Incredible Edible Valentines

by Dian Thomas

February brings Valentine’s Day, a good opportunity for expressing love or friendship. A valentine can communicate a lighthearted “I like you” to a special friend, or it can present a perfect opportunity to honor a parent, grandparent, teacher, or other person important to you.

Valentines come in all shapes and sizes. Whether readable or edible, they’re always a treat. Why not try making some edible valentines this year? You’ll enjoy giving the following valentine treats.

Heart-Shaped Cake

You can bake a beautiful heart-shaped cake using a 9-inch round cake pan and a 9-inch square baking pan. Prepare pans by greasing and flouring. Pour batter for your favorite cake into the two pans, making sure batter is adequately deep in both pans. Bake as directed. Cool and remove from the pans. Place the square cake on a large serving platter. Cut the round cake in half. Place one round side next to one side of the square cake. Place the other half of the round cake next to an adjoining side of the square cake. Voila! You have a large heart! (You may need to trim center corners so cakes will match).

To decorate your heart-shaped cake, frost with white frosting. Pipe on a decorative border around the outside edge of the top of the cake. Spread cherry pie filling over the top of the cake inside the border.

Edible Giant Kiss

This candy kiss will communicate its sweet message to your Valentine.

Edible Giant Kiss

1/4 cup margarine

4 cups miniature marshmallows

5 cups crisp rice cereal or chocolate rice cereal

In a large pan, melt the margarine over low heat. Add marshmallows. Stir until the marshmallows are melted and smooth; then cook 3 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Remove the mixture from heat and add the cereal. Stir until the cereal is well coated. Cool just until you can handle the mixture. Butter your fingers and press the mixture into large buttered funnels or mold into large funnel shapes. When mixture is cool, unmold the kisses from the funnels and wrap in plastic wrap.

Giant Valentine Cookie

To make the cookie, first make a large, heart-shaped paper pattern, or use a large heart-shaped cake pan. Mix up your favorite sugar cookie dough and roll it out. Cut the heart shape using the pan or pattern. Grease a cookie sheet. Then lift the cookie to the sheet pan by placing a rolling pin at the top of the cookie. Carefully lift the dough onto the rolling pin; then roll the cookie toward you onto the rolling pin. Unroll the cookie onto the cookie sheet. Bake it at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees centigrade) for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool, remove the cookie from the pan, frost, and decorate.

Cupcake Valentines

Marbles transform a regular muffin tin to a pan for baking heart-shaped cupcakes. Whip up your favorite muffin or cupcake recipe. Then place paper baking cups in the muffin tin. Place a marble or small ball of foil in each cup between the paper and the pan. Pour cake batter into the paper cups, filling a little over half full so that cupcakes retain the heart shape as they bake. Bake as usual; then frost and decorate as desired.

Candy Valentine Greetings

Cut heart shapes from red poster board. Attach a candy bar to each heart. Write a special greeting on each heart so the candy bar name forms part of the message. Examples: “I (mint) to tell you I like you, Valentine”; “It feels like (Pay Day) when I’m with you, Valentine.”

Valentine Bouquet

This “flower” arrangement tastes good. Use it as a valentine gift or centerpiece. To make the edible bouquet, you’ll need a red plastic flowerpot or a can painted red, lace or other appropriate trim, a dozen flower-shaped cookies (with center holes), two dozen red gumdrop hearts, 12 bamboo skewers, and a piece of Styrofoam to fit into the can or flowerpot. Glue Styrofoam into the inside of the bottom of the flowerpot or can. Then glue lace or trim to the top and bottom of the container. To make each flower, push a skewer through the center of one gumdrop and through the center of a cookie; then add another gumdrop. Push the other end of the skewer onto the Styrofoam. Cut the skewers so the flowers will be different heights. You may want to tie a red bow under each cookie. Add green asparagus fern (purchased at a florist), and trim with a big red bow to add an artistic touch to your bouquet.

Photos by Michael McConkie