Food / 3 February, 2017 / My Baba

Romantic Desserts To Treat That Special Someone This Valentine’s

Mini Chilean Blueberry Cheesecakes

Make these easy, no-cook cheesecakes the night before and leave in the fridge.  If you have room, there are some spare for second helpings or just freeze the extras with a little pot of blueberries for another time.

Makes 8
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 4-5 minutes
Chilling time: 5 hours or overnight

Ingredients

Biscuit base

• 75g (3oz) digestive biscuits
• 25g (1oz) butter
• 2 teaspoons golden syrup

Cheesecake

• 300g (11oz) full fat cream cheese
• 65g (21/2oz) caster sugar
• 1 lemon, grated rind and juice
• 200ml (7fl oz) double cream

Topping

• 1 teaspoon cornflour
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 2 tablespoons water
• 40g (11/2oz) caster sugar
• 200g (7oz) Chilean blueberries

Method

1. Add the biscuits to a small plastic bag, seal the top then crush the biscuits with a rolling pin. Heat the butter and golden syrup in a small saucepan until melted, stir in the biscuit crumbs and mix together.  Divide between 8, 75ml (3fl oz) heart shaped sections in a flexible silicone cake mould. Press the biscuits into a thin layer with the back of a teaspoon. Chill while making the filling.
2. Add the cream cheese, caster sugar and lemon rind to a bowl and whisk together briefly until just mixed. Gradually whisk in the lemon juice and the cream until smooth and thick.
3. Spoon the cheesecake mixture into crumb lined moulds then spread into an even layer and swirl the tops with the back of a spoon. Chill for 5 hours or overnight.
4. To make the blueberry topping, add the cornflour to a small saucepan, stir in the lemon juice and mix until smooth then add the water, sugar and blueberries. Cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring until the blueberries are just beginning to soften and the sauce has thickened to become a rich blueberry colour.  Leave to cool, cover and chill until ready to serve.
5. To serve, loosen the edges of the heart moulds and press up from the base, removing the cheesecakes with a small spatula. Transfer to serving plates and spoon the blueberries on top.

Cook’s tip
If you find the cheesecakes a little tricky to remove from the moulds or haven’t had much time to chill them, freeze for 30 minutes to firm up then try again.

Champagne & Raspberry Possets

Ingredients

• 140g frozen raspberries, defrosted
• 2 tbsp champagne (buy a mini bottle and treat yourself to a glass while you prepare dinner!
• 200ml double cream
• 4 tbsp golden caster sugar
• 2 tsp freeze-dried raspberry pieces
• shortbread biscuits, to serve

Method

1. Put the raspberries and Champagne in a mini food processor or blender (or use a jug and a hand blender). Whizz until the purée is as smooth as you can get it, then use a wooden spoon or spatula to push as much of it through a sieve as you can. Discard the seeds left behind.
2. Put the cream and sugar in a saucepan and warm gently until the sugar melts. Increase the heat until just boiling, then boil vigorously for 2 1/2 mins, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat and stir in the raspberry-Champagne purée. Cool for 15 mins before dividing between 2 small pots or glasses. Chill for 30 mins, then sprinkle over the freeze-dried raspberry pieces and chill for at least 2 hrs more until set (or overnight if you’re making ahead).
3. To serve, remove the possets from the fridge and add some shortbread biscuits.

Valentine’s Day Meringue Dessert

Ingredients

Smoked Salt Chocolate Fondant

Ingredients:

• 100g (3 1/2oz) dark chocolate
• 15g (1/2oz) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
• 1/2 tsp cocoa powder
• 50g (2oz) caster sugar, plus extra 1/2 tsp
• 1 egg and 1 egg yolk
• 15g (1/2oz) plain flour
• 1/2 tsp smoked salt

Method:

• Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Melt the chocolate in a small bowl over a pan of simmering water. Set aside while you prepare the pudding moulds.
• Grease 2 pudding moulds. Combine the cocoa powder with the extra 1/2 tsp caster sugar and use to dust the inside of each pudding mould. Put 2 discs of nonstick baking paper into the base of each mould, then put in the fridge until ready to fill.
• Cream the butter and the sugar together. Beat in the egg and yolk, then add the flour and smoked salt. Beat in the chocolate until completely smooth.
• Divide the mixture between the moulds and bake for 10 minutes. Turn out onto plates and serve immediately with crème fraîche or raspberry ripple ice cream, if you like.
• Tip: You can make this pudding ahead – make up to the point where you fill the moulds, then cover and keep in the fridge for up to a day in advance. Cook for an extra 2 minutes from chilled.

Vodka, Strawberry and Basil Sorbet

Ingredients:

• 750g (1 1/2Ib) strawberries, hulled
• 150g (5oz) golden granulated sugar
• 1 lemon, juice only
• 1 tbsp vodka (optional)
• handful fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

Method:

• Put the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and vodka (if using) in a blender or food processor and whizz until smooth. Stir through the basil.
• Pour the mixture into the chilled bowl of an ice-cream maker and churn until the blade stops. Spoon into a pre-chilled ice-cream container, cover and freeze for 4 hours, or overnight, until solid. If you don’t have an ice-cream maker, pour the strawberry mixture into a shallow container and freeze, uncovered, for 2 hours, or until the mixture is beginning to frm up.
• Whisk with a balloon whisk to add a little air and break up any ice crystals that are forming; return to the freezer. Repeat, whisking once an hour for the next 3 hours, then cover with a lid or clingflm and freeze for 4 hours, or overnight, until solid.
• About 10 minutes before you are ready to serve, put the sorbet in the fridge to soften a little. Serve in scoops.

Red Velvet Brownies

Ingredients:

• 200g (7 oz) dark chocolate
• 135g (4 1/2oz) milk chocolate
• 185g (6 1/2 oz) slightly salted butter, diced
• 275g (9oz) soft light brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• about 2 tsp red food colouring (amount will depend on the brand you use)
• 85g (3oz) plain flour
• 40g (1 1/2oz) cocoa powder

For the frosting:

• Heat an oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C and line a square brownie tray or baking tin with non-stick parchment.
• Roughly chop the dark and milk chocolate and set aside 150g (5 oz) for the topping. Put the rest in a small pan with the butter and sugar then heat until melted, stirring occasionally.
• Once the chocolate is melted, remove to a mixing bowl and cool slightly. Clean out the pan and use it to melt the rest of the chocolate then set aside.
• Stir the eggs, one by one, into the melted chocolate in the mixing bowl then add the red food colouring until the mixture is a deep red colour.
• Sieve over the flour and cocoa powder, fold to combine and pour into the prepared tin.
• Pour the melted chocolate from the pan onto the surface of the brownie in four evenly spaced lines and use a toothpick to create a ripple effect.
• Bake on the middle shelf for 25 mins, adding a few minutes more if you prefer firmer brownies. Cool in the tin for about 10 mins then remove and cool on a wire rack.
• Beat the soft cheese, vanilla, icing sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Once the brownies are cool, trim off the edges and cut into nine even squares. Spread with the icing using a palette knife, keep chilled once iced.
• Tip: To make these extra special, use a heart cutter to stamp out hearts from pink or red royal icing and stick one in the middle of each iced brownie.

Valentine Cookies

Ingredients:

• 250g butter, softened
• 320g sieved plain flour
• 125g sieved icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

• Preheat oven to 170 C / Gas mark 3.
• Mix butter in a mixer until light, add remaining ingredients.
• Knead until velvety. Roll one-half of the dough at a time to about 6mm thickness using the smallest amount of flour possible.
• Cut out and bake on a lightly greased baking tray for 12 minutes. Cookies will be almost white when cooked.