Valentine's Dessert Party

My girlfriends and I were toying with the idea of throwing a cheesy little Valentine’s Day party - you know, girls only, construction-paper hearts, pink balloons, the works. After we giggled at how cute that idea was, we decided to actually throw a girls-only V-day party, but to class it up a bit. So we organized a lovely evening of candlelight and desserts, complete with heart-shaped cakes and chocolate covered strawberries. Good times and sugar comas were had by all - especially the three of us who got to do all of the baking and making!

The Menu:

Chocolate Heartcakes with Espresso Buttercream Filling and a Caramel Drizzle

Vanilla Bean Heartcakes with a Fresh Strawberry and Vanilla Buttercream Filling

Vanilla Bean Heartcakes with a Raspberry Buttercream Filling

Spiced Oreo Truffles (with Cinnamon and Cayenne)
Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Strawberry Lime Punch
Spinach Artichoke Dip

Shots of the full spread:

I’ll share the various recipes and techniques in a series of individual entries instead of stuffing them all into this one. I figure it’ll be easier on the readers that way - it’ll definitely be easier on the writer, that’s for sure!