Valentine’s Day is a wonderful excuse to celebrate the special people in our lives. Whether it’s for your family, friends, or the fabulous women in your circle, a little thoughtfulness goes a long way. As always, we like to keep things simple but meaningful, focusing on easy decorations, gifts and recipes that bring joy without adding stress. Try our chocolate-covered date caramels, molten chocolate cakes (recipe below) or a hot cocoa bar – 3 easy chocolate treats. These treats are not only delicious by simple to make and a thoughtful way to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
This year, for decorations, we’ve wrapped up vibrant hot pink Kalanchoe plants in burlap squares, added a few colorful ribbons and attached a felt heart for an extra sweet touch. These make the perfect make-ahead gifts for girlfriends, teachers, or anyone who could use a little cheer. Until it’s time to give them away, we like to add them to our holiday table arrangement—a win-win! The bright blooms and pops of ribbon add a festive touch to any room.
We also use these same wrapping techniques to wrap up small gifts. We utilize the same ribbons (pom-pom ribbon, striped and gingham), heart design tissue paper, felt hearts, dehydrated orange slices, festive lollipops shredded paper, and cellophane bags to package small gifts (for our gal pals we added Grace & Stella Under Eye Masks, Ole Henriksen Lip Treatment, Collagen Face Masks and Hershey Kisses).
To keep the celebration going, we love hosting a simple Galentine’s Day gathering. Our go-to menu is both easy and delicious. Start with a cheese board featuring blue cheese drizzled with honey, a wedge of brie, baguette slices and a few strawberries. Follow it up with a crisp, colorful salad (beet-shaped hearts are a fun extra, if you’re feeling creative). And for dessert, it’s tough to beat molten chocolate cakes topped with fresh whipped cream and raspberries. Pair everything with a light, crisp white wine or prosecco, and you’ve got a celebration to remember.
To tie it all together, those wrapped Kalanchoe flower pots make the perfect centerpiece. They bring color and warmth to the table and double as thoughtful gifts for your guests. It’s a simple way to show your love while keeping the focus on what truly matters: celebrating the people who make life sweet.
This Valentine’s Day, keep it easy, thoughtful, and filled with love. That’s what the day is all about!
Molten Chocolate Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips or bars, cut into bite-size chunks (we use Ghirardelli 60%Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips)
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 4 teaspoons flour
- butter or cooking spray for liners
- Garnish:
- fresh raspberries or strawberries
- whipped cream
Instructions
- Melt butter and chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water; remove from heat. Beat eggs, sugar, and salt with a hand mixer in a medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Beat egg mixture into chocolate until smooth. Beat in flour until just combined.
- Adjust the oven rack to the middle position; preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Butter ramekin dishes or if you don't have ramekins, line standard-size muffin cups (1/2 cup capacity) with 8 extra-large muffin papers (papers should extend above cups to facilitate removal). Spray muffin papers with cooking spray. Divide batter among ramekins/cups. Place ramekins on a silicon lined cookie sheet to bake.
- Bake until batter puffs, but the center is not fully set, 8 to 10 minutes depending on the size of . Take the cakes out when still loose or "jiggly" in the center. (If using muffin tins, carefully lift cakes by the paper from the tin and set on a work surface. Pull papers away from cakes and transfer cakes to dessert plates.
- Top each cake with powdered sugar or a dollop of fresh whipped cream and raspberries or strawberries. Serve immediately.
- Note: Batter can be made ahead; return to room temperature an hour or so before baking.
