Valentine's Day Recipes

Valentine's Day Recipes

Valentine's Day Appetizers

Valentine's Day Bacon and Smoked Oysters

2 cn Smoked oysters

1/4 c Light vegetable oil

1/2 lb Bacon strips

40 Round wooden toothpicks

3 tb Garlic, minced

Cut bacon strips in thirds.

Wrap a bacon slice around each oyster and place a toothpick through to hold it in place.

In a medium skillet, heat oil, and add garlic.

Cook wrapped oysters in oil until bacon is crisp.

Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel to drain.

Valentine's Day Blue Cheese and Walnuts Appetizers

1 c Walnuts

1 c Crumbled blue cheese

1 Egg beaten with 1 tb water

Just chop 1 cup of walnuts (depending on the size of brie you need to cover) and stir into 1 cup crumbled blue cheese. Press onto the top of the brie and carefully wrap a sheet of thawed puff pastry dough (Roll out to size needed).

Use fingers wet with cold water to seal underside of pastry. Cut off excess to make cut-outs and adhere to top of brie with a little cold water.

Brush with egg mixture.

Bake on a cookie sheet covered with baking parchment in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes until golden. (Parchment makes it simple to transfer brie to serving dish.)

Let Baked Brie stand for 20-30 Min. before cutting to let it firm up a little.

Valentine's Day Caviar Heart Kisses

1 sm Cucumber,

scrubbed and trimmed

1/3 c Sour Cream

1 ts Dried dill weed

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 Jar red salmon caviar

Fresh dill sprigs

8 Thin slices whole-wheat bread

Butter or margarine

Slice cucumber into 1/4-inch rounds.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, dried dill and pepper. Place one teaspoon of the sour cream mixture on each cucumber slice. Garnish each with about 1/2 teaspoon caviar and a dill sprig.

Cut bread slices with heart-shaped cookie cutter. Toast and butter. Place cucumber slices in center of serving plate and surround with toast hearts.

Valentine's Day Breakfast

Valentine's Day Stuffed French Toast

1 Loaf large diameter french bread

1/2 lb Breakfast sausage

1/2 Package bacon

1/2 c Milk

4 lg Eggs

1/4 c Sugar

1 ts Cinnamon

1 1/2 ts Vanilla

1/2 lb Boiled ham (thinly sliced)

1 Package American Cheese

In a large skillet fry the bacon and breakfast sausage, together but separately, until done.

While the meat is cooking, slice the french bread into eight slices approximately 1 1/2" to 2" thick; then slice each slice 3/4 of the way through again.

Mix the milk, eggs, sugar cinnamon and vanilla togeather into a batter in a deep bowl; set aside.

Take up the bacon, sausage and ham and divide each into eight equal parts

Dip each piece of bread into the batter and submerge it so that both sides and edges are coated.

Open each piece and put in one portion of the meat, bacon, and ham along with one slice of cheese and close the bread again.

Fry the stuffed batter-coated bread slices in a lightly oiled skillet until golden brown on the outside and the cheese is melted on the inside.

Serve two slices to a plate with your favorite garnishes and condiments. (ie. home fries, maple syrup, confectioner's sugar etc...)

Valentine's Day Blueberry Muffins

1/2 c Butter

1 c Sugar

2 Eggs

2 c Flour

2 ts Baking powder

1/2 ts Salt

2 c Blueberries

1/2 c Milk

1 ts Vanilla Sugar, for topping

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Mix until blended.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture, alternating with the milk and vanilla.

Mash 1/2 cup blueberries; stir into batter. Add remaining whole berries (coating the blueberries with some flour will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the bowl).

Grease muffin tins; pile batter high and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 375 degrees F. for 25 to 30 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins.

Valentine's Day Dinner

Valentine's Day Tarragon Lamb

4 lb leg of lamb

1 ts tarragon

1 tb oil 1 ea onion, sliced

1 1/4 c dry white wine

1 x salt and pepper to taste

2/3 c Skin the leg of lamb and trim away all the outside fat.

Score the flesh deeply with a criss-cross pattern and stuff the slits with the tarragon. Rub the meat with the oil and cover with the onion.

Place in a suitable dish for marinating and pour the white wine over top.

Add salt and pepper to taste and marinate for about 2 hours, basting occasionally.

Roast the lamb with the marinade, at 325 degrees F. until done; baste frequently.

Ten minutes before the meat is finished cooking, pour off the marinade and meat juices into a saucepan. Reduce the gravy to half its original quantity by boiling vigorously.

Carve the meat into thin slices and add the juices from the meat to the marinade.

Arrange the meat on a a serving dish and keep warm.

Remove the gravy from the heat, stir in the cream and slowly reheat until it forms a medium-thick consistency.

