Valentine's sweet treats recipes

Cake Pops Recipe

• Cake from boxed cake mix
• Container of icing
• Candy melts

Directions:

1. Make the cake according to the directions. Let the cake cool.
2. Mix the icing in with the finished cake until it feels like cookie dough. Form the mixture into balls. Put in the freezer for about an hour.
3. Melt the candy melts. Take the stick and dip it into the candy melt chocolate before sticking into the frozen ball. Dip the "pops" into the melt mixture. Let cool. They should all harden and dry in about 10 minutes.
4. Nadine Moon from Who Made The Cake recommends sticking the pops in a block of Styrofoam covered with wax paper, so they can dry.

Chef Rey's Cheesecake

Crust:

• 1-1/2 Cup of Graham Cracker Crumbs
• ¼ Cup of Granulated Sugar
• ¼ cup (1/2 stick) Butter Melted

Filling:

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 Degrees F
2. For crust, in small bowl combine crumbs with butter and sugar, Press onto bottom of pan (9x2 cake pan) as well as side walls of pan
3. Par Bake for 10 Minutes until golden brown. Cool Completely
4. For filling, in a large mixer, beat together room temperature cream cheese, flour and sugar until creamy and smooth; add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add lemon juice and sour cream, mixed until well blended, add extract flavoring mix in note: do not over mix. Pour filling into crust.
5. Bake 40-45 minutes or until almost set in center. Cool completely, Refrigerate at least 2 hours
6. Unmold cheesecake and garnish with fresh strawberries

The Enchanted Martini

• 1.5 oz. Enchanted Rock vodka
• 0.5 oz. Lemon juice
• 0.5 Finest Call simple syrup
• Float 1.5 oz. Becker cabernet

Directions

1. Shake all ingredients but the cabernet over ice and strain into a martini glass.
2. To float cabernet, pour it over the back of a spoon into the martini glass. This will create the layer.

Chocolate Bouquet

• Wilton Heart Mold
• Wilton cocoa melts, red melts, pink melts
• Wilton Melting Pot
• Teaspoon and butter knife
• Wooden skewers
• Americana Acrylic paint in green
• Tissue paper in purple, red, pink and green
• For the container use an old soup can, box or glass jar from the dollar store
• Scrapbook paper
• Hot glue gun
• Valentines themed ribbon

Directions:

1. Melt each of the Wilton candy melts separately in either the melting pot or in the microwave (follow the directions on the bag). Using the teaspoon, place the melted chocolate into the heart mold; try not to over fill them. Once you have each container filled, place it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Remove the chocolate hearts from the mold and place them on a plate.
2. Next, paint the skewers with the green paint covering the whole stick except for an inch of the stick at the top and an inch at the bottom. Quick tip, an easy way to paint the stick is to stick it into a piece of Styrofoam while you paint it.
3. While your sticks are drying, it's time to make the container. If you use a box, cover it with scrapbook paper or paint it with Americana brand acrylic paint and decorate it with Valentines ribbon. If you use an old soup can, cover the outside of the can with scrapbook paper and ribbon. You can glue the scrapbook paper to either one of these containers with hot glue. Place a piece of Styrofoam inside of the container to hold the sticks in. If you use the glass container, then you can fill it with Valentines candy hearts to hold the sticks in.
4. After the sticks are dry, it is time to assemble the chocolate flowers. First take one of the chocolate heart halves and place a drop of melted chocolate on the flat side. Next, place the unpainted flat side of the stick onto the heart and roll it around to cover the top of the stick. Now, place another chocolate heart on top of the stick flat side down. It should look like a heart lollipop. After you have made all of your heart lollipops, let them cool for 30 minutes or place them in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
5. Cut the tissue paper into circles except for the green. Cut the green into leaf like shapes. Poke the pointed end of the stick into the center of one of the colors of tissue circles and then poke the point into 2 of the leaves, pull the tissue all the way through until it is touching the chocolate heart. Then stick the heart sticks into your container, you may want to shorten some of the sticks so the bouquet will look fuller. Add some green tissue to the inside of the container so it looks fuller.

For more craft ideas visit http://craftingwithadeina.tumblr.com/.

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