Valentine's Day Treats About This Page:

[*Pixie*Dust*]

Do you have any specials treats or a special meal that you make for Valentine's Day?
When my Nana was still alive she'd have the whole family over for dinner. It was the same thing every year, her delicious lasagna, salad, garlic bread and a homemade cake in the shape of a heart .
DH and I usually go out for Valentine's day, but since it falls on a Saturday I am planning on duplicating Nana's meal.

[Belle*]

When my Grandmother passed away a few years ago, one of the things I made sure to kepp from her house was the heart shaped cake pans she used to make me a cake with every Valentine's Day! I use them every year. This year is a Valentine's Funfetti cake mix and frosting from Pillsbury.

[Bert & Sully]

Funny you should ask. Since my mobility's been limited yesterday and today I decided to start looking around for meal ideas. This is sounding good.

CHOCOLATE FALLEN SOUFFLE CAKE

12 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
5 large eggs, separated and at room temperature for 30 minutes
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Accompaniment: ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line bottom with a round of parchment or wax paper, then butter paper.

Melt chocolate and butter in a large metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (or in a microwave-safe large glass or ceramic bowl in a microwave at 50 percent power for 4 to 5 minutes), stirring frequently, then cool completely. Whisk in vanilla, salt, and 6 tablespoons sugar. Add yolks 1 at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in flour.

Beat whites with a pinch of salt in a bowl using an electric mixer at medium-high speed until they hold soft peaks, then add remaining 6 tablespoons sugar a little at a time, beating, and continue to beat until whites hold stiff glossy peaks.

Whisk about one fourth of whites into chocolate mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Pour batter into springform pan, spreading evenly.

Bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs adhering, 35 to 40 minutes.

Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Remove side of pan and cool cake completely. Invert cake onto rack and remove bottom of pan, discarding paper, then invert cake onto a plate.

The cake is designed to be eaten once it has collapsed and cooled (just the opposite of a regular soufflé).

[Belle*]

Elaine, you must have Yahoo! That was the recipe of the day on my yahoo home page for the past couple days!

[Bert & Sully]

MERINGUE KISSES

2 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 200°F. and butter and flour a large baking sheet, knocking off excess flour.

In a bowl with an electric mixer beat whites until they hold soft peaks. Gradually add sugar, beating, and beat until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks. Drop heaping teaspoons (not measuring spoons) of meringue about 1 inch apart onto baking sheet and bake in middle of oven 45 minutes. Turn oven off and leave meringues in oven 1 hour more. With a metal spatula transfer meringues to a rack to cool completely. Meringue kisses may be kept in an airtight container at room temperature 5 days.

Makes about 24 meringue kisses

[Bert & Sully]

<font color="red"> HAZELNUT MERINGUE KISSES

As these little chocolate-dipped cookies bake, they fall and spread somewhat, so they won't be as tall as when first piped onto the baking sheets.

3 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
3/4 cup hazelnuts (about 3 1/2 ounces), toasted lightly and skinned and ground fine
42 whole hazelnuts, toasted lightly and skinned
6 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped

Preheat oven to 225°F. and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Fit a large pastry bag with a 1/2-inch plain tip.

In a bowl with am electric mixer beat whites with cream of tartar and salt until they just hold soft peaks. Add sugar in a stream and beat in vanilla and espresso and cocoa powders, beating until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks.

Working quickly, fold ground hazelnuts into meringue gently but thoroughly and fill pastry bag with meringue. Pipe 42 dots (each about 1/2 teaspoon) of meringue onto parchment 1/2 inch apart and top each dot with a whole hazelnut (meringue dots will anchor nuts). Pipe meringue over hazelnuts, encasing them, to form cookies about 1 inch wide and 1 3/4 inches high.

Bake cookies in middle and lower third of oven, switching positions of baking sheets halfway through baking, 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until meringue os form on the outside and pale golden (cookies will fall during baking). Remove parchment with cookies from baking sheets and cool on racks (cookies will continue to crisp as they cool).Carefully peel cookies off parchment.

In a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate, stirring until smooth, and remove from het. Dip top half of each cookie in melted chocolate, transferring cookies, chocolate sides up, to a wax-paper-lined tray. Chill cookies until chocolate is hardened, about 15 minutes. Cookies keep, arranged in layers between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container and chilled, 5 days.

Makes 42 cookies
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