Ask BETTY

Dear Betty,

Any ideas for something easy and chocolate that I could make my wife for Valentine’s Day?

Havre, Mont.

You’re a sweetheart to bake a homemade Valentine for your wife! One way to woo her is with special, easy-to-make, I-love-you brownies. Bake them from scratch with a simple recipe from my Web site or use one of my brownie mixes — either way, they’ll warm her heart. Here are just a few ideas for winning “brownie points” with your sweetie:

• Brownie card. Bake brownies in a heart-shaped foil pan, frost, then write your Valentine message on the top with a tube of decorating icing or gel.

• Heartfelt treats. Bake brownies in a pan lined with foil. Let them cool completely, then use the foil to lift the brownies out of the pan. Cut them into heart shapes with a cookie cutter or plastic knife, then frost with chocolate or cherry-flavored frosting.

• Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Stir 1/2 cup sliced almonds and 1 teaspoon almond extract into the brownie batter. After pouring into the pan, sprinkle with sliced almonds and bake. When cool, cut brownies diagonally from left to right, then cut diagonally again from right to left.

• Berry pretty brownies. Pour brownie batter into the pan, then dot with dollops of raspberry jam. Use a knife to “pull” the jam through the batter. Bake and cool completely. Dust heavily with powdered sugar and garnish with fresh raspberries.

• Peanut-butter delights. Stir peanut butter chips into the batter before baking. While still warm, sprinkle brownies with peanut butter chips. When al-most melted, spread with a knife; let cool before cutting.

• Take the plunge. Bake brownies, cool and cut into squares. Melt 12 ounces of white baking chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of oil in a 2-quart saucepan. Poke a fork into each brownie and dip the edges in the white or dark chocolate. Place them on a waxed-paper covered cookie sheet until set.

• A box of brownies. Make two or three of the brownie versions, arrange in a decorative tin lined with pink, red and white tissue and tie with a big bow.

Betty Crocker

Want more ideas? www.BettyCrocker.com

Questions? 1-888-ASK BETTY

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