11 Red Velvet Recipes Perfect for Valentine’s Day

An old-fashioned Southern cake, red velvet is traditionally red or reddish-brown and made with buttermilk, cocoa, vinegar, and oil, which makes for a moist crumb. But red velvet isn’t just a delicious cake—these recipes are a great way to play around with your favorite red velvet flavors in a creative and inspiring way. From waffles to doughnuts and everything in between, here are 11 recipes to try out for a special brunch or perfect afternoon snack, on Valentine’s Day or any other.

1. Red Velvet Cake

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Our take on the classic red velvet cake is based on a recipe from “The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook” by Matt and Ted Lee, with a classic cream cheese frosting. (Another great alternative? Our Red Velvet Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.) Get our Red Velvet Cake recipe.

The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook, $21.62 on Amazon

Stories and Recipes for Southeners and Would-Be Southerners

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2. Red Velvet Pancakes

Taste and Tell

This recipe takes your everyday breakfast pancakes to the next level, with a truly vibrant red color and a luscious cream cheese glaze. (For a more subtle shade, try these chocolate chip red velvet pancakes, or make an easy red velvet pancake recipe with cake mix). Whichever way you go, these are perfect for a Valentine’s breakfast in bed. Get the Red Velvet Pancakes recipe.

3. Red Velvet Cheesecake

Life, Love & Sugar

A cheesecake this good that feeds a crowd is a smart recipe to keep on hand. With three packages of cream cheese and a crust made of crushed Oreos, this combination is a rich and smooth choice for a show-stopping dessert. For an abstract look, swirl the batter, or just top off the uniform color with an ivory cream cheese frosting as called for. Get the Red Velvet Cheesecake recipe.

4. Red Velvet Seven-Layer Bars

Sally’s Baking Addiction

Shredded coconut, semisweet and white chocolate chips, and chopped pecans jazz up a red velvet cake base, and sweetened condensed milk makes them gooey in the best way. Get the Red Velvet Seven-Layer Bars recipe.

5. Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

If You Give a Blonde a Kitchen

These sandwich cookies are chewy and cakelike, and are tasty eaten on their own but are really unbelievable when filled with cream cheese frosting. Try making them mini and serving with afternoon tea. You can change the frosting flavor and even add mini chocolate chips to the filling to make them extra tasty. (Again, red velvet cake mix can make these really easy, as you can see in the main image up top…) Get the Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies recipe.

6. Red Velvet Waffles

Kevin Is Cooking

Red velvet waffles are almost as good as ordering dessert for breakfast. The cream cheese drizzle (cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla) takes the place of traditional maple syrup—you may never be able to go back. Garnish with fresh berries, toasted nuts, and/or a sprinkle of cinnamon and you’ve got a breakfast fit for a king (or queen). Get the Red Velvet Waffles recipe.

7. Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls

Number 2 Pencil

Red velvet cake mix wins again with this creative cinnamon roll recipe (that said, if you’re opposed to boxed mix, you can always make your own from scratch). Adding two envelopes of yeast to the cake mix (along with flour, salt, vanilla, water, and a cinnamon-sugar filling) makes these an easy special-occasion treat. The cream cheese frosting should be applied just before serving—if you’re making these ahead of time, don’t frost the rolls until the last possible minute as they are difficult to reheat otherwise. Get the Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls recipe.

8. Red Velvet Doughnuts

Baker by Nature

The addition of baking powder makes these doughnuts cakelike, and the crispy exterior tastes fantastic with the cream cheese glaze. Try making these in the traditional circular doughnut shape or make doughnut holes to serve in a basket for a group. You can also use different glazes (raspberry, chocolate, caramel)—you’ll have a hard time keeping these on the table. Get the Red Velvet Doughnuts recipe.

9. Red Velvet Rugelach

What Jew Wanna Eat

Your bubbe might be appalled, but this take on rugelach with cream cheese filling is undeniably mouth-watering. Sour cream, butter, cocoa powder—the ingredients are very similar to the original red velvet recipe, but these crunchy cookies are a treat unto themselves. If you’re worried about the nontraditional color, leave out the food coloring and it’ll look more like the rugelach you remember. Get the Red Velvet Rugelach recipe.

