Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day

Slice-and-bake Valentine’s biscuits

PREP: 30 MINS
COOK: 20 MINS 
MORE EFFORT
MAKES 16-20plus 5 hrs freezing and chilling
These picture-perfect sweet treats make a gorgeous gift for someone special

 

Ingredients

• 300g plain flour, plus a little extra for dusting
• 200g salted butter, diced
• 120g golden caster sugar
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp rosewater, or 25g/1oz freeze-dried raspberries, whizzed to a powder – we used Waitrose (optional)
• red or pink food colouring

Method

1. Tip the flour and butter into a food processor and whizz to fine crumbs. Add the sugar and yolks then whizz to a smooth dough. Remove one-third of the dough, add vanilla to what’s left and pulse to whizz in. Wrap this dough in cling film and leave at room temperature.
2. Put the reserved dough back in the processor with the rosewater or dried raspberries, if using, and a drop of food colouring. Pulse and add more colouring to achieve an intense colour. If the dough has become too soft, pulse in a few spoonfuls more flour until a similar consistency to the vanilla dough. Put the dough in the fridge, remembering to remove it 30 mins before you need to roll it out.
3. 
   
   1. Thickly roll out the coloured dough between baking parchment. Use a small 3-4cm heart cutter to stamp out hearts. Keep re-rolling and stamping until all the dough is used. Line up hearts on top of each other and press to form a cylinder, taking care to retain the heart shape. Wrap in cling film and freeze for 3 hrs until solid.
   2. When the heart dough is hard, roll the vanilla dough, using your hands, into 3 cylinders the length of the heart stack. Stick one to each ‘side’ of the hearts, pat together to form a fat cylinder, then gently roll on your work surface until it completely encircles the coloured dough, with the frozen heart dough hidden in the centre. Chill for 2 hrs.
   3. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Use a sharp knife to slice the log into 1cm-thick discs. Place on trays lined with baking parchment, allowing space for spreading, and bake for 20 mins. Cool on wire racks. Will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day

20 awesome things to do when you're single on Valentine's Day

Spending time with your friends is the best thing to do.

For those in love, Valentine's Day is a time to reflect on your relationship and remember all the reasons why you love each other.

However, if you find yourself alone come February 14, you probably view the holiday a bit differently. But just because you don't have someone special to share it with, doesn't mean that the day itself can't be special.

Here are 20 awesome things to do when you're single on Valentine's Day:

1. Have a movie marathon featuring your celebrity crush.

Spend Valentine's Day with your (on-screen) love.

Are you really into Leonardo DiCaprio? Or Eva Mendes? Collect all of your favorite actor's movies and spend Valentine's Day with your true (on-screen) love.

2. Babysit for a couple that never gets a night out.

Do a friend a solid.

 

Know someone who would love to take a night off from parent duties to spend some quality time with their partner? Offer to watch their kids for the night since you don't have any plans. They'll probably even pay you.

3. Treat yourself by signing up for a single's subscription box.

Buy yourself something nice.

 

Thanks to Birchbox, subscription boxes of all sorts have been coming out of the wood works. Recently singles everywhere have been raving about boxes like Singles Swagthat deliver books, beauty products, and snacks to your doorstep.

4. Go on a shopping spree and take advantage of the holiday sales.

Hit up sales.

Take the money you would have spent on dinner and chocolates and put it towards a new wardrobe. Plus, tons of stores usually have sales that you can save on!

5. Do a Secret Santa-like Valentine exchange with your other single friends.

Treat your friends.

Put everyone's name into a hat and have flowers delivered, chocolates bought, or a dinner planned for your pick.

6. Pamper yourself at a spa.

Treat yourself.

Take advantage of all the "me-time" you're getting by indulging in a massage or mani-pedi.

7. Gather your friends and play Tinder roulette.

Tinder roulette.

 

Hook up your phone to a TV and broadcast your Tinder page to the whole room. Take turns swiping on each of your profiles and maybe you'll find a date for next year's Valentine's Day.

8. Laugh it up.

Laughing gives you endorphins.

Laughing gives you endorphins, which, as Elle Woods taught us, makes you happy. So hit up a comedy club or watch some stand up on Netflix.

9. Celebrate Galentine's Day.

Spend time with your fave people.

 

Get the gang together to do something fun as a group. Whether it's going to brunch or watching the famous "Parks and Rec" episode that started it all, it'll give you a chance to spend quality time with people you care about.

10. Go on a vacation.

Get out of town.

This might be the first or last Valentine's Day that you don't have commitments or plans. Take the spare time you have to go somewhere you've always wanted to. Be sure to avoid these places though, because they're a hot spot for couples.

11. Take the day to unplug.

Do a digital detox.

If you tend to get annoyed by all the happy couples on Valentine's Day, then take the day off from social media.

You'll finally know what it feels like to be unplugged and it could help you put your phone down more if you're one of those people who feels addicted to it.

12. Take a note from Jessica Biel's character in "Valentine's Day" and throw an anti-Valentine's day party.

Who needs V-Day?

 

Maybe you're single by choice or maybe you're just happily waiting for the right person, but that doesn't make Valentine's Day any less awkward and awful.

Be honest with how you feel about it and surround yourself with people who think it's just as cheesy and annoying as you do. Ban anything pink, red, or covered in hearts and bash February 14 as much as you want.

13. Do something your ex hated.

Blast all the songs your ex hated.

 

Did your ex hate eating Indian food even though you loved it? Or did they roll their eyes every time you turned on country music? Did they ask you not to wear six-inch heels?

If there was ever anything that you did less of in your last relationship, then spend your entire day doing it! Eat the Indian food and blast the country music and rock those stilettos.

14. Take a class.

Classes will be empty.

If there's a class you've been dying to try, see if there are any spots available on Valentine's Day. Lots of people will have plans for the night so it'll be the perfect time to take that spin class you've never been able to get a spot in.

15. Veg out.

Netflix and chill.

 

Order all the junk food. Watch all the Netflix. Do all the chilling. And maybe you'll forget that it was even a holiday to begin with.

16. Grab a friend and fake your way through couple's deals.

You don't need to be in a couple to enjoy a couple's massage.

Discounted dinner for two? Half off a couple's massage? These employees don't need to know that you're not actually dating.

17. Buy your favorite things and relish the fact that you don't have to share them.

All yours.

Buy your favorite wine, candy, or meal, and keep it all to yourself. You won't have to give up a single one of your fries, or a drop of your wine. Enjoy the fact that it's all for you.

18. Change up your look.

New look, new you.

Maybe you've been wanting to chop all your hair off, or try a brand-new color. Get ready for a night out by switching up your hairstyle.

19. Go to a museum.

You've wanted to do this for months.

Take the time to go to that art exhibit you've been wanting to check out for months.

20. Go on a date.

Don't try and be romantic.

Yes, Valentine's Day is a high-pressure night for a first date — which is why it could be extra entertaining. Do something that's not traditionally romantic and focus on having fun.