Romance your Valentine with homemade heart-shaped lollipops: A step-by-step guide

On Valentine's Day, fittingly the celebration of love, besides gifts, we savor time with our significant other. Most of the time, a supper by candlelight is part of the romantic agenda.

So, regarding such a meal, something sweet must also grace the table after a tasty main course. I've got a fabulous recipe that fits seamlessly into the Valentine's Day menu. Homemade heart-shaped lollipops are so appealing that you can't tear your eyes away from them. Once they pass your lips, you'll fall headfirst into lifelong adoration for this exceptional flavor.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 99g (approx. 1/2 cup) of wheat flour,
• 1/2 teaspoon of cocoa,
• 79g (approx. 1/3 cup) of sugar,
• 1 egg,
• 40ml (approx. 2.5 tablespoons) of water,
• 40ml (approx. 2.5 tablespoons) of vegetable oil,
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder,
• red food colouring.

Filling for the hearts:

• 150g (approx. 2/3 cup) of mascarpone cheese,
• 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar,
• 2 tablespoons of melted butter.

Glaze:

• 198g (approx. 1 cup) melted white chocolate,
• pink food colouring.

How to prepare:

Step 1. I start the recipe by preparing the dough. I combine the following to do so: flour, egg, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, oil, and water. I also mix in food coloring, which results in the dough adopting a beautiful red shade.

Step 2. I mix the ingredients together using a kitchen whisk. Next, I pour the ready mixture into a baking tray. To finish, I place the prepared dough into the microwave for 4 minutes.

Step 3. After baking, I crumble the dough into smaller crumbs using a regular tablespoon. I then add mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar and melted butter into the crumbled dough.

Step 4. I segment the mixture into smaller parts, and mould each one into the shape of a heart.

Step 5. I skewer the finished hearts onto a wooden stick. Next, I dip them into the glaze. On this occasion, I've prepared two alternatives — pure white chocolate and white chocolate mixed with pink colouring, which tints the glaze pink.

Step 6. I cool the desserts in the fridge for 3 hours. After that, it's time to tuck in and savour them. Bon appétit!