This Valentine’s Day, instead of eating breakfast out, why not surprise your sweetie with a delicious, home-cooked meal or breakfast in bed? 

These quick, easy-to-make recipes will result in fantastic foodie fare with the additional “wow” element from being homemade. 

SIMPLE STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIES

Yield: 4 cups

Who knew that making smoothies could be a cinch? Nothing says “I love you” better than these pink-hued, sweet smoothies … and hey, strawberries are good for you! Bonus.

Ingredients:

3 C frozen strawberries

1 ½ C milk 

1/3 C strawberry jam

Directions:

Place the frozen strawberries, strawberry jam and milk in the blender. Place lid on top and puree until smooth. Serve immediately or place in refrigerator for extra chilled effect.

ALMOND FRENCH TOAST HEARTS

Yield: 3 servings

Make a more upscale French toast with these heart-shaped delicacies. The sweet strawberries, confectioners’ sugar and almond butter will make each bite tasty and unforgettable. 

Ingredients:

6 slices bread

2 eggs

¼ C milk

1 ½ tsp. almond extract, divided

2 T plus 1 C butter, divided

3 T confectioners’ sugar

Additional confectioners’ sugar (for topping)

Sliced fresh strawberries

Directions:

Cut out bread slices with a 3 ¾ inch heart-shaped cookie cutter; discard trimmings. 

In a shallow bowl, combine the eggs, milk and ½ tsp. almond extract. Dip bread on both sides in egg mixture. In a large skillet, melt 2 T butter. Cook bread hearts for 2-3 minuts on each side or until golden brown.

For almond butter, in a small bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar and remaining butter and extract; mix well. Sprinkle French toast with additional confectioners’ sugar. Serve with almond butter and strawberries. 

HEART-SHAPED EGGS

This egg-cellent idea will be sure to have your true love cracking up in no time at all.

Ingredients:

Heart-shaped muffin tin

Eggs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the tin with nonstick baking spray. 

Crack an egg into each heart in the muffin tin. Let these bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Let cool for a few minutes and remove from muffin tin. Enjoy. 

BACON HEARTS WITH MAPLE & DIJON GLAZE

Yield: 6 bacon hearts

You’ll bring home the bacon—literally—with this savory breakfast. Pair with toast or eggs (scrambled, over easy, sunny side up … your pick!) for a complete meal. 

Ingredients:

6 slices of bacon

1 T maple syrup

½ tsp. Dijon mustard

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut bacon slices in half. Arrange slices into heart shapes onto a baking rack on a cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes until bacon begins to turn brown.

In a small bowl, combine maple syrup and Dijon and set aside.

Remove pan from oven carefully (the pan will have some hot bacon grease in it) and brush bacon hearts with glaze. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes until bacon is crisp.

Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to slightly cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

WHOLE WHEAT CRANBERRY APPLESAUCE MUFFINS

Yield: 3 muffins

These heart-shaped wonders are both delicious and healthy.

Ingredients:

2 C soft white whole wheat flour

¼ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 C cranberry applesauce

2 T coconut oil

1 C sucanat

2 eggs

1/3 C 2% milk

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Use a whisk or fork to mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

In another bowl, mix cranberry applesauce, coconut oil and sucanat. Add eggs and mix well.

In a small bowl, mix the milk and vinegar. Let sit for one minute, then stir into the applesauce mixture. 

On a low speed, mix the dry ingredients. Pour batter into mini muffin pans (silicone or paper lined) and bake 11-13 minutes until toothpick inserted into muffin comes out clean. 

CHOCOLATE-RASPBERRY HEARTS

Yield: 8 servings

These treats will give a different definition for the term “sweet-heart.”

Ingredients:

1 can Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations refrigerated seamless dough sheet

1/3 C hazelnut spread with cocoa

24 raspberries

2 T dark chocolate chips

1 egg, beaten

1 T powdered sugar

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line large cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper. Unroll dough sheet; cut into 8 squares. Place squares on cookie sheet.

Spoon 2 tsp. of the hazelnut spread onto 1 side of each square. Top each with 3 raspberries and 4 chocolate chips. Fold dough over filling; press edges to seal. Form each into heart shape by pressing indentation in center to form top of heart while rounding sides of heart with hands. Brush with egg.

Bake 13-17 minutes or until hearts are golden brown. 

