Hearts of Chocolate

I can’t remember a Valentine’s Day without heart-shaped message candies. As a kid, I’d always put a few into every valentine envelope. Several years ago, I glued seven different message candies on a card to create a longer, more personal Valentine for my husband--sort of a candy haiku.

Then I decided to combine the candies with bittersweet chocolate and make lollipops. I prefer the tart, tangy heart candies to the sweeter ones because they’re harder and hold up better when pressed into the warm chocolate. I also used tiny heart-shaped and round decorative candy sprinkles normally used on cookies to decorate one side of the chocolate pop.

Any kind of bittersweet or milk chocolate can be used--I found some reasonably priced imported chocolate at Trader Joe’s. The heart mold and lollipop sticks can be found at cake and candy supply stores, including Gloria’s at 3755 Sawtelle, West Los Angeles, (310) 391-4557, or The Candy Factory, 12530 Riverside Drive, North Hollywood, (818) 766-8220. I painted the lollipop sticks with pastel colors and tied them with ribbons, but you can paint them a more traditional Valentine’s Day red or even leave them plain.

You will need:

1 pound bittersweet chocolate

1 (9-ounce) bag heart-shaped message candies

2 (2 1/2-ounce) bottles heart-shaped decorative candy sprinkles, preferably pink

2 (2 1/2-ounce) bottles round candy sprinkles, preferable pink

1 heart-shaped aluminum or plastic cake/candy mold pan to make 6 (3 1/2-inch) hearts

6 (6 1/2-inch-long) lollipop sticks

Craft paints, optional

Paintbrush, optional

Curling ribbons, optional

Break chocolate into chunks and slowly melt in top of double boiler over simmering water.

Place heart-shaped candies and candy sprinkles into mold to cover surface of mold.

Spoon melted chocolate onto top of candy in molds.

Place stick into chocolate about 1 1/2 inches from bottom of heart mold, resting remaining stick on tray. Make sure portion of stick in chocolate is completely covered.

Place heart-shaped message candies into chocolate and place other candy sprinkles in desired pattern.

Place filled candy molds in refrigerator until chocolate sets, about 1 hour.

When chocolate is set, paint sticks, if desired, with craft paint and allow to dry.

Tie chocolate pops with ribbon and curl ends with scissors if desired.

6 chocolate pops. Each pop, with 5 candy hearts:

386 calories; 4 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 30 grams fat; 42 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 1.36 grams fiber.