10. Red Velvet Madeleines

Oh My Dish

These madeleines taste very similar to the traditional French version, with the exception of two teaspoons of cocoa powder and some red food coloring. Madeleines are the perfect teatime snack and keep well; make a double batch and keep some in the freezer for an impromptu dessert. Heat them up in the oven for a few minutes and you’re good to go. Get the Red Velvet Madeleines recipe.

11. Red Velvet Cake Truffles

Julie’s Eats and Treats

These red velvet truffles are like a mix between truffles and cake pops. Crumbled red velvet cake is mixed with cream cheese and rolled into tiny balls, which are then coated with whatever kind of chocolate you like (you can also try melted almond bark). These wintry treats make a great hostess gift or last-minute party addition. Get the Red Velvet Cake Truffles recipe.

Related Video: How to Make Red Velvet Cake

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9 Reasons Why Lobster Is the Most Romantic Food

Yup, it’s that time of year. When engagement ring commercials take over your TV. Walgreens turns into a sea of pink, white, and red greeting cards, heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are everywhere, and restaurants try to convince you that it’s a good idea to splurge on an epically priced prix fixe meal. Instead of spending all your cash on these commercialized traditions, go for the gold and head to the grocery store for some lobster. After all, it is the most romantic crustacean of the sea.

Here are 9 reasons why we adore Homarus americanus.

1. It’s red.

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The color of looooove. Just ask any four-year-old: Love is red and pink. You know, like a heart.

2. Eating it is primal.

Chowhound

You dig into it with your hands. Get messy. Tear apart claws and suck juicy meat out of the shell. Flick butter and lemon at each other as you savor the sweet and tender meat. And after you get messy, you have to clean up—might as well do that together, too, right?

ZYLISS Seafood Cracker, $10.05 on Amazon

Allegedly unbreakable, this will help you get straight to the sweet meat.

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3. It’s classic.

Entertaining with Beth

There is something so undeniably cool about eating lobster Thermidor and knowing that your mother and grandmother (and Julia Child, for that matter) would have eaten the exact same dish on Valentine’s Day and been just as wowed by it. Get the Lobster Thermidor recipe.

4. Lobster mac and cheese.

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All together, now: Lobster. Mac. And. Cheese. Yeah. Get our Lobster Mac and Cheese recipe.

5. Lobster risotto.

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Sautéing rice in butter. Opening a bottle of Prosecco. That first bite of creamy, buttery rice studded with lobster…if you haven’t swooned by now, you never will. Get our Lobster Risotto recipe.

6. Lobster rolls.

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Messy. Creamy. Relaxed. Indulgent. Everything easy romance should be—plus delicious. Get our Lobster Roll recipe.

7. Lobster salad.

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Because sometimes the most romantic thing you can do is help your lover stay on his/her low-carb diet (and yes, you can still have dessert if you do a keto Valentine’s Day). Get our Lobster Salad recipe.

8. You can spice things up (literally).

The Woks of Life

Delicate lobster lends itself well to spicy, fragrant flavors. Coconut milk and Thai bird’s-eye chiles. Butter and fresh serrano peppers. Even a whisper of curry works well with it. When things are that hot, it’s best not to wear too many clothes…enter romance. Get the Cantonese-Style Ginger Scallion Lobster recipe.

9. You get to wear a bib.

The lobster bib never goes out of style. And if that’s all you want to wear, well…no one’s stopping you (in your own home, at least).

Catered Cravings Lobster Feast Supply Kit, $22.49 on Amazon

Get enough lobster bibs, meat extractors, moist towelettes, and lemon juice filter nets for 8 people if you want to spread the love.

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How to Choose a Live Lobster

When it comes to shellfish, lobster is synonymous with luxury and usually priced to match, but cooking it at home takes a lot of the sting out of the price tag. That said, it can be challenging to prepare, even before you get the bugs into your kitchen. To start, how do you pick a good lobster from the tank? And is there a difference between male and female lobsters? How about hard shells versus soft? Is Maine lobster really better? Herein, we consult the wisdom of the crowd to help answer your questions and ensure you choose the best live lobster.

Le Creuset 8-Quart Enameled Steel Stockpot, $94.95 at Sur La Table

Why not coordinate your lobster cooking pot with their bright, steamed shells?

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Look for Lively Lobsters

You should absolutely never, ever buy a dead lobster (well, unless it’s frozen…), and when choosing a fresh lobster from the tank, one thing most sources agree on is that you should go with a fairly feisty one. You can’t necessarily judge its verve by observing it in the water, but when it’s lifted out, it should move its claws and legs and even curl its tail; if it hangs limply in the air, reject it.

