Valentine's Day Recipes
- September 09, 2020
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Don't forget your Valentine! Mardi Gras is early this year (February 9) and everyone in south Louisiana is in a frenzy with parades, balls, King Cake parties, and general merriment. Some may not realize that Valentine's Day is coming up and may not remember to make plans for dinner with that special someone. Not to worry. I have some ideas for you (gentlemen or ladies) to prepare for the love of your life. Several years ago, a friend (or perhaps it was a foe) presented me with the book DEATH BY CHOCOLATE by Marcel Desulniers (Simon & Schuster Editions) for my birthday. Although I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, I remember trying several of the recipes and did almost pass on, albeit happily, into the Great Beyond. Thankfully, my husband rescued me by eating whatever I had left on the plate. The same friend, three years ago, gave me another of Marcel’s (I guess she liked his name and thought it was cute since it’s the male version of my name) books, DEATH BY CHOCOLATE COOKIES (Simon & Schuster Editions). I almost hurled it at her, but graciously thanked her and tucked it on a shelf where I couldn't reach it easily. But lo and behold, I came across it a few days ago when searching for an idea for a Valentine’s dessert to prepare for my beloved. Leafing through the book, I almost ate the pages. The photographs were what my husband calls “culinary eroticism.” Get ready to rattle some pots and pans, we're going to make some delicious Valentine treats for you AND your Sweetie! Or, hey invite your buddies over to share! CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE Makes 10 to 12 servings 24 chocolate wafers 4 tablespoons butter 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 8 ounces semisweet chocolate 1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature 1 cup sugar 3 eggs 2 teaspoons powdered cocoa 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups sour cream Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Crush the wafers in a blender. Combine the crushed wafers, the butter and cinnamon and press the mixture in the bottom of a 9-inch springfrom pan. Buckle the sides on. Chill for one hour. Melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally, until it has completely melted and smooth. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until it is fluffy and smooth. Add the sugar and mix well. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the melted chocolate, cocoa and vanilla and blend thoroughly. Add the sour cream and blend well. Pour the mixture into the springform pan. Bake for about one hour and 10 minutes. The cake will be slightly soft. Cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 6 hours. Decorate the top of the cake with chocolate shavings. Tip: Using a vegetable peeler, shave the sides of a chilled chocolate block. The shavings will fall from the block. CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE-CHIP COOKIES Makes about 4 ½ dozen 12 ounces semisweet chocolate morsels 2 sticks butter or margarine, softened 1 ½ cups sugar 1 large egg 2 tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Melt one cup of the chocolate morsels in a heavy saucepan over low heat, reserving the remaining morsels. Set the melted morsels aside. Beat the butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Gradually add one cup of the sugar, beating well. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla and mix well. Add the melted chocolate morsels, mixing until blended. Combine the flour and the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gradually add to the butter mixture, mixing well. Stir in the remaining chocolate morsels. Roll the dough into balls, one tablespoon at a time. Roll the balls in the remaining one-half cup sugar. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets and bake for eight to 10 minutes. The cookies will be soft but will firm up as they cool. Cool on wire racks. COCONUT-ALMOND CHOCOLATE CHIPPERS Makes 4 to 5 dozen 1 cup sugar 1 cup packed dark brown sugar 1 stick butter, softened 1 stick margarine, softened 2 large eggs 3 tablespoons milk 2 tablespoons honey 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 3 ½ cups buttermilk biscuit mix 2 ½ cups quick-cooking oats ¼ teaspoon salt 2 cups shredded coconut 2 cups large semisweet chocolate chips 1 ½ cups slivered almonds, toasted Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugars, butter and margarine until creamy, about three minutes. Add the eggs, milk, honey and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. In a medium-size mixing bowl, stir together the biscuit mix, oats and salt. Add to the sugar mixture and mix on low speed until blended. Add the coconut, chocolate chips and almonds. Mix on low speed to combine. Chill the dough for at least one hour. Place teaspoonfuls of dough two inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake until just slightly soft and moist, 10 to 13 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool on cookie sheet for five minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool. DOUBLE CHOCOLATE PUDDING Makes about 4 servings 2 1/2 cups milk 1/2 cup sugar Pinch of salt 2 tablespoons cornstarch 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1 large egg 2 large egg yolks 5 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Lightly whipped cream In a heavy saucepan, combine two cups of the milk, one-fourth cup of the sugar and the salt. Bring to a boil over moderate heat. Remove from the heat and set aside. In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, cocoa and the remaining one-fourth cup sugar until blended. Whisk in the remaining one-fourth cup milk until smooth. Whisk the cocoa mixture into the milk in the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about five minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the whole egg and the egg yolks, slowly whisk in about one cup of the hot cocoa. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over moderate heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and just begins to boil, about two minutes. Strain the pudding into a medium-size bowl. Add the chocolate, butter and vanilla, whisking until the chocolate and butter are melted and the pudding is smooth, about two minutes. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly over the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming and let cool. Refrigerate until set, about 45 minutes. Serve chilled with the whipped cream and cookies.