Sweet Treats for Sweetest Day

The Origins of Sweetest Day

The first Sweetest Day was celebrated in October 1921 in Cleveland, Ohio. A committee of candymakers organized the event, distributing candies to the city's poor to spread joy and kindness. Over the years, Sweetest Day has transformed into a holiday celebrated with greeting cards, flowers, and various sweet treats. According to the National Confectioners Association, Sweetest Day is primarily celebrated in the Midwest, with Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois being the top states for this holiday.

Sweetest Day Treats

Why not bake some delicious treats to honor your loved ones this Sweetest Day? Here are some of the sweetest recipes to try:

Strawberry Cream Pie

This easy-to-make pie delivers fabulous results, especially when using fresh strawberries.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• Dash of nutmeg
• 1 cup strawberry slices
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 9-inch chocolate cookie crust

Directions:

1. Combine softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla, and nutmeg, mixing well.
2. Mash 3/4 cup strawberry slices and stir into the cream cheese mixture.
3. Whip cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
4. Fold into the cream cheese mixture, then fold in the remaining strawberries.
5. Spoon into the crust and chill for several hours or overnight.
6. Garnish with additional strawberries if desired.

French Kisses

A dessert as sweet as its name.

Ingredients:

• 3 egg whites at room temperature
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 drops red food coloring
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 1 1/4 cups shredded coconut

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
2. Beat egg whites and salt until stiff.
3. Gradually add sugar, beating constantly.
4. Mix in food coloring, almond extract, and coconut.
5. Drop mixture by teaspoonfuls onto a greased and floured baking sheet.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn off the oven and let kisses sit for 1.5 hours.

Giant Cherry Heart Dessert

Perfect for Valentine's Day or Sweetest Day.

Ingredients:

• 1 18 oz. package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• 18 oz. package cream cheese
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 16 oz. can cherry pie filling
• 1 8 oz. container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Roll cookie dough to 1/4" thick and form into a heart shape.
3. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are lightly brown.
4. Mix cream cheese with confectioners' sugar and spread on cooled cookie dough.
5. Cover with cherry pie filling and whipped cream.

Yield: 12 servings

Chocolate Raspberry Crumb Bars

A slightly more elaborate bar for when you feel like getting fancy.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 cups (12 oz. package) NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels, divided
• 1 14-oz. can NESTLÉ Carnation Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
• 1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Grease a 13x9-inch baking pan.
3. Beat butter until creamy, then add flour, sugar, and salt until crumbly.
4. Press 1 3/4 cups crumb mixture onto the bottom of the pan; reserve remaining mixture.
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
6. Combine 1 cup morsels and sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan, stirring until smooth.
7. Spread over hot crust.
8. Stir nuts into reserved crumb mixture; sprinkle over chocolate filling.
9. Drop teaspoonfuls of raspberry jam over crumb mixture and sprinkle with remaining morsels.
10. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until center is set. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Yield: 3 dozen bars

Pink Perfection

A delightful dessert for cherry lovers.

Ingredients:

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 can cherry pie filling
• 1 can crushed pineapples, drained
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 16 oz. Cool Whip, room temperature

Directions:

1. Mix milk, pineapples, and pecans in a large bowl.
2. Add Cool Whip and mix well.
3. Add cherry pie filling and mix until the mixture turns pink.
4. Let sit/cool for 1 hour until the mixture hardens.

Serving Size: 6Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Chocolate Mousse Falling-in-Love Pie

Inspired by the movie "Waitress," this pie is supposed to make anyone who eats it fall in love.

Ingredients:

• 9-inch baked pastry shell
• 1 14-oz. can condensed milk (not evaporated)
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 (4 serving) package chocolate pudding mix (not instant)
• 1 1-oz. square unsweetened chocolate
• 2 cups (1 pint) whipping cream, stiffly whipped

Directions:

1. Combine condensed milk, water, and pudding mix in a large saucepan; mix well.
2. Add chocolate and cook over medium heat, stirring until chocolate melts and mixture thickens.
3. Remove from heat and beat until smooth. Cool and chill thoroughly.
4. Fold in whipped cream and pour into prepared pastry shell.
5. Chill for 4 hours until set.

Serves: 8

Strawberry Baked Meringue Sundae

A pretty and tasty dessert that will earn you a lot of oohs and aahs.

Ingredients:

• 8 egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 pint strawberries, sliced
• Vanilla ice cream

Directions:

1. Whip egg whites and salt until thickened.
2. Gradually add sugar and vanilla, beating until firm.
3. Preheat oven to 250°F.
4. Place mounds of the mixture on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
5. Bake for about 1 hour or until meringues are firm. Cool.
6. Top with ice cream and sliced strawberries.

Makes: 4-6 servings

Berry Lite Mousse

A lighter, healthier way to enjoy berry-flavored mousse.

Ingredients:

• 1 (4-serving size) Jell-O Brand Strawberry Flavor - Sugar-Free Gelatin
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1 cup ice cubes
• 1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
• 3/4 cup thawed Cool Whip

Directions:

1. Dissolve gelatin in boiling water in a blender at low speed for about 30 seconds.
2. Add ice and stir until partially melted.
3. Add strawberries and blend well.
4. Blend in whipped topping.
5. Pour into dessert glasses and chill for about 2 hours. Garnish as desired.

Makes: 6 servings

Pink Peppermint Pie

A festive pie perfect for various occasions, with a holiday flair from peppermint extract and candies.

Ingredients:

• Graham Cracker Crust:
  • 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 16 squares)
  • 2 tsp. sugar
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
• Filling:
  • 24 large white marshmallows
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
  • 6 drops peppermint extract
  • 6 drops red food coloring
  • 1 cup chilled whipping cream
  • 2 tbsp. crushed peppermint candy

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix crumbs, sugar, and butter for the crust. Press firmly into an 8-inch pie plate and bake for 10 minutes. Cool.
3. Heat marshmallows and milk over low heat until melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, salt, peppermint extract, and food coloring. Refrigerate until the mixture mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon.
4. Beat whipping cream until stiff. Fold marshmallow mixture into whipped cream.
5. Pour into crust and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Sprinkle with crushed candy before serving.

Yield: 1 8-inch pie

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake

A beautiful raspberry swirl tops this delicious cheesecake.

Ingredients:

• Crust:
  • 19 oz. package chocolate wafer cookies, finely crushed
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• Filling:
  • 3 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp. flour
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 12 oz. can raspberry dessert filling, strained

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Combine cookie crumbs, butter, and brown sugar for the crust. Press firmly into a greased 9-inch springform pan.
3. Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add sugar, sour cream, and eggs, beating until smooth. Add lemon juice, flour, and vanilla, mixing well.
4. Stir 1/3 of the batter into strained raspberry filling. Pour remaining batter into the prepared pan.
5. Drop spoonfuls of raspberry filling into the plain batter and swirl with a knife.
6. Bake for 1 hour or until the center is set. Cool, refrigerate overnight, and remove sides of the pan. Garnish as desired.

Conclusion

Sweetest Day is a wonderful opportunity to show your loved ones how much you care with homemade sweet treats. Whether you choose a simple Strawberry Cream Pie or a more elaborate Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake, these recipes are sure to make your Sweetest Day celebration memorable.

For more information on the history of Sweetest Day, visit the National Confectioners Association. For additional sweet treat recipes, check out AllRecipes.

Sources:

• National Confectioners Association: Sweetest Day
• AllRecipes: Sweet Treat Recipes
• U.S. Census Bureau: Sweetest Day Statistics