By Angela Kaye Mason
Feb 12, (THAINDIAN NEWS) Valentine’s Day is only a few days away. I am sure by now most of you have already decided on a gift, or arranged to have flowers delivered. Maybe you have made reservations at a nice restaurant, or even a hotel for that perfect Romantic Getaway. Yes, you have everything under control, and are feeling pretty confident that your choice of a gift will make the love of your life delight with joy. For once, you are really ready for a holiday on time! All of these things are on your mind as you pick up the kids from school this afternoon. That’s when disaster strikes.

Susie and Tommy rush to the car, giggling with excitement, letters in hand. BOTH classes are having Valentine Parties! What on earth will you come up with at this late date? Don’t panic. I have a few ideas. These fun and easy to make treats will be a hit at the school parties, and will also give you and the kids a little something fun to do together for Valentine’s as well.

The first recipe is called: Be My Valentine- I Choo-Choose You Cupcakes
Ingredients :-

• Pre-baked cupcakes
• Frosting (enough to ice the cupcakes with a little left over for building the engines)
• Tootsie Rolls (the short kind, not the long kind)
• Toothpicks
• Red licorice
• Serrated knife
• Small peanut butter cups
• Cinnamon Red Hots
• Red gel icing
• Scissors
• White paper, markers, and tape

Instructions

1. Frost the cupcakes, reserving a little icing to build the train engines. For each one, unwrap a Tootsie Roll and slice off one third of its length (the Tootsie Roll is actually scored into three sections). Firmly press this slice atop the back end of the remaining piece so that it sticks in place to create the train engine’s body.
2. Use a toothpick to anchor a 1/2-inch piece of licorice to the top of the engine for a smokestack. With a serrated knife, gently saw a peanut butter cup in half (a parent’s job). Then attach one half, turned upside down, to the front of the engine to form a cowcatcher. Use frosting to stick three cinnamon Red Hots for wheels along the bottom of each side.
3. Set the engine on top of the cupcake and press it slightly into the frosting. Then use red gel icing to draw a train track in front and in back of the engine. Finally, cut out a paper steam puff. Print on the message “I choo-choose you!” and tape it to the toothpick.

Another great idea, if you don’t have time for all of the details of the Choo Choose Train, is to simply make heart-shaped cupcakes. This is easily done by making small aluminum foil triangles, and inserting them between the cupcake liners and the pan before baking, so that the heart has the small dent in the top.

You can also top cupcakes off with beautiful red roses by shaping them out of red Fruit Roll-ups! To make a rose, unroll a piece of the cherry or strawberry fruit leather and divide it in half along the wavy perforated middle line. Take one of the halves and roll up about 5 inches to form the flower’s center. Set the rolled strip wavy side up in the middle of a cupcake, and continue to loosely wrap the remaining fruit leather around the center at a slight angle until the flower is completed.

You can also make “X”s and “O”s out of cookie dough, and them frost them pink, white or red.

Those are a few Valentine Treat Recipes which I have for you. I wanted to be sure and have ideas which would be cute for boys (Choo Choose) as well as girls, (Rose Cupcakes) or you can use either for both! The important thing is the time you get to spend with the kids, and of course, you want the whole class to be thrilled with your child’s offering. These recipes are sure to please everyone!

Just remember, as I have already said, this Holiday is supposed to celebrate love, and love doesn’t cost a thing. Relax, make it fun, enjoy yourself, with your Love as well as your kids.

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

Thanks for reading, and as always, I hope you enjoyed. Comments are appreciated!