Valentine Recipes (for Two)
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Valentine's Day Chocolate Recipes
"Helplessly in love with chocolates" , this is what most of us would like to describe our chocolate habits. moreover, chocolate has been widely proclaimed by scientists and doctors as to be the food that increases the feeling of love, by releasing the required chemicals. It also helps you live longer. Hmmm! That gives some food for thought. Here are some selected chocolate recipes, and most of them are darn easy to prepare. So happy cooking!!
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Rich Chocolate Slices
Half cup butter
preferably white 2 tablespoons honey
4.5 tablespoons cocoa semi-sweet biscuits
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, or peanuts)
The best part of this recipe is, There is no cooking involved! Absolutely !
Crush the biscuits. You can do it by putting it into a clean bag, and then beat the bag gently, or use the electric grinder. also grind the nuts.
Put the butter, honey and cocoa into a pan & put it onto gentle heat. Stir occasionally, and REMOVE as soon as the butter melts. Stir the butter, honey and cocoa together thoroughly.
As soon as the butter mixture has cooled slightly, add the crushed biscuits and nuts. Stir thoroughly.
Take an about 2 cups capacity cake tin, and grease it. Put half spoon of butter inside, and rub thoroughly at the base. Now pour in the biscuit mixture, and press in slightly.
Put the tin in refrigerator to cool and set in.
After sometime, you can put the tin in warm water, and then invert the tin on a plate. Cut in to thin slices and serve. Add the scoop of ice-cream for special effect.
Chocolate-Mint Ice
1+1/4 cups milk
4tablespoons of sugar
4 eggs
1+1/4 cups cream
1/2 teaspoon peppermint essence
A few drops green or red food coloring (optional)
2 tablespoons cocoa
Beat the eggs in a bowl. Put the milk and sugar into the handle pan. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar. (Put of the fire as soon as you see small bubbles of the milk, so that it doesn't get too hot) Now pour a few tablespoons of the hot milk in to the eggs, mix well, and then put the eggs in to the milk. Stir gently and thicken on low heat, until the mixture bubbles gently. It will have the appearance of thick custard. Put of the fire and let the mixture cool. Whip the cream gently with a fork, till it is fluffy. When the mixture has cooled, fold the cream in, by pouring the cream over the milk egg mixture, and bringing the mixture from the bottom, in a circular motion. Blend well. Pour half the mixture in a flat tray or utensil. Add peppermint essence, and mix well. If you are using the color, mix it too. To the remaining mixture, add cocoa. and mix well. Now pour the chocolate mixture over the peppermint one. Draw a knife creatively over the mixture to make pretty swirls.
Chill well, and you have a Love-ly dish to present.
Dark Chocolate Waffles with Strawberries
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. sugar
2 eggs, separated
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1-1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt (optional)
1/2 c. milk or 3/4 c. buttermilk
Powdered sugar
Fresh strawberries, sliced and sweetened
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar. Add the egg yolks, vanilla and cooled chocolate. Mix well.
In separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt, if using.
Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture alternately with the milk, blending well with each addition. (If using buttermilk, which is thicker than milk, use a little more if necessary, to thin almost to a pouring consistency.) With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold them into the batter.
Place about 1/3 cup batter in a hot waffle iron, close the cover and bake until the steaming stops; these waffles are dark so don't judge doneness by the color. Serve sprinkled with powdered sugar and topped with strawberry slices. Makes 5 to 6 waffles.
Chocolate Hearts
1-1/2 cups firmly-packed brown sugar
2/3 cup Crisco Shortening
1 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups miniature semi-sweet Hershey's
Chipets
6 oz white chocolate
12 candied pineapple hearts (optional)
Preheat oven to 375°F . Place sheets of foil on countertop for cooling cookies.
Combine brown sugar, shortening, water and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Beat eggs into creamed mixture.
Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Mix into creamed mixture at low speed just until blended. Stir in Hershey's Chipets. Divide dough in half. Spread dough into 2 un greased 8-inch round cake pans.
Bake one pan at a time at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutes. DO NOT OVER BAKE. Cool 5 minutes in pan. Cut with 2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter with point towards center to make 6 cookies. Remove cookies to foil to cool completely.
Chop white chocolate into l/2-inch pieces. Place pieces in a microwave safe shallow bowl. Microwave on 100%(HIGH) power for 30 seconds. Stir. Repeat at 30 second intervals until chocolate is melted. Spread melted chocolate on top of cooled hearts. Cut pineapple, if used, into 2-inch hearts 1/4-inch thick. Top each cookie with red candied pineapple heart. Set aside to dry completely.
Makes: About 1 dozen cookies
