I was thinking about what could be added to the menu to provide a little lightness and more flavor when my husband asked about adding balsamic strawberries.  This was a convenient suggestion in that we had over a pound of strawberries in our refrigerator.  It also was convenient in that this is another one of those ridiculously easy, not really a recipe, recipes.

However, the combination of flavors in this topping is amazing.  Plus, it can be served in a variety of ways.  Use it on its own, as a dip for pita chips or crackers.  Serve it atop cheese, as a bruschetta topping.  Turn it into a dessert accompaniment, using it as an embellishment for pound cake or ice cream.  No matter what you choose, it is sure to be delicious.

Balsamic Strawberries

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
15 strawberries, diced

In a small bowl, combine vinegar and sugar.  Microwave for 30 seconds to help dissolve the sugar.  Add strawberries to vinegar, and toss well.  Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and to chill the ingredients.

*I prefer using this topping at the 30 minute point.  It can be refrigerated longer, but the strawberries will become softer.

Make these cupcakes early in the day (or even the day before), and you will have a dessert that requires no last minute work.  Once you’re ready for dessert, it will be ready to serve.

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Grasshopper Icing

Ashton Keefe, author of Diary of a Sweet Tooth

Cupcakes
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
1 cup stout, such as Guinness
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, the higher quality the better (I use Valrhona, it’s worth it!)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream (full fat)
8 oz. dark chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter in large saucepan and allow it to melt. Slightly brown the butter, meaning the butter’s fat (the white foam on top) will begin to melt away and the butter will start to brown and smell nutty. The second this happens remove from heat and add Guinness.   Whisk until smooth and add cocoa powder. Whisk all lumps out. If lumps continue to form, return to heat until dissolved.   Sift all dry ingredients together.

In meantime in a large mixer beat eggs and sour cream. Add the butter, stout and cocoa powder mixture to electric mixer and mix until combine and smooth. Add the flour mixture on low speed and mix until JUST combined. Remove from mixer and use a spatula to fold rest of batter and chocolate bits.   Place in muffin tins or cupcake liners and bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Icing
4 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
pinch of salt
1 tsp. mint extract (creme de menthe)
4 Tb. milk (depending on consistency, less milk = stiffer icing)

In a large bowl with paddle attachment beat half of the sugar with half of the butter. Blend extract with half milk in. Slowly add remaining sugar into mixture. Depending on desired stillness add more milk, 2 tablespoons maximum.

With the collision of St. Patrick’s Day and Saturday this year, why not give an Irish dessert a try?  This recipe is simple to make, requires few ingredients, and will provide some nice bright flavors to end the meal.

Cranachan

From James Beard winner Judith Choate’s “A Reader’s Cookbook“

1 cup rolled oats
4 cups cold heavy cream
½ cup superfine sugar (or to taste)
2 Tb. Drambuie liqueur
2 cups raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, or sliced strawberries, plus more for garnishing
Mint sprigs for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Place the oats in a baking pan, pushing them out to a single layer.  Place in the preheated oven and bake, tossing and turning occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until nicely toasted. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Place the cream in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the whisk. Beat on low until just frothy. Add the sugar and liqueur, raise the speed, and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.  Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a spatula, fold in the berries along with the reserved oats.

Either scrape the pudding into a decorative serving bowl or place an equal portion into each of 12 individual dessert dishes. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate for 6 hours.

When ready to serve, remove the pudding(s) from the refrigerator.  Uncover and decorate the top with individual berries and a mint sprig.

Every time we had seen a tv chef make a frozen dish, we had debated whether or not we should purchase an ice cream maker.  It seemed that the amount of space taken and the cost wouldn’t validate the amount of usage.  However, we continued to see different homemade ice creams and continued to envision the ice creams we could make.  So, we decided to purchase an ice cream maker.

Having owned this appliance for several months, I am pleased to report that it was a good purchase.  Of course, like any new toy, it was used more frequently during its first month, but it definitely has not been stored in the back of a closet gathering dust since then.  This past Sunday was one of those ice cream machine occasions.  After a lazy afternoon of cooking, a little bit of work, and relaxing, I decided to put some ripe bananas to good use in the form of frozen yogurt.  The result was a frozen treat which had a nice bite from the Greek yogurt that combined well with the sweetness of the sugar and bananas.  The texture was slightly chunky, but it could be made smoother with the use of a blender or food processor, if preferred.

One win for us in small appliance purchasing for the kitchen; I wonder what will be next. . .

Banana Frozen Yogurt

3 ripe bananas
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup plain Greek yogurt*

Peel bananas and mash with a fork or potato masher in a medium-sized bowl.  Combine milk and sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves.  Combine bananas, milk mixture, and yogurt in a large bowl.  Stir until thoroughly combined.  Pour into ice cream machine, and follow directions in your owner’s manual.  (My yogurt took approximately 20 minutes to reach soft-serve consistency.)

