How do we make valentine treats at Traci’s? With love and goodness, and strawberry icing! It seems that cupcake papers for valentines are available in rich abundance, so I always make cupcakes (recipe to follow).
As for other traditional treats, I have some strategies to health-i-fy this seasonal excuse for chemically dyed candy exchange: I go to NaturalCandyStore.com in advance and purchase mail order chocolate and candy. It varies from year to year, but I generally find something heart shaped. (one year they were gummy hearts, another, foil wrapped chocolates.) These are EXPENSIVE, so I only order enough for my special valentines for my husband and girls. I generally spend 12-15 dollars on them. Then I go to the dollar store and get a trinkets to put with it, pink stuffed puppies, heart covered pencils, mini puzzles etc. These are special valentines for my dearest loved ones.
My kids like to get those boxes of pre-made valentines and address them to their friends, and we will buy the $5.00 jumbo bag of Yummy Earth suckers from Whole Foods, put valentine stickers on the individually wrapped treats and give them to friends. (Our homeschool Co-operative usually has a valentine party and exchange, or we throw a party.)
Then, I get some of the valentine cupcake papers and begin to bake. Mini cupcakes make great “treats to trade” as do the naturally dyed jelly beans and gummy bears you can purchase more economically in the bulk bins of the health food store. With these in my arsenal, I have tempting alternatives to offer my children when they bring home their valentines. We have a standing policy at our house that encourages health while preserving freedom of choice. Anytime my kids receive a treat that gets a poor “grade” healthwise they can trade it in to me for something better. (At Halloween we have a whole “store” of items for trading including edibles and prizes, they use their trick or treats for “money”)
So what kind of cupcakes do I make? Strawberry, of course, because they are naturally pink! I use frozen berries to help with the expense.
This is a blender batter that whips up ready to pour. I hope you enjoy your Valentines as much as we do!
Sprouted Flourless Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes for Valentine’s Day!
Soak ¾ cup short grain brown rice together with 2/3 cup millet overnight. Rinse it off in the morning and set it out to make your cupcakes anytime that day. If you don’t make them that day, cover the sprouted grain tightly and refrigerate up to 1 week until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a 12 cup muffin tin and a 6 cup muffin tin with cute valentine papers. I like to spritz the prepared papers with non-stick olive oil spray to help the cupcake not stick to the paper.
In a blender combine:
1 cup water (S)
Sprouted brown rice and millet (should measure about 2 cups after sprouting) (S)
2 TBSP light olive oil (S)
1/2 cup flax egg (or 1 TBSP golden flax seed and 1/2 cup water) (S)
2/3 cup evaporated cane juice crystals (a.k.a. Organic Sugar) (S)
½ tsp sea salt (S)
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A perfectly pink princess Corinne at her Valentine party! Presentation is important. I bought this cardboard cupcake display for $10 from Wilton and reuse it every year.
¼ tsp almond extract (S)
¼ tsp vanilla extract (S)
½ inch square chunk of a fresh beet (makes your batter perfectly pink and I swear you cannot taste it!) (G)
Blend on high until very smooth. You can test this by running it over the back of a spoon. Mixture will be fairly runny.
With the blender running, add:
2 TBSP baking power (aluminum-free) (S)
Once this is mixed in ( just a second or two) turn off the blender and watch the batter pouf up. When it has stopped pouf-ing, Pulse the blender 3-4 times to take the batter down to it’s original size.
Pour into prepared muffin cups and bake for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out reasonably clean. (sprouted goods tend to stick to the toothpick, just make sure there is no batter in the middle.)
When completely cooled, you can ice them with this sinfully tasty strawberry icing: (be sure to not eat it all before the cupcakes cool…)
Whip together with a hand mixer:
½ c earth balance margarine, or butter or coconut oil (any healthy solid fat will do, but if you use the coconut oil, keep the icing or cupcakes refrigerated until serving time.) (S)
3 cups powdered organic sugar (S)
When the mixture is very crumbly and thick add:
4to5 chopped frozen strawberries (G)
Whip again. This will begin to melt into a thick creamy pink as you whip. Be patient and don’t add more berries unless it is still crumbs, because the berries release water as they melt and your icing will get too runny.
