Divine 1-Hour Breadsticks — Lopsided Hearts & Strawberry Jam on a Baton Rouge Valentine

Valentine's week turned the school hallways into a mess of cheap cards and nervous giggles. Jada and I made fun of it during lunch, but secretly we both hoped someone would notice us. Nobody did, so we made cards for each other instead. Hers had a drawing of me in a white coat holding a giant spoon. Mine had her in a courtroom with a gavel shaped like a rolling pin.

I made heart-shaped biscuits on Monday that came out lopsided but tasted good with strawberry jam. Kayla arranged them on her plate like a smiley face and kept saying "I love you" every time she took a bite. Jamal called them "ugly hearts" and I threw a dish towel at him. Mama made us both clean the kitchen as punishment, but we ended up laughing while we scrubbed.

On Thursday it actually snowed a tiny bit in Baton Rouge. The whole neighborhood lost their minds. Jada and I ran outside in our coats and tried to make snow angels on the thin dusting. We came back in with wet shoes and red cheeks, and Mama made us hot chocolate with extra marshmallows.

Saturday MawMaw Shirley wasn't up for big cooking, so we made sweet tea and sat on her porch wrapped in blankets. She asked if there was a boy I liked. I turned red and told her about the Valentine cards. She laughed softly and said love isn't just for one day — it's in the everyday stirring.

At night I lay in bed listening to Kayla humming love songs badly in the next room. Thirteen is confusing sometimes — school drama, crushes, big dreams, fights with Jamal. But I have Jada making me laugh, Kayla making me soft, and MawMaw reminding me what matters. The roux of my life is turning, and I'm learning to enjoy the messy parts too.

MawMaw Shirley’s words about love being in the everyday stirring stayed with me all weekend — and that’s exactly what I needed to hear to get back into the kitchen. With Valentine’s Day creeping up and my heart full from snow angels and porch blankets and all the little ways my family shows up for me, I wanted to make something that felt like a love letter in dough form. These heart-shaped biscuit breadsticks are soft, buttery, and just a little extra — the kind of thing you make not because it’s fancy, but because the people you’re feeding deserve something shaped like how you feel.

Divine 1-Hour Heart-Shaped Biscuit Breadsticks

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 12 breadsticks

Ingredients

• 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water (105—110°F)
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (plus more for brushing)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional, skip for sweet version)
• 1/4 cup strawberry jam, warmed, for serving

Instructions

1. Activate the yeast. In a large bowl, stir together warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit 5—10 minutes until foamy. If it doesn’t foam, your water was too hot or too cold — start again.
2. Make the dough. Add melted butter and salt to the yeast mixture. Stir in flour one cup at a time until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 3—4 minutes until smooth.
3. Rest the dough. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean dish towel, and let rise in a warm spot for 20—25 minutes until nearly doubled.
4. Shape the hearts. Preheat oven to 400°F. Punch dough down and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 6-inch rope, fold it in half, and pinch the top into a “V” while pressing the bottom to a point — lopsided hearts count. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
5. Second rise. Cover loosely and let rest 10 minutes while the oven finishes heating.
6. Bake. Bake 12—15 minutes until golden on top and cooked through. Brush immediately with additional melted butter.
7. Serve. Arrange on a plate — smiley face optional — and serve warm with strawberry jam.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 145 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Carbs: 26g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 198mg