These Gum Drops are soft and sweet but not too sweet. I started with a Taste of Home recipe, and the secret…applesauce. Who would have known?

The beauty of this recipe is that you can change the flavor simply by changing the flavor of the Jello. To make them special for Valentine’s Day treats, I cut them into heart shapes using the mini cookie cutter from the Romance Set, the same ones I used for the Valentine’s Cupcakes with the Hearts in the center.

Won’t these be perfect for teacher gifts? Or even as classroom treats? I found these little treat boxes in the dollar section at Target, there were maybe 4 or 5 in a package. Another fun classroom treat are the Valentine’s Day Cookie Pops that I shared yesterday, did you see them?

I always loved helping out in the classroom for parties? Are you sending in Valentine’s Day treats with your kiddos? Or maybe the office?

Linking to…Show & Tell Friday

“Bee my Valentine”…“You’re PURR-fect” or how about “I have my EYE on you!”

Aren’t they fun? I used canned frosting {it melts the best} to coat the cookies, but you could also use candy melts or Almond Bark.

Let’s gather our supplies…

“Bee my Valentine”

Bee Supplies:

• Nutter Butter Cookies
• Lollipop Sticks
• Small amount of melted chocolate – you can use candy melts, chocolate chips or Almond Bark
• White canned frosting
• Buttercup Yellow & Black Coloring
• Spaghetti, uncooked
• Yellow mini M&M’s
• Marshmallows – I used Stackers
• Small paint brush
• Wax Paper

 ”You’re PURR-fect”

Cat Supplies:

• Round sandwich cookies – like Oreos
• Lollipop Sticks
• Small amount of melted chocolate – you can use candy melts, chocolate chips or Almond Bark
• White canned frosting
• Black Coloring
• Spaghetti, uncooked
• Eyes – Mini M&M’s
• Ears – Tootsie Rolls
• Nose – Jumbo pink heart sprinkle
• Mouth – red Jimmies
• Small paint brush
• Wax Paper

Directions:

1. Carefully take apart cookie
2. Melt chocolate and dip end of lollipop stick in chocolate and place in frosting on cookie, replace top of cookie
3. Place on wax paper and place in freezer for at least 15 minutes
4. With a paint brush and the black coloring, paint the spaghetti for whiskers, set on wax paper to dry
5. Place white frosting in a bowl, amount will depend on how many cookies you are coating
6. Melt in microwave for about 20 seconds
7. Coat the whole cookie, let excess drip off back into the bowl. Add crushed cookies if desired, and place in floral foam to keep it upright, place in freezer for about 5 minutes
8. Meanwhile, prepare the face – soften Tootsie Rolls in your hands, push flat and cut ears. Layout other candy for face
9. Place in freezer to set, about 15 minutes

“I have my EYE on you”

Eye Supplies:

• Round sandwich cookies – like Oreos
• Lollipop Sticks
• Small amount of melted chocolate – you can use candy melts, chocolate chips or Almond Bark
• White canned frosting
• Eye – Candy clay – I shared the recipe in Cupcake Chronicles Newsletter {subscribe here} or you could also use a round candy like Necco Wafers
• Pupil – brown mini M&M’s
• Eyelashes – Chocolate Jimmie sprinkles

I cut the tags from Lifestyle Crafts die cuts, added a heart cut from die cuts like I used on the Heart Garland, and tied them onto the stick with a ribbon.

Happy creating! I’ll be back tomorrow with Homemade Gum Drops for Valentine’s Day!

Disclosure: I received some products to try from Lifestyle Crafts and as always, the opinions are my own.

Linking to…Gooseberry Patch, Show & Tell Friday

Welcome to Cupcake Tuesday! Be sure to check out the ALL NEW Cupcake Heaven page! And if you are in need to a special cupcake design, use the “Be a Hero” area!

Before we get to the Valentine Cocktail Cupcakes, I have a little favor to ask of you. A few weeks back, I told you about the Celebrations.com Cupcake Contest. Well, I entered my Stiletto Cupcakes and I would LOVE your vote. Just click on the picture below, and vote…no registration is required, just one little click! Thanks SO much!! Voting ends February 12th.

Now…let’s chat about these adorable Valentine Cocktail Cupcakes! I’ve shared some Summertime Cocktail Cupcakes before, and they have become such a hit, I thought I’d try them again, and make them special for Valentine’s Day.

