A Delicious Valentine

Want to go gourmet with your Valentine treats this year?  Here's a fun combination of goodies that's great to give to your Valentine, teachers, neighbors or whoever else needs some special love! 

Xpedx in Orem (1786 South State Street) is a great place to buy specialty gift boxes...and they are usually pretty cheap!  They sell the foldable brown boxes which make great Valentine holders for your kids...and you can decorate them however you want! 

Here are my three favorite bite-sized desserts that would make a great combination or can be given seperately! 

My Mom is the queen of chocolate covered strawberries...they are so delicious and so easy!

 Chocolate Covered Strawberries

1-2 pound package strawberries (they are about $5 for 2 pounds at Costco right now)

Gourmet chocolate (Dove, Lindt or the Bliss chocolates taste the best!)

1-2 tbs cream (optional)

1 tsp almond extract (optional)

Melt the chocolate on low.  As soon as it's melted, stir in the cream and almond extract until mixed in.  Hold the strawberry from the top and dip the strawberry halfway to three fourths up.  Lift directly out of chocolate and let excess drip off.  Set on wax paper to cool. 

These mini cheesecakes are delicious and again very easy!

 Mini Cheesecakes

Two 8 ounce pkgs cream cheese

2 eggs

2 tsp lemon juice

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Vanilla wafers

1 can fruit filling (any flavor, 20 ounce)

Cupcake foils

Combine cream cheese, eggs, lemon juice, sugar and vanilla.  Beat until smooth.  Place one vanilla wafer into each cupcake foil in a cupcake baking tin.  Spoon filling into cupcake foil until halfway full.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Let cool completely before topping with filling.

Remember these from Christmas?  They work great for a Valentine treat too!

Oreo Truffles

1 package Oreo cookies

One 8 ounce cream cheese

2 packages Bakers semi-sweet chocolate

Set aside nine finely blended cookies (a food processor is best for this!)  Blend remaining cookies.  Mix cookies with softened cream cheese.  Roll mixture into small balls.  Microwave one package chocolate in a bowl for two minutes.  Dip Oreo balls into chocolate and place on wax paper to cool.  Sprinkle crumbs on truffles.  Refrigerate for two hours.