Valentine's Day sweets for your sweetie — Or yourself, because you deserve it!

Oatmeal, maple, pecan, raisin cookies

• ½ cup pecans or walnuts
• 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 small egg or ½ large egg, lightly whisked
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon fine salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• ½ cup golden raisins, raisins or sun-dried cranberries

1. Place a Silpat sheet or sheet of parchment on a cookie sheet and set aside.
2. Place a medium skillet over moderate heat. Add the nuts and cook, stirring frequently, until the kitchen smells nutty and the nuts are beginning to darken in color. Remove, let cool for a few minutes and coarsely chop. Reserve.
3. In a stand mixer or a bowl using a hand-held mixer, whip the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the maple syrup, vanilla and egg and beat until well incorporated, about 1 minute.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture, beating the dough together on low speed. Add the oats, raisins and chopped nuts. Mix until just incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
6. Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of the cookie dough and roll into a ball. Place on the prepared cookie sheet, leaving about 2 inches of space between each cookie. (They will spread while baking.)
7. Bake on the middle shelf for about 15 minutes; the cookies are done when the edges are crisp and firm and the center is still slightly soft. Remove from the oven and let cool on the hot cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Honey cupcakes with cream cheese and honey frosting

• Cooking spray or oil for buttering the cupcake tins
• 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon fine salt
• ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small pieces, at room temperature
• ⅔ cup plain whole milk yogurt
• ⅔ cup honey
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
• ⅓ cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, mist each cup with cooking spray, or spread with oil.
2. Make the cupcakes: In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, salt and baking soda. Add the sugar, attach the paddle attachment and mix well. Add the butter and mix until the mixture looks slightly yellow and the butter is evenly incorporated.
3. In a large liquid measuring cup, whisk the yogurt, honey, eggs, oil and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Add the yogurt mixture to the flour mixture and mix until blended, 20 to 30 seconds.
4. Scoop about 1⁄3 cup of the batter into each prepared muffin cup. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in the tin on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Unmold and transfer the cupcakes to the rack and let cool completely.
5. Meanwhile, make the frosting: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all the frosting ingredients and beat on medium speed until light and smooth, about 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
6. Pipe, spoon, or generously spread the frosting on the cooled cupcakes.

Chocolate sour cream cake with chocolate-sour cream icing

• Cooking spray or about 1 tablespoon canola oil for greasing the pan
• 8 tablespoons (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, or ¾ cup Dutch process cocoa powder*
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• ⅓ cup canola oil
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup almond flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda*
• 1 teaspoon fine salt

• 1 cup bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped, or chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup sour cream
• Coarse sea salt, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Generously spray or coat the bottom and sides of a loaf pan (9 x 5 inches) with the canola oil.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the melted butter, cocoa and vanilla until smooth. Add the sugar and whisk until it dissolves and the batter is smooth. Whisk in the canola oil, eggs and sour cream; whisk until smooth again.
4. In a small bowl sift together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the chocolate mixture and stir gently until all the flour is incorporated. Pour the batter into the loaf pan, smooth the top and bake on the middle shelf for about 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean from the center and the cake springs back when lightly touched with your fingers.
5. Place on a wire rack and let cool for about 10 minutes. Using a kitchen knife, gently work your way around the loaf pan loosening the cake from the sides. Release the cake and place on a wire rack to cool.
6. Meanwhile, make the icing: In a medium pot, heat the chocolate, corn syrup, sour cream and vanilla over very low heat, stirring constantly so it melts into a smooth icing. Once the chocolate is fully melted, remove from the heat.
7. Once the cake is fully cooled, spread the icing on top; It may drip down the sides slightly which is fine. Sprinkle the top of the cake with sea salt. The cake will last for at least 48 hours, covered and refrigerated.

Mexican-style hot chocolate with cinnamon whipped cream

• 1 cup milk
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped, or chocolate chips
• 2 ½ tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch sea salt
• Pinch chili flakes
• ⅓ cup heavy or whipped cream
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. In a medium pot, heat the milk and cinnamon sticks over low heat until warm, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the cocoa powder, chocolate, 1 ½ tablespoons sugar, half the vanilla, salt and chili flakes. Heat until the chocolate is melted and the drink is smooth and hot, but not boiling.
2. While it warms up, whip the cream in a medium bowl. When it starts to thicken, add the ground cinnamon, remaining vanilla and the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Whip until thickened.
3. Divide the drinks between two mugs, top with a generous dollop of whipped cream and add the cinnamon stick into the whipped cream.

Other favorite Valentine's Day ideas

• Tips to taste chocolate like a pro