5 Easy Recipes for Valentine’s Day 2014

Valentine’s Day is just over a week away – whee! This is exciting because I’ve got a whole other person to shower with love this year. Valentine’s Day recipes are centered on you and your lover. These are dishes that are meant to be shared in twos.

Create your very own love scene this Valentine’s Day with a tempting menu chosen from our seductive recipes. With all these delicious Valentine’s Day indulgences, love is not only in the air, it’s on your plate, too! Light the candles, pour a glass of bubbly, and enjoy!

Red Velvet Truffles

Ingredients:

  • 425g pkt White Wings Devilish Red Velvet cake mix
  • 1 tablespoon brandy
  • 500g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped, melted

Method:

  • Prepare the cake following packet directions. Cool completely. Break the cake into fine crumbs in a large bowl.
  • Prepare the frosting mix following packet directions. Add frosting and brandy to cake crumbs. Use your hands to bring together. Roll tablespoonfuls into balls. Place on a lined tray. Cover. Chill for 1-2 hours or until firm.
  • Use a fork or truffle dipper to dip the truffles, one at a time, in melted chocolate to coat. Tap the fork or dipper on the edge of the bowl to shake off excess chocolate. Place on a lined tray. Set aside to set. Drizzle truffles with the remaining chocolate. Set aside for 5 minutes to set.

Recipe credit: taste

Cosmopolitan Raspberry Twist

Ingredients:

  • 4 fluid ounces smirnoff raspberry vodka, chilled in freezer
  • 1 fluid ounce triple sec
  • 1 fresh lime juice
  • 3 fluid ounces cranberry juice
  • 2 frozen raspberries
  • 2 slices fresh limes

Method:

  • Put all ingredients into a shaker add as much ice as you can and give a good shake.
  • Pour straight up or over ice.
  • Garnish with lime slices and frozen raspberries which helps keep it chilled.

Recipe credit: Food

Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/3 cup cream 15%, 330 mL
  • 140 g bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup sugar, 55 g
  • plastic wrap

Method:

  • Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F.
  • In a saucepan, heat the cream over medium-low heat, paying attention not to let it boil. Add the chopped chocolate, remove from heat and stir until the chocolate has melted completely. Let the mixture cool down a few minutes.
  • Meanwhile, separate the egg whites from the yolks. Set the egg whites aside in a glass jar and put it in the refrigerator or freezer for a future use. Put the yolks in a bowl, add the sugar and whisk using an electric mixer until the mixture is pale and form ribbons, about 3-4 min.
  • Pour in the cream-chocolate mixture slowly while gently folding using a whisk. Spoon the mixture into ramekins.
  • Put a towel or piece of cloth into a large baking-pan (either a rectangular cake-mould or a roasting pan). Place the ramekins on the cloth and fill the pan with enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
  • Bake in the middle of the oven 30 min: the centre will still tremble slightly when moved and will continue to set as it cools.
  • Take the ramekins out of the water bath right away to avoid overcooking. Let them cool down 20 min at room temperature, then cover them with a plastic wrap and chill at least 2 h in the refrigerator. Serve.

Recipe credit: sos cuisine

Easy Valentine Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
  • 1 tablespoon Gold Medal all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup butter, softened
  • 1 egg
  • Granulated sugar
  • 1 cup Betty Crocker Whipped fluffy white frosting (from 12 oz container)
  • Red liquid food color

Method:

  • Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix and flour until well blended. Add butter and egg; stir until soft dough forms.
  • On floured surface, roll dough to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with 2 1/4-inch heart shaped cookie cutter. Generously cover large piece of waxed paper with granulated sugar. Transfer cutouts to waxed paper using pancake turner. Turn each cutout to coat both sides. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
  • Bake 5 to 6 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
  • Divide frosting into six small bowls. Add the following different amounts of red liquid food color to one of each of the bowls starting with a toothpick, 1 drop, 3 drops, 7 drops, 12 drops and 25 drops to make different shades of pink.
  • For each cookie sandwich, spread about 1 teaspoon frosting on the bottom of 1 cooled cookie. Top with second cookie, bottom side down; gently press cookies together.

Recipe credit: betty crocker

The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Method:

  • In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
  • Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Recipe credit: allrecipes