Homemade Valentine's Day Goodies

Day 42.

Valentine's Day is this weekend and foodie bloggers everywhere are gearing up for it by making homemade treats. I am no different. This year, my gift recipients will be given little take-out style boxes filled with homemade peanut butter cups, salt water taffy, and chocolate chip cookies. It is a very lucky day indeed to be my friend. ;)

Heart-Shaped Peanut Butter Cups

You will need:

1 cup creamy peanut butter
a dash of sea salt
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
2 cups of milk chocolate chips (you could use a different chocolate but I am going for Reese's flavor)
3 Tbsp additional creamy peanut butter

First, combine 1 cup of peanut butter, the salt, and the sugar in a mixing bowl. Keep at it until it's smooth again, with no white specks.

Then, shape 1/4 cup hunks of your mixture, by hand, into rough heart shapes. Don't be a perfectionist. The rustic, homemade look is really, really hip for this project. Place each heart on a piece of waxed paper. Work quickly. The less you touch the peanut butter, the better, because it likes to melt when it gets warmed up.


When you're done, pop the tray into the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour, until the hearts are good and firm. Now, melt your chocolate chips and 2 Tbsp peanut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until the chips are melted. Go get your frozen peanut butter hearts.

Push one heart onto a skewer gently.

Use a spoon to coat the peanut butter center completely with chocolate. Place coated heart on a smooshed muffin tin liner. Put it back in the freezer until firm.

Then invite someone to come take a bite out of one. And see if they can stop at one bite. They won't be able to. And they'll want milk, so have some ready.

Tomorrow I'll post about the salt water taffy. I promise.