Happy Valentine's Day!!!
I have SOOOO much fun creating new foods for holidays!! Now, I know a lot of people don't consider Valentine's Day a holiday, or at best, they consider it a "made-up" Hallmark, commercialized excuse to make people feel bad about their relationships! Well, I just don't agree! I love any chance to show the people I care about how much they mean to me...and Valentine's in no exception.
One of my favorite things to do is to dip strawberries (or anything, for that matter!) in chocolate!! This is super-easy and seems so decadent! Just melt whatever flavor or color of Wilton's candy coat that you want and quickly dip, place on parchment paper and let sit. As soon as I dipped these strawberries, I sprinkled them with a pink sugar, just to give them a little bling :)
An obvious choice for Valentine's Day is anything heart-shaped! And these Cherry-Chocolate Scones are a huge hit!! I made them yesterday morning for a meeting that I was hosting and they were just gobbled up! So, here's the recipe:
Cherry-Chocolate Scone Recipe:
1 3/4 c. Bob's Red Mill GF All Purpose Baking Flour
2 tsp. xanthan gum
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
4 T. chilled butter, diced
zest of 1 orange
1 c. dark chocolate chips
3/4 c. coarsely chopped dried cherries
3 T. unsweetened applesauce
2/3 c. chilled buttermilk
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum in a large bowl. Add butter and zest; rub with fingertips until a coarse meal forms. Mix in chocolate chips and dried cherries. In a small bowl, mix buttermilk, applesauce, egg yolk, and extracts. Add wet ingredients to dry mixture; stir with a fork until dough comes together in moist clumps. Gather into a ball--dough will be sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking sheet. On a lightly GF-floured surface, roll dough to form a 3/4" thick round. Cut using a cookie cutter. Place on baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until scones are crusty brown on top and toothpick comes out clean. If desired, glaze with a frosting made from 1 c. powdered sugar and 2-3 T. orange juice. Makes about 1 dozen scones.
These scones are great served warm or at room temperature and easily re-heat in the microwave. They are especially nice served with your favorite cup of spicy herbal tea...I like Bengal Spice, personally :) Be patient with the dough...GF doughs are hard to deal with and can be contrary. There's a balance between enough flour to make it roll-able and too much flour which will make the scones tough. If you can't get the rolling to work, don't worry!! You can form them into shapes with your hands...it may be a little bumpy, but once they're tasted, no one will care!!
NOW....for the moment you've all been waiting for....(drumroll please)...my newest Valentine's Day creation: Raspberry-Chocolate Layered Amazing-ness!!
I hosted a meeting of special ladies last night here at my home and wanted something super-special for them as a Valentine's treat, so I just started working in my head....and this is what emerged! And, it tastes even better than it looks :)
Raspberry-Chocolate Valentine's Layer Cake:
To make raspberry cake:
1 GF Betty Crocker yellow cake mix
Ingredients listed on back of box for mix
6 oz. fresh raspberries
Red food coloring, if desired
Mix cake mix as directed EXCEPT, to replace the water: blend raspberries with 1/4 cup water in a blender. Strain through a fine strainer to remove as many of the seeds as possible. Substitute this mixture for the water in the mix. If the color is not as red as you'd like, add food coloring drops. Bake in a 9" heart-shaped cake pan as directed on label.
To make chocolate cake:
1 GF Betty Crocker Devils Food Cake mix
Make and bake, in a 9" heart-shaped pan, as directed on box.
To make chocolate ganache:
20 oz. Ghirardelli's dark chocolate pieces
2 1/4 cups heavy cream
Heat cream, either in microwave or over low heat on top of stove, until just before boiling. DO NOT BOIL!! Place chocolate pieces in a large glass bowl. Pour hot cream over chocolate and let set for 1-2 minutes. Then, stir carefully until chocolate is completely melted and blended. Let sit to room temperature, but ONLY if you're planning to assemble the cake right away. This ganache can be made up to 2 days in advance. Just cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Remove before use and bring to room temperature or pop in the microwave for a short time to make it stirrable again.
To make raspberry cream:
1 cup heavy cream
6 oz. fresh raspberries
1/3 cup sugar
Blend raspberries in blender; strain through fine strainer to remove seeds. Stir in sugar until completely dissolved. In a mixing bowl, whip cream until stiff. CAREFULLY, fold the raspberry mixture into the cream until completely blended.