I baked them right in the martini glasses, but you could certainly change the glass, as long as it’s glass and not plastic it will work fine. You can watch my video showing you how to bake them.

I started with a Strawberry Cake Mix, and the frosting is just canned. I know, it’s not always the best, but when you are melting frosting, it really does work the best. The rims of the glasses are dipped in water and then in pink sugar or Valentine nonpareils.

I used a variety of decorations; Valentine sprinkles, some candy clay hearts and lips left from last week’s Cupcake Chronicles Newsletter, Wilton icing decorations, and Homemade Gum Drop Hearts {watch for the recipe for those on Thursday},pretty much anything will work.

To make the heart flower bouquet…fit a decorator bag with tip #3 and green frosting, add the stem and some leaves, then add the heart icing decorations.

To make the lips…I used Candy Clay and a cookie cutter that I found at Hobby Lobby. If you are interested in the Candy Clay recipe and instructions, I found them in Cupcakes, Cookies & Pies, oh my! Cookbook and shared it in Cupcake Chronicles Newsletter. Read all about the newsletter!

If you are reading this in your email or RSS feed, please click over to see all the great cupcakes added to Cupcake Tuesday!

Now it’s your turn…show off your cupcake creations! I’d appreciate a link back and be sure to check out the other cupcakes!

These heart shaped doughnuts are perfect for breakfast with your sweetie, for your kiddos or even to take as a special treat to teachers.

A couple weeks ago, while looking for wood for the desk Doug is building, we stopped into Target to check out the Valentine’s Day goodies. And I came across an adorable little heart shaped doughnut pan. After baking the Chocolate Doughnuts, I just had to give these a try.

But they couldn’t be just any doughnut, they needed to be special for Valentine’s Day…Cherry! Oh yes! So, I scoured the internet…really, it took awhile, I was surprised that hardly anyone has baked Cherry Doughnuts. But, alas…I found a recipe I liked at Shugary Sweets and it even called for maraschino cherries, even better, another excuse to make chocolate covered cherries!

I’ve only made doughnuts a handful of times, and each time I bake them, I wonder why I don’t make them more often. They really are quite simple. I just had to bake up some minis too, using my Wilton Doughnut Pan.

Everyone loved these, the only change I will make next time is to add maybe 5 or 6 more cherries and a little cherry flavoring to the batter. Other than that, they were a hit in our house!

Grab a doughnut and a cup of coffee…meet us in the Coffee Talk Community to chat!

Linking to…Gooseberry Patch, Show & Tell Friday

I hope you aren’t tired of the ooey-gooey-delicious treats I’ve been sharing, there are LOTS more to come next week! Yep…Doughnuts…Gum Drops…Cookies and of course more Valentine Cupcakes! So stay tuned…I’m baking up a storm this weekend!

Yum! You know I love desserts to be impressive but easy! I LOVE helping you “Be a Hero!” I started with Betty Crocker FUN da-middles, and yes, I have some for you in the giveaway! Yay! I LOVED the frosting that I added to the Valentine Brownies, so I just had to try it again on these cupcakes, a few sprinkles and little heart brownies snuggled down into the frosting.

And the inside? It’s full of delicious marshmallow fluff that is baked right into the cupcake! Betty Crocker is cool like that!

As we wrap up our celebration this week, let’s have a little re-cap of the fabulous giveaways!

• Cupcakes! 12 Months of Happiness – This giveaway is closed, but watch for another GREAT giveaway soon!
• Cupcakes, Cookies & Pies, oh my! Book - ends Sunday, Feb. 5th
• $50 Gift Card to Home Depot - ends Sunday, Feb. 5th
• Gooseberry Patch Rush-Hour Recipes Cookbook - ends Friday, Feb. 10th.
• Scentsy Valentine’s Day Warmer - ends Friday, Feb. 10th.
• Betty Crocker FUN da-middles Prize Pack - ends Friday, Feb. 10th.

And then…the new Gooseberry Patch Cookbook…Rush-Hour Recipes arrived. I have used many Gooseberry Patch recipes over the years, and absolutely adore many of their cookbooks, so when I had the opportunity to review {and YES host a giveaway} for their new book, I was super excited!

