Friday I’m in Love…
Valentine’s Day or Single Awareness Day is an excuse to do something different and enjoyable. Express your affection by making your own gifts this Valentine’s Day. We are featuring today three lovely easy-to-make and very tasty gift ideas to show appreciation to your love one, friends and family!
Make your Valentine’s Day perfect with our 3 most romantic and sweetest Valentine’s Day recipes we cherry picked for you.
Click through for tips on staying positive at work.
Lace Heart Pancakes
Source:BiteDelite
RECIPE
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter (melted)
Step by step lacy heart pancakes frying instructions:
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, mix ingredients together, until the batter is smooth.
2. Pre heat non-stick pan. Tilt and pour your batter onto the pan, creating a freehand lace pattern. Use plastic squeeze bottle.
3. Cook the crepes until golden, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until golden.
*You can add colour with food tint.
Aren’t they delightful?
Rose & Mint Champagne
Makes enough for 8 1-pint jars
Ingredients
2 cups sugar 2 tablespoons honey, or more to taste 1/2 cup mint leaves, plus more to garnish 4 tablespoons lime juice, or more to taste 1 cup dried rosebuds (available at specialty food shops) 2 bottles champagne brut or dry sparkling wine, chilled.
Make the Rose Syrup
Over medium-low heat, combine 2 cups sugar with honey and 1 cup water in a saucepan. When sugar melts, add mint leaves and let simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Strain and return liquid to saucepan. Remove from heat. Stir in fresh lime juice, crushed rosebuds and rose water. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to a week.
Serving Suggestions
When ready to serve, add 2 tablespoons rose syrup to each Mason jar. Top with dry champagne or sparkling wine. Garnish with finely crushed rosebuds and mint leaves.
Fill small jars with rosebuds and give to guests as a favor so they can re-create the drink later.
Bellini Petal Lollipops
Source: Sprinkle Bakes for Etsy Wedding Blog
You can use most any edible flower – provided it has a pleasant taste.
Here’s a list of edible flowers that are accessible and tasty:
- Basil
- Chamomile
- Johnny-jump-ups
- Lavender
- Marigolds
- Pansies
- Roses
- Violas
- Violets
Thin, flat flower heads, such as violas, violets and chamomile, are ideal. Marigold and rose heads are bulky and contain too much moisture, and will cause the hard candy to “weep.” Consider using their petals instead.
Be sure to use organically grown flowers. Eat only those flowers you are positive you can identify. Use pesticide-free plants from nurseries and herb gardens that offer organically grown flowers; pick them from a trusted friend’s organic garden or your own.
Hard Candy Notes: It’s a good idea to check the accuracy of your candy thermometer before you begin. You can do this by placing it in a saucepan of water and bringing the water to a boil. At boiling, the thermometer should read 212° F; if the reading is higher or lower, take the difference into account when testing the temperature of your candy mixture.
Your candy can take on a burned flavor if it is heated beyond the hard crack stage 310°F. You can remove the liquid candy from the heat once your thermometer registers 300°F. Allow the temperature to rise on its own for the last 10 degrees.
Bellini Petal Lollipops recipe
Yield: 12-15
Materials: 2 cups sugar 2/3 cup corn syrup 2/3 cup water 1 dram bottle peach candy flavoring oil 1 dram bottle champagne candy flavoring oil 1-2 drops red liquid food coloring Organic rose petals Organic mint sprigs 12-15 lollipop sticks Cellophane wrappers Twist-ties or ribbon.
Step 1: Cover a heat-proof work surface with parchment paper. Two or more metal baking sheets can also be used.
Step 2: Stir together the sugar, corn syrup and water in a small saucepan. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan.
Step 3: Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Continue to heat without stirring until the bubbling mixture reaches the hard-crack stage (302-310°F). This will take approximately 25 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
Step 4: Stir in flavoring oils and one or two drops of food coloring. (Be extra careful because the mixture will steam with these additions.) Stir well. As you stir, the mixture will develop small bubbles.
Step 5: When most of the bubbles have disappeared, drop the liquid candy onto the parchment paper by the spoonful using a metal spoon. Allow the candy to stand for a few moments before placing the petal or mint leaf (or combination of the two) on the hot candy. If you place the petal on the hot candy too soon, it will wilt immediately.
Step 6: Place a petal or mint leaf face down on the candy round. Use a finger (carefully!) or the end of a lollipop stick to slightly press it into the candy. Pour just enough hot candy over the petal to cover the back side, encasing it completely in the candy. Place a lollipop stick in the candy and rotate 1/2 turn. Allow the candy to harden and then lift from the parchment paper. If the lollipop appears cloudy, you may quickly and gently rinse it under a thin stream of warm water.
Step 7: Wrap lollipops in clear cellophane and tie-off with a ribbon or twist-tie. Display lollipops in sugar-filled glasses or jars. You can also use flower pots with Styrofoam inserts. lollipops to air-dry overnight before packaging.
Gift as a candy bouquet or individually, either way this is a great way to make homemade treats for everyone you care about, and it’s quite inexpensive too!
How are you planning to celebrate St Valentine’s? Do you have anything special planned? any tricks up your sleeve? any ideas? Please share your magic!
Happy Valentine’s Day! Spread the Love, Have Fun! x
Source: Pancakes-BiteDelite and Lollypops – Sprinkle Bakes for Etsy Wedding Blog.
