Shirley Temple Chocolate Hearts

Makes 12-24 hearts depending on size

3 cups powdered sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons grenadine

1Tablespoon shortening (or butter, softened)

3 teaspoons lemon juice (½ lemon)

1 teaspoon lime juice (½ lime)

2 cups chocolate

2 teaspoons oil

Sprinkles, cocoa powder, mints, crushed or pulverized fun stuff.

Combine powdered sugar and salt in a bowl with grenadine, shortening, lemon and lime juices, mixing until combined. Ditch the spatula and use your hands to finish kneading the dough into a smooth, pink ball.

Scoop Shirley Temple dough and roll into a ball. Then using your fingers, shape into a heart. Place on a flat tray or piece of parchment. Repeat until all dough has become hearts of any shape or size you like. Pop hearts in freezer for 10 minutes to firm up.

Melt chocolate and oil gently in microwave or on a double boiler until smooth and fluid.

Remove hearts from freezer and one-by-one, using a fork, dunk to coat each in the chocolate, tapping the fork on the lip of the bowl for any excess chocolate to run off. Transfer chocolate coated heart to a parchment/wax/aluminum lined pan to set. Repeat until all are dipped. Let set 5-10 minutes until the chocolate shell hardens. Leave as is or top with fun things- sprinkles, maraschino cherries, etc. 

Nothing says I LOVE you like a Shirley Temple.