Recipes For Valentine Sweets

My gift to you this Valentine week is five dessert recipes your family or party guests will love. I hope each of you have a day filled with love and kisses!

Chocolate Fondue
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
7-10 ounces marshmallow cream
12 ounces chocolate chips

Place all the ingredients in an electric fondue pot. Heat until melted, stirring to incorporate. When the fondue is warm and thoroughly mixed serve with an assortment of dippers. Examples: cubed pound or angel food cake, butter or sugar cookies, sliced pears, apples, bananas, kiwi, pineapple, strawberries, or just about anything you would like to try.

This makes a wonderful dessert for a small group around a table.

Chocolate Chip Brownies
¾ cup flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
½ cup oil
2 eggs
2 envelopes liquid, unsweetened cocoa
6 ounces chocolate chips
½ cup nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix it all together in a bowl with a fork; pour it into an 8 inch square, greased baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Chocolate Macaroon Cake (an old Pillsbury Bake Off recipe)
3eggs, separated
1 teaspoons vanilla
2 ¼ cups sugar, divided ½ cup, ½ cup, and 1 ¼ cups
2 cups coconut
2 cups flour and 1 tablespoon flour
¾ cup hot coffee
½ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon soda
½ cup sour cream
½ cup Crisco
1 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare coconut mixture.:
Beat 1 egg white with 1 teaspoon vanilla until soft peaks form. Add ½ cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Stir in coconut and 1 tablespoon flour; set aside. Dissolve coffee in cocoa; set aside. Beat 3 egg whites until soft mounds form, add ½ cup sugar; continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Add soda to sour cream; set aside.

Cake Batter:
Beat 1 ¼ cups sugar with Crisco, all egg yolks, salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and ½ the coca/coffee mixture. Beat until light and creamy. Add 2 cups flour, sour cream, and remaining cocoa mixture; blend well. Fold in beaten 3 egg whites. Turn half of the cake batter into a greased, floured tube pan. Top with ½ coconut mixture. Turn in remaining half cake batter and then top with remaining ½ coconut mixture. Bake cake at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes. Cool before removing from pan. Frost or glaze if desired. If you like the candy bar you will LOVE this!

Peanut Butter Cup Cheese Cake
Crust:
1 ½ cups Oreo Cookie crumbs
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup melted butter
Stir together and press into 9 inch spring form pan.

Cheesecake Filling:
3, 8 ounce packages cream cheese
¾ cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup creamy peanut butter
6-8 miniature peanut butter cups, plus 6-8 more for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first five ingredients wells. Cut 6-8 regular size Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups into 6 pieces each and stir into the batter. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. Chill. Garnish with mini peanut butter cups (try to put one piece of candy for every serving) and drizzle the surface of the cake with prepared chocolate sauce and peanut butter sauce. Chill until completely cold and firm before serving.

Peanut Butter Sauce:
¼ cup peanut butter
½ cup powdered sugar
2-4 tablespoons evaporated milk

Stir the above together with a whisk until smooth.

My sweet son-in-law is a peanut butter cup freak! When he was marrying my daughter I created this recipe for their rehearsal dinner. I made points with Mark!

Chocolate Almond Biscotti
2 cups chocolate chips, divided
2 cups flour
¼ cup dry baking cocoa
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup slivered toasted almonds

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In the microwave melt 1 cup chocolate chips. In a bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and soda, both sugars, butter and vanilla. Mix until crumbly. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Beat in melted chocolate. Gradually add flour until incorporated. Stir in almonds. Chill for about 15 minutes. Shape dough into 2 loaves with floured hands. Bake at 325 degrees for 40-45 minutes on greased baking sheets. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Cut loaves into ¾ inch slices. Lay each slice on its side on the baking sheets. Bake the slices for 10 minutes longer on each side. Cool. Dip biscotti in melted chocolate and more slivered almonds if desired.