Valentine's Day is just around the corner. If this is your thing, you've probably already booked the restaurant or planned your romantic tea-for-two. But here are a couple of ideas to stretch the love out through the day.

A hearty breakfast Whip up an omelette and use heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut out heart-shaped eggs and toast.

Surprise him (or her) Sneak a little pack into their bag (somewhere you know they'll definitely see it) or have it couriered to work in time for morning tea. A little tea tin is ideal: make the heart-shaped cookies below and wrap individually in tissue paper. On each piece of tissue paper write a little message: a poem, something you love about your partner, a great memory of something you did together or hopes for your future. If you know heart cookies are too much for your Mr, skip the pink icing or just make plain-shaped ones!

Heart-shaped cookies

Ingredients

175g butter, softened
200g caster sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
400g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
300g icing sugar, sieved
Red food colouring
Heart-shaped cookie cutters

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale forthy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the butter and eggs, and mix.
3. Halve the dough, create flattened circles, wrap in cling film and and leave in the fridge for an hour.
4. Sprinkle a chopping board or benchtop with flour, place one dough circle on and sprinkle a little more flour onto the dough. Roll to a thickness of about half a centimetre.
5. Use the cookie cutter to cut out the shapes and place a little apart on a baking tray covered with baking paper.
6. Bake for eight to 12 minutes or until they're a light gold colour around the edges. Cool on a rack and continue with other dough lot if desired. Or freeze.
7. Once cool, mix two tablespoons of almost boiling water with sieved icing sugar, adding as much water as you need to form a thick paste. Add a few drops of colouring until you're happy with the shade and spread on the tops of the cookies.

Valentines Day delight

Watch chef Luke Mangan prepare a Valentine's Day delight that will sweep any woman off her feet.