Valentine's Day Sweet and Savory Treats

The first of February is always a dreadful moment because you know that Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Thinking about what to get your significant other while being on a budget can have you thinking for hours. This Instructables will help you think of great gifts that can be easily made without overpaying or standing in long lines at the stores.

Step 1: Rolled Cake With Hearts Decoration

Step 1

Gather your materials:

-You will need a boxed cake mix (and the materials listed on the cake mix)

- Cream cheese (4oz)

-1 1/2 cups of cold heavy cream

-1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

- 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

-Parchment paper

-baking sheet

- No stick baking spray

- Pastry bag

-Preheat your oven to 350°

Step 2: Preparing the Cake Mix

Prepare the cake mix as directed on the cake mix box. Separate the mix in 3 batches. Set 1/3 cup on a small mixing bowl and dye the mix in a light pink color. Set 1/3 cup on a separate mixing bowl and color it a darker shade of pink. The remaining mix should be left white.

Step 3: Preparing the Baking Sheet

Cut a piece of Parchment paper so that it completely covers the bottom of the baking sheet. Adding no-stick baking spay will help the paper stay in place.

Step 4: Adding Design to Your Cake

Pour the colored cake mix into a pastry bag. Create hearts with the darker colored cake mix and dots with the lighter colored mix on the Parchment paper and refrigerate the baking sheet for 7-10 minutes.

Step 5: Preparing the Cake

Remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator and evenly pour the white cake mix carefully on top of the hearts and dots.

Step 6: Bake Time

Place the baking sheet in the oven once it reacher 350° and bake for 18-20minutes.

Step 7: Preparing the Frosting

Whisk 4 ounces of cream cheese and 1/2 a cup of heavy cream in one bowl. In a separate bowl combine 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, 1 cup of heavy cream, and 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form. Slowly add the cream cheese mixture to the mixture containing the confectioner's sugar. You can add a small drop of food coloring for aesthetics.

Step 8: Rolling the Cake

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and immediately place a thin kitchen towel over the baking sheet and invert onto another pan. Remove the parchment paper and dust confectioners sugar on the cake. Begin rolling the cake using the kitchen towel immediately after removing the cake from the oven. Allow the cake to cool off.

Step 9: Frosting the Cake

Unroll the cake and frost the side with no design. Roll your cake again.

Step 10: Serve and Enjoy

Serve a slice of the cake roll and enjoy this easy to make Valentine's Day themed treat.

Step 11: Valentine's Mexican Buñuelos

A sweet relative of the very famous churro, Buñuelos are not given its well deserved recognition. Buñuelos are easily made and treat that will indulge you sweet tooth.

Step 12: Gather Your Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients/items:

- Flour tortillas

- 1/3 cup of sugar

-1 tablespoon of Ground Cinnamon

-Vegetable oil

-Heart Shaped Cookie Cutter

-Strawberries are optional

Step 13: Making the Cutouts

Place a flour tortilla on a clean flat surface. Use a cookie cutter to cutout heart shapes.

Step 14: Preparing Your Pan

Using a small pot, pour oil and allow for the oil to heat up for a few minutes.

Step 15: Preparing the Topping

While the oil heats up, mix about 1/3 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon.

Step 16: Deep Fry the Tortilla

Using kitchen tongs, place the tortilla cutouts in the hot oil. Turn the tortilla over so that it may brown on both sides. The process should only take a few seconds on each side (approximately 10 second per side)

Step 17: Removing the Fried Tortilla From the Heat

Using your kitchen tongs, remove the fried tortilla onto a paper towel so that oil can be absorbed by the towel.

Step 18: Adding Garnishes

Dip the fried tortilla into the sugar and cinnamon mixture until completely coated. Garnish with a slice of strawberry and enjoy.

Step 19: Potato Roses

Why ask for fresh flowers when you can enjoy some delicious potato roses.

Step 20: Gather Your Materials

You will need the following materials/ingredients:

-Potatoes

-Vegetable Oil

-Toothpicks

-Lemon

-Salt

-Tapatio Sauce

-Cucumbers

-Slicer

Step 21: Rinse Your Ingredients

Wash the potatoes and cucumber.

Step 22: Slicing

Using a vegetable slicer or a knife, thinly slice the potatoes and cucumbers. Set the cucumber aside and place one layer of the potato slices on a microwave safe plate.

Step 23: Microwave

Place the microwave safe plate in the microwave and set a two minute timer.

Step 24: Form the Flowers

Begin by bending a potato slice into the shape of a rose bud. Place a toothpick through the formed rose bud and continue to place potato slices around the initial rose bud. Use the toothpick to keep the potato slices in place. Continue to attach potato slices to form the rose completely. You will use approximately one small potato per rose.

Step 25: Secure the Rose With Toothpicks

When your rose is completely shaped, attach more toothpicks to keep the rose in shape while it fries. Secure all the toothpicks. You will need 3-4 toothpicks per rose.

Step 26: Frying the Roses

Fry each rose individually until they are golden brown.

Step 27: Slice Cucumbers

While frying the potato roses, slice a cucumber to accompany your potato roses.

Step 28: Final Preparation

When ready, carefully remove all the toothpicks.

Step 29: Adding More Flavor

Place your fried potatoes on a plate along with the cucumber slices. Salt the potatoes and cucumber. Pour some Tapatio sauce on the potato roses and cucumber. Finally, squeeze some lemon juice.

