order online
weekly specials
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. Do you plan to celebrate with your significant other, kids, or perhaps host a Galentine’s Day celebration? We like to do something every year but it’s never the same thing. Some years we go out, some years we stay in, and some years we postpone until we can figure out what we want to do. Whatever you end up doing (or not doing), I hope you enjoy it!
One tradition of mine is to ALWAYS make a beverage or 2 and a dessert or 2 to celebrate during the month of February. I try to make simple recipes that don’t take a lot of time or ingredients and are something anyone could whip up at home. Here’s what I have for you this year:
- Strawberry Pink Hot Chocolate
- Strawberry Shortcake Martini
- Love Letter Pastries
- Strawberry Puff Pastry Hearts
Now let’s walk through how to make each recipe:
This hot chocolate is creamy, delicious, and the perfect themed treat! It’s great for a cold day or when you are looking for something hot and comforting. It has a mild strawberry flavor, not overpowering in my opinion, and the right amount of sweetness.
The recipe can be found here.
Start by combining the strawberry sauce and milk in a mixing bowl. Taste and add additional strawberry sauce if necessary – you can add as much or as little as you like to reach your desired taste. Set aside.
Add the sugar, white chocolate, salt, and hot water to a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Stir until melted and well combined. Add the strawberry milk and stir to combine. Bring to a boil then remove from the heat and add a few drops of pink food coloring. The food coloring is optional. The mixture will be a very pale pink without the food coloring, but I like the vibrant pink the food coloring creates.
Pour into 4 mugs and top with whipped cream and sprinkles. Serve immediately while hot and enjoy!
The recipe can be found here.
This martini is amazing! Think of it as the ultimate dessert cocktail and perfect to toast with on Valentine’s Day. It’s boozy, sweet, and tastes just like strawberry shortcake. You can adjust the ingredients a bit if necessary. For example, cut back on the vodka and add more Bailey’s or use less Bailey’s and more vodka. Make it your own!
The recipe can be found here and is for ONE cocktail.
Start by making homemade strawberry simple syrup. If you can find store bought that’s great, but I couldn’t so I made homemade 😊 Add ½ cup water, ½ cup sugar, and 1 cup sliced strawberries to a small saucepan. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Continue to stir until the sugar is dissolved then remove from the heat and muddle the strawberries. Let sit on the counter to cool completely. Once cool, place a strainer over a bowl and pour the syrup into the strainer to remove any large chunks. Discard the strawberry chunks and keep the syrup. Any leftover syrup can be stored in the fridge after making the martini(s) to use for a second round or different cocktail.
Fill a cocktail shaker about ½ full of ice. Add Bailey’s, vodka, and strawberry simple syrup. Shake then strain into a martini glass.
Garnish with a fresh strawberry, serve, and enjoy!
The recipe can be found here and is for ONE cocktail.
These are super yummy and remind me of Pop Tarts 😊 It’s pie dough that is baked with a jam or jelly filling. The crust is warm and flakey, the jam or jelly is heated through and a bit melty, and the sugar is a bit caramelized and adds a little crunch. Super simple to make and quick to bake so it’s an easy treat to whip up for breakfast, a snack, or perhaps dessert.
The recipe can be found here.
Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Unroll both pie crusts and use a knife to cut out 8 diamonds (4 from each crust). With the remaining dough, cut out 8 mini hearts, then discard the remaining dough.
Add a dollop of jam or jelly (any flavor of your choice) to the center of each diamond. Fold in the 2 sides then fold up the bottom to create an envelope shape. Add one of the mini hearts to the center of each and place on the baking sheet, spaced apart.
Lightly beat the egg and brush over the top. Sprinkle sugar over the top. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving platter. Serve warm and enjoy!
The recipe can be found here.
Leftovers should be cooled completely and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat for 15-20 seconds before eating the next day.
Another name you might call these is Profiterole, which is a cream puff or pastry that has a creamy filling and might have some decoration or powdered sugar on top. They are a wonderful dessert or treat for Valentine’s Day! The puff pastry is light and airy, the strawberries are juicy and fresh, the whipped cream is light and mildly sweet…. It’s the right combination of flavors and not too filling after you probably had a large meal.
The recipe can be found here.
Start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly flour the counter and unfold the puff pastry (mostly thawed puff pastry so it doesn’t crack when unfolded). Use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out 10 heart shapes from the dough. Place on the prepared baking sheet, spaced apart.
Prick each heart a few times with a fork and brush with an egg wash (a lightly beaten egg). Bake for 9-10 minutes then remove from the oven to cool completely.
While the pastries cool, prepare the whipped cream. Beat together the cream cheese and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the heavy whipping cream and vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a piping bag or Ziploc bag and snip off the corner.
Pip onto 5 of the hearts. Top with sliced or chopped strawberries.
Add a little dollop of whipped cream on top of the strawberries and place the other 5 hearts on top (the dollop will help hold the pastries together). You will have a total of 5 assembled pastries.
Heat chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until completely melted and smooth. Drizzle over the top of each pastry. Completely optional, but you can also dust the tops with powdered sugar.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
The recipe can be found here.
These are best consumed on the same day. If you won’t be serving right away, store in the fridge and pull from the fridge about 30 minutes before serving so they can soften up a bit.
I hope you can find something in this blog to make for yourself or someone you care about. I sure enjoyed working on the recipes and sampling the product. It got me in the spirit and now I’m looking forward to all the tasty treats and drinks Valentine’s Day brings.
Happy Cooking and Happy Valentine’s Day!
Recent Comments