Valentine's Marshmallow Pops

I had planned to share the recipe for these beauties with you as fun Valentine's Day baking project.  They look yum, don't they?

Photo:  Food Network Magazine

After all, who can say no to red velvet sandwich cookies with a coconut cream cheese filling?

Unfortunately, the recipe didn't work out nearly as well as I expected, especially considering the glossy magazine spread I'd gleaned the recipe from (see photo above).  My attempt looked nothing like the Food Network chefs' version.  In fact, here's how my cookies turned out:

NAILED IT!!  

Haha!  Nowhere even close to comparing to the magazine photo.  I just had to laugh...I knew when I was mixing the dough that the cookies were doomed, but I went ahead and tried them anyway.  I kept thinking the recipe was missing some type of binder, an egg or milk maybe, and apparently I should have added one.  (The reviews I found through Google, after the fact, confirmed my suspicion and gave me comfort that I was not alone in the recipe failure.)  On the bright side, if I ever need a crispy cookie that looks like a ground meat patty, I have the perfect recipe!!  Oh, and the filling really was quite good.

So, as a "Plan B" Valentine's Day edible project, I give you these Valentine's Marshmallow Pops.

Super easy, there's no baking required, and super quick!  I turned out 2 dozen of these cuties in under 30 minutes, not including the drying time.  And, as an added bonus, marshmallows are fat free!  You just have to love a sweet treat that isn't loaded with fat calories, though the sugar count is probably through the roof.  We don't really need to go there, do we?  

I used the Campfire brand "HeartMallows" for these pops, but any brand of heart-shaped marshmallows will work. (One bag yielded about 2 dozen pops.)  Or if you've got the time, you can make your own homemade marshmallows!  Use any chocolate you'd like, white, semisweet, dark, etc, just make sure it's good quality so that it will melt easily and smoothly and set-up well.

Dress them up a bit for gift giving by packaging each one in a small, clear bag tied with a festive piece of ribbon or a silver twist tie.

Valentine's Marshmallow Pops

Printable Recipe

Yield:  2 to 3 dozen pops, depending on design

Time:  Approx. 30 minutes + drying time

Ingredients:

• 24 to 36, 4" or 6" lollipop sticks (you'll need 6" sticks if you intend to use 2 or more marshmallows per pop)
• 24 to 36, heart-shaped marshmallows
• 12 oz good quality chocolate, melted
• Assorted sprinkles, jimmies, or decos
• Lollipop bags and twist ties/ribbon, if desired

Preparation:

1. Gently push one or more heart marshmallows onto a lollipop stick, being careful not to go through the top side of the marshmallow.  Repeat with the remaining marshmallows and lollipop sticks.
2. Dip each marshmallow pop into the melted chocolate.  Gently tap the excess chocolate off, then sprinkle with the chosen decorations, or drizzle with additional chocolate.
3. Allow the pops to dry completely.  Depending on how the pops are dipped, you may need to lay them flat on a wax paper lined cookie sheet or stand them upright in a Styrofoam block or drinking glass.  If you are in a hurry, you can place the pops in the refrigerator for a few minutes to speed up the drying process.
4. Once the pops are dry, you can place each pop into a clear cellophane lollipop bag and tie with ribbon or twist ties, if desired.

Happy Valentine's Day!