Step 30: Serve and Enjoy

Enjoy this wonderful looking treat.

Step 31: Valentine's Day Pizza

Kids love pizza and Valentine’s Day. In this tutorial you will learn how to make heart-shaped pizzas that the kids will truly love.

Step 32: Gather Your Materials

You will need the following materials:

· Pilsbury Crescent Dough Sheet

· Ragu Pizza Sauce

· Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

· Pepperoni

· Jalapeño Slices

· Sliced Mushrooms

· Water

· Egg

· Parchment Paper

· Heart-shaped Cookie Cutter

· Fork

Step 33: Preheat Your Oven

Prepare your oven by setting it to 350 degrees.

Step 34: Heart Cut Outs

Unroll the dough roll and cut our heart shapes using a cookie cutter.

Step 35: Prepping the Pizza

Place Pizza Sauce on the center of half of the hearts.

Step 36: Adding Cheese

Place Mozarella cheese on top of the sauce.

Step 37: Adding Additional Toppings

Place a mushroom slice, jalapeño slice, and a pepperoni on top of the cheese.

Step 38: Forming the Pizzas

Finally, place the heart-shaped cutouts with no ingredients on top of the hearts with ingredients.

Step 39: Forming the Pizza

Attach both dough hearts by pressing on the dough with a fork.

Step 40: Preparing the Egg Wash

Mix and egg with about a tablespoon of water. Rub some of the egg mixture on the already prepared heart pizzas.

Step 41: Baking Time

Place the prepared pizzas on a baking sheet and place them in the oven for 12-15 minutes.

Step 42: Serve and Enjoy

Serve and enjoy.

Step 43: Chocolate Covered Marshmallows and Strawberry Kabob

The perfect gift for the girl or guy who loves sweets. These kabobs are easy to make and also inexpensive. Why pay a company top dollar, when you can make these simple but delicious treats on your own. Avoid the long lines and share a special treat with a loved one.

Step 44: Gather Your Materials

For this tutorial you will need the following ingredients/items:



• Marshmallows
• Chocolate Melts
• Strawberries
• Heavy Whipping Cream
• Sugar Crystals
• Skewers

Step 45: Getting Your Double Boiler Ready

If you have a double boiler or chocolate melter you're in luck, if you don't, its time to get creative. Place a small pan with water to boil. Using a microwave safe bowl, place it over the boiling water.

Step 46: Rinse Strawberries

Always remember to rinse your fruits before consuming them. Dry the strawberries completely with a paper towel.

Step 47: Melt Your Chocolate

Add the chocolate melts to the bowl that covers the boiling water. Slowly add whipping cream, a little at a time, until the chocolate had a liquid consistency.

Step 48: Cover the Strawberries

Dip the strawberries into the melted chocolate. Cover the strawberry completely and shake off any excess chocolate. Set the strawberries on a plate so that the chocolate can harden.

Step 49: Insert Skewer Into a Marshmallow

Insert a skewer into the marshmallow and dip the marshmallow into the melted chocolate. Shake off any excess chocolate, then, immediately dip the end with chocolate into the sugar crystals. Lower the marshmallow with enough space remaining to insert a strawberry.

Step 50: Melt a Different Color Chocolate

Melt either pink or red chocolate melts and drip some chocolate over the already chocolate covered strawberries.

Step 51: Adding the Final Piece

Finally, insert a strawberry at the top of the skewer. This treat is ready to be enjoyed.

Step 52: Ice-cream Sandwiches

Celebrate the hot weather during Valentine's Day with an ice cream sandwich. Not only will you be able to enjoy this delicious treat, but you will have fun making it too. You will be able to enjoy home made ice cream and it only takes minute to prepare.

Step 53: Gather Your Materials

You will need the following materials/ingredients:



• 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup of milk
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1 tablespoons of strawberry syrup
• Salt
• 1 quart size Ziploc bag
• 1 gallon size Ziplock bag
• Ice
• Brownie Filled Chips Ahoy! Cookies
• Conversation Hearts
• Measuring Spoon/Cups

Step 54: Combine Ingredients

Pour the milk, sugar, strawberry syrup, and whipping cream into the quart size Ziplock bag. Try to squeeze out as much air as possible when sealing the bag. I always double bag the quarter sized bag so that salt doesn't get into the mixture.

Step 55: Add Ice

Place about 4 cups of ice into the gallon sized Ziplock bag and add the salt to the ice. Make sure to add the salt to the ice not the small Ziplock bag. Then place the sealed quarter sized bag into the bag with ice.

Step 56: Making Ice Cream

Shake the bag of ice until the quarter sized bag has solidified in texture. You may need to add more ice and salt to the gallon sized bag during the process.

Step 57: Preparing the Containers

You can use the bottom of water bottles to create your cookie sandwich by cutting them with scissors or a small bowl.

Step 58: Making the Sandwich

Place a cookie on in the bottle water cutout. Place some ice cream on the cookie. Then place some conversation hearts in the ice cream. Finally, cover the ice cream with another cookie. Place the sandwich in the freezer. You can also pour some ice cream in a small bowl, sprinkle with conversation hearts, and dip a cookie into the ice cream.

Step 59: Serve and Enjoy

Serve and enjoy your home made ice-cream.