Fast forward to after my scavenger hunt (I found the extract in my cupboard, the 2 lbs. of powdered sugar at Yoke's, and the cookie cutters and pens at Joann's.) Done and done.
After four hours of messy fun, Aimee and I had cut at least 150 conversation candies. Her adorable five year old son helped us, and we used other shapes, various sizes, and had a blast! The candies have to dry, so we laid them out on cooling racks with parchment paper, like so:
Picture another three racks full on the other side of her kitchen.
Next up, after a 24-hour drying time, Aimee brought me half of our treasure to work.
I arrived home at the end of the day and got to writing.
I wrote some specifically for my BFF (BFF, CPA Star, T&M), some for my little cousin (Hockey Star, Casey Rocks, L-O-V-E), my mom (Best Mom, Love You, Miss You), and some for the boyfriend (XOX, Mugzy loves you, Kiss Me).
I put each person's in a cute Valentine themed box (Aimee was kind enough to supply these), placed them in shipping boxes with a note, and mailed! Obviously Jared's were given to him on Valentine's day morning, but I had to mail the treats to the BFF, mom, and little cousin.
Best part? A phone call from my five year old cousin thanking me for the "cool gift!" Love that kid.
Did you do anything fun for Valentine's Day? Are you a fool for holidays like me? This was such a fun project - but word to the wise, carve out a good chunk of your day and don't expect same day gratification.
Note: we used cherry, banana, root beer, and peppermint. Root beer turns your hearts brown, so don't go thinking you can make them a pretty purple color, you can't.)
Here is the recipe:
(Originally found on the Food Network website. We doubled the recipe.)
Almost-Famous Conversation Hearts
Makes 50 to 70 hearts
Ingredients
1 1/4-ounce packet unflavored gelatin powder
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 1-pound boxes confectioners' sugar (about 8 cups), plus more for kneading
Assorted food coloring, for tinting
Assorted extracts (such as peppermint, strawberry or almond), for flavoring (optional)
Cooking spray
Food decorating pens, for writing
Directions
Whisk the gelatin, corn syrup, vanilla, salt and 1/2 cup boiling water in a stand mixer bowl until the gelatin dissolves. Using the paddle attachment, beat in the confectioners' sugar on medium-low speed, 1 cup at a time, to make a stiff, sticky dough.
Transfer the dough to a clean surface and knead, adding more confectioners' sugar as needed (up to 1 cup), until the dough is smooth, pliable and slightly tacky, about 5 minutes.
Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Flatten 1 piece into a disk. (Cover the rest with plastic wrap.) Add a few drops each of food coloring and extract to the center of the dough; fold in the sides and pinch closed, then knead until the color is distributed.
Lightly coat a large piece of parchment paper with cooking spray. Roll out the colored dough on the parchment until 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into hearts using 1-inch cookie cutters; transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, using different colors and extracts. Let the hearts sit at room temperature, uncovered, until dry and hard, about 24 hours, flipping them halfway through. Write messages on the hearts using food decorating pens. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Makes 50 to 70 hearts
Ingredients
1 1/4-ounce packet unflavored gelatin powder
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 1-pound boxes confectioners' sugar (about 8 cups), plus more for kneading
Assorted food coloring, for tinting
Assorted extracts (such as peppermint, strawberry or almond), for flavoring (optional)
Cooking spray
Food decorating pens, for writing
Directions
Whisk the gelatin, corn syrup, vanilla, salt and 1/2 cup boiling water in a stand mixer bowl until the gelatin dissolves. Using the paddle attachment, beat in the confectioners' sugar on medium-low speed, 1 cup at a time, to make a stiff, sticky dough.
Transfer the dough to a clean surface and knead, adding more confectioners' sugar as needed (up to 1 cup), until the dough is smooth, pliable and slightly tacky, about 5 minutes.
Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Flatten 1 piece into a disk. (Cover the rest with plastic wrap.) Add a few drops each of food coloring and extract to the center of the dough; fold in the sides and pinch closed, then knead until the color is distributed.
Lightly coat a large piece of parchment paper with cooking spray. Roll out the colored dough on the parchment until 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into hearts using 1-inch cookie cutters; transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, using different colors and extracts. Let the hearts sit at room temperature, uncovered, until dry and hard, about 24 hours, flipping them halfway through. Write messages on the hearts using food decorating pens. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
