3 Super Sweet Valentine’s Day Recipes
Valentine’s Day is less than a month away!
Whether you’re planning a romantic dinner with your partner, a get together with friends, or simply a night in with the kids, we have 3 delicious recipes for you to try.
Each of these recipes are quick and easy and won’t leave you with too much cleaning up to do! These bakes could be the perfect, sweet gift for your loved ones or simply a Valentine’s treat for yourself!
Red Velvet Brownies
Ingredients:
- 1 dark chocolate baking bar (chopped)
- 75g (¾ cup) butter
- 400g (2 cups) sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 180g (1½ cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 bottle red liquid food colouring
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cream Cheese Icing:
- 110g butter, softened
- 225g cream cheese
- 480g icing sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Serves: 16
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 350°C.
- Line a 9-inch pan with foil and lightly grease.
- Melt the chocolate and butter (in a microwave safe bowl) for 1.5 – 2 minutes, stirring after each 30 seconds to ensure the chocolate does not burn.
- Whisk in the sugar and add the eggs one at a time.
- Once mixed thoroughly, gently add in and stir: the flour, the red food colouring, the baking powder, and the vanilla extract.
- Pour the mixture into your baking tin and bake for 40-48 minutes.
- Always check with a toothpick, it should come out clean with moist crumbs.
- Leave the brownies to cool completely.
For the cream cheese icing:
- Beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Add the icing sugar and vanilla.
- Ice the brownies, once cooled, and enjoy!
Love Heart Biscuits
Ingredients:
- 100g butter, softened
- 50g caster sugar
- 170g plain flour
- Coloured icing tubes
- Love Hearts and other edible decorations (optional)
Serves: 12
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 180°C or 160°C (fan oven).
- Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
- Beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy, and then add in the flour.
- Place the dough onto a floured worktop and knead.
- When smooth, use a rolling pin to roll the dough to around the thickness of a pound coin (3-5mm).
- Using your heart – shaped (or other love-themed) cutter, cut out 12 biscuits.
- Now, place these on the baking tray and into the oven for 15 minutes.
- When ready, leave the biscuits on the tray to cool for 5 minutes before placing them on a cooling rack.
- Once cooled, have fun decorating your biscuits!
Strawberry – topped chocolate cupcakes
Ingredients:
- 175g plain flour
- 40g cocoa powder
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 250g caster sugar
- pinch of salt
- 100ml sunflower oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsp milk
- 125ml boiling water
- A box of fresh strawberries
- Buttercream:
- 200g unsalted butter, softened
- 130g icing sugar
- 15g cocoa powder
Serves: 18
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 180°C or 160°C (fan oven).
- Line 2 trays of 12-hole muffin tins with 18 paper cupcake cases.
- Carefully, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a mixing bowl.
- Then, add the caster sugar and a pinch of salt.
- Add the sunflower oil, eggs and milk and beat until smooth.
- Then, add the boiling water and mix.
- Scoop the batter evenly into the 18 paper cases.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes and test with your toothpick/skewer.
- Ensure the cakes cool for at least 5 minutes, before placing them on a cooling rack.
For the buttercream icing:
- Beat the butter, icing sugar and cocoa powder together, until pale and fluffy.
- Once cooled, spread the buttercream over the top of the cupcakes.
- Decorate with some fresh, sliced strawberries!
Check out these other delicious Valentine’s Day treats by Good Housekeeping for even more inspiration.
We hope you enjoy your baking and manage to keep your kitchen clean and tidy this Valentine’s!
Love,
