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Easy Recipes That Are Sure to Get The Heart Pumping This Valentine's Day

A little bit of time invested in homemade and homey gifts make a big impact on the hearts of those around you. Since everyone needs to eat, meals are the greatest investment in your loved ones because they show you care.

This Valentine's day, try making some of these simple recipes for your sweetie. Preparing a meal at home can sometimes be more romantic then going out, and it is certainly less expensive! These easy-to-follow directions can make a relaxing day at home a wonderful Valentine's gift and are sure to fill the heart (and stomach) with love!

Dainty Chocolate Pancakes

Heart Pancakes Start the day off on a romantic note with these mouthwatering pancakes. There's just enough of a chocolate sweet taste that you don't have to add syrup, but sprinkling the top with powdered sugar may be a cute personal touch.

Ingredients:

Bisquick (and ingredients needed for the pancake recipe on the label)
3 Tablespoons of Unsweetened cocoa powder
3 Tablespoons of Mini semi sweet morsels

Directions:
  1. Pour Bisquick mix into a large bowl and stir in the cocoa powder.
  2. Add all the rest of your ingredients and blend well.
  3. Scoop out half cups of batter onto the griddle in separate circles. Let cook until one side is golden brown.
  4. Flip the pancake over and brown as well.

Tip 1. Make sure you beat up and mix all of your liquid ingredients together before adding them to dry ingredients. Doing this creates a smoother batter.
Tip 2. Instead of making circles, use a metal cookie cutter in the shape of a heart or flower. Place the cookie cutter on the griddle and carefully fill. After just a minute or two, your batter will be firm enough to remove the cookie cutter and will retain the shape!
Tip 3. To prevent dry pancakes, keep your eye on the little bubbles forming on the batter-side of your pancake. If all of those bubbles have popped, your pancake will probably be too dry. Make sure you flip and brown the other side before then.

Heart Pizza

Heart Pizza

While pizza is usually a "back-up plan" kind of dinner, you can make this night's pizza wonderfully romantic and delicious by creating your own! Buying already prepared dough from you local grocer's bakery will quicken your prep time by at least half, leaving more time to cuddle with the one you love!




Ingredients:

Pizza Dough
Red Pasta Sauce
Your desired toppings

Directions:
  1. Work the dough in your hands so it becomes slightly elastic feeling by squeezing, pulling, and folding. The heat from your hands should accomplish this in no time.
  2. On a clean counter, gently roll out the dough somewhat with a rolling pin. Use your index finger to pull down the middle from the top to help create a heart shape. Use the sides of your hands to create a "v" towards the bottom. This takes some time, but keep using your hands and that rolling pin to form the heart you want.
  3. When you've created the desired shape, fold the edges in a little bit to create your crust. The more crust you like, the more you roll your dough!
  4. Evenly spread red sauce over the inside of your dough and top with cheeses, pepperoni, salami, peppers, onions… or whatever you and your sweetie like on your pie.
  5. Bake in the over according to dough package directions. Make sure your crust is at least lightly browned and the dough in the middle is fully cooked!
Tip 1. Use a little bit of flour on your hands or rolling pin if the dough seems to be sticky.
Tip 2. After you've added your toppings, spray the exposed crust with a cooking spray lightly to create a deep and crunchy texture without burning it!
Tip 3. If you and your sweetie can't decide on toppings you both share a liking for, decorate each side with the toppings you each desire.


Creamy Cookie Truffles

For a super easy, heavenly rich dessert, try making these simply divine truffles. Their bite sized goodness is great for sharing or feeding your Valentine with, and this recipe makes plenty to go around! Maybe you can make them together to give as gifts to other cute couples you know!

Ingredients:

1 package of chocolate cookies with cream in the middle
2 packages of regular cream cheese room temperature
1 Package of Chocolate or Vanilla bark Chocolate

Directions:
  1. Crush your cookies in a gallon-sized zipper baggie by rolling over them with a rolling pin. You may have to do this in shifts since one package of cookies doesn't usually fit in one bag.
  2. Get as much of your cookie crumbles and cream filling out of the bag as possible and place into a large bowl. Add cream cheese and mix with your clean hands by squeezing the contents all together. Using your hands is the only way to really incorporate the cream cheese with the cookie bits.
  3. Spray a spoon or ice cream scoop with cooking spray to help keep filling from sticking.
  4. Heat up chocolate bark in 15 second intervals in the microwave (or according to package directions). Stir constantly until you have a smooth mixture.
  5. Scoop one spoonful of filling into the bark and roll till it is completely covered. Place on wax paper or foil to allow crust to dry.
Tip 1. You can microwave your cream cheese (not in it's foil package of course) for 15 second intervals if you don't have time to wait for it to naturally come to room temperature.
Tip 2. You can use 1/3 fat cream cheese for slightly healthier dessert.
Tip 3. Using gloves while mixing the filling mixture can make clean up a lot faster.
Tip 4. Make sure you purchase a candy-coating chocolate bark. There are many varieties of chocolate you can melt, but some will stay melted, some are only for baking in a recipe, and some are made for fondue.
Tip 5. Usually it doesn't take very long for your chocolate bark to firm into a delicious coating, but putting your truffles in the fridge will speed up the hardening process. Just make sure you don't leave them in for too long, otherwise condensation may build up and your truffles may be too moist.


Take advantage of this opportunity to be grateful for those around you and show them how much you love them!



Other Valentine's Day Recipes: Valentine's Day Chocolate Love Recipes

Other Valentine's Day Article: 5 Free Gifts Ideas For Him This Valentine's Day