To assemble cake:
Cut each of the cakes in half, making a total of 4 layers. Place a raspberry layer on the cake plate; top with chocolate ganache (use as much or as little as you like!) Place a chocolate layer on top of ganache and top that layer with about 2/3 of the raspberry cream. Repeat with a raspberry layer and ganache. The top layer will be a chocolate cake. Use ganache as a frosting on the top. Then, take the raspberry cream and use it to form a heart around the edges of the ganache. Decorate with fresh raspberries. Keep in refrigerator until serving. Serves 10-12....very, very, extremely happy people :)
So, there it is....some yummy ideas to share your love this Valentine's Day! And, I send my love to each one of you and wish I was there to bake for you :) I've always said that I never cook for someone that I don't like....and I mean that!! So, if you've been the recipient of my cooking at sometime, you know it's because I love you ...
Cherry-Chocolate Scone Recipe:
1 3/4 c. Bob's Red Mill GF All Purpose Baking Flour
2 tsp. xanthan gum
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
4 T. chilled butter, diced
zest of 1 orange
1 c. dark chocolate chips
3/4 c. coarsely chopped dried cherries
3 T. unsweetened applesauce
2/3 c. chilled buttermilk
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum in a large bowl. Add butter and zest; rub with fingertips until a coarse meal forms. Mix in chocolate chips and dried cherries. In a small bowl, mix buttermilk, applesauce, egg yolk, and extracts. Add wet ingredients to dry mixture; stir with a fork until dough comes together in moist clumps. Gather into a ball--dough will be sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking sheet. On a lightly GF-floured surface, roll dough to form a 3/4" thick round. Cut using a cookie cutter. Place on baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until scones are crusty brown on top and toothpick comes out clean. If desired, glaze with a frosting made from 1 c. powdered sugar and 2-3 T. orange juice. Makes about 1 dozen scones.
I hosted a meeting of special ladies last night here at my home and wanted something super-special for them as a Valentine's treat, so I just started working in my head....and this is what emerged! And, it tastes even better than it looks :)
Raspberry-Chocolate Valentine's Layer Cake:
To make raspberry cake:
1 GF Betty Crocker yellow cake mix
Ingredients listed on back of box for mix
6 oz. fresh raspberries
Red food coloring, if desired
Mix cake mix as directed EXCEPT, to replace the water: blend raspberries with 1/4 cup water in a blender. Strain through a fine strainer to remove as many of the seeds as possible. Substitute this mixture for the water in the mix. If the color is not as red as you'd like, add food coloring drops. Bake in a 9" heart-shaped cake pan as directed on label.
To make chocolate cake:
1 GF Betty Crocker Devils Food Cake mix
Make and bake, in a 9" heart-shaped pan, as directed on box.
To make chocolate ganache:
20 oz. Ghirardelli's dark chocolate pieces
2 1/4 cups heavy cream
Heat cream, either in microwave or over low heat on top of stove, until just before boiling. DO NOT BOIL!! Place chocolate pieces in a large glass bowl. Pour hot cream over chocolate and let set for 1-2 minutes. Then, stir carefully until chocolate is completely melted and blended. Let sit to room temperature, but ONLY if you're planning to assemble the cake right away. This ganache can be made up to 2 days in advance. Just cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Remove before use and bring to room temperature or pop in the microwave for a short time to make it stirrable again.
To make raspberry cream:
1 cup heavy cream
6 oz. fresh raspberries
1/3 cup sugar
Blend raspberries in blender; strain through fine strainer to remove seeds. Stir in sugar until completely dissolved. In a mixing bowl, whip cream until stiff. CAREFULLY, fold the raspberry mixture into the cream until completely blended.
To assemble cake:
Cut each of the cakes in half, making a total of 4 layers. Place a raspberry layer on the cake plate; top with chocolate ganache (use as much or as little as you like!) Place a chocolate layer on top of ganache and top that layer with about 2/3 of the raspberry cream. Repeat with a raspberry layer and ganache. The top layer will be a chocolate cake. Use ganache as a frosting on the top. Then, take the raspberry cream and use it to form a heart around the edges of the ganache. Decorate with fresh raspberries. Keep in refrigerator until serving. Serves 10-12....very, very, extremely happy people :)
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