A sweetly charming vintage 'Be my Valentine' cake recipe

There are certain times of the year that are synonymous with sugary treats aplenty, and few are more famous or beloved in this respect than Valentine's Day. February 14th, the day of amore and fabulously lovely things to eat, be it a glass of bubbly or a heart shaped box of chocolates.

By and large, I don't eat a lot of sugar, so holidays feel like an extra big treat for me, and I rarely pass up the chance to indulge for just one festive day. This year, as much as I love chocolate (the darker the better!), I feel like I'm in much more of a cake mood, so I went hunting for a vintage dessert that would fit that bill and today's absolutely darling 1950s vintage recipes does the job splendidly.

It's enrobed in a hefty layer of pink coconut, boasts a cute heart made, fittingly, from red gumdrop candies (you could easily use cinnamon hearts, Red Hots, or jelly beans instead, if you preferred), and sounds just as sweet as sweet can be. You could also - and I think that this is precisely what I'll do - bake it in a heart shaped cake pan for an extra dose of seasonal flare.



{Perfect to send youngsters off to school, share with your honey bunny, or have star as the main attraction at a February 14th party, this wonderfully easy, budget friendly 1950s cake is bound to ensure you'll have folks lining up around the block to ask you to be their Valentine this year. Image source.}

 
By all means, if you'd prefer, swap in your favourite white (or golden, cherry chip, or even chocolate, the latter being especially fitting for St. Valentine's) cake recipe instead, and should you, like me, need to keep things strictly gluten-free, I recommend using two boxes of Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix (it, and the chocolate version, really are the best GF cake mixes I've found on the market so far) for this fun recipe.

You could also whip up a batch of pink coconut and red candy heart topped cupcakes instead, or as well. Perhaps using pink, red, gold or otherwise festively hued or patterned cupcake wrappers (liners). A cute little conversation heart candy, instead of the red sweets, would be an endlessly February 14th appropriate touch, too.

Whether you leap for the nearest chocolate truffle, swoon for caramels, or have a hankering for cake as well, I hope that you get a chance to satisfy your own cravings for something beautifully sweet, special and busting with the spirit of this deeply lovely time of the year at least once this week. I know that as soon as I grab the heart shaped cake pan from the basement and whip up this great vintage Valentine's Day recipe, I'll be doing just that!

And remember, my darling friends...

{Image source}

No cookin' required for these tasty vintage chocolate cookies

In the spirit of Valentine's Day upcoming arrival (just six more days to go!), it only seems fitting the the first vintage recipe of the month be one chocked fully of chocolaty goodness.

Today's is a complete and utter breeze to whip up. Indeed, as you may have noticed from this post's title, no actual cooking is involved with sweet and scrumptious recipe, making it perfect for those days when you're pressed for time, have zero desire to fire up the oven (be sure to tuck this away for summer, when such is often the case), or just want a no-fuss, quick dessert treat.




{This February, give your tried and true Rice Crispy Squares a day off, and whip up a batch of these terrific vintage Sugar Crisp No-Bake Cookies instead. Image via tikitacky on Flickr.}



If you're not a fan of, can't find, or can't eat (it contains gluten), Sugar Crisp cereal, you could easily sub in Rice Krispies (regular or the gluten-free variety) or EnviroKidz Organic Chocolate Koala Crisp Cereal (which is gluten-free). Really, you could use just about any crunchy breakfast cereal you desired here, so long as it compliments the cocoa powder nicely.

You can gussy these bars up a little further with the inclusion of things such as dried cranberries or cherries, pretzel pieces, milk or white chocolate chips (for even more delightful February 14th approved chocolateness!), pieces of caramel or butterscotch, dehydrated strawberries, coloured sprinkles, or even conversation heart candies if you really want to take them in a noteworthy Valentine's Day direction.

I've made this recipe before using some of my favourite gluten-free cereals, and can confirm that it's dead simple and very, very tasty. I don't always include nuts, as the recipe calls for, but when I do, slivered almonds are usually my first choice (pistachios, pecans and peanuts are all great choices, too). As well I sometimes drizzle a little melted chocolate or caramel overtop once they're done, for even more of a fun sugar hit.

If ever a month calls for at least one fantastic sweet treat, it's February. So why not try this charming 1950s recipe for Sugar Crisp Cookies, and inject a little extra chocolaty tastiness into your Valentine's celebration? I sure know I will be!

Kicking off February with vintage Chocolate Brownie Pie

Can you believe it, February - the month of grey, slushy snow piles, loves notes, and a mere twenty-nine days - is here already. Weren’t we just tossing confetti into the air, saying so long to 2011, and waiting for the ball to drop?

Time, as it always does, marches forward though and New Year's is once again a pleasant memory. Now, crossing into the second month of the year, we've been properly introduced to 2012, and that's worth celebrating in its own right.

As this is month that houses Valentine's Day after all, it only seems fitting that  February's first vintage recipe be one that's fabulously sweet, bursting with chocolate, and perfect for a special evening with someone you love (romantically or otherwise).

I tend to find that good food tastes even better in the company of someone I care about, and hope the same will ring true for you as well when you bite into today's scrumptious recipe for Chocolate Brownie Pie.

{Though the image here does admittedly leave a bit to be desired, this delightful chocolate and pecan stuffed dessert sounds so mouth-wateringly fantastic that a somewhat monochromatic photo can easily be forgiven. Vintage Chocolate Brownie Pie recipe by way of Shelf Life Taste Test on Flickr.}

These days hybrid desserts that marry two or more classics (e.g., red velvet cookies, doughnut cupcakes, or birthday cake ice cream) are all the rage (not mention endlessly popular on Pinterest!), but they were less common and certainly more novel for folks a few decades ago, which is all the more reason I wanted to share this great vintage pie recipe with you the moment I spotted it.

I hope that just like this tasty treat itself, you each have a seriously sweet, completely enjoyable February, dear friends!

Vintage 365: Great 1930s Valentine’s Day party ideas

✯ Day 44 of Vintage 365 ✯

With just one more merry day to go until St. Valentine's Day whistles into town, cupid in tow, I thought it would fun to share a delightful vintage page from 1935 featuring an array of great party ideas that can easily be put into play at the last moment (aka, for a planned or impromptu party tomorrow).

Beautifully illustrated, this elegant page (which comes via Millie Mott's Flickr stream) features ideas for everything from Valentine's Day table decorations to party games, invitations to a festive menu (of minced ham sandwiches cut into heart shapes, raw carrot strips, party ice cream with peppermint stick sauce, heart cookies and fruit punch - yum-yum! I'd be happy to serve that easy, enjoyable sounding spread) and is the sort of wonderful glimpse into the past that instantly makes me smile.

Whatever you have planned for tomorrow, my dears, I hope that you have a marvelous day that's worthy of a great vintage inspired party! :)