presenting your beloved with homemade "sweets for the sweet''? Taking the time to create tasty treats and packaging them attractively is a special way of saying "I love you.'' Or you may prefer to surprise your sweetheart by presenting a dessert that you know is a particular favourite.

And then again you might want to present a delicious main course that's "in the pink''.

Here are some heart-winning suggestions: CHOCOLATE SUGAR HEARTS 5 oz.

unsweetened chocolate 5 oz. semi-sweet chocolate 1 cup (1 stick) butter 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar 2 large eggs 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. milk Sugar for sprinkling COMBINE chocolates and butter in a large, heavy saucepan and place over very low heat until melted. Remove from heat, gradually stir in sugars. Beat 1 egg lightly; stir it into chocolate mixture, then stir in vanilla.

In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

Gradually stir this into melted chocolate mixture, stirring until well blended. Form dough into a ball, wrap with wax paper, and chill for half an hour.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease baking sheets. Roll dough out between two sheets of wax paper to a thickness of about 1 inch. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the cookies, and place them on baking sheets. Beat remaining egg with the 1 tbsp. milk. Brush dough surface with beaten egg mixture and sprinkle liberally with sugar. Bake until edges are browned, about 12 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on sheet, then remove to wire racks to cool completely. Pack into a fancy heart-shaped candy box lined with white paper doilies. Tie red satin or lace ribbons and tuck a rose into the bow at the last minute. Yield: 2 to 3 dozen cookies, depending on cutter size.

MERINGUE KISSES 3 egg whites 1 cup sugar 1 tsp. cider vinegar 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1 cup moist flaked coconut (unsweetened) whole pecans, cornflakes, chopped pitted dates, chocolate chips, or raisins PRE-HEAT oven to 300 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy.

Continue beating and add sugar gradually. Beat egg whites until they are stiff but not dry, then beat in vinegar and vanilla. Beat well.

Fold in whichever filling you choose, then drop by the teaspoonful, about 2 inches apart, onto brown or parchment paper cut to fit your baking sheets.

Bake for 20 minutes or until kisses are golden brown. Slide paper off baking sheet onto a flat surface and let kisses cool on the paper. Yield: about 21 dozen 2-inch kisses.

CHERRY PIE 1 cup sugar 3 tbsp. cornstarch Dash salt 3 cup juice from cherries 2 16-oz. cans pitted tart red cherries, drained 2 tsp. vegetable oil 1 tsp. almond extract Stir-n-Roll pastry recipe (see below) MIX sugar, cornstarch and salt in saucepan; stir in juice from cherries. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Add cherries, oil and almond extract. Pour into pastry-lined 9-inch pie pan. Cover with aluminium foil during first half of baking time. Bake at 425 degrees F.

(hot oven) for 35 to 40 minutes. Yield: 6 servings -- 380 calories each; 8 servings -- 285 calories each.

STIR-'N'-ROLL PASTRY (Single Crust) 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour 3 tsp. salt 1 cup vegetable oil 2 tbsp. cold whole milk MIX flour and salt. Pour oil and milk into one measuring cup (don't stir); add all at once to flour. Stir to mix. Press into smooth ball, flatten slightly.

Place between 2 sheets of waxed paper (12 inches square). (Dampen table top to prevent slipping.) Roll out gently to edges of paper. Peel off top paper. If dough tears, mend without moistening. Place paper side up in 8- or 9-inch pie pan. Peel off paper. Ease and fit pastry into pan. Flute edge. Prick thoroughly with fork. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cool. Add filling. In some pies, filling and crust are baked together; for these, do not prick pastry before filling. One sixth of pastry shell (without filling): 150 calories.

Double recipe for double for double crust pie. Six servings (without filling): 300 calories each.

CRANBERRY SHERBET 2 cups cranberries 11 cups cold water 1 cup sugar 1 tsp. unflavoured gelatin 2 tbsp. lemon juice COOK cranberries in 11 cups water until the skins pop. Press through sieve.

