Man, do we need to feel the love this year. And for us, in 2022, affection needs to be of the self-care variety, too. So keep Valentine’s Day, that loaded affair, simple and and straight from the heart. Keep everything heart-shaped, and make it as stress-free as possible. No one minds if you choose to do takeout, or bakery-ordered chocolate cupcakes with dark red wine. No matter how you play it, the best sort of love is the least stressed-out kind, we reckon.
There’s something pretty gorgeous about the simplicity of putting on Beyoncé’s “XO” and adding a heart-shaped treat. We’re talking Bundt cake and pizzas, cookies and more. Here are a few of our favorite things—treats and gadgets that get us all aflutter.
1. Le Creuset Cast Iron Heart-Shaped Dutch Oven
Maybe you can’t wrap your head around making a special extra heart-shaped anything, because these last few years dampened your romantic heart the tiniest bit. We feel you. So consider this heart-shaped Dutch oven, all the better to battle cynicism on the regular. Fill it with mussels on the big day, or risotto, and bring out the whole shebang to place on a pretty trivet between you and your beloved. Then do it again in March. And September. Because real-deal love isn’t a one-day only affair. (And if that look is too on-the-nose for you, consider Le Creuset’s mini cocottes, speckled with hearts! Love.)
2. Chocolate Espresso Valentine’s Heart Cake
Chocolate and espresso mingle in the batter. Pretty-pink buttercream gets slathered on top of this Chocolate Espresso Valentine’s Heart Cake. If your person goes crazy for pink, or chocolate, or coffee, this is what you’re making him, her or them. And creating that gorgeous heart shape is as simple as combining square and round cake pans to delightful effect.
3. Red Velvet Bundt Cake
Man, this Red Velvet Bundt Cake recipe is easy. SO easy. Our heart-shaped Bundt pan does all the heavy lifting here, making it easy to prepare a make a spectacular treat in a little more than an hour. (It’s the hands-off time we love; electric beaters, and you’re off to the races!) Its fans say it’s remarkably moist, and it’s so stunning.
4. Linzer Cookies
For those who obsess over them, there are Linzer cookies, and then there’s… everything else. The best Linzers (as their aficionados call them for short) are crunchy and just-sweet-enough, laced with exactly the right amount of raspberry jam. So we couldn’t be more thrilled to ship these traditional European cookies, handcrafted using an Austrian-born baker’s family recipes, straight to your door. They’re tasty with tea, Champagne, or coffee on Valentine’s Day morning.
5. Heart-Shaped Candy Board
You must be familiar with the adage “variety is the spice of life?” Well, candy boards are just the spot to put the old saying into play—mixing and matching bite-sized sweets and treats into a tantalizing spectrum of flavors, shapes and colors. Start with our lovely heart-shaped marble board, then follow our Instagram-worthy tips on how to load it up with a creatively curated array of Valentine’s confections.
6. Valentine’s Day Pie Punches
You’ll be knocked out by these nifty, adorable pie punches. Layer XO, rose and double-heart cutouts on to your favorite pies and tarts. (Don’t have a go-to dough? Allow us to help with that!)
7. Valentine Custard Pie
Old-fashioned can be the most romantic way to go, even for the very modern among us. Valentine Custard Pie delivers, and the presentation can’t be beat. (The Emile Henry Ruffled Heart Dish you should bake it in is to-die-for and can be re-used all year long.)
8. Double-Walled Latte Mugs
Affection with a purpose: Not only does this double-wall latte mug look gorgeous as you linger over tea or coffee with your paramour, it serves a practical purpose, too: Those two seamless walls of borosilicate glass are separated by an insulating layer of air, so coffee and tea stay piping hot, yet the exterior remains cool and comfortable.
9. Silpat Nonstick Heart Mold
DIY red velvet cake or brownie bites, candies, mini muffins, or even teeny-tiny quiches for your person (or yourself). French company Silpat has concocted just the silicone mold you need to make the day a litle more special. Little treats—28 of them!—pop out effortlessly. (Parents hoping to bring something small for schoolmates or daycare buddies, consider these!)
10. Breakable Chocolate Heart
Heartbreak can be sweet, too. Celeb pastry chef Chris Ford created this crack-open French chocolate heart exclusively for us. The heart itself comprises handcrafted dark chocolate, filled with dark-chocolate dragées coated in pink iridescence and infused with raspberry flavor and crispy rice. Use the included mallet to break the heart into bite-sized pieces and release the sweet surprises inside. An ideal thing for an anti-Valentine’s-Day party!
11. Heart-Shaped Mini Waffle Maker
What’s not to love about this adorable mini waffle maker? With a generous spoonful of batter on the nonstick plates, it cooks up a golden 4-inch waffles in minutes. You can also use it for grilled cheese, potato bites or chocolate chip cookies. A handy recipe booklet means you’ll never be without a special heart-shaped snack for your honey.
12. Heart-Shaped Spoon
Gift your sweetheart this heart-shaped tool and every turn of the spoon will bring thoughts of you. Crafted in Italy of Mediterranean olivewood, this hand-hewn kitchen basic will remain sure and steadfast through the years.
13. Love Cookie Cutters
In the spirit of keeping it simple, remember that beautiful sugar cookies are sometimes all you need to set the day apart. Our new cookie cutter collection includes little valentine envelopes, hearts pierced with arrows, Xs and Os.
Sometimes love is all about keeping it simple; sometimes it’s all about that last little extra step.
2 comments
These heart-shaped things look fantastic. My favorite from this list is the red velvet bundt cake I will try to make it for this valentine or purchase it. Thank you for sharing.
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