A simple make for Valentine's day (well any old time of the year really!) PS:Thank you

Many thanks for all of your kind comments about this blog - my doubts all started when I realised I was tracking my own views!  I felt like that old Dave Allen sketch where he is Robinson Crusoe going round and round his little island, thinking that he has found someone else's footprints  but they were only his own! Kind words noted and tucked away for rainy, sadder days.  I appreciate comment regarding dynamic views, I may well change it back but it looks so purdy....

You are right Elaine I am not sure why I would expect people to comment on my blog when I do little commenting elsewhere (this partly relates to the logging in and logging out Shenanigans that happens ALL THE TIME (children take note).  I also need to chew the cud and think why I have a blog in the first place - if it is for adulation and plaudits then that says more about my sad ego than anything else.  If it is for sharing what I make then it should not matter if there are comments or not - it just is and leave it at that.  Perhaps I could pick the collective brains a little further and ask if there is blogging netiquette? Part of my disgruntledness comes from finding my entire blog pages lifted and placed elsewhere within someone else's blog.  Also (this I thought was pretty odd) someone had written what appears to be a mini interview with me (taken from my flickr profile I think) and used my photographs to illustrate it on their own blog. Is that how it works in blog land - what is mine is yours and vice versa?  Oh this modern world (said the old woman shaking her wooden leg...).

Anyway I will shut up now and share these very easy things to make for Valentine's day - cake pops and pie pops (or something like that I think) are popular so the children tell me -  here is my version.  The other day I defrosted my leftover shortcrust and made these (top frugal tips - freeze all leftovers) little chocolate pies on a lollipop stick.   I make shortcrust pastry at least twice a week and all the trimmings, no matter how small, are rolled up and frozen.  By the end of the month I usually have enough for a pastry case!!!  This time I defrosted just enough for these few pie pops! My take on it is to add a little vintage something for extra specialness!

I thought that bear looked a little cheesed off so then replaced him with a pig...thus....

Pig looked a little more content with the situation! And for goodness sake do not pretend that you don't have any old egg cups - if you really, really don't have any I will send you one

So just roll out pastry cut out hearts or any shape that you like (you don't need a cutter - I often use cereal packets to make shapes)

Note the old rolling pin - you do have to be a bit careful that flakes of old paint don't drop in your food - still it has never done me any harm...Also note that if you do not wait until the pastry is properly defrosted it is a little crumbly - cough, cough.

After cutting out the shapes add in your filling (I used Nutella but other chocolate spreads are available) and place lollipop stick (note - not the plastic type...mistake easily made)

Add the top, crimp round the edges and plop a drop of milk on each one

Don't worry about filling dropping over the side. Nearly forgot to add that you then bake in the oven - I have no idea what temperature, I just turn mine on hot and then turn it down when I feel like it (remember I HATE measuring anything!)  I don't even measure time so take them out when they look about right.

Dust with icing sugar and then cram them in your mouth - two at a time!
PS Could I please ask that these photos are not posted elsewhere - I was saddened to see that despite my request on Flickr my 1950s purse thingy was on Pinterest within few hours of my posting it....Please drop me a line first.