Valentine's Day, the day of love, is here again. If you'd like to bake something to give to, or share with, someone special, here are 6 baking ideas to try.
As most people know, 14 February every year is Valentine's Day. Whether your loved one is a husband or wife, a partner, a sweetheart, or a friend or family member, it's a chance to show your love with a gift. If you'd like to bake a Valentine's present, here are 6 Valentine-themed baking ideas:
1. Heart-Shaped Chocolates
When Valentine's Day comes around, the sweet most people give is chocolate. Buying packaged or ready-made chocolate can feel like everyone else's gift, so we suggest turning it into chocolate with your own personal touch by making it yourself.
The easiest method is to melt your favourite chocolate, for example in the microwave. Once melted, pour it into heart-shaped moulds or any shapes you like, and add toppings for extra colour if you wish. Chill the chocolate for about 20–25 minutes until firm. Once set, remove it from the moulds and pack it in a box or cute packaging of your choice.
2. Love Cookies
If you already enjoy baking cookies, you can easily give your usual recipe a Valentine's twist. Start by cutting the cookies into heart shapes, then decorate with icing in shades of red and pink. These love cookies can be made in all sorts of styles, depending on your own creative ideas.
3. Heart Macarons
Swap the usual round macarons for adorable heart-shaped ones to surprise your loved one. Many people assume this shape is difficult, but it really isn't, as long as you use a silicone heart-shaped macaron mould, widely available from baking supply shops and online.
4. Rose Jelly
If you prefer treats that are quick and fuss-free, jelly is another great, easy option. Jelly needs a mould to set into shape, and for Valentine's Day, if you'd like something different from the usual hearts, try rose-shaped jelly. It's easy to make with a rose-patterned mould, also available from baking supply shops and online.
5. Love Cupcakes
When it comes to pretty bakes, cupcakes are among the first that come to mind, and they're still very popular today. They are easy to adapt to a romantic theme in many ways, from choosing pink, red and white frosting to topping them with Valentine-style sugar icing figures if you don't like too much cream. If you're up for something more advanced, try piping the frosting into a rose swirl; your cupcakes are sure to wow whoever receives them.
6. Red Velvet Brownies
If brownies are your thing, try red velvet brownies this Valentine's Day. To give them a Valentine's look, when making the cream cheese topping, place dots of red at intervals across the surface. Then drag a toothpick through the dots in a straight line, row by row, and the round red dots will turn into little heart shapes.
Those are 6 ideas for Valentine's baking and desserts. You can use them for these bakes or adapt them to other sweets in your own style.
