, add some frosting to thicken the mixture.
Take the crumbled brownies and shape into 1 inch thick balls. Place one stick into each balled brownie and pinch the batter around the base of the stick to secure the ball in place. Freeze for about 5 - 10 minutes, until the brownie bites with the sticks are firm. Melt the candy melts in either the microwave or in a double broiler. Dip the brownies into the melted candy mixture and coat. Decorate and enjoy!