Add sugar to pulp and return to saucepan. Cook until sugar is dissolved.

Remove from heat. Add gelatin, which has been softened in remaining water, and lemon juice. Mix well. Pour into refrigerator tray and freeze until firm, stirring twice while freezing. Four servings.

STRAWBERRY WATER ICE 3 quarts strawberries 3 cups sugar 21 cups water 1 tbsp. lemon juice Dash cayenne pepper WASH and hull strawberries, mix with sugar. Allow to stand for 3 hours, stirring occasionally to draw the juice. Then buzz in blender. Squeeze through a double thickness of cheesecloth. Add water, lemon juice and cayenne. Mix well and freeze in refrigerator trays, stirring occasionally until sherbet is thick but not quite frozen. Empty into a cold mixing bowl and beat well with electric mixer or rotary beater. Return to trays, cover with aluminium foil or cling film and place in freeze until firm.

STRAWBERRIES WITH BRIE SAUCE 4 oz. Brie cheese, crust removed 1 cup whipping cream 2 tsp. sugar Dash ground cardamom 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract Dash orange extract Whole fresh strawberries, chilled TRIM crust from Brie. Allow cheese to soften at room temperature. Cut in small pieces. Put whipping cream, sugar and cardamom in top of double boiler over simmering water. Heat until sugar dissolves. Add Brie. Stir occasionally while Brie melts. Remove from heat when smooth and creamy. Add extracts. Stir to mix well. Spoon sauce over whole, chilled strawberries. Quick recipe if cheese is softened. Yield: 3 cup.

Must be prepared just before serving.

LOVELIGHT CHIFFON SPICE CAKE 2 eggs, separated 1 cup sugar 21 cups sifted cake flour 1 tsp. baking powder 3 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 3 tsp. nutmeg 3 tsp. cloves 3 tsp. cinnamon 1 cup vegetable oil 1 cup brown sugar (packed) 1 cup buttermilk 2 tbsp. confectioners' sugar HEAT oven to 350 degrees F. (moderate). Oil lightly and dust with flour 2 round layer pans 8 x at least 11 inches deep or 9 x 11 inches, or one oblong pan, 13 x 9 x 2 inches.

Beat eggs until frothy. Gradually beat in sugar. Continue beating until very stiff and glossy.

Sift flour, baking powder, soda, salt, spices into another bowl. Add brown sugar, oil and 2 of the buttermilk. Beat 1 minute, medium speed on mixer, or 150 vigorous strokes by hand. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl constantly. Add remaining buttermilk, egg yolks. Beat 1 more minute, scraping bowl constantly.

Fold in meringue. Pour into prepared pans. Bake layers 30 to 35 minutes; oblong 40 to 45 minutes. Cool.

Lay paper-lace doiley on top of cake. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

Remove doiley carefully so lace leaves a pretty pattern. Two-inch cut of single layer: 110 calories; 3-inch cut of single layer: 250 calories; 41 x 1-inch cut of oblong cake: 130 calories.

BURGUNDY PEARS 4 pears 1 cup granulated sugar 5 cup red Burgundy wine red food colouring (optional) PEEL pears without removing stalks. Place sugar in a saucepan with water.

Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Add pears and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Add Burgundy and continue cooking a further 15 minutes, uncovered. Add a little red food colouring if desired. Remove and drain pears, let cool. Bring syrup to the boil again and cook rapidly, stirring, until thick. Pour over pears, cool and chill. Serves 4.

Coeur a la Creme is a traditional French sweet, which is very rich and delicious when served with soft fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, peaches and fresh currants. It is customary to set the cream in special heart-shaped moulds with perforated bases. It can, however, be made with equal with equal success in a muslin-lined bowl-shaped sieve.