Beware of Short Antennae

This one comes with a caveat: short (or missing) antennae can mean that the lobsters have been hanging out too long in the tank—long enough, in fact, to start nibbling on each other. But it’s also possible for lobsters to lose antenna at any point along the way, so if it’s just a matter of one or two missing feelers, it might not be an issue.

Does Size Matter?

Most lobsters you see for sale will be anywhere between one and a half to three pounds, but you can find bigger specimens—over three pounds and they’re considered jumbo, but technically, there’s no natural limit to how large a lobster could get. The question is, is it worth shelling out for larger lobsters? While there’s an enduring belief that impressive, Pinchy-size lobsters are better, actual consensus/personal anecdata varies and often points to that not being true. The meat from any lobster should be tender and delicious as long as you cook it properly—and that can be harder to do with larger lobsters, so erring on the modest end may be wiser.

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Soft vs Hard Shells

Unless you’re in Maine (or close by) during the months of mid-May through November, this is probably a moot point, as you won’t actually be able to find fresh soft-shell lobsters (also known as shedders). Many people proclaim that these are sweeter and more tender—not to mention easier to crack into—than hard-shell lobsters. They will certainly cost more per pound of actual meat, as much of their weight is due to excess water in their roomy shells; J. Kenji López-Alt broke it all down back in 2013. As with so much in life, it’s largely a matter of personal taste (and bankroll).

Male vs Female

Taste-wise, there’s no difference between guys and gals—except when you consider the female lobster’s roe, if indeed it’s present. Unsurprisingly, it tastes salty and…lobstery…and is a delicacy to some and an automatic discard to others. It’s greenish-black when raw (so don’t be alarmed if you find some in your uncooked lobster), and turns red when cooked (hence its nickname, “coral”). The lobster meat itself tastes the same whether from a male or female, though.

Sniff Test

Lobsters shouldn’t really smell like anything before they’re cooked. If you catch any whiff of ammonia around the tank, better pass on by. (Good advice for all seafood, honestly. A little salinity is fine, but any sharp or chemical odors are a bad sign.)

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Maine Lobster (What’s In a Name?)

Maine lobsters are generally regarded as the best, but did you know that Canadian lobsters are the exact same thing? GetMaineLobsterNow.com will even tell you so, but we like the way Chowhound user MGZ put it: “the term ‘Maine Lobsters’ refers to the species Homarus americanus that lives, and is caught, in the waters between Canada and North Carolina. There are no passports on the bottom of the Atlantic and bugs don’t have pockets. If you want good, go local.” Great advice—the best option for almost any food is to get what was made or harvested closest to home, whenever possible. Obviously, if you’re landlocked, your lobster has traveled some distance to meet its date with destiny (i.e. your stock pot), but looking for a lively specimen from a reputable source is the best common sense advice to keep in mind. If you don’t trust any of your local stores and you have the budget for it, you can order live lobsters online.

Frozen Lobster Tails

If you don’t want to go to the trouble of killing and cooking a live lobster, there’s always the option of frozen tails. These are usually more expensive per pound, and many people consider the tail meat inferior to claw and leg meat, even before you factor in the potential for freezer burn. Some people claim frozen lobster meat can be bland, stringy, and tough, but others find it fine; even Marcella Hazen calls for frozen lobster in three recipes in her “Marcella Says…” cookbook. If you’re after Maine lobster, be aware that frozen lobster tails are often from spiny lobsters harvested in warmer waters; you can tell by the white spots on their shells if they’re not otherwise obviously labeled.

Substitute for Lobster

If you’re still unsure about cooking live lobster, perhaps some Argentinian pink shrimp could be a good compromise? They’re often marketed as being similar to lobster (firm and sweet)—and are available frozen at Trader Joe’s. You don’t have the pleasure of digging into a meaty tail or cracking a claw, but maybe that’s a plus for you! If all this has put you off the mere idea of eating an actual lobster, word from FoodRepublic is, you can make a legit vegan lobster roll with hearts of palm.

How to Cook Lobster

If you do decide to take on a lobster in your own kitchen, check out our lobster recipes, from basic steamed lobster to a luxurious lobster risotto perfect for Valentine’s Day (or any other special occasion).

