My fiancé is very vocal about his likes and dislikes with everything, in this case, candy.  He is always disappointed with the boxes of chocolates that are store bought.  I can tell you exactly what candy he’ll eat and which he will complain about.  He looks inside the box takes a nibble out of a few pieces then puts them back.  Yeah, he’s that guy.  I guess I’ve gotten use to it, or I just throw them out or eat around the half eaten pieces.

As Valentine’s day approaches I’ve been thinking about chocolates and all the things my fiancé really does love….then I thought that I should just chocolate dip all his favorite treats. I’ll include savory, tart and sweet and create my own assortment of chocolate bites. I could recycle Valentine heart boxes from years past and spruce them up with a new lining. He’ll be so surprised and pleased.  That’s exactly what I did.

I started the project by heading to Walmart to pick up Valentine tissue paper (for the inside of my recycled boxes), stick glue, chocolate chips, marshmallows, and BACON!  If I was going to make my own box of chocolates it would have to have heart shaped bacon in it.  He lives to eat bacon so why not cover it in chocolate?

It was a real easy process.  I just shaped a few slices of bacon into hearts on a cookie sheet and baked them for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.  The rest was super easy and I believe he is going to be thrilled.  You can always custom make your own DIY box of chocolates with the treats your sweetheart loves most.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Things needed for DIY box of chocolates:

• A heart shaped box ( I used a few I had from years past)
• Valentine tissue paper
• pencil and scissors
• 2 – cookie sheets
• wax paper
• 1 – package bacon (shape each slice into a heart on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes)
• 1 – paper towel
• 1 – paper plate
• 1 – bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 – tablespoon coconut oil
• mini pretzels
• strawberry marshmallows ( I used Kraft)
• kumquats (I used Melissa’s Produce)

Directions: 

1. Place a piece of tissue paper into the inside of a heart shaped box.  Then with a pencil lightly trace the outline of the inside of the heart.  Next remove the paper and cut it out with the scissors.  Place the heart on the bottom layer of the box. 
2. Line a cookie sheet with a piece of wax paper and set to the side.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
4. One the other cookie sheet shape each slice of bacon into a heart, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes (as pictured above).
5. Remove bacon from oven and place on a paper towel lined paper plate to cool completely.
6. In a double boiler add in chocolate chips and coconut oil, mix until completely melted.  Pour melted chocolate into a bowl.
7. Dip in pretzels, marshmallows, kumquats, and bacon.  Place dipped pieces on wax paper lined cookie sheet to firm up completely.  I let them set over night.         
8. Once all pieces are firm, place chocolates into boxes, and give it to your sweetheart.  
9. Happy Valentine’s Day!

When I think romance or love…. I associate the two with ice cream.  Don’t ask me why.  I guess I picture a couple sharing a banana spilt or going out on a romantic stroll and stopping for ice cream.  Or maybe it’s because me and my fiance eat ice cream side by side when watching a good movie or talking out on our patio on a warm night.  Or maybe because it is so darn good and why wouldn’t I equate it with love.  I actually love it.  To get to my point, I was sorta giving you the back story with the ice cream and love bit.  This Valentine’s day,  instead of making reservations to a restaurant I’m thinking of staying home and making a yummy dinner instead, and when I asked my sweetheart what he wanted he wanted for dessert he was very specific and said “Haagen-Dazs Strawberry Ice Cream.” In my head I danced with joy thinking this will be the easiest dessert I have ever made and it will be pink and so suitable for Valentine’s Day.  I looked at him and said “No problem hot stuff.”

The beauty of this Valentine’s Day dessert/treat is they are so easy to make.  I bought everything for the ice cream sandwiches at Walmart, and the ice cream was only $3.98.  My guy is a cheap date.  Happy Valentine’s Day!

Ingredients for strawberry ice cream sandwiches:

• 1 – pint Haagen-Dazs Strawberry Ice Cream
• 1 – box World Table Chocolate Caramel Cookie Thins
• candy heart decorations

Directions:

1. Remove ice cream from freezer for 10 minutes.
2. Take a cookie and place a single scoop of ice cream in the center. 
3. Top ice cream scoop with a cookie.  Press down to sandwich. 
4. Decorate the sides with candy hearts. 
5. Place back in the freezer for 30 minutes or until ready to eat! 