CREAM HEARTS (Coeur a la Creme) 8 oz. cottage cheese 11 cups double (heavy) cream 2 level tsp. sifted icing sugar 8 oz. strawberries, hulled 1 tsp. lemon juice 2 tbsp. castor (superfine) sugar RUB cottage cheese through a sieve into a mixing bowl. Stir in the cream and icing (confectioners') sugar and beat well. Either press the cottage cheese mixture into 6 individual coeur a la creme moulds or in a muslin lined sieve.

Allow to drain overnight.

Turn cream out of the mould on to a serving plate. Sprinkle strawberries with lemon juice and sugar and arrange them around the coeur a la creme. Serve as soon as possible. Serves 6.

STRAWBERRY CHARTREUSE 21 cups lemon jelly 24 small strawberries angelica 5 cup double (heavy) cream USE freshly made lemon jelly which is cool but not set. Pour a scant 1 cup into the bottom of a 1 imperial pint (21 cups) capacity, deep jelly mould.

Rotate mould until the whole of the inside is covered with a set layer of jelly. It is helpful in setting this layer if the mould is very cold and standing in a bowl of crushed ice.

Pour in more jelly to 1 inch depth and allow to set. Place 8 small strawberries on the jelly and use small pieces of angelica to form the `stalks'. Pour in more jelly to cover the strawberries well. Allow to set, then add another layer of strawberries and angelia, covering with more jelly.

Allow to set, then arrange the remaining strawberries on top. Cover with remaining jelly and put aside in a cool place until the entire mould is firmly set. Turn out of the mould on to a wet serving plate just before serving.

Decorate with rosettes of whipped cream. Dry the plate before serving.

Other fruit (bananas, mandarin orange segments, pineapple chunks, etc.) can be used in this manner. Serves 4-6.

DARK CHOCOLATE FUDGE 2 cups brown sugar 1 cup sugar 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate grated Pinch salt 1 cup strong coffee 1 cup cream 1 tsp. vanilla 1 tbsp. butter 1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, Brazil or pecans) OR 8 large marshmallows cut into small pieces (optional) MIX thoroughly the sugars with grated chocolate, salt, coffee and cream in a saucepan. Cover until mixture comes to a boil. Uncover and continue cooking, without stirring, until soft-ball stage, 238 X on candy thermometer. Remove from heat; add vanilla and butter. Cool to lukewarm, about 110 X . Beat until mixture becomes light and creamy. Add nuts or marshmallows if you wish. When candy begins to stiffen, pour into buttered 8 X 8 X 2-inch pan and decorate top with pieces of nuts or marshmallows, if you are using them. Do not remove from pan until thoroughly cool. Yield: about 2 pounds.

PEANUT BUTTER KISSES 2 cups sugar 2 cups light corn syrup 3 cup water 1 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. salt 5 tbsp. peanut butter MIX sugar, syrup and water together in a heavy saucepan. Cover until it comes to a boil. Cook until it forms a firm, still chewy, not hard ball in cold water, 258 degrees on candy thermometer. Remove from heat, add vanilla and salt. Then add peanut butter. Pour onto buttered plate. Cool enough to pull.

Pull candy with buttered hands, keeping grain in one direction. When it loses its gloss, stretch into a long rope about 11 -inch thick and cut with scissors into 1-inch pieces. Yield: about 2 lbs.

MICROWAVE TRUFFLES 24 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips 2 tbsp. butter 2 tbsp. sour cream 1 tsp. imitation brandy extract 1 tsp. imitation rum extract 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract Unsweetened cocoa powder Flaked coconut Finely chopped pecans PUT chocolate, butter and sour cream in a 3-quart microwavable casserole.

Microcook, covered, on high 2 minutes. Stir thoroughly. Microcrook, covered, on high 1 minute longer. Stir. Divide mixture into three portions. Add one extract to each portion and mix well. Shape into 1-inch balls and roll in cocoa, coconut or chopped pecans. Store in airtight container.