One of the largest manufacturers of conversation hearts says it produces eight billion of those tiny little hearts every year with 100,000 pounds of hearts sold every day between January and Valentine's Day. You can actually make your own healthier Valentine's Conversation Hearts right at home.
Our conversation hearts boast natural food colors and flavorings, and no artificial ingredients. They do take some time to make, but are well worth it!
Happy Valentine's Day!
Ingredients
- 4 ounces lemon lime soda, or 4 oz water with ½ tsp citric acid
- 1 ½ tsp plain gelatin
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Microwave the 4 oz of water or soda until hot. Pour in the gelatin and stir to combine. Allow to set for five minutes.
- Once gelatin has been allowed to sit, pour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Pour in salt, then powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing completely after each addition. You want the dough to take on a dough like consistency. Ours formed a dough ball in the mixer.
- Remove the finished dough ball and turn dough onto the counter to knead for 1-2 minutes until dough is smooth. Divide and cut the dough into the different flavors you will be using, than place each in a Ziploc bag.
- To each bag, add different colors and flavors. Knead each bag for 3-5 minutes until all color and flavor are well incorporated into the dough.
- Lightly dust the rolling surface with powdered sugar. Roll out dough ball to ¼ inch thickness. Cut out heart shapes with a mini heart shaped cookie cutter. Place each heart onto a baking sheet.
- Allow the hearts to air dry for about 12 hours. Flip the hearts and allow the other side to dry for an additional 12 hours. Decorate each heart with a food pen message if desired.
- Store in an airtight container for up to one month.
Notes
Flavorings: (Add this amount to each Ziploc bag) Pink: ⅓ cup freeze dried strawberries or cherries, blended in blender until it becomes a powder + 1-2 drops red natural food coloring or pinch beet powder for extra pink color if needed. Orange: ¼-1/2 tsp orange extract or several drops orange essential oil + several drops naturally dyed orange food coloring if needed. Yellow: ⅓ cup freeze dried bananas, blended in a blender until it becomes a powder + several drops naturally dyed yellow food coloring if needed. Green: 3-4 drops key lime extract or lime essential oil + several drops naturally dyed green food coloring Purple: One drop clove essential oil, or ⅛-1/4 tsp real cloves + naturally dyed purple food coloring. White: 1-2 drops peppermint oil or extract
Recipe Inspired by SeriousEats.com
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