Can you believe we’re already in the month of February? Not only is February the month to celebrate Valentine’s Day with the ones we love, but it is also American Heart Month! Since dark chocolate has flavonoids which are healthy antioxidants, all of my treats include some chocolate. Keeping that in mind, here are 4 Valentine’s Day treats you can make that are both fun with hints of health (some more than others).
1. Mini Heart-Shaped Choco-Hoto-Pots: Here’s a yummy recipe from Nigella Lawson that I saw on Oprah a few years ago for choco-hoto-pots. This delish warm chocolate dessert is super easy to make. For Valentine’s Day you can put them in mini heart-shaped ramekins from Target. The good news is you indulge but control your portion size with these mini ramekins. I admit this one doesn’t have a whole lot of health but I’m a sucker for warm, molten lava cake like chocolate desserts with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream!
2. Mini Fruit Smoothies: This is another Valentine’s Day treat for your special someone, your children or yourself. For my current fave Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothie simply blend 1 cup local 1% milk + 1/2 cup frozen tart cherries, + 1 scoop chocolate protein powder in your blender. You can also stay with the Valentine’s Day theme with other frozen red fruits like raspberries and strawberries. Bananas can be mixed in without changing the color of the smoothie. Throw in a 1/2 ounce of dark chocolate to finish it off!
3. Dark Chocolate Dipped Strawberries: What is Valentine’s Day without Dipped Strawberries? Strawb
erries are high in vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants! Just melt some dark chocolate on the stove or in the microwave and dip the large strawberries in. Then, let the strawberries cool on wax paper and serve!
4. Baby Tiramisu is a quicker, lower-calorie version of tiramisu. Here is a link to the full recipe of Baby Tiramisu. Baking tiramisu requires a lot of time and preparation, Baby Tiramisu only takes 45 minutes! Be sure not to eat all 6 at once though!
How about you? Are you planning to make any Valentine’s Day treats?
By Mitzi Dulan with research assistance from Rachel Yam
I wasn’t planning on making any treats, but those baby tiramisus certainly look delicious! What a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth without having to make a huge bowl of tiramisu.