Related Video: How to Open a Bottle of Champagne to Go with Your Lobster

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A Beginner’s Guide to Fine Dining

The Best Cookbooks For Your Valentine by Personality Type

Perhaps, like most of us, you’re struggling to find that perfect Valentine’s Day gift for your sig o. A bouquet of flowers seems too predictable, you did chocolates last year, and he or she already has an Instant Pot. Enter the wide wonderful world of cookbooks, a gift that not only says “I love you—what are we having for dinner tonight?” but also, “I know you.”

Choosing the right cookbook for him or for her means really thinking about what kind of person you’re with and not just picking up a copy of “Joy of Cooking” in a last minute panic buy (though everyone should own that one). Do you have a Netflix binger in your life? Someone who’s always planning that next trip? A design addict who loves looking at pretty pictures of food but not, you know, cooking it so much? Don’t sweat it; if there’s one genre we know, it’s cookbooks. Below, we’ve got you (like you’re not going to share this gift) and your other half covered.

For the Overachiever

“Ottolenghi Simple” by Yotam Ottolenghi, $23.79 on Amazon

Amazon

Don’t let the title fool you—what Ottolenghi thinks is simple might make a home cook cry in her Iranian herb fritters. As he once wrote, “One person’s idea of cooking simply is the next person’s culinary nightmare.” But this cookbook really does emphasize simpler cooking more so than the rest in Ottolenghi’s arsenal. To help cooks strategize, each dish is coded with different letters that stand for things like “short on time,” “ten ingredients or less,” “make ahead,” and “pantry.” Like Ottolenghi’s previous cookbooks, “Simple” focuses on fresh Middle Eastern flavors with dishes like slow-cooked lamb shoulder with mint and a pappardelle with rose harissa. It’s perfect for that Type A-er in your life (and it’s Chowhound’s February pick for cookbook club).Get It

For the Influencer-In-The-Making

“Cravings: Hungry for More” by Chrissy Teigen and Adeena Sussman, $20.99 on Amazon

Amazon

The sequel to Teigen’s smash-hit cookbook, “Cravings,” stays true to her uncompromising approach to life and food while also branching out with inventive flavor combos like coconut chicken tenders and (mildly controversial) pad thai carbonara. In between recipes, she demonstrates why she’s a genius brand builder, sharing “relatable” anecdotes that touch on her life with John Legend, photos of her and Luna in matching outfits, and stories behind her favorite childhood dishes, like how her mom came up with instant noodle tom yum. Pair the book with an Instax mini or anything from Teigen’s kitchen line from Target, and you’ll make all of his or her followers swoon with sig o envy.Get It

For the Millennial Always Planning That Next International Trip

“I Am a Filipino: And This Is How We Cook” by Nicole Ponseca and Miguel Trinidad, $22.48 on Amazon

Amazon

This is one of the best cookbooks of 2018 according to just about every year-end list. And Ponseca and Trinidad’s recipes are perfect for that certain constant wanderluster who somehow managed to squeeze in Machu Picchu over Labor Day weekend. With standout photography of Filipino markets, a crash-course to the Philippines, and super comprehensive intros to ingredients like burong isda (fermented fish), “I Am a Filipino” gives home cooks a deep dive into Filipino culture and food. Get your sweetheart started by tracking down ingredients like the shrimp paste called bagoong guisado (Kamayan brand), sugarcane vinegar, or other Filipino pantry staples. Now, did someone say, “Manila trip for two”?Get It

For the Netflix Binger

“Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking” by Samin Nosrat, $22.50 on Amazon

Amazon

If you’re both big into Netflix-and-chill kind of weekends, chances are you’ve seen Samin Nosrat’s wildly popular show based on her cookbook and thought about maybe trying that rather time-intensive bolognese she made in Italy. Much like the show, the cookbook is less about prescriptive recipes and more about teaching home cooks the fundamentals of flavors and texture. As we all know, building a chef-like intuition isn’t easy, but Wendy MacNaughton’s stunning illustrations and charts are perfect for quick referencing. Nosrat also includes some fantastic go-to recipes, including that buttermilk roasted chicken we all went to bed dreaming about after watching that episode. To get your him or her started, also think about buying some really great olive oil or Nosrat’s favorite Maldon salt flakes.Get It

