How To: Spice Up Your Valentine's Day with These DIY Heart-Shaped Whiskey and Hot Sauce Hard Candies

Love sweets, but not big on chocolate? Chocolate pretty much dominates the candy offerings for Valentine's Day, but if you want to go the homemade route, it doesn't get much easier than hard candy.

These hard candy hearts made by Erin over on Olives for Dinner are the perfect combination of sweet and spicy, with a kick from the combination of whiskey and Sriracha. You can make them in any shape you want, and they're perfect for anyone on your list—because really, who doesn't like Sriracha?

For ingredients, all you need is sugar, water, corn syrup, and of course, whiskey and Sriracha. You'll also need a silicone candy mold, which you can find in just about any shape imaginable online and even at your local dollar store (they're also commonly used as ice cube trays). Also, a candy thermometer.

In terms of preparation, these couldn't be any easier. Just heat up the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a saucepan until it reaches 300 degrees, then remove it from the heat and stir in the whiskey and Sriracha.

Grease the silicone mold with cooking spray. Pour your candy into the mold, working as quickly as possible so it doesn't start to harden while you pour, then let it harden completely before removing. You can dust them with a little powdered sugar to keep them from sticking together if you want.

Check out the recipe on Olives for Dinner for more details.

Do you have any ideas for other unique flavor combinations you could use instead? Let us know in the comments below.