Pour the sauce over the lamb and keep warm till ready to serve.

Valentine's Day Desserts

Valentine's Day Pecan Pudding

1 tb Butter Or Margarine

1 ea Large Beaten Egg White

1/3 c Dark Corn Syrup

1/4 ts Vanilla

2 tb Unbleached Flour

1/8 ts Baking Powder

1/4 c Chopped Pecans

1 x Powdered Sugar

In a 15-ounce custard cup microwave the butter or margarine, uncovered, on 100% power for 30 to 40 seconds or just till melted.

Swirl the butter in the custard cup, coating sides and bottom. Pour the excess butter from the custard cup into the beaten egg.

Stir in the dark corn syrup and vanilla. Stir together flour and baking powder. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture.

Gently fold in chopped pecans.

Pour the pecan mixture into the buttered 15-ounce custard cup.

Microwave, uncovered, on 50% power for 3 to 4 minutes or till the pecan mixture is just set, rotating the custard cup a half-turn every minute.

Sift a little powdered sugar atop. Serve warm with light cream, if desired.

Valentine's Day Meringue Tarts with Strawberries

1 c Sugar

1/2 ts Baking powder

1/8 ts Salt

3 ea Egg whites

1 ts Vanilla

1 ts Vinegar

1 ts Water

1 ea Fresh sliced strawberries

Sift the sugar with the baking powder and salt.

Combine the egg whites, vanilla, vinegar, and water.

Add the sugar mixture, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, to the egg whites, alternating with a few drops of the liquid, beating constantly. When all combined, continue to beat for several minutes.

Place large spoonfuls on baking sheet and shape into shallow cups.

Bake at 225 degrees F. for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the meringues form the sheet quickly and cool them on rack.

Fill with the strawberries.

Valentine's Day Cake

Heavenly Valentine's Day Chocolate Cheesecake

2 c Vanilla Wafers, Fine Crush

1 c Ground Toasted Almonds

1/2 c Butter, Melted

1/2 c Sugar

12 oz Milk Chocolate Chips

1/2 c Milk

1 ea Env. Unflavored Gelatin

16 oz Cream Cheese, Softened

1/2 c Sour Cream

1/2 ts Almond Extract

1/2 c Heavy Cream, Whipped

1 x Garnishes *

* Whipped cream and chocolate shavings (optional).

In large bowl, combine vanilla waver crumbs, almonds, butter and sugar; mix well. Pat firmly into 9-inch springform pan, covering bottom and 2 1/2 inches up the sides. Set aside.

Melt over hot (not boiling) water milk chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Set aside.

Pour milk into small saucepan; sprinkle gelatin over top. Set aside for 1 minute.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until gelatin dissolves. Set aside.

In large bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, and melted chocolate chips; beat until fluffy.

Beat in gelatin mixture and almond extract. Fold in whipped cream.

Pour into prepared pan. Chill until firm (about 3 hours).

Run knife around edge of cake to separate from pan; remove rim.

Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, if desired. Makes 1 9-inch Cheesecake

Cheesecake Tip: To easily cut cheesecake, take a long strand of plain dental floss, stretch it taut, and gently press it through the cake. When you reach the bottom of the cheesecake, simply pull the floss out from underneath.

Valentine's Day Peanut Butter Cake

3/4 c unsalted butter

3/4 c creamy peanut butter

2 c packed brown sugar

3 ea eggs

2 c all purpose flour

1 tb baking powder

1/2 ts salt

1 c milk

1 ts vanilla

Peanut Butter Filling:

1 c cream cheese, softened

1/2 c creamy peanut butter

Chocolate Glaze:

1/2 c water

4 tb unsalted butter

1/2 c cocoa

1 c powdered sugar

1 ts vanilla

In large mixing bowl, cream butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy.

Add brown sugar. Mix to blend.

Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to butter and peanut butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Add vanilla.

Pour batter into 2 well greased and floured 9 inch cake pans.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven until cake tests done, about 45 minutes.

Cool on wire rack to room temperature before frosting the cake.

Spread half of Peanut Butter Filling over tops of each cake. Chill.

Spread half of Chocolate Glaze over peanut butter topping on each cake, using metal spatula dipped in hot water.

Spread glaze over cake while glaze is warm.

As glaze cools, it will thicken.

Peanut Butter Filling: Cream ingredients together until light and fluffy. Chocolate Glaze: Place water and butter in small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add cocoa, sugar and vanilla to water mixture. Mix until smooth.

Note: This recipe will make two 9 inch cakes or one stacked layer cake.

If making the stacked layer cake, the Peanut Butter Filling should be put between the layers and on top of the cake before topping it with the Chocolate Glaze.