Valentine’s Day pastries to fall in love with

No matter who you are, dessert is a big deal on Valentine’s Day. Chocolates and other sweets are as essential to this holiday as thoughtful cards and romantic, candlelit dinners. But when you’re studying the baking and pastry arts, it’s especially crucial for you to get the treats just right.

If you need some ideas, here are some Valentine-appropriate recipes you can try this year:

Put your heart into puff pastry

Pastry hearts are a dessert associated with Western New York, but they’re a delicious choice for the most romantic day of the year no matter where you live. Stick a Fork In It suggested a recipe for a classic version.

Cover your work surface with flour and set a sheet of puff pastry dough on top. Sprinkle on cinnamon and sugar. Roll out the dough into a 10-inch square.

Fold in opposite sides by an inch. Then, fold those same sides again so they come together in the middle of the dough. Give it one more fold, placing one half over the other, and then slice into half-inch pieces.

Dip the pieces into sugar and set them on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 minutes. Flip the pastries and bake for up to another seven minutes, or until they’re fully golden.

Move the pastries onto a wire rack to cool while you prepare a glaze. Whisk together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Spread onto the pastries with a brush.

Show how you feel with a fruit pie filling

It’s always a good time for a fruit pie. However, if you cut a heart into the top crust, it’s all set for Valentine’s Day. Valerie Confections owner Valerie Gordon provided The Hallmark Channel with a pie that will taste as great as it looks.

Start the filling by placing half-inch pieces of rhubarb in a saucepan with sugar and cooking on medium heat for five minutes. Once the rhubarb is soft, add sliced strawberries and cook for five more minutes. Take the saucepan off of heat and mix in raspberries, followed by cornstarch and rose petals.

While the filling cools, roll out dough into a 13-inch circle on a floured surface. Press into a nine-inch pie pan and chill for 15 minutes. Roll out more dough into a 12-inch circle and use a cookie cutter to create the heart shape in the center.

Sift together flour and sugar before sprinkling onto the bottom crust. Then fill and brush a beaten egg around the edges. Drape on the top crust and crimp together.

Bake at 350 degrees for half an hour. Then, add a pie ring to prevent the edges from burning while you bake another 35 to 45 minutes. Remove the ring and bake for a last five minutes, so the crust reaches a golden brown. Allow the pie to cool before serving.

Nothing says “love” like a homemade doughnut

Homemade cake doughnuts are an amazing treat, and the right sprinkles and glaze make them ideal for Valentine’s Day. The directions from The Candid Appetite yield a dozen.

Sift together flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. In a separate bowl, beat two eggs with granulated sugar for about five minutes. Stir in melted butter and vanilla extract.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ones. Stir until just combined after adding each portion and alternate with slowly pouring in a half cup of whole milk. Finish by stirring in the last of the dry mixture. Cover the dough and allow 30 minutes.

Move the dough to a floured surface and knead. Roll into a half-inch-thick rectangle and use a doughnut cutter. Fry the doughnuts in vegetable oil at 375 degrees, for a minute per side. Move each doughnut onto a wire rack over a baking pan.

When the doughnuts are cool, dip them in a glaze made of powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and milk. Then top with sprinkles and let the glaze set before serving.