Over the holiday season I saw cookie boxes all over my Instagram feed. I love this gift idea because I’m horrible at finding the perfect presents for friends and family. I’d rather just bake them something I know they’ll enjoy. When I saw this heart-shaped box at Target I knew it would be perfect for a treat box! It was so much fun creating this assortment of goodies! Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays because everything is pink and chocolate—two of my favorite things! Below are some tips for creating the perfect box of treats to give to your loved ones!
Find the perfect box. I found this wood heart-shaped box in the dollar section at Target, which inspired this post. The inside says “Happy Valentine’s Day” and it was only $3! I also love this cookie box made by PieBox and this one from King Arther Flour. Boxes that have dividers are ideal because it keeps the flavors from mixing, but isn’t 100% necessary. Since this box didn’t have dividers and I’m not crafty enough to make some, I made treats similar in flavor (they are all vanilla-ish). You don’t want mint cookies taking on a fruity flavor from a neighboring treat, etc.
Make (or buy) the treats. For this Valentine’s Day treat box I used several recipes. This is the recipe I used for the sugar cookie bars, but customized them with pink food coloring in the frosting and festive sprinkles. I also included homemade marshmallows. One batch was classic vanilla and cut into squares, while the other batch was colored pink and cut with a heart-shaped cookie cutter. Here is my recipe and tips for making marshmallows. For another festive and easy treat, I dipped strawberry wafer cookies in melted almond bark (or white chocolate) and then topped them with sprinkles. Wilton has a great line of Valentine’s Day sprinkles, which you can find at a variety of stores (this mix is one of my favorites!). You can also mix in some store-bought treats, like chocolate hearts. These Ghirardelli Heart Duets are great to add either wrapped or unwrapped. I also love their strawberry bark squares!
Arrange them in the box. This is easy if your box has dividers, but it’s pretty simple without them, too! Start with the first layer. I filled 1/3 with the sugar cookie bars and 1/3 with the marshmallows. I left a hole for the wafer cookies to be added at the end since they are lighter and best presented vertically. Once you have your base layer, stack more treats to create a second layer. Be sure to cover any holes—you don’t want to see the bottom of the box. At this point I also arranged the wafer cookies then filled in any holes with remaining treats. Lastly, I added some chocolate hearts on top since they are the smallest items in this assortment. Think of this step as a book shelf. You want the heavier, bulkier items on the bottom and the lighter, smaller ones on top.
Share the love! At this point you could wrap the box with a bow, but I think it’s also pretty as is! Then share it with your friends, family, neighbors, and anyone else who loves sweet treats! So basically everyone, right?! A Valentine’s Day treat box makes a great gift for your significant other (filled with their favorite things) or your kids’ teachers! Rob loves these double chocolate chip cookies stuffed with Nutella and salted caramel, which I usually make for him on this holiday!
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What would you put in your Valentine’s Day treat box? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments!
