10 Favorite Chocolate Sweets For Your Valentine's Day

How many of you know the real story behind Valentine's Day?

This somewhat international holiday wasn't always about love, chocolate, strawberries and everything else that goes with Valentine's Day.

According to the Wikipedia, "St. Valentine's Day began as a liturgical celebration of one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus. The most popular martyrology associated with Saint Valentine was that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire; during his imprisonment, he is said to have healed the daughter of his jailer Asterius. Legend states that before his execution he wrote "from your Valentine" as a farewell to her. Today, Saint Valentine's Day is an official feast day in the Anglican Communion, as well as in the Lutheran Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrates Saint Valentine's Day, albeit on July 6th and July 30th, the former date in honor of the Roman presbyter Saint Valentine, and the latter date in honor of Hieromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna (modern Terni).

The day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. By the 15th century, it had evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). Valentine's Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards."

Hmm, this is very interesting. There seems to be a pattern here... most of the holidays we celebrate start off as a Christian celebration to remember important people, but later became celebrations that have nothing to do with the true meaning of the holiday. Christmas and Easter are two examples of that... Santa Claus and Bunnies? Where did they come from?

Now that I know the real story behind Valentine's Day... I plan to tell my kids the real story behind this holiday.

Of course, we will still celebrate this holiday with some yummy chocolate sweets! Plus, it is my Daddio's birthday... but he usually requests a carrot cake, his all-time favorite.

I will make him my rustic sourdough carrot cake... along with a chocolate tart that I have been experimenting with. Will share that with you when its ready!

So... today I am sharing with you my top 10 favorite chocolate sweets. Hope you enjoy them!!

 Double Chocolate Velvet Pancakes

(sugar-free & dairy-free option)

Tip: Instead of using the Banana Love Sauce... top it with strawberry cream cheese and serve it with more fresh strawberries!

Aquacate del Chocolate

(sugar-free, gluten-free & diary-free)

Tip: Serve with fresh strawberries. If you are throwing a party... serve this smooth, delicious pudding in avocado shells and top with strawberries & coconut flakes!

 Chunky Strawberry Chocolate Ice Cream

(diary-free & sugar-free options)

 Flourless Chocolate Almond Cookies

(gluten-free & diary-free)

 Bizarre Love Triangle Brownies

(sugar-free, gluten-free & dairy-free)

 Chocolate Coconut Sourdough Cake

Tip: Serve with fresh strawberries on top!

 Strawberry Cacao Milkshake

(sugar-free & diary-free option)

 Strawberry Coconut Muffins w/ Strawberry Cream Cheese

(gluten-free, dairy-free & sugar-free)

Tip: I know this isn't chocolate, but drizzling some homemade chocolate syrup on top would be just fab with this girlies... or chocolate chips!

Almund Joye Ice Cream

(sugar-free & dairy-free option)

Coconut Custard Cake

(gluten-free, sugar-free & dairy-free options)

Tip: Another none-chocolate recipe, but trust me... add chocolate chips in the batter and serve with fresh strawberries with more chocolate on top... a kiss on the lips goodness!

What are some of your favorite chocolate sweets?

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Chocolate Peppermint Twist Cookies (honey-sweetened & naturally colored)

Christmas is almost upon us! Wow, time just flies. It has been so fun doing the Truth in the Tinsel advent ebook this year. My girls are really enjoying the crafts and doing a great job of summarizing the story leading to Jesus' birth. I'm already looking forward to next year's advent... I'm thinking of finding something new to change it up.

This past week I attended a cookie exchange party hosted by some missionary friends in the city. It was nice to enjoy some much-needed fellowship, catch up with friends and make some new friends.

It took me a while to decide what cookies to make and it had to be simple, easy to travel 

& healthy.

I googled around and decided to make candy cane shaped cookies using chocolate peppermint cookie dough and plain cookie dough colored with... beet powder.

Yep, you read that right... beet powder.

Now, don't make the yucky face... I know what you are thinking. They did not taste at all like beet!

I was VERY surprise. I was expecting at least some beet flavor, but... nada!

The beet powder did a good job of giving the plain cookie dough a light pinkish color. Even my girls were thrilled to have some "colored" cookies!

If my girls liked them... I'm sure you will too!

These cookies were lightly sweet, buttery and chewy. I'm sure some frosting on top would be delightful. Also, If you don't have any beet powder... skip it and enjoy white dough!

My family and I wish you all a very beautiful Christmas and a wonderful New Year to come!

Chocolate Peppermint Twist Cookies

(honey-sweetened & naturally colored)

makes 80-90 small cookies

Red Dough

3 3/4 cups whole white wheat flour or all-purpose flour

4 Tbsp beet powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

3/4 cup honey

2 sticks cold butter, cut into chunks

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Dough

3 1/2 cups whole white wheat flour or all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

3/4 cup honey

2 sticks cold butter, cut into chunks

2 eggs

1-2  tsp peppermint extract

1. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
2. In a mixer, cream the butter and honey. When creamy, add the eggs and extract. Once combined, slowly add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Scrape the bowl and don’t overmix.
3. Pull together the dough and scoop it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough together into a log shape and wrap it up in plastic wrap. Let it chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
4. Repeat with chocolate dough.
5. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly greased cookie sheets.
6. When chilled, pull both doughs out and cut slices. Roll out each slice into long ropes. Do the dough in batches and keep the extras in the fridge to prevent the dough from getting gooey.
7. Put together the ropes of red dough and chocolate dough. Cut the ropes about 4-5 inches long. Twist and press together gently to prevent the dough from tearing.
8. Shape dough into candy canes or any shape you want.
9. Place on greased cookies sheets and bake for 10-15 mintues.
10. When done, let the cookies rest on the sheets for a few minutes before transferring them onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Now I am curious to know what other foods I can use to naturally color my baked goods! Any suggestions and ideas?

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Honey Sweetened, Almond Orange Shortbread Cookies

I am over at A Little Bit of Spain today with an easy & delicious recipe for buttery shortbread cookies. 

These amazing cookies are sweetened with honey, flavored with orange extract & zest and jazzed up with chocolate topped with more orange zest!

Head on over and get the recipe. Your family will love them and you will want to make several batches of these yummy cookies to give away as gifts!

Have a great Christmas!

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