For the Art/Design Nerd

“Salad for President: A Cookbook Inspired by Artists” by Julia Sherman, $23.79 on Amazon

Salad for President

More photography and art book than recipe collection, “Salad for President” by Julie Sherman is an extension of the immensely popular blog and Instagram account by the same name, treating, well, salad as still life art and muse for creatives. She tucks in interviews with artists like photographer William Wegman and ceramicist Yui Tsujimura as well as artful chefs including Alice Waters, and photographs their respective favorite salads as well as their artistic spaces. It’s the perfect coffee table cookbook, or inspiration hub, especially if you add a box of Prismacolor colored pencils with it.Get It

For the Shameless but Loveable Restaurant Snob

“The Noma Guide to Fermentation” by René Redzepi and David Zilber, $25.47 on Amazon

Fine Cooking

As anyone cruising this site probably knows, Noma is the world-renowned restaurant in Copenhagen with two Michelin stars, overseen by chef Rene Redzepi (Zilber heads up the fermentation program). And anyone who loves snagging impossible reservations will proudly add this beautifully photographed read to his or her trophy cookbook collection, even if the title seems a bit…esoteric for home chefs. Not to say fermentation couldn’t turn into a full-blown passion project once your beloved flips through these pages. With little more than salt and a glass jar required, the clean, minimalistic diagrams might just inspire him or her to give lacto-fermented blueberries a go. Also add an auto siphon for easier homebrews or koji, a Japanese starter for miso.Get It

For the Aspiring ‘Great British Bake-Off’ Contestant

“Sister Pie: The Recipes and Stories of a Big-Hearted Bakery in Detroit” by Lisa Ludwinski, $16.51 on Amazon

Amazon

Ludwinski’s bakery Sister Pie in West Detroit is the kind of warm, inviting pie shop we should all have in our neighborhoods. (And if you haven’t seen Sister Pie’s #dancebreaks videos, do so right now.) In her first cookbook, Ludwinski delivers the kind of pro advice that’s made for bakers who know what they’re doing and are ready to get real—think recipes like cardamom tahini squash pie, salted maple pie, and a stunning apricot raspberry rose galette sprinkled with edible flowers. This might just be the catalyst that convinces your amateur baker to pack up his or her cubicle and open their own little slice of heaven.Get It

For the Layman Food Photographer

“Season: Big Flavors, Beautiful Food” by Nik Sharma, $31.50 on Amazon

Nik Sharma/A Brown Table

You might never guess that Sharma, who took all of the stunning photos in this cookbook himself, was a self-taught photographer. The images are a gorgeous case-study of shadow and light, with the bright, vibrant colors of roasted sweet potatoes, golden beets, and freshly picked mint leaves often set against dark backgrounds. An extension of Sharma’s popular food blog, “Season” is part cookbook, part “story of a gay immigrant, told through food,” as he writes in the intro. The recipes reflect his childhood spent between India and the U.S., resulting in dishes like curry leaf popcorn chicken and a Bombay frittata that’s flavored with garam masala.Get It

For the Fed-Up City Dweller

“Molly on the Range: Recipes and Stories from an Unlikely Life on a Farm” by Molly Yeh, $22.09 on Amazon

Amazon

Yeh’s photos of snowy wonderlands, her colorful chicken coop, and full-sized kitchen prove that maybe city life is indeed overrated. In between recipes, Yeh recounts how she went from Brooklynite and Juilliard-educated percussionist to North Dakota-local, rural food blogger (and now, Food Network star). Whether your date is hellbent on moving this year or just needs an escape for a moment, Yeh’s friendly voice and adorable baked goods are there for emotional support. Given her diverse path, the dishes that Yeh cooks up are also delightful mishmashes channeling her Chinese and Jewish heritages. The result is addictive, cozy food like Everything Bagel Bourekas and Challah waffles.Get It

For the Newly-Minted Instant Pot Fanatic

“Comfort in an Instant” by Melissa Clark, $14.71 on Amazon

Amazon

A food columnist for the New York Times, Clark covers everything from meatloaf to pho, risotto, and tuna confit. Unlike Instant Pot cookbooks that focus solely on recipes, she also includes simple walkthroughs of basic do’s and don’ts, plus the different settings and functions that are available. More than half of these recipes can also be made in less than an hour, and all of them work with pressure cookers and multi-cookers as well as Instant Pots. To really get your point across, bundle the book with a steamer basket or bottle of white wine for an osso buco.Get It

