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Valentine’s Day is such a fun holiday for so many reasons. I mean, who doesn’t love being spoiled by their sweetie? Plus, there are so many enjoyable crafts and recipes to help celebrate this holiday of love.
And hey—making things for Valentine’s Day can be the perfect distraction during these blah winter months!
Go ahead and add these two treats to your list of things to try. I promise that you won’t regret it.
Love Potion Cocktail
You’ll need:
- 1 cup Pomegranate Juice
- 2 shots of Berry Vodka
- 2 shots of Raspberry Liqueur
- One chunk of dry ice per drink
- 4 glasses (I purchased mine at a dollar store)
- Gloves (to handle the dry ice)
- A handful of strawberries
- A small knife
- Bamboo skewers
Here are just a few notes about the dry ice worth mentioning. One, do NOT handle it with your bare hands. It will burn your skin. Also, whatever you do, do NOT ingest it. Make sure the dry ice is completely dissolved before sipping your Love Potion Cocktail. Dry ice can also be tricky to find depending on where you live, but I’ve actually had the best luck picking it up at local shipping stores. Some grocery stores may carry it as well, but I suggest calling around first before driving all over town.
Directions:
Add the pomegranate juice, berry vodka and raspberry liqueur in a cocktail shaker. After making sure the lid is securely on the shaker, give it a good shake.
Next, cut the strawberries into heart shapes. I cut out two heart-shaped strawberry pieces for each cocktail by cutting one strawberry in half, then cutting a ‘v’ shape into the top of each piece.
Cut a wooden skewer in half and poke it through the sides of the strawberry hearts. Rest each skewer on the tops of the glasses.
Put your gloves on, then drop one small chunk of dry ice into the bottom of each glass. Pour the drink over the dry ice and watch the magic happen right before your eyes. It’s pretty neat!
Bourbon-Soaked Chocolate Covered Cherries
You’ll need:
- 30 cherries with stems
- 1 bag of dark chocolate chips
- 1 cup bourbon
This is entirely optional, but to warm the chocolate I used a chocolate warmer. If you bake a lot, it certainly comes in handy!
Directions:
Wash and dry the cherries. To pit them, cut an “x” in the bottom of each cherry, then carefully remove each pit. If you’re having trouble getting the pits out without totally destroying the cherries, use small tweezers.
Place the pitted cherries in a small baking pan and pour the bourbon over the cherries. Allow the cherries to soak for 2 to 4 hours. The longer you soak the cherries, the stronger the bourbon taste–just something to keep in mind!
Next, melt your chocolate chips. Again, I used a chocolate warmer for this, but you can also melt the chocolate in a pan over the stove. Regardless of the method you use, you should still continually stir the chocolate until it’s nice and smooth.
Holding each cherry by the stem, dip it into the melted chocolate, making sure to cover all sides.
Allow the cherries to dry for an hour by setting them on a piece of parchment paper. To speed up the drying time, you can also place them in the refrigerator. Serve immediately and enjoy!