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If you’re living under a rock, let me break the news – Valentine’s Day is upon us. Maybe you still have time to buy a card and you could go looking for a box of chocolates or other token of your affection. But then again, homemade is so much nicer. Easy chocolate Valentines are the Valentine’s Day present you’ve been waiting for. 

These chocolate hearts are no-bake, they take only minutes to make, and you can top them nuts, dried fruit, or decorating sugar – or leave them plainly and beautifully bare. With decorations, they are basically chocolate bark in special shapes – hearts anyone?

Chocolate, a cookie cutter, a few more items, and your creativity are all you need. How much chocolate depends on how big your cookie cutter is and how thick you want the chocolate to be. Perfect for a last minute, but special way to say “I love you.” Did I mention that they are great for making with kids? 

Easy Chocolate Valentines 

Ingredients

• Several ounces good quality bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped or grated 
• A few drops of flavorless oil (canola, corn or similar)
• Decorations (I used dried cranberries, chopped pistachios, and decorating sugar)

Equipment

• Cookie cutter(s)
• Pan with bowl fitted on top or microwave safe dish
• Parchment fitted into a container, preferably not much larger than the cookie cutter(s)
• Small piece of paper towel
• Spoon and Spatula
• Small sharp knife
• A heavy object that fits on top of the cookie cutter (I used the stone mortar from my mortar and pestle set used for making guacamole.)

Preparation

• Chop or grate the chocolate into small pieces.
• Lightly oil the inside of the cookie cutter with a paper towel.
• Melt the chocolate. If microwaving, try a low setting for a short time, then stir and continue until the chocolate is melted, raising the heat setting only slightly. (Using anything close to the highest power will probably burn your chocolate.) For stovetop melting, put a couple of inches of water in the pan, bring to a boil and put the chocolate into a bowl set on top of the pan. Stir under low light until the chocolate is fully melted. 
• Place the cookie cutter on the parchment-lined container. Add the melted chocolate and gently spread with the spoon and spatula. (Two implements allow you to pull the chocolate off of one with the other.) Make sure it is evenly distributed and relatively smooth.

• Add decorations. Put the heavy object on top and leave in a cool, dry place to harden. You can refrigerate the chocolate for a few minutes, but longer will cause it to “bloom” or become white-looking. Bloomed it’s still edible, but not as pretty. 
• Remove from the parchment and the cookie cutter with the sharp knife. 

Happy Valentine’s Day.