Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and there is nothing sweeter than offering your loved ones a homemade tasty treat. Here are some fun recipe ideas that are child-friendly and fun to make.

Royal Icing
Yield: 2 Cups of Icing
3 ea Egg Whites

1 lb. Powdered Sugar

1/8 tsp Cream of Tartar

2 Drops Lemon Juice

Sift sugar and combine all. Paddle on medium until it reaches the desired thickness. Add vanilla or almond extract for added flavor or any food coloring as desired.

Sugar Cookies
Yield: 5 Dozen cookies

1 ½ C Butter, softened

5 C AP Flour

2 C White Sugar

2 tsp Baking Powder

4 Eggs

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla adding only one at a time. Scrape the bowl in between additions. Sift all dry ingredients and fold into the egg mixture until fully incorporated. Cover and chill dough for at least one hour. This recipe can be stored overnight. Preheat the oven to 400F and roll out dough on a floured surface to 1/4-1/2” thickness. Cut out shapes and place on a cookie sheet. Bake 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely and using a paper cone made from wax paper, decorate with royal icing.

Kissed Cookies
Yield: 3 Dozen cookies

1 C Butter, softened

1 C Almonds, finely chopped

½ C White Sugar

1 (6 ounce) bag Milk
Chocolate kisses

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/3 C Powdered Sugar

1 ¾ C AP Flour

Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Mix in flour and almonds. Beat on low speed until fully incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Preheat oven to 375F. Remove kisses from wrappers and shape 1 tablespoon of dough around each one. Roll into a ball and set on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. While cookies are still warm, roll them in powdered sugar.

Super Fudge
Yield: 8X8 inch pan

3 C Semisweet
Chocolate Chips

¼ C Butter

1 (14 ounce) can Sweetened
Condensed Milk

1 (10 ounce) bag of Mini
Marshmallows

1 C Chopped Walnuts

Combine chocolate, milk and butter in a metal bowl. Place ½” of water in a pot and put over medium heat. Set metal bowl on top, ensure no steam or water contacts the chocolate or it will seize. Heat until the chocolate is melted, stirring occasionally. Stir in marshmallows and add nuts if desired. Pour into well-greased 8X8” glass baking dish. Refrigerate until set.

Peanut Butter Truffles
Yield: 1 Dozen truffles

1 (12 oz) Package Semisweet
Chocolate

½ C Whipping Cream

3 Tbsp Creamy Peanut
Butter

1 C Peanuts, finely chopped

Melt the chocolate and peanut butter in a double boiler until completely melted. Fold in whipping cream then whip until smooth. Cover and chill until firm. Shape into 1 inch balls and roll into chopped peanuts making sure that they are coated evenly. Chill before serving; store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Sesame Seed Candies
Yield: 2 Dozen candies

1 C Sesame Seeds
3 Tbsp Light Brown Sugar,
packed

3 Tbsp Honey50

Grease two sheets of wax paper. Toast sesame seeds until they are fragrant and golden, approximately 6 minutes. In a small pot, combine sugar and honey. Cook until sugar has melted and add seeds to the sugar stirring with a wooden spoon. Pour sesame mixture over one of the greased sheets and cover with the second. Using a rolling pin, roll out the candy until it is about roughly ¼” thick. Remove the top sheet and cut with a heart shaped cookie cutter. Let cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Lemon Lollipops
Yield: 24 servings

2 C Sugar

3/4 C Water

¼ C Light Corn Syrup

Red food coloring

2 Tbsp Cherry Extract

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

Coat lollipop molds with nonstick spray. Place lollipop sticks into the molds. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water and corn syrup. Stir until sugar dissolves. Bring liquid to a boil and when temperature reaches 260F add the food coloring. Do not stir; the color will dissolve into it. Continue heating the sugar until it reaches 300F then remove it from heat. Add cherry extract and lemon juice. Pour syrup into molds and allow to cool completely before removing from molds. The color and flavor can be changed by substituting different extracts and corresponding colors (for example green coloring and lime extract or orange coloring and orange extract). The lemon juice cannot be removed or the candies will not set correctly.