It’s a well-known fact that the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach, so go ahead and treat your better half to a love-themed comfort food fest on Valentine’s Day! But just because you’ve decided to treat your significant other to some home cooking, it doesn’t mean you need to spend hours toiling away in the kitchen. Culinary surprises should be delicious, but they should also be quick and easy to make. And because hearty appetizers make everyone happy, stick to our 3 “happytizers” and it will be love at first bite!
1. Puff Pastry Hamburger Hearts
Servings: 2
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty Level: Easy
You’ll Need:
- puff pastry
- 6 oz ground beef + 1 tbsp chopped parsley + salt & pepper to taste
- shredded mozzarella
- 1 egg yolk + 2 tsp milk + 1 drop red food coloring for the egg wash
Extra:
- heart-shaped cookie cutter
Here’s How:
1.1 Preheat the oven to 400°F. Mix the ground beef with the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Roll out the puff pastry and put 5 dollops of shredded mozzarella on the upper half before covering the cheese mounds with some seasoned ground beef.
1.2 Fold the puff pastry up over the top half and gently press it down around the cheesy ground beef filling.
1.3 Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the fillings.
1.4 Press a fork down around the edges of each stuffed heart to seal the filling.
1.5 Combine the egg yolk, milk, and food coloring and brush the egg wash over the stuffed hearts. Place the stuffed hearts on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes.
2. Puff Pastry Heart Pizza
Servings: 2
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty Level: Easy
You’ll Need:
- puff pastry
- 1 mozzarella ball
- 1 egg yolk + 2 tsp milk for the egg wash
For the pink beet pesto:
- 1 small beet
- 2 garlic cloves
- ⅓ cup walnuts
- ¼ cup parmesan
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- salt & pepper to taste
Extra:
- oval lid or cookie cutter
- heart-shaped cookie cutter
Here’s How:
2.1 Preheat the oven to 400°F. Roll out the puff pastry and cut out 2 pieces of pastry with an oval lid.
2.2 Remove the rest of the puff pastry and make a diagonal cut in the oval pastry pieces.
2.3 Turn one half of each pastry piece over and form 2 hearts, pressing them together in the center.
2.4 For the pink beet pesto, blend the beet, garlic, walnuts, parmesan, olive oil, and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the puff pastry hearts on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and spread the pink beet pesto over the dough, leaving some space around the edges.
2.5 Cut off the ends of the the mozzarella ball and cut the rest into 2 thick slices. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out a heart from each mozzarella slice and place one on each puff pastry heart. Mix the egg yolk and milk and brush the egg wash over the edges of the hearts. Transfer the sheet pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
3. Puff Pastry Rose Bouquet
Servings: 3
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty Level: Easy
You’ll Need:
- puff pastry
- 12 bacon slices
- 1 egg yolk + 2 tsp milk for the egg wash
Extra:
- pizza cutter
- muffin pan
- wooden skewers
Here’s How:
3.1 Preheat the oven to400°F. Roll out the puff pastry and cut it lengthwise into 3 strips.
3.2 Use a pizza cutter to cut the puff pastry strips lengthwise in a wavy pattern, creating 6 wavy strips.
3.3 Place 2 strips of bacon on the first wave and fold the puff pastry up over the bacon.
3.4 Roll up the puff pastry and bacon strip and transfer it to a greased muffin pan. Repeat the same process with the remaining puff pastry and bacon.
3.5 Mix the egg yolk and milk and brush the egg wash over the puff pastry roses. Transfer the muffin pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Let the puff pastry roses cool and then stick a wooden skewer in each one for the tastiest flower bouquet you’ve ever had.
Forget about real roses – these bacon roses are the only ones your special someone truly wants! And who could possibly resist a piece of your heart, especially when it comes in the form of a mini burger or bite-sized pizza?! Happy Valentine’s Day to all the food lovers out there!
Get the recipes for the 3 Edible Valentine’s Day Gifts featured in the bonus video.