10 Valentine Desserts + Sugar Cube Hearts {tutorial}

I thought I would share some of my top Valentine’s Day desserts with you, in case you haven’t made up your mind as to what you want to bake for the big day.  These desserts range from taking an hour or so to a few hours.  Some can even be made ahead of time (like the truffles and decorated sugar cookies).  Whatever you decide, they are sure to please whomever you are giving them to.  Enjoy and Happy Valentine’s Day! xoxo

Pink and Red Sugar Cookies

Red Velvet Truffles

Rose Cupcakes

Black Bottom Brownies

Chocolate Heart Sandwich Cookie Sandwiches

Swirl Cupcakes Valentine Cookies

Pecan-Oreo Fudge Bars

Oreo Truffles

Strawberry Pound Cake

Sugar Cube Hearts Tutorial 

DIY sugar cube hearts are such a fun and simple embellishment to make. I say embellishment, because, just like scrapbooking, it adds the finishing touches on the final product. For cupcaks and cakes, instead of buying store-bought hearts, you can make your own, in whatever color and size combination you want. Since they are made of just sugar and water, they can last a long time, provided they stay out of the heat and don’t come in contact with liquid. Here are the things you need to make these fun hearts: -sugar

-meringue powder

-rolling pin

-small heart cutter

-food coloring

-wax paper

-cookie sheet

-spatula

While it takes a bit of time to make these, they are worth the effort.

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper.

2. In a small bowl, add 1/2 c sugar.

3. Depending on the color you choose and the intensity you desire, add however many drops of food coloring into the bowl of sugar. (I use AmeriColor food gel, as I like the color and you don’t need a lot of drops. I chose to use electric pink and added a few drops.) 4. Using a spatula, mix the food coloring into the sugar until it is all dissolved and every sugar crystal is covered.

5. In a separate, smaller bowl, combine 1 t meringue powder to 1 T warm water. Make sure that the powder is fully dissolved and there are no clumps.

6. Add the meringue powder to the sugar and stir until the mixture resembles coarse sand. If you add too much liquid, your sugar will completely dissolve.

7. Pour mixture onto wax paper and using a rolling pin, roll to about 1/4″ thick. (My rolling pin has rings on the edges to help keep it even, but you could eye-ball it.)

8. Using various sizes of heart cutters, press into the sugar mixture and transfer to the cookie sheet. Do this as many times as you like, rerolling the sugar as need be.

9. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Let fully dry overnight before using.

I hope you make some of these sugar cube hearts. They are so cute and so worth it! (My two-year-old son still keeps asking for the sugar candy, as he calls it.  Which, I guess it really is.)  I paired these sugar cube hearts with this cupcake recipe, but you could use whatever is your favorite.

Holly’s Notes: **Don’t add too much liquid, as this will cause the sugar to completely dissolve.

**You might find a few hearts stick to the cutter, or won’t come out. Gently tap the edge of the cutter to the cookie sheet, so it slowly comes out. I did use a toothpick to try to help get it out, but found it more frustrating, as the toothpick only pushed a portion of the heart out. Not every heart came out perfectly, but enough did, so I wasn’t too worried.

**Be patient. It takes a bit of time to roll, press, and tap the sugar out of the cutter.

**Store any leftovers in wax paper in an air-tight container.