A distinctive bowl made of melted, peppermint candies captured my heart as I set out to celebrate Valentine's (or Galentine's) Day. Searching Pinterest I discovered peppermint candy, tiered plates which inspired an idea for a fun and colorful Valentine table-scape!
Here is what you’ll need:
2 bags of peppermint hard candies (extra just in case!)
Parchment paper
Cookie sheet
Candle sticks, small glasses or something similar for the plate pillars
Hot glue gun
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Unwrap peppermints; spread parchment on a cookie sheet. Begin with one mint in the middle and surround with treats in graduating circles until you reach the desired size. For the top tier I arrayed 3 circles of minty spheres around the center and 5 for the bottom plate.
The candies will spread slightly as they melt. So be sure to have extra parchment paper laid beyond the perimeter of the sweets or they will stick to the pan. To avoid shifting the pieces, gingerly place your mint design in the oven and check in 7 minutes and then every minute until it spreads slightly and becomes shiny. This happens quickly so keep an eye peeled.
Once pulled from the oven, you have about 30-40 seconds to tweak. I use parchment or a silicon oven mitt to flatten. This fills the holes between candies. Every connection is a weak point, so try to prepare one solid piece. Allow to cool completely before removing from the parchment. The plate will retain a certain amount of tackiness so always place on a non-stick surface. With the two "peppermint plates" you're ready for assembly, using a hot glue gun. I couldn't locate the glass candle holder from the dollar store that the Pinterest guide suggested. But a visit to Good Will supplied a cordial jigger and a martini glass for 59 cents each.
I decided to turn the martini glass upside down for more stability. Mark a few dots on the bottom side of the large plate with a Sharpie pen to determine placement. Apply a very generous amount of hot glue and gently secure the glass onto the platter, taking care not to press down forcefully. Add more hot glue around the outside edges of the glass. Once dry, turn the piece over and repeat the process, adhering the top and bottom plates together with the cordial glass in between. The larger the plate the more fragile, so handle cautiously.
The tiered plate is adorable and unique. To strengthen or preserve it, I suggest painting both sides and edges with a few layers of polyurethane, drying thoroughly between each application. Wrap in parchment and then bubble wrap to store in a dry area for your next happy occasion.
To construct my Valentine themed presentation I overlaid a bright red table cloth with a lacy cover. Heart balloons and tissue paper décor were purchased from the dollar store. With money saved on decorations, I splurged on local treats!
Personalized, heart balloon cookies and tasty “You have a pizza my heart!” confections from Peggy’s Bake Shop were so cute and clever. I ordered pastries from European Delights Gourmet Bakery’s Valentine menu and was delighted by the huge, chocolate covered strawberries, red velvet whoopie pies and Napoleon Hearts made of puff pastry replete with luscious, white chocolate mousse and topped with a juicy strawberry. My favorites were the superb meringue cups dipped in dark chocolate, topped with rich, raspberry cream and finished with fresh blue berries and raspberries!
A handsome, heart shaped board from Odds 'n Ends displayed additional delicacies. Fresh flowers from Kroger, champagne goblets filled with Sixlets and bourbon glasses full of M&M’s secured heart suckers in place. A small, pink ceramic Eiffel Tower, wooden LOVE sign and other ditties brought the arrangement together beautifully.
Gatherings might be few and far between right now but perhaps that allows a little extra time and money to create something really special for those we love. I hope you enjoyed these ideas to spark your imagination in generating your own designs!
Click here to view the full instructional video.
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