Have a Heart! Or a Chocolate!

About author / Pamela Chester

Mom of two; graduate French Culinary Institute; kids cooking program instructor; Master's degree in food studies. Creates kid friendly foods and loves her slow cooker.

Valentine’s Day is another one of those fun holidays that makes everyone think of candy. Whether it’s a box of chocolates for your loved one or those candy conversation hearts, sweet little somethings are inextricably linked to this romantic day.

Where did the tradition of chocolate and heart shaped treats for Valentine’s Day get started in the first place? Well this holiday is said to have originated in Roman times as the Feast of Lupercalia, a festival honoring the Roman God of fertility. It was eventually renamed by Christians and made into a Saints Day honoring St. Valentinus.

Valentine’s Day became the holiday we know today in the late 1800s with the mass production of greeting cards and candy boxes adorned with lace, ribbons, and images of hearts and Cupid, a winged baby cherub who became popular in Victorian times. From that time forward, February 14 became all about special candy.

Chocolate has long been associated with romance. It has the ability to evoke all kinds of feelings (ever see the movie Chocolat?) in anyone who consumes it, and gives the clear message you care for someone.

Chocolate contains several feel good substances, such as seratonin. Another one is phenylethylamine, which is part of the group of chemicals known as endorphins; these send pleasure messages straight to the brain. The presence of phenylethylamine in the brain is reportedly linked to falling in love. While chocolate is not a drug, many people report strong chocolate cravings and label themselves "chocoholics."

Is it any wonder why lovers give the gift of chocolate? Dark chocolate is even reported to have health benefits; it contains antioxidants and studies have shown that it lowers high blood pressure.

Kids love chocolate of all kinds too! When I was a kid, I went through a chocoholic phase (my first real job was at a candy shop!). Come Valentine’s Day, I used to eat my way through a box of chocolates, looking for my favorites – the caramels. Back then, I could eat just about whatever I wanted without a care in the world. It was also fascinating to learn how to make chocolates and other candies.

So this year, to enjoy a sweet Valentine’s celebration, how about getting into a fun candy-making project with your little ones! You can make a few treats to share with each other, classmates and teachers, grandparents and any other special friends.

All you need is a bit of time to spare, just the right ingredients, and an apron for each candy maker. The key to successful chocolate candy making is tempering, a process in which you melt the chocolate and cool it, thus stabilizing it.

There is no special equipment required for this easy project. If you have some molds in special shapes like hearts, you can fill those; but you don’t need to run out for special equipment! The easy alternative is to pipe the chocolate hearts directly onto parchment paper or into heart decorated paper muffin cups. Your kids will love watching their special candies take shape!

And speaking of hearts, you have to have some of those conversation hearts. These seasonal candies give a clear (and sometimes very blunt!) message on whether you care for someone. With new additions like “Be My Icon” and “IM Me”, they have joined the information age. But did you know these candies have been around more than a hundred years?

So this year indulge in a few homemade sweet treats with your loved ones. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Serves/Makes: 48

• 1 pound good quality milk or dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 pound white chocolate, finely chopped

***Optional Garnish***

• 1/4 cup slivered almonds or pistachios
• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded toasted coconut