With Valentine’s Day coming up so soon, I’m afraid of how the stores look. Shelves once full of cute stuffed toys are now dry as a bone. Red and pink branded sweets are at the bottom of the barrel, and I can’t even begin to imagine how limited the flower selection is at this point. For those who haven’t had a chance to pick anything up for their Valentine, you could always bake something. I always see influencers online trying to get you to make their recipes: “It’s super simple! Only takes 4 hours, 30 ingredients, and a degree in the culinary arts!”. Baking treats does not need to be difficult, and the gesture of the attempt is typically more appreciated than a store-bought dessert. Challenge yourself and consider attempting making one of these treats.
Cake Pops
So many people love cake pops without realizing how simple it is to make them. They consist of making a cake, mixing the baked cake, rolling the cake into balls, and then dipping it in chocolate or candy melts. Want to hear a secret? You don’t need to use frosting to make cake pops! If you bake the cakes and then crumble and mix them as soon as they come out of the oven, the heat becomes enough of a binding agent to keep them together without adding frosting (unless you like the taste, in which case add in all the frosting that you can). Boxed mix or from scratch it doesn’t matter, I’m sure they’ll be a hit either way. A simple recipe such as this one will be sure to dazzle the tasters.
Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
Although not challenging to make, I always love and appreciate a good chocolate-covered strawberry. I extend this treat to chocolate-covered anything. Pretzels, berries, fruit, you name it! Make them as simple or as intricate as you’d like. Use multiple kinds of chocolate, add sprinkles or nuts, or even make different patterns with the toppings.
Loaded Brownies
Out of all the treats on this list, these are the most complicated. With that being said, they aren’t too challenging, and my friends are always so amazed with them! You can make the batters from scratch, but I use boxed mix and pre-made cookie dough. These tri-layered treats are made up of cookie dough on the bottom, an Oreo cookie in the middle, and brownie batter on top. This tri-layered treat is so customizable to fit your preferred flavour palette and expertise. I highly recommend looking up tutorials on TikTok as the visuals are helpful for the first time making them, but if you want to elevate it, check out a recipe such as this one.
Rice Krispies Treats
I swear when all else fails, Rice Krispies Treats will always have your back. This dessert is one of the simplest to make. Most recipes call for rice krispies cereal, marshmallows, some type of shaped cookie cutter, and food colouring, if you want. I have made these numerous times, with different cereal, colours, and even with vegan marshmallows! There are numerous recipes online, even Kellogg’s has shared a recipe.