Some things are sooooo good, they should only come in small bites.  It leaves you wanting more but gives you the opportunity to nibble on a delectable piece of sweetness and not have the guilt that goes along with eating a huge piece of dessert. These beyond heavenly cherry almond mini-cakes are in a category all their own, and could be enjoyed after dinner as a mini dessert or perfect for a classroom of children. ENJOY!!!!!!

Ingredients for Cherry Almond Mini-Cakes:

• 10 – tablespoons of butter
• 7 – ounces of almond paste
• 1 – cup sugar
• 1- cup flour
• 1/2 – teaspoon kosher salt
• 5 – egg whites
• 1 – teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 – teaspoon almond extract
• 32 – Melissa’s Produce cherries (pitted)
• 32 – mini cupcake holders

Directions:

1. In a small sauce pan over a low flame melt butter. Stir every so often until butter is slightly browned. Remove from heat and place to the side to cool for 15 minutes.
2. In a mixer add almond paste and mix on medium speed to break up paste for 5 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl add sugar, flour and salt and mix together. then add to the almond paste and continue to mix for 3 minutes. Until most of almond paste is incorporated. If you see that some pieces of almond paste are much bigger then others. Stop the mixer and break them up with your hands, by grinding your fingers together to form small grains of almond paste.
4. Then pour browned butter into almond paste flour mixture, and mix till combined.
5. Add in egg whites, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix on medium for 3 minutes. Then turn mixer off and let dough rest for 30 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven for 400 degrees fahrenheit. Line mini cupcake tins with paper liners and set to the side. Pit the cherries and set to the side.
7. Fill each paper liner with 1 tablespoon of almond paste batter, then stick a cherry in the middle of each cup. 
8. Bake for 14 minutes. Then remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
9. ENJOY!

Ever fall hopelessly head over heels in love with flan?  The type of love where you have tunnel vision, and all your surroundings just fade to black because all you could think about is your flan?  I had it bad, I was MAD…. as in madly smitten with the sweet and salty cajeta drenched chocolate flan that I had to do something grandiose as a gesture of my amor.  I made this video so lovers around the world could unite and  find themselves in the arms of a delicious flan!  HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

Ingredients for Salted Cajeta Chocolate Flan:

• Non- stick baking spray
• 1/2 – cup cajeta
• 1 – 7.6 ounce Nestle’s Media Crema
• 12 – ounce semisweet chocolate chips
• 5 – large eggs
• 4 – ounces of cream cheese (room temperature)
• 1 – 14 ounce can of  Nestle’s La Lechera Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1 – 12 ounce can of evaporated milk
• 1 – tablespoon vanilla
• sea salt to taste

Directions:

1. Spray a 12 cup budnt pan with non stick spray.
2. Pour cajeta evenly into bundt pan. Set to the side.
3. In a medium sauce pan over a medium flame add Media Crema and chocolate chips and stir until completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
4. Add eggs, cream cheese, La Lechera, evaporated milk, and vanilla to a blender. Blend till smooth.  Then add in the chocolate mixture and blend till combined.
5.  Pour flan mixture over the cajeta filled bundt pan.
6. Cover the bundt pan with a piece of aluminum foil and place inside a large pyrex baking dish.  Pour hot water into the pyrex baking dish to fill up half way.
7. Then place the baking dish into the oven and bake for 1 hour.
8. Once out of the oven, remove from water bath and uncover to allow cooling.  Run a small knife around the edge to ensure it from sticking.
9. Let the flan rest for two hours then flip it over onto a plate.  Slowly lift pan up away from plate.
10. Place in the fridge for 5 hours or overnight.
11. Sprinkle top with sea salt right before serving.
12. ENJOY!

Thank you with my entire heart and gratitude to my most awesome crew! I sincerely love you guys big.

Directors:  Mando Lopez and James Ford

Director of Photography:  Tony Molina

Producer:  Lacey Reilly

 Editor:  James Ford

Set Design:  Mando Lopez

On-set morale booster: Kristen Warren

Sound:  Adriana Sanchez

Equipment: Paul Hopkins

Opening Music: Anger Bros

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Nestle, the recipe and opinions are completely my own.