For the Person Who Just Got Into Composting

“Waste Not: How to Get the Most From Your Food” by James Beard Foundation, $40.74 on Amazon

Amazon

This book covers everything from vegetables to meat, suggesting uses for commonly-discarded parts like bones, fish scales, and vegetable tops. Admittedly, some of the recipes, which include submissions from chefs like Rick Bayless, Maria Hines, and Josh Kulp, can get pretty involved. But each section also has lists of general tips to keep in mind, encouraging cooks to incorporate best practices, not just follow recipes. Pair with reusable Bee’s wrap and a hand blender, and revel in your zero-waste coupling tactics.Get It

Visit our Valentine’s Day 2019 Gift Guide headquarters for even more great ideas.

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Complex Cocktails to Make Together on Valentine’s Day

I’ve always been a firm believer that, when it comes to your significant other, experiences count as gifts. Tickets to a show or a sporting event make great gifts because it’s something you two can do together to make memories. It’s important to try new things together as a couple, and what better time than Valentine’s Day? If you two enjoy going out for a drink or two, you could plan to play bartender this Valentine’s Day by making these complex cocktails together. Each of you would be responsible for making your part of the drink and, when you’re done, you can share a delicious cocktail you made as a couple. Enjoy!

Burning History Cocktail

Best of Las Vegas

With citrus flavors and egg whites, this cocktail is definitely complex; it’s not the easiest drink to make. I mean, one step is properly smoking the glass so that your drink has an authentic smoky flavor. Between all the careful measuring of ingredients and the smoking technique, it’s best to make this drink (via bestoflasvegas.com) as a team. Get the Burning History Cocktail recipe.

How to split the work: One of you can assemble the actual ingredients of the drink and mix those together, while the other one can focus on smoking the glass.

Breville Smoking Gun Food Smoker, $59 on Amazon

Add flavor, or even mystery and romance, with this handy, home-use smoker.

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Endless Summer Cocktail

The Kentucky Gent

While this drink (via thekentuckygent.com) doesn’t take long to make, it has an extra step that would fly by if two of you split the work. With strong hints of lavender, it’s just like drinking a tall glass of summer. Get the Endless Summer Cocktail recipe

How to split the work: One of you should get the vodka and lemon juice together while the other makes the homemade lavender syrup. Then the two of you can combine your ingredients, strain, and enjoy.

Feel Good Organic Lavender Flowers, $9.97 on Amazon

Infuse your drinks, or your home, with these delicate blossoms for an air of Provence.

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Fruity Gin and Tonic

Love and Olive Oil

Gin and tonic is a classic drink; maybe you two love to make them to share after a particularly stressful day. This recipe (via loveandoliveoil.com) provides a simple but fun twist on the classic G&T. Get creative and add slices of your favorite fruit for a sweet and flavorful addition. The recipe suggests grapefruit and strawberry, but I’d personally love lemon slices. Get the Fruity Gin and Tonic recipe.

How to split the work: Whichever one of you makes the better gin and tonic should be in charge of that part. The other one can prepare the glasses, because presentation is key. Fill a stemless wine glass with ice cubes, slice up the fruit, and add the slices along the sides. You’ll have a tasty drink that looks beautiful too!

Fever-Tree Premium Indian Tonic Water, 24 bottles for $32.98 on Amazon

A classic tonic, for your classic romance.

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Phoenix Cocktail

The Flavor Bender

This is probably the coolest drink on the list. Made with shimmery gin and homemade lemon and elderflower syrup, this drink (via theflavorbender.com) changes color and looks gorgeous. Also, by layering a bit of rum 151 on top, you can actually light this drink on fire. As you can probably guess, there are a lot of steps that go into perfecting this, but it’s so worth it. Get the Phoenix Cocktail recipe.

How to split the work: One of you should follow the recipe for the lemon and elderflower syrup while the other layers and assembles the drink. If you’re planning on setting your drink on fire, you two should definitely combine your brain power, follow the instructions, and practice all the necessary precautions.

Organic Dried Butterfly Pea Flowers, $3.99 on Amazon

These dried blooms react with lemon juice to make color-changing drinks for a touch of magic.

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Wilton Pearl Dust, $8.31 on Amazon

When your love is so bright, your cocktails must shimmer.

