Valentines Day- an occasion that I've always looked forward to- with high hopes of receiving a valentines card- only to be let down on the day when I didn't receive any! Nevertheless, I still like to get into the romantic spirit, and what better way to do that than getting in the kitchen for a bit of baking!
One of my favourite things to make are my love bears- an all butter shortbread biscuit that I half-coat in milk chocolate and decorate with cut-out icing hearts. I really enjoy making biscuits - I think the whole mixing, rolling, shaping, chilling, baking and decorating process is quite relaxing and actually rather therapeutic!
Shortbread does tend to be a bit fragile, and so half-coating the underside of the biscuits in chocolate is a great way to strengthen it and reduce the likelihood of breakages (plus the whole shortbread-chocolate combination is really scrummy!) Once I'd decorated my bears, I packaged them in cellophane bags tied with a pretty matching ribbon, which I think makes them a perfect gift for anybody.
I also decorated some individual rich fruit cakes in the Valentines theme by making red marzipan roses, pink icing bows and by cutting outs lots of little love hearts! I think my favourite of the three is the pink bow cake, as it looks like a little present just waiting to be opened (and eaten yum!). What do you think?
