7 Sweet Recipes for Valentine's Day ...

Spell your love out with little glazed alphabet cookies on your cupcake recipe for Valentine's Day. Using an icing piper can be such a pain in the butt sometimes when you're trying to spell out names and words. Make things easier on yourself by using small letter cookies that are pre-iced and sprinkle a little colored sugar on top for a pop of color.

Ingredients:
Cupcake:
1 orange
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 box (17.59 ounces) dark-chocolate cake mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Frosting:
1 package (11.5 ounces) milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup sour cream

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees . Line the cups in two standard-size 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners

Grate the zest from the orange (about 2 teaspoons). Squeeze juice from orange into a 1-cup measuring cup. Add water to measuring cup to equal 1 cup liquid; set aside

In medium-size bowl, with electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, sugar, 1 egg and 1 teaspoon orange zest about 1 minute or until smooth; set aside

In large bowl, combine cake mix, remaining 3 eggs, orange juice-water mixture, oil, remaining orange zest, cinnamon and chocolate syrup packet if included in box. With same beaters, beat on low speed for 30 seconds to moisten. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes

Fill each prepared muffin cup with scant 1/4 cup of the chocolate cake batter. Spoon cream cheese mixture into large pastry bag fitted with 1/4-inch plain round tip. Insert tip into batter of each cupcake. Squeeze some filling into center of each (top will bulge slightly)

Bake at 350 degrees about 24 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups to wire racks; let cool
Frosting:
In large microwave-safe glass bowl, microwave chocolate chips on HIGH for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring to melt. With electric mixer on medium speed, beat in sour cream until fluffy and good spreading consistency. Let frosting sit at room temperature until cupcakes are cooled. Frost each cupcake with 1 tablespoon of the frosting. Store cupcakes, covered, in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
bhg.com

Are these not the most adorable cookies you have ever seen! I love vintage Valentine's Day cards, this would be a sweet recipe for Valentine's Day to gift to your mom or grandma who may remember when these cards were popular the first time! The vintage cards are printed on frosting sheets using edible ink, check out bakerella.com for more info.

Ingredients:
4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sour cream

Directions:
In a large bowl, sift flour, powder, soda, and salt using a wire whisk and set aside. Cream butter and sugar in a mixer until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla and sour cream. Mix until blended. Add flour until dough forms. Separate dough into four sections. flatten into a disc and cover in plastic wrap.

Place in the refrigerator for a few hours. This dough is a little sticky, so flour your hands slightly when working with it. When ready to roll, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a sheet of parchment paper on the counter. Put one of the dough discs on the parchment paper. Then place a piece of plastic wrap or another sheet of parchment paper on top and roll the dough flat with a rolling pin. (I like the plastic wrap on top. I think it’s easier.)

Cut out your shapes using a cookie cutter. If the dough sticks, use a toothpick to separate and remove the scraps. If you want cookie pops, then place a paper lollipop stick about an inch over the dough and press the dough around the stick slightly. Transfer parchment paper with dough cutouts to a baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes and cool completely.

Who needs cupcakes when you can just whip a few ingredients together to make life sized love letters! This recipe for Valentine's Day is so easy that even your kids can help out with it and get creative with spelling out their names and other words. How cute would this recipe be for a proposal to spell out the words, "Will You Marry Me?"!

Ingredients:
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
Large pinch of coarse salt
Large pinch of cream of tartar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees, with racks in upper and lower third of oven. Combine egg whites and sugar in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water; stir until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm, about 3 minutes. Add salt and cream of tartar.

Beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form and meringue is mostly cooled, about 7 minutes.

Transfer meringue to a piping bag fitted with a ?-inch plain pastry tip (such as Ateco #805). Pipe the letters L, O, V, and E, 3 times each, onto a parchment-lined baking sheet; each letter should be about 4 inches tall and spaced 1 inch apart. Pipe 16 hearts, 1 inch tall and 1 inch apart, onto another parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake meringues until crisp on the outside but still soft inside, about 1 hour for letters and 40 minutes for hearts. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 day.

marthastewart.com

Instead of buying those chalky little heart candies, why not make your own in a mini cake size version with this recipe for Valentine's Day! These would be a great idea for a kid's Valentine's Day party or even for a V-Day bridal shower. The kids would especially love that they each get their own mini cakes!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons red food coloring
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable shortening, at room temperature
1 2/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup melted dark chocolate, for decorating

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees with rack in the center of the oven. Butter an 18-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet, line with parchment paper, butter parchment, and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, food coloring, and 1/4 cup boiling water. Set aside to cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and shortening on high speed until smooth. Add sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Stir buttermilk and vanilla into cocoa mixture. Into another medium bowl, sift together flour and salt. With the mixer on low, add flour mixture alternating with cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat until incorporated.

