- All kinds of citrus fruits are in season right now, and citrus is a great way to add a little sunshine to your baked goods when it is still a bit cold and gloomy outside. Becca Bakes‘ Tangerine Poppy Seed Chiffon Cake looks bright and delivers plenty of citrus flavor. Chiffon cakes are light and spongy, the kind of cake that you can take a generous slice of without feeling guilty. This one is flavored with tangerine juice, zest and oil for a vibrant tangerine flavor. Freshly squeezed juice is going to give you the best flavor, and if you don’t have tangerine oil, double up on the amount of zest to ensure that your cake as as flavorful as possible.
- Donuts are usually round, with a hole in the center, but there is no rule that says they must be a certain size or shape. Studio DIY made some Conversation Heart Donuts that are a fun twist on a traditional donut and a great treat for Valentine’s Day. The donut dough is cut into heart shapes using a large cookie cutter, then they are deep fried. The donuts are topped with icing, where you can pipe the message of your choice (XOXO, I LOVE YOU or BE MINE, etc) in a contrasting color before serving them to your sweetheart. They’ll taste a lot better than traditional conversation hearts and they’ll have a big impact!
- Another donut recipe comes from The Comfort of Cooking, Baked Cinnamon Sugar Banana Donut Holes. These bite size donuts are baked, not fried, but still deliver a lot of flavor. They have a soft, fluffy interior flavored with brown sugar, banana, cinnamon and nutmeg. After baking, they’re rolled in melted butter and then dipped in a cinnamon sugar mixture to give them a crunchy exterior and add another layer of flavor. The recipe makes two dozen, so you’ll have plenty to snack on on a lazy Sunday morning when you just feel like indulging a bit.
- Chilly Frosting‘s Tea Bag Cookies just might be some of the cutest cutout cookies that I’ve seen. They’re made with a buttery shortbread dough that is cut out into teabag shapes. Small holes are added to the top of the cookies using a straw, so that a string can be tied on to each one later. The finished cookies are dipped in chocolate to add a little extra flavor. They’re delicious with tea, but they are also excellent with coffee – even though you get the best look by putting them out with a pot of tea.
- The Heart Shaped White Chocolate Coconut Confetti Blondies from Baker By Nature sound like a mouthful, but they’re a mouthful that you definitely want to have. These dense, rich blondies are loaded with white chocolate chips and shredded coconut. The key ingredient, however, is the generous amount of sprinkles that go into the batter. The sprinkles – red, pink and white, in this case – make the blondies incredibly festive and perfect for any Valentine’s Day celebration. The blondies are baked in a rectangular pan and then cut out into individual hearts. This means that the chef will have plenty of scraps to snack on while he or she works to wrap up these sweet treats.