In small microwavable bowl, mix remaining 1 T hazelnut spread and remaining 1 T chocolate chips. Microwave uncovered on high, 45-60 seconds or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Spoon into resealable food-storage plastic bag. Seal bag; cut off tiny corner of bag. Sprinkle hearts with powdered sugar. Squeeze bag to drizzle each with chocolate mixture. 

RED VELVET CREPES

Feeling ambitious? These red velvet crepes will add a touch of elegance to your traditional morning meal. If your sweetheart is a red velvet lover, these crepes are a definite must-try. 

Red Velvet Crepes

Ingredients:

1 ½ C flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1 ½ T sifted cocoa powder

2 C buttermilk

1 ¼ C milk

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 T sugar

2 T red food coloring

2 T butter, melted

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. Mix well; set aside.

In another large bowl, combine the buttermilk, milk, egg, vanilla, sugar, red food coloring and melted butter. Whisk until smooth.

Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Stir until smooth.

Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, ladle a small amount of the batter into the pan. I found for my pan, the perfect amount was just under ¼ cup of batter. Lifting the pan off of the heat, swirl the batter around the bottom of the pan, coating the whole bottom of the pan. You want it to be as thin as possible, while coating the whole pan. Return to the heat and cook until the batter has lost it’s shine, then flip and cook on the opposite side. Remove from the pan and keep warm in an oven set to 200 degrees F. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Cream Cheese Filling

Ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

¼ C powdered sugar

1 T milk

Directions:

In a bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the powdered sugar and the milk.

Chocolate Drizzle

Ingredients:

2 oz. chocolate chips

2 ½ T cream

Directions:

Place the chocolate chips in a bowl. In a separate bowl, heat the cream in the microwave until boiling. Pour over the chocolate chips and let sit for a couple of minutes. Stir together until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.

To assemble the crepes: Fill each crepe with a bit of the cream cheese mixture. Roll up, sift powdered sugar on top, and then drizzle on chocolate. Enjoy!

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE PANCAKES

If your loved one is a chocoholic, you’ll be sure to score with this sweet treat.

Ingredients: 

2 C pancake mix (plus water called for on package)

½ C cocoa

1 T sugar

½ C semisweet chocolate chips

¼ C water

Directions:

Mix the pancake mix, cocoa and sugar. Prepare the pancake mix as instructed, adding an additional ¼ C of water. Stir in the chocolate chips once the batter is incorporated (do not over mix). Coat electric griddle with cooking spray. Cook at 375 degrees F for about 1 ½ minutes on each side. Flip only once. 

HOT CHOCOLATE WITH MARSHMALLOW HEARTS

Yield: 4 cups

Cozy up to your sweetie in bed with these steaming cups of hot chocolate and floating marshmallow hearts. You’ll make his or her heart melt for sure with this concoction. 

Ingredients:

4 C whole milk

2 T sugar

2 T plus 1 T unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder

4 T finely chopped or shaved semisweet chocolate 

Vegetable oil or cooking spray

Large marshmallows

Directions:

Bring milk, sugar, cocoa powder and chocolate to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until chocolate has melted (do not let boil). Pour into mugs.

Grease a heart-shaped petit four cutter or aspic cutter with vegetable oil or cooking spray. Cut several marshmallows in half horizontally and then press the cutter into the center of each one. Float the marshmallows and the cutouts on hot chocolate.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE DOUGHNUTS WITH CHOCOLATE SPRINKLES

You’ll be sure to score brownie points with these decadent chocolate doughnuts. 

Ingredients:

Heart-shaped doughnut pan

1 C cake flour

¼ C unsweetened cocoa powder

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

½ C sugar

½ C buttermilk

1 egg

3 T unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a doughnut pan with cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the four, cocoa, baking soda, salt and sugar. In a large measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, butter and vanilla. Mix the wet mixture into the dry until just combined. Scrape the batter into a plastic bag, cut off the tip and pipe batter into the doughnut pan wells, about halfway up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes (heart-shaped) or 13 minutes for regular-shaped doughnuts. Allow to cool about 5 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a rack to cool. Glaze and sprinkle once doughnuts have cooled. 

Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients:

½ C powdered sugar

1 T unsweetened cocoa powder

3 T milk

Directions:

Whisk all ingredients together until combined well. Add more powdered sugar to thicken or milk to thin, to desired consistency. 

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