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Aviation Cocktail

Stir and Strain

This drink (via stirandstrain.com) is pretty and bittersweet. Flavors of lime, citrus, and cherry will complement a chocolatey Valentine’s Day dessert beautifully, and you two will feel like professional bartenders putting this all together. Get the Aviation Cocktail recipe.

How to split the work: Since there a lot of different ingredients going into this, one of you can handle preparing the right measurements of spirits, while the other can handle the bitters and other ingredients. Then pour together, mix and enjoy!

Schott Zwiesel Air Coupe Glasses,$18 - $108 at Sur La Table

Make these lovely glasses your Valentine's Day gift, and then use to create cocktails together.

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Rose Lemon Spritzer

Half Baked Harvest

It is Valentine’s Day, after all; what’s more fitting than a cocktail made from roses? Refreshing and light, this cocktail (via halfbakedharvest.com) is perfect to sip on throughout your night together! With rose water and actual roses as garnish, you can’t say your S.O. never got you flowers. Get the Rose Lemon Spritzer recipe.

How to split the work: I can see making this with my boyfriend, and he’d totally suggest making the cocktail himself and letting me top it off with sparkling water and pick the best flowers for the garnish. Whichever of you is the most creative should definitely take a trip to the florist for garnish ideas while your S.O. makes the rest of the drink.

Cortas Rose Flower Water, $8.49 on Amazon

Add a hint of romance everyday with this delicately floral rose water.

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Primavera Punch

Belle Isle Craft Spirits

This is the perfect cozy cocktail if you two are big tea drinkers. With its citrusy and floral flavors, this punch (via belleislecraftspirits.com) will remind you guys that spring is right around the corner. And, since it’s served in a huge bowl, you’ll have plenty of opportunities for a refill! Get the Primavera Punch recipe.

How to split the work: This one is pretty complicated. One of you will need to zest the lemons and muddle them into the bowl with sugar, while also juicing and slicing more for serving in the punch. The other one can make the tea and combine the rest of the ingredients when the bowl is ready.

Zulay Metal Citrus Press, $13.99 on Amazon

A heavy-duty citrus squeezer to get every drop of zing out of your favorite fruits.

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Coffee Old Fashioned

The Happy Foodie

Since the last cocktail was for couples who are tea drinkers, I had to include a cocktail for my coffee lovers out there! You may be skeptical about how well coffee pairs with flavors like orange and white chocolate, but don’t knock it till you try it. Sweet and bitter pair nicely for a great Old Fashioned (via thehappyfoodie.co.uk) to sip slowly while you enjoy your dessert. Get the Coffee Old Fashioned recipe.

How to split the work: One of you will have to make the cold brew coffee and grate white chocolate for garnish, while the other can combine the remaining ingredients for the drink.

Angostura Orange Bitters, $10.97 on Amazon

This snappy selection from the OG bitters producer will make a frequent appearance in your cocktails.

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Chambord Margarita

Ginger Wroot

I absolutely love Chambord. It’s delicious and its beautiful color is perfect for Valentine’s Day! The only thing I can imagine would make it better is a little bit of tequila. So try making this Chambord margarita (via gingerwroot.com) this Valentine’s Day for a decorative, delicious, and unique treat. Get the Chambord Margarita recipe.

How to split the work: Making the margarita isn’t the hardest, so one of you should be able to handle that. The recipe mentions a special sugar, lime, and salt mixture for the rim of the glass, so while one of you is mixing the drink, the other can rim the glass for an extra flavorful kick.

Microplane Premium Stainless Steel Zester Grater, $12.91 on Amazon

The ideal tool for finely zesting any citrus fruit.

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The Merry Berry Cocktail

She Keeps a Lovely Home

Keep the strawberries coming! This cocktail (via shekeepsalovelyhome.com) takes about 45 minutes to make, so it’s best to prepare it as a team! The result is a beautiful and delicious drink you won’t be able to put down. Get the The Merry Berry Cocktail recipe.

How to split the work: One of you can combine the spirits, juices, and garnish. The other will have to prepare the mixed berry puree that provides the fresh flavor of the drink.

Cocktail Picks with Arrow Motif, set of 6 for $15.58 on Amazon

Cupid meets garnish with these adorable, must-have cocktail picks.

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Related Video: A Valentine’s Day Cocktail Made with Kombucha!

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