In case you didn’t already know, it’s Valentine’s Day!

I’m really not a huge fan of this holiday. It’s a nice idea, but in execution I think it’s kind of silly. I’m not single and bitter about it, either; even when I’ve had a boyfriend, all the hoopla just kind of sets you up for disappointment. Valentine’s is kind of like New Year’s- it’s never as good as you think it will be.

That said, there is one quality that redeems the holiday: chocolate. It’s everywhere this time of year. Over the weekend, I decided to make a simple little Valentine’s Day treat to bring into work with me, just to celebrate my favorite food!

S’Mores Cups

Yields 20-24 mini cups

Ingredients:

• 12 ounce package dark chocolate chips (I used Hershey’s special dark)
• 1 cup mini marshmallows
• 3 sheets graham crackers
• 1/2 tablespoon butter, melted

1. Line 24 mini muffin tins with paper liners. Crumble graham crackers into a bowl and stir in the butter, then sprinkle the pieces evenly into the tins.
2. In a microwave-safe bowl on medium heat, melt the chocolate chips a minute at a time, stirring frequently until all the chips are melted. Working quickly, spoon the melted chocolate evenly into each of the muffin cups.
3. Top each cup with a few mini marshmallows. If desired, you can use a lighter to slightly burn the tops of the marshmallows.
4. Allow to set in the freezer for at least 20 minutes. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

These aren’t particularly fancy or involved, and I’m pretty sure I’m not the first person to come up with the idea for them. However, they are good- there’s just something about the chocolate/graham/marshmallow combination that’s absolutely classic. The mini size makes them perfect for a little treat, or something sweet with your Valentine’s lunch!

Hope your day is filled with lots of love

Edited to add: I forgot to announce the winner of my Valentine’s giveaway! And the winner is…

#16, Jamie!

Congrats love!! Shoot me an email at uneviesaine [at] gmail.com

What’s your favorite Valentine’s candy? Are you eating any chocolate to celebrate the holiday?

It’s kind of funny how food, like everything else, goes through trends. Take ice cream, for instance: in the 90′s, soft serve with blended candy was the coolest thing to get (Blizzards, Friend-Zs, McFlurrys), in the 00′s it was gourmet mix-ins (Maggie Moo’s, Coldstone) and now, apparently, it’s self-serve frozen yogurt.

Last night, my friend Jillian and I got dessert at 16 Handles, a create-your-own fro-yo bar in the East Village.

Even at 10 pm, it was absolutely packed. See, fro-yo really is the cool thing to get!

16 Handles is so named because they always offer 16 different flavors of low and non-fat frozen yogurt, which you choose and pour yourself.

Then, you get to hit up the topping bar, which is loaded with fresh fruit, candy and other traditional items.

My biggest issue at these places is always deciding whether I want a chocolatey or fruity cup. The peanut butter, red velvet and birthday cake flavors looked good, but in the end I went with the more unique summer flavors: grapefruit and pina colada.

I topped my creation with cherries, strawberries, kiwi, mochi, chocolate chips and rainbow sprinkles.

Jillian’s cup. I’m not sure what was in it, but clearly she’s a pro.

My flavor combination was…interesting. I loved the pina colada, but wasn’t so sold on the grapefruit. It’s not very good with sprinkles or chocolate, for the record.

We actually sat and ate in a park for awhile, until we realized that there were hordes of rats scurrying about. Literally…several of them just running and playing. So. Gross. The joys of city living.

What has been your favorite “ice cream” or dessert trend in the past? Frozen yogurt tastes good and all, but I was seriously bummed when Coldstone closed like half of its locations. Anyone remember the Birthday Cake Remix? That was so good…