In just two days, we celebrate Cupid’s big day, a day devoted to expressing love and affection. The National Retail Foundation says Americans spent a record $20.7 billion expressing it last Valentine’s. Predictions are the total will surpass $27 billion this time around. That’s a lot of love. Many of those dollars are spent on jewelry, dinners out and flowers for significant others, but consumers also spend to let other family members, friends, children’s classmates and teachers, pets and others in our circle know we appreciate them.
I personally won’t be spending the average $196.31 the NRF expects each celebrating consumer to shell out, but I will be — like many of you — sharing the love by gifting edible happies. So, to that end, I went searching in my trove of cookbooks compiled by Golden Triangle groups over the years, scouting for recipes that suit the occasion. Several are shared today; all are from local cookbooks, with the exception of the peppermint shortbread cookies, which is from familyfeatures.com.
After you’ve made the goodies of your choice, you may be looking for other ways make Valentine’s Day creative, yet not costly. Me, too. Here are a few suggestions:
However you celebrate — even if it’s settling down with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate or tea — Happy Valentine’s Day 2020.
FUDGE PIE
Serves 8
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 eggs
7/8 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon dark rum, brand or bourbon
1/2 cup chopped pecans, if desired
(Source: Sylvia Higginbotham, “Old Southern Recipes, Remedies and Pearls of Wisdom”)
MILLIONAIRES
78 Kraft caramels
2 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons evaporated milk
2 cups pecan halves
1 (24-ounce) package milk chocolate morsels
1/4 block paraffin
(Source: Debbie Billington, “Taste and See Too” cookbook, First Baptist Church, West Point)
CHOCOLATE DOT TURTLES
(Makes about 24 candies)
1/2 pound Kraft caramel
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup pecans (halves or large chunks)
1/2 package Baker’s semi-sweet chocolate (4 squares)
(Source: Southern Blend II cookbook, Columbus)
FROZEN STRAWBERRY SQUARES
2 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 (10-ounce) package frozen strawberries, partly thawed
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup melted oleo
2/3 cup white sugar
1 cup Cool Whip or whipping cream
(Source: Southern Blend II cookbook, Columbus)
PEPPERMINT SHORTBREAD COOKIES
Prep time: 15 minutes, plus 30 minutes freeze time
Cook time: 15 minutes
Servings: 40
2-2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup peppermint crunch baking chips
(Source: Rachel Gurk, “Rachel Cooks,” on behalf of Milk Means More/familyfeatures.com)
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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