There seem to be a lot of misconceptions about being single and *cough* rather close to thirty.  If I say I’m enjoying my singledom, that seems to suggest I’m sewing some wild oats, when in reality I mean that I love having the whole bed to myself and the freedom to do whatever I want without compromise (and seriously, I fit so much more into a week now I’m single – it’s amazing!  Doubly so on holidays!).

Conversely, if I dare to admit that I’d quite like to be in a relationship again, it seems to conjure up this image of me warbling ‘All By Myself’ in my pyjamas every night – Bridget Jones has a lot to answer for – and feeling desperate and sorry for myself.  That’s not the case at all, but as quite a domesticated, nurturing sort, it really suits me to have someone to take care of, and I doubt I’m alone in wishing for someone to confide in and tell me how wonderful I am.

So it’s a bit of an odd Valentine’s Day, in which I’m both lamenting a lack of romance in my life, and celebrating my freedom.  And also, baking up a storm!  As soon as I saw these in GoodFood magazine, I knew I had to make them.  Happy Valentine’s Day!

Love Bugs

Decoration idea taken from BBC GoodFood

Ingredients:

1 batch vanilla biscuits

500g ready to roll fondant icing

red food colouring

a few tbsp icing sugar, plus extra for dusting

black icing pen/writing icing

Method:

1.  Make the biscuits as per the original recipe.  Once the dough has chilled, roll it out and stamp out heart shapes with an 8cm cutter.  Chill them in the fridge for 15 minutes.

2.  Bake in the oven for 9-12 minutes.  Stand on the trays for a few minutes, then leave to cool completely on wire racks.

3.  When the biscuits have cooled, colour the fondant icing red by working the colouring in with your hands.

4.  On a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar, roll it out thinly (about 3mm – I didn’t get mine thin enough and the icing rather overpowered the biscuit).  Stamp out heart shapes with a 6cm cutter.

5.  Mix the icing sugar with a little water, I coloured mine red but that’s not absolutely necessary.

6.  Use a teaspoon to put a little icing on the biscuit – this is the glue that will hold the fondant heart in place.

7.  Gently press on the fondant heart.

8.  When all the hearts are glued on to the biscuits, take your black icing pen or writing icing and make a little triangular head at the point of the heart, and a line up to mark the wings.  Add a few dots.  Impress your friends and lovers.