Toss out the flowers and give your valentine a food bouquet

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Photo: Claire Powell/AmesEats Flavors

Mini pies in the shape of a heart, tied together with ribbon, make for a delicious bouquet. 

Still looking for a Valentine’s Day gift to impress the special someone in your life? If you have an artsy and creative side, a limited amount of time and a small budget, these gifts are perfect for you. Food bouquets are simple to make and are a cute way to win over that special someone.

Mini Pie Pop Hearts

You need:

Your favorite pie dough

Cherry or strawberry jam/jelly/pie filling

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 large egg

Oven-safe lollipop sticks

Flour (for rolling dough)

Heart-shaped cookie cutter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll the dough until smooth and thin, approximately 1/4-inch thick. Use the cookie cutter to cut out dough hearts. Combine left-over dough scraps and repeat. In the center of each heart (only use half of the total hearts), place a small scoop of the filling of your choice. Place a stick near the bottom of each heart and press down gently, securing the stick in the dough. Beat the egg and using a pastry brush, run the egg wash along the outline of each heart. Place the other heart on top of the one that contains filling. Pinch the edges together using a fork. Lightly brush the top of the pie pops with the egg wash and sprinkle with a pinch of sugar. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until crispy and golden brown. For an added touch, tie a small bow using ribbon on each pie pop stick. Arrange into a bouquet.

 

Chocolate Fruit

You need:

  • Assorted fruits of your choice
  • Melting chocolate 
  • Skewers
  • White chocolate (optional)

For a chocolate and fruit bouquet, stick skewers into fruits of your choice. Then dip the various fruits into melted dark or milk chocolate. If desired, add pink, red or white sprinkles. Chill until chocolate has hardened. Once the chocolate has hardened, drizzle melted white chocolate on top to create swirly designs, if desired. Tie a small bow using ribbon on each stick and arrange your chocolate fruit pieces into a delicious bouquet. 

 

Cake Pops

You need:

  • Cake mix of your choice
  • Frosting of your choice
  • Chocolate chips/baking chocolate
  • Sprinkles
  • Food coloring
  • Oven-safe lollipop sticks

Bake the cake as instructed on the cake mix box. Once cooled, crumble the cake into fine crumbs and add frosting. Mix well (until all crumbs are coated). Roll the mixture into balls or hearts and place a stick in the center of each one. Dip the cake ball/heart into the melted chocolate tinted with food coloring and coat with red, white or pink sprinkles. Place on wax paper and refrigerate for a few hours. If desired, melted chocolate can be drizzled on top and then the cake pops re-refrigerated for another hour.

For bouquets made out of marshmallows or bacon visit ameseatsflavors.com