*If you don’t like Greek yogurt, you could use a plain or vanilla yogurt.  However, Greek yogurt has a creamier texture, so you may need to adjust the amount of milk.

To round out our Romantic Valentine Desserts series, we have a Cardamom-Spiced Crème Brûlée.  Although the name of this dessert may sound daunting, it really is quite simple to make.  Of course, if you want to serve this on Valentine’s Day, you need to start either the day before or early that morning.

Cardamom-Spiced Crème Brûlée

Judith Choate, author of A Reader’s Cookbook

8 large egg yolks, at room temperature
¾ cup superfine sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cardamom
¼ cup light brown sugar, sifted

Combine the egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof mixing bowl, whisking vigorously to blend and help the sugar dissolve into the yolks.
Place the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat just until tiny bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Immediately remove from the heat and, whisking constantly, beat about ¼ cup of the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture to temper. Continuing to whisk, beat in the remaining cream along with the vanilla and cardamom.  Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into either eight 4-ounce or six 6-ounce custard or crème brûlée dishes.

Place a baking dish large enough to hold the custard dishes in the oven. Carefully transfer the filled dishes to the baking dish. Add enough cold water to come at least 1 inch up the sides of the custard dishes.  Heat the oven to 300ºF. Bake for about 1 hour, or just until the custards have begun to set but are still a bit loose in the center when the dish is moved.

Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the dishes to wire racks. Let cool to room temperature.  When cool, cover each dish with plastic film and transfer to the refrigerator. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 2 days.

When ready to serve, preheat the broiler.  Remove the custards from the refrigerator. Uncover and, using a paper towel, remove any moisture that is sitting on top of the set custard.  Place the dishes on a baking sheet of a size that will fit under the broiler.  Place the brown sugar in a fine mesh sieve and lightly coat the top of each custard with the sugar.  Place the dishes under the preheated broiler and broil for about 1 minute, or just until the sugar has melted and bubbled. It will harden as it cools.  Serve while the custards are still cold with a crackling caramel top.

I have to confess that this dessert is way too chocolatey for me; however, it seems incredibly romantic.  Homemade truffles served with champagne sauce, the name alone screams romance.  For anyone who has a valentine that adores chocolate, this is the recipe for you to master.

Balsamic Truffles with Strawberry Champagne Sauce

Jonathan & Nate of Camden Drive

Balsamic Ganache
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
5 oz. high–quality chocolate chips (60% cocoa), such as Ghiradelli, divided
2 Tb. good balsamic vinegar

Chocolate coating
4 oz. high–quality chocolate chips (60% cocoa)
good, unsweetened cocoa powder for rolling

Strawberry Champagne sauce
1 cup drinkable champagne
1/2 cup seedless strawberry jam
1/4 cup granulated sugar (adjust to desired sweetness)

For the balsamic ganache:
Gently warm the whipping cream in a heavy small saucepan until scalded. Remove from heat; let cool until lukewarm.

Meanwhile, stir 3 ounces of chocolate in the top of double boiler until smooth. Remove from heat. Add the remaining ounce of chocolate; stir until smooth. Stir in cream. Let cool slightly and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet until firm, about 1 hour.

Line a second rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Quickly roll 1 tablespoon of ganache into a ball, being mindful not to allow your hands to warm the ganache too much (you also may want to use disposable gloves to avoid messy hands). Transfer to prepared sheet. Repeat with the rest of the ganache; chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

For chocolate coating:
Line another rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the chocolate in the top of a double boiler until just melted. Remove from heat. Cool slightly.

Using a fork as you would a spoon, place 1 chilled truffle in warm (not hot) melted chocolate, coat and remove quickly. Let any excess chocolate drip back into the pan before transferring to prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining truffles, rewarming chocolate if necessary. Roll in cocoa powder after chocolate has been allowed to set slightly.

These steps can be done 1 week ahead of time if stored in an airtight container and kept chilled. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.

For Strawberry Champagne sauce:
Whisk together ingredients in a small, heavy sauce pan. Bring to a simmer and let reduce by half.  Let cool to room temperature before serving.

To Serve:
Drizzle sauce on serving plate as desired and arrange truffles. Garnish with fresh strawberries.

Yield:

Makes approximately 12 truffles.

This week’s dessert idea is a wonderful combination of wine, pears, almonds, and mascarpone.  Not only is it a delicious dessert, but it also has a beautiful presentation.  Although it looks intricate, it really is quite easy to prepare.   Your valentine is sure to be amazed by your culinary talents.

Red Wine Poached Pear with Candied Almonds and Mascarpone

Chef John Van House of Murray’s, courtesy of usapears.org.

Poached Pears
6 Bosc USA Pears
1 750 ml bottle red table wine
2 cups granulated sugar
2 Tb. Chinese Five Spice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
Mascarpone Filling
8 oz. mascarpone cheese
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
1 cup candied sliced almonds, such as Almond Accents® Honey Roasted Sliced Almonds

Peel pear and core from the bottom to extract core and seeds.

