We ask you to be our Valentine as you try out these sweet, tasty, award-winning recipes from our Creative Arts Contest Winners at the State Fair of Texas! Whether you want to treat someone sweet with something good to eat or you have a sweet tooth, we got you covered. Try your hand at cooking some cranberry pistachio bark or take on the delectable Strawberry Cream Cheese cookies by Krysabelle Gilbert Maybe from Lindale, TX. From cakes and pies to bark and cookies, there’s bound to be something for everyone this Valentine’s Day.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY TASSIES
Sara Smith
Arlington, TX
3rd Place-Cookies
Ingredients:
Dough:
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
½ c. butter, softened
1 c. flour
Combine softened cream cheese and butter. Stir in flour. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
Filling:
½ c. heavy whipping cream
¼ c. milk
1 ½ tsp. Chambord raspberry liqueur
5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 T. sugar
¼ tsp. salt
1 lg. egg
In microwave-safe bowl, heat heavy whipping cream, milk and Chambord until hot but not boiling. Put in chocolate and stir until melted. Mix in sugar, salt and egg. Preheat oven to 325°. With dough, shape 2 dozen balls about 1 inch In size. In mini muffin tin pans, press dough balls to base and sides to make a cup. Spoon in chocolate filling mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes until chocolate filling starts to bubble around the edges. Take out and let cool in pans 5 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on cooling racks.
Topping:
2 tsp. Chambord raspberry liqueur
2 T. raspberry jam
1 pt. raspberries
In small microwave-safe bowl, heat Chambord and jam; mix together. Take a raspberry and dunk it into the jam mixture and place on top of tassies to decorate.

CRANBERRY PISTACHIO BARK
Sally Muhl
Sunnyvale, TX
1st Place-Speedy Dishes
Ingredients:
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. chopped pistachios, toasted & divided
¾ c. dried cranberries, divided
6 oz. white candy coating, melted
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and stir until smooth. Stir in ¾ cup pistachios and half the cranberries. Spread on waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with melted candy coating. Swirl with a knife through chocolate layer. Sprinkle with remaining pistachios and cranberries. Refrigerate until firm. Break into pieces and store in airtight container.

RASPBERRY CREAM PIE
Travis King
Dallas, TX
3rd Place–Farm to Fork
Ingredients:
Cookie Crumb Crust:
1 ¼ c. cracker/cookie crumbs
5 T. unsalted butter, melted
3 T. sugar
Place oven rack in the middle position and preheat oven to 350°. In a bowl, combine cookie crumbs, melted butter and sugar and stir until crumbs are well moistened. Pat mixture firmly and evenly into bottom and all the way up sides of a 9-inch pie pan or dish. Bake until crust is firm, about 5 minutes. For a firmer, crunchier crust, bake an additional 5 minutes.
Pie Filling:
¼ c. cold water
1 ½ tsp. unflavored gelatin
2h c. fresh raspberry puree
2 Ig. eggs
½ c. sugar
Pinch of salt
¾ c. heavy cream
Pour cold water into a saucepan then sprinkle with gelatin. Let sit until gelatin softens and swells, 5-10 minutes. Heat gelatin over medium heat until clear and fluid, stirring as needed to dissolve, 3-4 minutes. Stir gelatin mixture into raspberry puree. In a bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed or a whisk, whip together eggs, sugar and salt until pale yellow. In a large bowl, using mixer on medium-high speed or a whisk, whip cream until thick, soft peaks form. Add egg mixture and raspberry puree to whipped cream and whip until smooth. Pour into prepared crumb crust, smoothing top with a silicone spatula. Refrigerate until filling is cold and firm, 4-6 hours. Let pie sit at room temperature 20 minutes before serving, to take the chill off. Slice into wedges and serve with dollops of whipped cream and fresh raspberries alongside.

STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE COOKIES
Krysabelle Gilbert
Lindale, TX
1st Place–Cookies
Ingredients:
1 ¼ c. gluten-free flour
¼tsp.salt
1 T. milk powder
1 T. cornstarch
1 tsp. baking powder
½ c. unsalted butter
½ c. brown sugar
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 c. cream cheese flavored chips
¼ c. strawberry preserves
White chocolate drizzle for top of cookie
In a medium-size mixing bowl, mix together flour, salt, milk powder, cornstarch and baking powder; set aside. In a second large mixing bowl, combine softened butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add in vanilla extract and both eggs. Beat just until combined. Pour in dry ingredients; mix until just combined and a dough forms. Fold in cream cheese flavored chips. Chill dough at least 30 minutes to an hour. Once dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350°. Scoop dough onto parchment paper. Place about ¼ cup of jam into a plastic zippertop bag. Cut tip off one of the bottom corners to make a small hole. Squeeze or pipe a few small circles of jam onto cookie dough. Spread slightly with a toothpick. Repeat until all dough is gone. Bake 9-11· minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Let cool then drizzle with melted white chocolate.

LEMON RASPBERRY STREUSEL CUPCAKES
Lynda Sanders
Trophy Club, TX
1st Place-Low To No Sugar
Ingredients:
2 c. all-purpose flour
½ c. Splenda Magic Baker Sweetener
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking, soda
½ tsp.salt
2 lg. eggs, room temp, slightly beaten
1 c. lemon yogurt
½ c. canola oil
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
Juice of ½ lemon
1 c. fresh raspberries (frozen may be substituted if fresh is not available)
Streusel Topping:
¼ c. Splenda Magic Baker Sweetener*
¼ c. sugar*
¼ c. all-purpose flour
2 T. butter
In a large bowl, combine flour, Splenda, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Combine eggs, yogurt, oil, lemon zest and lemon juice; mix well. Stir Into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold In raspberries. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups¾ full. Topping: Combine sugars and flour. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; sprinkle about 1 tablespoon over each muffin. Bake at 375° for 18-20 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. (*Total combined sweetener= 1/3 cup.)