I handed the book to Doug, while he was watching a movie and told him to pick out a recipe to try. Well, of course, being just like a man, he chose Saucy Short Ribs and Sausage Bean Gumbo! Oh no – no – no! I need a dessert! My readers want me to share an ooey – gooey – delicious dessert with them. And of course, with Valentine’s Day right around the corner…you needed another gorgeous dessert for your sweetie!

Enter…Better Than Brownies

You are going to flip out when you see how easy they are to make! Just 3 ingredients!! Yup…well unless you add the chocolate chips and nuts to the top, which of course you must do! Oh and the frosting…yes! You MUST slather it on!! You heard that right…I told you to slather the frosting on!!

Before we get to the recipe though, let’s chat a minute about this new Gooseberry Patch Cookbook; Rush-Hour Recipes. Just like these Better Than Brownies, the whole book is full is quick, easy recipes for you to…you guessed it…get on the table fast! There are 5-ingredient favorites, One-Dish Dinners, Slow Cooker Recipes, Soup Recipes, Make-A-Meal Sides and Speedy Potluck & Party Foods!

And guess what? I have a Rush-Hour Recipes Cookbook for one lucky Hoosier Homemade reader! You didn’t think I was going to forget about our week long celebration did you?

So what’s the secret to these delicious Brownies? Chocolate pudding…just one small box. Oh and the frosting helps quite a bit too. Now, of course, they are delicious without the frosting, and actually the recipe in the book doesn’t call for frosting, but with Valentine’s Day coming up, I just had to add the little pink to them.

For more delicious recipes, visit the Gooseberry Patch Blog!

Now I know you want to win a Rush-Hour Recipe Cookbook…don’t you? Head on over and enter the giveaway for Rush-Hour Recipes from Gooseberry Patch!

Disclosure: I received Rush-Hour Recipes to review. As always, the opinions are my own!

Linking to…Show & Tell Friday, Weekend Wrap Up Party, Friday Food, Saturday Night Special, Sundae Scoop, Gooseberry Patch

Well here we are, the first Cupcake Tuesday with the new design! Welcome! You MUST see the new Cupcake Heaven page. Jessica did a fabulous job designing it. It’s so much easier to find what you are looking for. Also, don’t forget about the new “Be a Hero” area, you can look up cupcake designs there too!

All this week we are celebrating Hoosier Homemade’s Anniversary…it’s been 3 awesome years and we are super excited!! Yesterday was the launch with a whole new design and my new eBook…Cupcakes! 12 Months of Happiness! Don’t miss the giveaway!

We continue the party today with the new book from my all time favorite cupcake authors, Karen and Alan…Cupcakes, Cookies & Pies, oh my! is released today! But YOU get a sneak peek!

This new book is full of fun new designs, and not just cupcakes. Karen & Alan have taken their love for the over the top but easy cupcakes, and expanded it to cookies and pies! Since Valentine’s Day is only a couple weeks away, I just had to make the Puppy Love Pops for you! You are going to LOVE them!

I’m seriously in love with these little guys…Puppy Love that is! hehe So how about if I show you how to make them? I bought everything at Walmart. The pink forks can be found in the party section, they come in a package with spoons and knifes and are only $.97 cents.

Puppy Love Pops Supplies:

• Frozen Pound Cake
• Vanilla & Chocolate canned frosting…I know, but it really melts the best
• Pink Forks
• Ears – Tootsie Rolls and Caramels
• Fur – Graham Crackers and Oreos, crushed
• Mouth – Conversation Hearts
• Nose – Mini Red M&M
• Eyes – Mini chocolate chips

Then with the reserved vanilla frosting, add the nose, eyes, mouth and ears. Just adorable!!

And guess what? I have a Cupcakes, Cookies & Pies, oh my! Book for one lucky Hoosier Homemade reader!  Head on over to enter the giveaway! AND be sure to watch the Baa Baa Black Sheep video…it’s really cute, and watch until the end to see what the black sheep does to the white sheep…so funny!

Linking to…Saturday Seven, Sundae Scoop, Made by you Monday

Disclosure: This post is part of a campaign I am participating in with the Walmart Moms. Walmart has provided me with compensation and product for this post. My participation is voluntary and opinions, as always are my own.

If you are reading this in your email, please click over to see all the great cupcakes linked up!