On Valentine’s Day, all you need is love, but indulging in sweet desserts every now and then certainly can’t hurt!
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Show your sweetheart that you love them ‘berry’ much with chocolate covered strawberries, a classic Valentine’s Day treat.
Ingredients:
1 quart fresh strawberries
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
Directions:
Wash and dry the strawberries, making sure the stems have fresh green leaves. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet.
Put the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high for about 1 minute or until smooth and shiny. Stir the chocolate until it is creamy and melted.
Grabbing the strawberry by the stem, swirl it in the chocolate to coat both sides. Place on the sheet. Repeat these steps with the other berries, making sure to space them apart so they don’t stick together.
Refrigerate the berries for 20 minutes or more, which will allow the chocolate to set. When ready to be eaten, remove from the refrigerator and allow the hardening to finish at room temperature.
Red Velvet Ice Cream Sandwiches
Made with chocolate that has been dyed red, these soft and chewy red velvet cookies are to-die-for delicious—and even simpler to make. With only four ingredients, plus vanilla ice cream for a creamy filling, say ‘I love you’ with this easy-to-make dessert that looks and tastes like it was made from scratch. For a touch of true romance, show your enthusiasm for Valentine’s Day when you festoon it with a pink doily and ribbons.
Ingredients:
1 box red velvet cake mix
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white chocolate chips
1-quart vanilla ice cream
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, oil, and chocolate chips until thoroughly blended. Spoon rounded tablespoons of batter on the baking sheet, about 1/2 inch apart.
Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes. When fully baked, remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Spread ice cream evenly on the cookie and top with another cookie for a dreamy and indulgent ice cream sandwich.
No-bake Cheesecake with Berry Toppings
When you top this creamy and indulgent cheesecake with a variety of berries, it gives you a bright and festive look that will make your lover swoon.
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup melted butter
Filling:
2 packages softened cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups heavy cream
Topping:
4 cups mixed berries ( raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries)
Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix together cracker crumbs, cinnamon, and brown sugar; then stir in butter. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice until smooth and creamy. Slowly add heavy cream and beat until it forms soft peaks. Transfer to the prepared crust and then cover and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to serve the cheesecake, gently toss berries with the sugar. Let stand 15 to 30 minutes, giving the berries a chance to release their juices. Remove the cheesecake from the pan and top with berries and sprigs of mint before serving.
Chocolate Chia Mousse
With only 6 natural and wholesome ingredients, this vegan dessert is both healthy and easy to make. The nut milk and chia gives it a thick and creamy texture while the cocoa sweetened with maple syrup makes it taste rich and decadent.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup chia seeds
2-1/2 cups nut milk
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup real maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Coconut cream:
1 can unsweetened coconut cream
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk together the chia seeds, cocoa powder, milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend on high until creamy and smooth. Add more sweetener if desired. Then spoon the mousse into 6 serving bowls.
For the topping, add the coconut cream to the maple syrup and vanilla; mix thoroughly with an electric mixer. Top the moose with coconut cream and garnish with dried rose petals and cacao nibs (optional).
English Rose Cake
The ultimate symbol of love, roses aren’t just for romantic bouquets. In this recipe, the sweet, floral aroma of rosewater adds a whisper of the rose garden to a classic vanilla layer cake.
Ingredients:
For the cake:
3 sticks of butter (350g)
500g sugar
5 large eggs
200g whole milk yogurt
500g all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp food grade rosewater
For the icing:
140g sugar
2 tsp rosewater
85g fresh raspberries, plus 100g for decoration
250g confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
300ml heavy cream
Organic rose petals for garnish
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, grease and line the base and sides of a standard cake tin with parchment paper. Combine all the cake ingredients into a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until the batter is thoroughly blended. Divide the batter evenly between three cake tins and smooth the tops. Bake for 45 minutes, then let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan and transferring to a wire rack.
For the rose syrup, add sugar and 100ml of water to a medium saucepan. Turn the heat to medium high and let the sugar and water mixture start bubbling, about 2 minutes. Once the sugar is completely dissolved in the water, remove from heat. Add a teaspoon of rosewater and possibly more, depending on your preference. When the syrup has cooled to room temperature, drizzle half onto the 3 layer cakes and set aside.
Add 2 teaspoons of rose syrup to raspberries and crush them with a fork to infuse the flavors. Push the raspberries through a sieve to remove the seeds. Sift in the confectioner’s sugar and mix until the icing is smooth and creamy. In another bowl, add 2 tablespoons of rose syrup and vanilla to the heavy cream; whisk until it forms soft peaks. Set aside and chill until needed.
Assemble the cake by placing each layer on a cake stand and topping with cream and raspberries. Repeat the same method with the other two cakes. After placing the final cake layer, smooth the top with raspberry icing, allowing it to drizzle down the sides. Decorate the top of the cake with raspberries and rose petals. Serve with a dollop of rose-infused whipped cream.
If you don’t want to spend time in the kitchen, Ne-Mo’s treats are the next best thing for making Valentine’s Day a little sweeter. Roses are red, violets are blue, Ne-Mo’s treats are sweet and so are you!
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