FAMILY FUN FRIDAY-Homemade CONVERSATION HEARTS!

HOMEMADE CONVERSATION HEARTS

Are you looking for the perfect addition to make Valentines Day Special?

Look no further. 

This is a very special way to show someone you care. And it's really fun. 

You could make these with special messages for teachers, your child's class, your spouse, neighbors, friends, anyone. They are edible.

Here is what you need. 

 2 tsp. Light Corn Syrup

1 packet Unflavored Gelatin

1/2 cup Water

 2 lbs. Powdered Sugar plus 1 lbs. for dusting

Vanilla Extract (or Almond, or extract of your choice)

Food Coloring 

Food Coloring Markers

Small Heart Shaped Cutter.

We got our mini cutters and food markers at JoAnne's a few years ago. You can get them at Michaels and Roberts also. As well as online.  

Put the Water, Corn Syrup, and Gelatine in a small bowl and mix really well. Put the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds. Take it out and stir until combined and smooth. 

Pour the mixture into a larger bowl and add 1 cup of Powdered Sugar. Using a mixer, beat on low until the sugar is combined. Keep adding the sugar and mixing until the full two pounds of sugar are added. The dough will be really sticky and stiff. 

 Put a generous layer of powered sugar on your counter and scrape the dough out of the bowl.

Knead and knead and knead, adding more powdered sugar as you go, until the dough is no longer sticky and it has turned shiny. 

 Divide your dough into the number of colors you want to make. Add food coloring and a few drops of extract to each. The kids choose Root Beer Extract this year. We will see how they taste.

Knead the food coloring and extract into each ball of dough until the color is consistent.

Cover the dough when you are not working with it. 

Put a fresh layer of powdered sugar down so your dough wont stick and roll the Dough out to 1/4 thick.

 Use your small cookie cutters to cut out your hearts.

Once they are cut out, lay them flat on a cookie sheet to dry. Ideally, you want them to dry for 24 hours, but you don't really have to wait that long. A few hours will do just fine. They need to be totally dry so when your write on them, the ink doesn't bleed.

 I cut out a few extra special shapes to give my hubby. 

 Once the hearts are dry, Let your kids (and you) use the food markers to write messages and pictures on each of the hearts. 

Put some of these in a special bag and deliver.

Or, make your own little box of Conversation Hearts to give away. You can even use another box of empty hearts and make your own cover.  

Valentines Day is on Monday. Don't forget all the special people in your lives.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO WRITE ON YOUR HEARTS?

ANY BIG V-DAY PLANS?

WHAT ARE YOU GIVING YOUR SPOUSE FOR THE BIG DAY?