Decadently Rick Chocolate Truffle Cake

Chocolate Truffle Cake

Ingredients:

For Cake

* 1/4 cup unsalted butter
* 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
* 1 large egg
* 2 teaspoons vanilla

For filling

* 1 1/2 cup walnuts
* 1/4 cup unsalted butter
* 1 cup packed light brown sugar
* 1/4 cup honey
* 1/4 cup heavy cream
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

For ganache

* 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
* 1 pound fine-quality bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F and butter a 9-inch springform pan.

Make base: In a small saucepan melt butter and stir in cocoa powder. Remove pan from heat and add brown sugar, stirring until dissolved. Stir in flour, walnuts, egg, and vanilla and spread batter evenly in springform pan. Bake base in middle of oven 10 minutes, or just until firm, and transfer to a rack to cool.

Make filling: Arrange walnuts in one layer on top of base. In a small heavy saucepan combine butter, brown sugar, and honey and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes, or until a candy thermometer registers 280°F. Remove pan from heat and add cream, vanilla, and lemon juice, stirring until smooth. Cool mixture to room temperature and pour over walnuts, spreading evenly.

Make ganache: In a saucepan bring cream just to a boil. Finely chop chocolate. Put chocolate in a metal bowl and pour hot cream over it, stirring until smooth. Cool ganache to room temperature and beat with an electric mixer until it just holds soft peaks (do not overbeat or it will become grainy).

Spread ganache evenly over filling. Chill cake, covered, at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.

Run a thin knife around edge of cake and remove side of pan. With a large spatula transfer cake to a plate and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.

How to Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries

How to Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Ingredients:

* 12 large strawberries
* 6 ounces package semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Rinse and thoroughly drain strawberries. Chill for 20 minutes. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Meanwhile, transfer chocolate chips to a zippered sandwich bag and place in a bowl of very hot water until chips have melted.

Dry bag carefully and set into a small bowl. Spread open top of bag. Hold leaves and stem and dip strawberries, one at a time, into chocolate to coat to within about 1/4-inch of leaves.

Allow any excess chocolate to drain back into bag, then place strawberry on baking sheet. Any remaining chocolate may be refrigerated in the same bag for another use.

For best appearance, set berries aside in a cool place until chocolate is firm and serve immediately. Refrigerate for longer storage, but this may cause condensation to form on chocolate.

Beef Tenderloin with Green Peppercorn-Brandy Sauce for Two

This is a winner for Valentines Day. The beef tenderloin is flavorful and melt in your mouth tender. The sauce is spicy and rich. Perfect for a romantic dinner for two.

Beef Tenderloin with Green Peppercorn-Brandy Sauce for Two

Ingredients:

* 2 (8 oz. ea) beef tenderloins
* salt and pepper
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 3 tablespoons chopped shallots
* 1 Tbl. green peppercorns
* 1 cup beef broth
* 1 tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard
* 2 tablespoons heavy cream
* 2 tablespoons brandy
* 2 tablespoons chopped chives for garnish

Directions:

1. Salt and pepper beef on both sides. Heat butter in medium skillet on medium heat.
2. Add beef; cook 5 min; turn, cook another 5 min. Remove to platter; tent with foil to keep warm.
3. In same skillet, add shallots and peppercorns. Cook 2 min. or until soft. Add broth, mustard, cream and brandy.
4. Cook 5 min. or until reduced to 1/2.
5. Place beef on serving plates. Top with sauce, garnish with chopped chives.

Strawberry Cream Meringues

What can I say? Dessert is my favorite part of the meal. I especially enjoy light, sweet and luscious desserts like this one. It has been a while since I made this, but now I am craving it again. This is a real contender for Valentine’s day.

Make the meringues in a heart shape for a romantic dessert. (Mine shown are not.) The whipped cream and strawberries on a meringue shell is a light and luscious dessert that satisfies the sweet tooth with a minimum of sugar.

Don’t put the cream into the meringue shells until you are ready to serve these, the meringue will begin to melt from the moisture if they have to sit at all.

Valentine Meringue Hearts

Meringues:

3 Egg whites

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon Cream of tartar

1 dash Salt

1 cup Sugar

Whipped Cream Topping

1 cup whipping cream

3 to 6 Tablespoons powdered sugar, to taste

1 pint Strawberries, sliced -reserve a few for garnish

Mint leaves for garnish- optional

Directions:

Cut a heart pattern from a 4-1/2 inch square of paper. Cover baking sheet with brown paper. (You can bake on the brown paper so make sure it is clean.) Grocery store bags without writing on them are okay. Draw 6 hearts on the brown paper using your pattern as a guide.

Beat egg whites with vanilla, cream of tartar and salt until frothy. Add sugar, a little at a time, and continue beating until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Rub a bit between your fingers to feel that no sugar remains undissolved.

Spread meringue over the heart shapes, 1/4 inch thick. Make into the heart shape using a spoon to push and form into correct shape. Pipe rim 3/4 inch high with pastry tube or build a rim with a spoon.

Bake in preheated 275-degree oven for 1 hour. Turn off oven and let meringues dry in oven for 1 more hour. DO NOT open oven door during this time.

Store meringue shells in a dry place until ready to fill. Do not refrigerate.

Add the powdered sugar to the whipping cream and beat the cream until soft peaks form. Taste the cream for sweetness, you want a barely sweet whipped cream.

Mix in the strawberries, reserving a few for garnish.

Assemble:

When you are ready to serve, place a large scoop of the strawberry cream onto the meringue shell. Garnish with reserved strawberries and a little mint if desired.

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