Cookie Dough Hearts

Valentines day is coming.  It's in, like, 5 days.  Oh my god, I'm excited.

See, look.  I even got all festive and made heart shaped cookie dough bites to celebrate.  Never mind that I'm easily distracted when shaping cookie dough and it took be approximately 3.7 hours to make them all.  It was worth it.

Because aren't they just so cute?

I love Valentines Day because it's one of the only times ever when you're allowed to eat obsene amounts of chocolate and it's not even weird.  I mean, I could eat 4 cupcakes and no one would even look at me funny.  I wish everyday was Valentines Day.

But since that's not the case, I've gotta make that one dessert filled day of the year count.  Which is why I plan on having chocolate with every meal (and sometimes twice in one) on February 14.  I'm thinking cupcakes for breakfast and a glass of chocolate milk.  Lunch will be some sort of normal thing, followed by a cookie of course.  Dinner should be some sort of mole dish, or maybe a chocolate chili.  That's sounds good.

And dessert?

Well, it's gonne be one three of these delicious chocolate drizzled cookie dough hearts!

Cookie Dough Hearts (or Balls)

• 1 15-oz can chickpeas
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 4 prunes
• 1 tbsp peanut butter (or another nut butter)
• 1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips (mini, of possible), plus more for melting

Rinse and drain chickpeas very well.  Then combine all ingredients in a food processor.  Blend until completely smooth.  Mix in 1/4 cup chocolate chips.  Dough will be a bit sticky, but do your best to form it into hearts, balls, or whatever other shape you like.  Place shapes on a plate or baking sheet, and then place in freezer until hard.  Once hard, remove from freezer for a chocolate drizzle.  Melt down some chocolate chips (about 1/4 cup should do) either on the stove or in the microwave.  With a fork, drizzle the chocolate over the cookie dough shapes.  Return to freezer.  To thaw the cookie dough shapes before eating, either leave out on the counter until soft, or microwave for 15-30 seconds.  Store lefotvers in the freezer.

What do you plan on making or eating this Valentines Day?

I'm thinking that, along with these hearts, I'll also make this cake and maybe try out a new recipe.  One thing I can say for sure is that there will be a lot of chocolate!

Here are some of the cookie dough balls :)

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Brownie Mix Cookies - great for Valentines Day as well