In a small bowl, mix together vinegar and baking soda until baking soda dissolves; mixture will fizz. Add to batter and mix until just combined. Pour batter into prepared baking sheet, smoothing the top. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes, rotating pan after 10 minutes.

Cook cake completely on a wire rack. Using a 4-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out 12 hearts. Place 4 strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy susan. Place 1 layer on the cake plate. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the cake; top with another heart, bottom side up. Cover entire cake with a thin layer of frosting and transfer to refrigerator for 10 minutes. Repeat process with remaining ingredients.

Remove cakes from the refrigerator and cover each cake with a generous layer of frosting, smoothing as you go around to create a flat surface. Place chocolate in a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip; decorate as desired.
marthastewart.com

Who doesn't love cake in a jar! I've seen many recipes for mason jars, but haven't yet tried any. This recipe for Valentine's Day would be the perfect one to start with, I love the ombre effect of the cake and the little heart on top! What are some of your favorite cake in a jar recipes?

Ingredients:
Cake:
1 18 oz. box Strawberry Cake Mix
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup oil
3 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
red food coloring
Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3-4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar

Directions:

Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray three 8″ round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside

Blend the cake mix, water, oil, eggs and sour cream in a large bowl until all ingredients are moistened. Using a had mixer, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes

Pour 1/3 of the strawberry cake batter into one of the cake pans. Add a 7-9 drops of food coloring to the remaining batter. Mix thoroughly. Pour half of that batter the second cake pan

To the of the batter add 5-7 more drops of red food coloring. Mix thoroughly. Pour this batter into the last empty cake pan. You should have three pans, with even amount of cake batter, in three shades: pink, red, and dark red. You can add as much or as little food coloring as you’d like to customize your shades of pink & red

Bake cakes for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and let the cakes cool completely. Using a round biscuit cutter, or any other object the same diameter as your mason jars, cut 9 circles out of each cake. You will have 27 circles total- 9 in each shade. Set these aside while you make the frosting

Frosting:
In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in vanilla and then gradually mix in the confectioners’ sugar. Add more or less sugar, depending on how creamy or stiff you like your frosting

Put the dark red cake circles in the bottom of your mason jars. Using a spoon or a pastry bag, pipe 1 tablespoon of frosting on top of the cake circle

Next, put the bright red cake circles on top of the frosting. Top with another tablespoon of frosting. Repeat with the pink cake circles. Top with some pink sprinkles and eat up!
minibaker.com

Are you looking for a no bake recipe for Valentine's Day to make for that school party you forgot about? No problem; grab a pack of oreo cookies, cream cheese, and chocolate, and in no time you will have giant Hershey Kisses. Your little one's classmates will be amazed and wonder how s/he made a kiss this big!

Ingredients:
1 package oreo cookies (divided… use cookie including the cream center)
1 8oz. package cream cheese (softened)
chocolate bark

Directions:
Finely crush all but seven cookies in a food processor or place them in a ziploc bag and crush into a fine consistency

Stir in softened cream cheese. Use the back of a large spoon to help mash the two together. Roll the mixture into 1″ balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet. Then, begin to form the shape of a kiss. Flattening the bottom and forming a point at the top. (Mine ended up about 1.5″ tall)

It helps to put the uncoated balls in the freezer for a few minutes to keep the mixture from starting to fall apart when you drop into the melted chocolate

Melt chocolate as directed on package and then dip “kisses” one at a time into chocolate, tap off extra and slide them off spoon onto wax paper covered cookie sheet to dry. Once dry, refrigerate and enjoy! Oh yeah, just eat the extra seven cookies
bakerella.com

Well I couldn't leave out an owl recipe for Valentine's Day, now could I! These adorable owl cookies would be a big hit at any event whether it's for Valentine's Day or not. Take note: the frosting needs to cool for a day before you decorate it with the frosting for the eyes, beak, and feathers. Can someone make these for me for my birthday!

Ingredients:
ivory piping and flood icing
light gray 20-second icing
dark gray 20-second icing
large candy beads {I get mine HERE}
pink piping icing

Directions:
Check out Sweet Sugar Belle for this info, she has links and tips on how to outline and "flood" frost the owl heart as well how to create the other pieces for this cookie.
sweetsugarbelle.com

For me Valentine's Day isn't a holiday about diamonds and gifts. I would much rather have fun together with the kids baking recipes for Valentine's Day like the owl cookies or the love letter cupcakes. Are you making special treats with your family for Valentine's Day?