valentine treats for your sweets

Got a sweet tooth, or a sweetheart who does? We've gathered a few fun Valentine treats that are as delicious as they are cute!

I know what you're thinking: What are those divine pops and how do I get me some? These are cake pops. Never heard of them? Your waistline will wish you hadn't once you try them. Think cake and frosting mixed together and dipped in chocolate.


There is a serious cake pop revolution going on right now. If you don't know Bakerella, you need to meet her. She makes the coolest cupcake pops, and she'll show you how we made these, plus totally inspire you with her culinary art.

A friend made these as Christmas neighbor treats (sans sticks so they looked like cake truffles) and came up with AMAZING cake/frosting combinations. Try one of these--I'm going to try them all:

• Lemon cake/butter cream frosting with dark chocolate shell
  
• Strawberry cake/strawberry frosting with white chocolate & dark chocolate drizzle
  
• German chocolate cake/coconut pecan frosting with milk chocolate shell
  
• Carrot cake/cream cheese frosting with white chocolate shell
  
• Chocolate fudge cake/chocolate frosting with milk chocolate shell & white choc. drizzle
  
• Vanilla cake/vanilla frosting with dark chocolate shell

Thanks, Lacey!

Marshmallow pops are even easier to make. Just melt melting chocolate or melting candies, stick a marshmallow on a sucker stick, and dip away. We sprinkled various sprinkles on top and drizzled some with colored melting candy, but you could also roll them in nuts, mini chocolate chips, or coconut. Or how about crushed graham crackers? A little smores action.


We stuck them in balls of play dough until the chocolate hardened.


We were planning on suggesting this as a fun treat to make with your kids, until we did it. So let me revise--this is a fun treat to make with your older kids. Unless you like cleaning chocolate off of everything you own.


We wrapped each marshmallow pop in a square of cellophane and tied with a bow for a sweet Valentine treat.


Parents Magazine has instructions for these adorable cookie pops. Yum! I'm loving those heart-shaped sprinkles!


And while you've got the dipping chocolate out, why not dip a few cherries? They have a built-in stick.


If, for some unimaginable reason, you don't like chocolate (those words should never be used together in a sentence), here's another darling "pop" you can make.

Skip to My Lou shows us how to make candy cane hearts for suckers or cupcake toppers. So cute! I'm going to stock up on mini candy canes next January!

Ten pounds later, we hope you have a sweet Valentine's day!