This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Washington chapter.
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and if you’re looking to make some tasty treats for a fun Valentine’s Day or a poppin’ Galentines’ Day with your favorite gal pals, look no further!
1. Ombre White Chocolate Cherries
Ingredients/Tools
- 1 lb fresh cherries
- 22 oz Ghiradelli white chocolate chips
- Pink and red food coloring
- Baking sheet
- Wax paper
- 1 metal bowl
- 4 small bowls
- 1 pot
- 1 utensil for stirring
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Rinse cherries and pat dry. Split the chocolate chips into four small bowls.
- Put a pot of water on medium heat until it is simmering. Place a metal bowl on top and pour in one bowl of white chocolate chips. Let heat for 2-3 minutes, and when the chocolate starts to glisten, stir continuously until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat immediately and pour back into small bowl.
- Add a small amount of food coloring (this will be your palest color) and stir thoroughly. Holding the cherries by the stem, dip them into the chocolate one at a time, and place onto the baking sheet to set.
- Repeat with the other three bowls of chocolate, adding progressively more food coloring to each bowl. Put the baking sheet of cherries into the fridge to cool.
2. Heart Shaped Cake Pops
Ingredients/Tools
- Two baked cake layers, any flavor (chocolate cake mix works well!)
- Frosting (you can use homemade frosting, or purchased)
- Pink candy melts
- White candy melts
- Vegetable shortening
- Parchment paper
- Lollipop sticks
- Small ziplock bag
- Gold cardstock
- Scissors
- Glue stick or double-sided tape
Instructions
- Place cake layers in a large bowl. Crumble using your hands or a fork.
- Mix in just enough frosting so the cake holds together when formed in to a ball.
- Place a heaping tablespoon of cake mixture into your palm and form into a heart.
- Transfer hearts to a parchment-lined baking sheet; refrigerate for 2 hours or freeze for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Melt a few of the candy melts in the microwave (either color). Dip a lollipop stick into the candy, then insert it into the side of a heart.
- Wipe off any excess candy around the stick, then repeat process with remaining hearts. Freeze hearts for 15 minutes.
- Pour pink candy melts into a small bowl (reserve 1/3 cup for decorating the pops), and then melt according to package directions. When melted, stir in 2 teaspoons vegetable shortening.
- Dip each heart into the melted candy, then gently tap the lollipop stick against the side of the bowl to remove excess candy. Transfer dipped hearts back to the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Repeat process with half of the hearts. Then, melt white candy melts according to method above, and dip remaining hearts in white candy.
- To decorate the hearts, melt remaining pink candy according to directions. Transfer to a small zip top bag and snip off the corner.
- Drizzle pink candy bag and forth over white cake pops. When finished, melt remaining white candy and drizzle over pink cake pops.
- Decorate cake pop sticks with gold cardstock (if desired), then refrigerate cake pops until ready to eat. Enjoy!
This will make 25 to 30 heart cake pops!
3. Valentine’s Bark
Ingredients
- 1.5 packages Vanilla Candy Coating
- Cherry Chocolate M&Ms
- Sprinkles
- Pink/red food coloring
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- 1 pot
- 1 utensil for stirring
Instructions
- Melt 6 cubes of candy coating in a small pot on low heat – stirring constantly. When candy coating is all melted, add pink or red food coloring. Pour over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Place in fridge for half hour.
- Melt additional 6 cubes of candy coating in a small pot on low heat – stirring constantly. When all melted pour over first colored layer, and spread.
- Top with cherry M&Ms and sprinkles.
- Refrigerate for an additional hour.
4. Sprinkle Oreo Pops
Ingredients
- Golden Oreos
- Pink candy melts
- Lollipop sticks
- Rainbow nonpareil sprinkles
- Cooking oil
Instructions
- Melt candy melts according to package instructions. Add about 1/2 teaspoon oil to the melts before heating. Melt and stir until you have a smooth consistency.
- Take the lollipop stick and dip into melted candy. Insert the dipped lollipop stick into the center of the cookie. Allow to dry for a minute or two.
- Next, dip each side of the cookie into the melted candy.
- Dip in sprinkles.
- Place on parchment paper to dry.
5. Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Ingredients
- 2 whole packs of large strawberries
- 2 whole dark chocolate chocolate bars (3.5oz) each
- 2 whole white chocolate bars (3.5oz) each
- Olive oil
- Valentine’s sprinkles
Instructions
- Pat the strawberries dry with a paper towel.
- Place about an inch of water in the bottom of a small pot and heat until simmering.
- Put a heatproof bowl on top of the pot making sure it doesn’t come into contact with the water.
- Place the dark chocolate chips into the bowl and mix until they are all melted. Take the bowl off the pot and repeat with a clean bowl for the white chocolate.
- Add the oil to both bowls of melted chocolate and stir well.
- Place a sheet of parchment paper on to a cookie tray and set aside.
- Starting with the dark chocolate, take a strawberry and dip it into the bowl. Gently scrape the excess back into the bowl from the base of the strawberry.
- Place the dipped strawberry onto the parchment paper and garnish with sprinkles. Repeat with the rest of your strawberries.
- If the chocolate starts to become thick, place the bowl back onto the hot water pot and stir until soft again.
- Once the strawberries have all been dipped and are dry, drizzle some of the leftover chocolate over them.
- Place on parchment paper to dry!
You’ll fall in love with these five treats!