Loving Valentine’s Day

I love Valentine’s Day! I guess it’s because the thought of giving someone you love chocolate or other sweets to let them know how you feel is so romantic. The other reason I am so fond of Valentine’s Day is that it just happens to be my birthday.

I look forward every year going into stores and malls and even restaurants and seeing the hoopla with hearts, lace and all sorts of sweets in honor of that special day signifying love. Plus, as a kid I thought that everyone was celebrating MY birthday.

There should be no extraordinary reason to tell that special person in your life that you love them. You should tell them EVERYDAY, because love does not come around everyday. I, also, love making special desserts for those in my life that are special in a non-romantic way as well. For example, I love making sweets for my kids and my students as well.

A simple creation that you can make even if you don’t have the time is to create chocolate drops. Just melt some high quality chocolate and drop small circles of chocolate, about 1/2 teaspoon each, onto a waxed paper lined sheet pan. Then go crazy and top each circle of chocolate with some toasted nuts, coconut, pomegranate seeds, tiny pieces of fresh fruit like a fresh raspberry or a small clementine section. You can even melt some white chocolate and drizzle it over your tiny creations. Place the sheet pan in the fridge and chill the drops until the chocolate hardens.

You can pack them in a tiny box and keep them in the fridge until you are ready to present them to your special someone. Trust me, anyone can make these, and the rewards you will receive will be exponential to the small amount of effort it took to make them.
You never know, you might get a marriage proposal after offering these little sweets. By the way, do let me know when the wedding is.

Happy Baking!

Chef Gail