Simple Valentine Sweet Treats

Obviously, there are many elaborate and delicious meals and cakes one can make to treat a special person, but there are also simple ways to just make everyday food a little bit special this weekend.

Heart Shapes

Either free-hand or using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut a heart shaped strawberry jam sandwich, slice of toast, scone dough etc.

One trick (where there’s no waste) is to cut a heart out of a slice of toast – pop the outer into a frying pan and fry an egg in the aperture, while spreading butter and jam on the cutout.

Chocolate

While a chocolate fondue is fun with delicious fruit, a simpler alternative is just to dip strawberries or raspberries (or both) in melted chocolate of your choice, and leave on a non-stick surface to set. (could make a tasty addition to a glass of your favourite fizz)

Passionfruit Cream

Whipped double cream is a delicious addition to a waffle or something similar. Adding a couple of spoonfuls of caster or icing sugar while whipping (to taste) and then folding in some fresh passion fruit pulp (or a dash of coulis which one can buy in supermarkets) just elevates it that extra bit. (The pulp could also just be drizzled over the whipped sweetened cream.)

Easy Scone Recipe

• 400g self-raising flour (plus extra to dust when kneading and cutting)
• 175ml double cream
• 175ml lemonade (sugar variety)

Preheat the oven to 200deg fan (220 non fan)
Mix the 3 ingredients together to form a dough
Tip onto a floured surface and knead briefly to bring it together
Pat into an even 2 cm thickness and cut out scones
Place on a lined baking tray with a little space between them. Brush with beaten egg if desired
Bake for 12–15 minutes until golden and risen
Serve with butter, jam, cream, clotted cream, whichever you prefer.

(this recipe is found in a variety of sources, including BBC Good Food)