In a saucepan, combine wine, granulated sugar, five spice, cinnamon and cloves. Add pears and just enough wine to cover pears. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until pears are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove pears and cool to room temperature. Cover and chill.

Simmer wine mixture until reduced to a syrupy consistency.

Whip mascarpone, cream, powdered sugar and almond extract on high speed until mixture forms firm peaks.

To serve: Spoon 2 tablespoons mascarpone filling into center of each pear. Place on dessert plates. Spoon 2 tablespoons mascarpone around bottom of pears. Drizzle 2 tablespoons slightly warm wine syrup over each pear. Garnish with candied almonds and serve immediately.

Makes 6

This recipe is sure to appeal to those who prefer vanilla.  The use of soy milk should be helpful to those who avoid dairy products due to allergies.  Plus, as Chef English notes, “Soy milk has never tasted as good as it does in this version of Panna Cotta.  The creamy texture of the soy milk is complimented by the bright, clean flavor of the blackberries.”

Soy Milk Panna Cotta with Crushed Blackberries

Chef Todd English, author of Cooking in Everyday English: The ABCs of Great Flavor at Home

1 vanilla bean, split
1 Tb. unflavored gelatin
2 cups unsweetened soy milk
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
2 cups plain soy yogurt
1 pint fresh blackberries
2 Tbsp.  sugar

Garnish: crushed amaretti cookies

Scrape seeds from vanilla bean.  Stir together gelatin and ¼ cup water in a small bowl.  Bring milk, ½ cup sugar, ¾ tsp. salt, and vanilla bean and seeds to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium.  Whisk in gelatin mixture until well blended.  Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, and cook 1 minute.  Remove from heat, and discard vanilla bean.  Stir in yogurt until blended.  Pour mixture through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a bowl; discard solids.  Divide mixture among 6 (6 oz.) ramekins.  Cover and chill 3 hours or until set.

Stir together blackberries, 2 Tbsp. sugar, and remaining ¼ tsp. salt in a bowl.  Gently crush blackberries against sides of bowl until berries release their juices, using a fork.  Let stand 10 minutes.  Cook berry mixture in a small skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes or until liquid begins to thicken.  Let cool 5 minutes.

Hold each ramekin in warm water 5 seconds; invert onto serving plates.  Top with blackberry sauce.  Garnish, if desired.  6 servings.

This week’s recipe comes to us courtesy of Chef Greg DeMichiel, who has been featured on WE TV’s My Fair Wedding and VH1′s Famous Food.  With his recipe for Flourless Chocolate Cake you will be able to impress your valentine with a dessert that is delicious and beautiful but also simple to make.

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Glaze

Chef Greg DeMichiel

1 lb. bittersweet chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
1 lb. unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
12 eggs
2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
Caramel Sauce, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Spray the paper with cooking spray, too, then set the pan aside.

Place chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Stirring often, melt chocolate with butter until completely blended. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. (Alternatively, you may use your microwave to melt the butter with the chocolate, if desired). In a separate bowl, add the eggs, brown and granulated sugar and sifted cocoa powder and incorporate well. Slowly add the melted chocolate and butter mixture to the egg sugar and cocoa bowl, fold in well.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cake has risen and top has formed a thin crust. The cake should be just firm in the center when done. Cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto a plate, removing sides of springform pan. Remove and discard parchment paper and set cake aside to cool completely.

When cake has cooled, drizzle glaze onto the cake, cut, and serve. Garnish with rose petals*.

Salted Caramel Glaze
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
fresh lemon juice
sea salt to taste

Place sugar, lemon juice, and water in a sauce pan over low-medium heat, when the color starts turning amber, turn the heat off and add the sea salt.

*Make sure that the roses are pesticide and chemical free.

Yes, this does sound amazingly similar to our regular Tapas Mondays, so in order to make this dinner special there are a couple tweaks.  First, we purchase an exceptional bottle of wine, a splurge that we wouldn’t buy for a weekly dinner.  Second, we plan a dessert to end the meal.

Valentine’s Day may be more than a month away, but it is never too early to start contemplating what dessert to make for your loved ones.  Over the next five weeks I will be sharing some fabulous recipes for dessert from a group of talented chefs.  This week we will begin the series with a recipe for Chocolate Godiva Cake.  For chocolate lovers, I am certain the name alone is delicious!

Chocolate Godiva Cake

Chef John Carver of Eddie V’s Prime Seafood

1 cup Dark Godiva Chocolate
5 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
6 oz. sugar
3 oz. butter
1 tsp. Godiva Liqueur

Preheat oven to 375.

Melt chocolate and butter.  Whisk eggs and sugar; add vanilla.  Add eggs to chocolate slowly.  Divide batter into 4 lightly buttered and floured, 8 ounce ramekins.  Bake for approximately 18 minutes.  Turn-out into a soup bowl, serve with vanilla bean ice cream.