Valentines Recipes for Kids

Calzone Recipe for Kids A quick Italian dish that's fun to eat and perfect for Valentine's Day, or any day you want to serve up some love with dinner.

Kids can help: Filling the dough and crimping edges.

For the dough:

• 1 pkg yeast

• 1 Tbsp sugar

• 1 cup warm water

• 1 tsp salt

• 3 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 ¾ cup white flour

• 1 ¼ cup whole wheat flour

For the filling:

• Mozzarella cheese

• Marinara sauce

• Turkey pepperoni

Combine yeast, sugar and warm water and let set for 5 minutes. Mix remaining ingredients and then add yeast mixture. Let dough rise, in a warm place, for about 1-2 hours, until double in size.

Roll out a small portion of the dough at a time, cutting two equal sized hearts. Fill middle with a thin layer of marinara sauce, turkey pepperoni, and cheese and then layer the top with another heartand crimp the edges together with a fork. Set on baking tray. Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned. Test to make sure dough is done baking. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.

Kid-Friendly French Toast This easy, heart-shaped French toast recipe for kids makes a perfect Valentine's Day breakfast or brunch.

• Oatmeal bread

• Egg

• Skim milk

• Maple syrup

• Strawberries

• Beat an egg, using a fork, in a medium, low bowl. Add about ¾ cup milk per each egg used. Add a teaspoon of maple syrup and stir well.

• Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out heart shapes from the center of bread slices.

• Dip all bread pieces into egg mixture and set onto pancake griddle or large skillet set on medium heat. Brown lightly on both sides.

• Garnish with cut strawberries and maple syrup.

Fondue Date

Dipping food into cheese and chocolate is a win-win for everyone. You can make an entire meal out of yummy fondue!

Cheese Fondue:

• 1 cup dry white wine

• 1/2 lb. shredded Swiss Cheese

• 1/2 lb. shredded Gruyere cheese

• 2 tablespoons flour

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Simmer wine in fondue pot. Add Swiss cheese and Gruyere cheese, 1/4 pound at a time. Stir after each addition of cheese until melted. Stir in flour. When all the cheese has melted, stir in salt and nutmeg. Serve with dippers.

Slow Cooker Chocolate Fondue:

• 12 ounces good quality chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark)

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• pinch salt

In a slow cooker, stir to combine chocolate, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Cover and set the slow cooker on low for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Once the chocolate is completely melted and smooth, reduce heat to “warm.” Serve with bamboo skewers for skewering fruit and cake to make dipping easier. The fondue can be kept warm for up to 2 hours.

Personal Pizza

Pizza is usually one food everyone can agree on – but when it comes to style and toppings there may be a bit of disparity. Problem solved – make your own!

Grilled Individual Heart Shaped Pizzas:

• 1 batch homemade pizza dough or store bought crust

• sauce

• Shredded cheese

• Toppings

Cut the pizza dough into 8 pieces.Stretch each piece into a circle, then shape into hearts by pushing in the top and pinching then pulling down on the bottom. Let dough sit for about 10 minutes to rest and rise. With the grill on medium-high (about 350-400 degrees), transfer crusts to the grill and cook until the crust puffs on top and gets grill marks on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Transfer the crust to a cookie sheet or large platter, grilled side up. Spread the sauce on the pizza, add toppings, cover with cheese, and transfer back to the grill. Cook until pizza crust is cooked through, the toppings are hot, and the cheese is bubbly, about 3 – 4 minutes. If you have a barbecue with a lid, cooking them covered at this stage helps heat the toppings. Remove from the grill to a pizza peel or large baking sheet. Serve.

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