Fig, Almond + Orange Vanilla Tart

Fig Vanilla Almond Tart 3

Fig Almond Vanilla Tart

So Fall is here – I know, I know, aren’t we all excited?! It’s definitely been a super hot Summer and I am in full baking and cooking mode with some new Fall recipes up my sleeve!

Fig Almond Vanilla Tart 2

I was invited to participate in the Keystone Pantry Allulose Blogger Recipe Challenge this year and decided to make a lovely Fig, Almond and Orange Vanilla Tart. It’s probably the most delightful thing I have ever made, tasted or set my eyes upon – why?

Fig Vanilla Almond Tart 3

Because, FIGS. Fresh ones. Nestled into a silky mascarpone and vanilla almond layer of creamy goodness with a hint of orange, spread on top of crunchy, light, buttery puff pastry. And topped with a few dollops and drizzles of orange fig jam and crushed almonds just to make life and this tart that much sweeter. (no pun intended)

Keystone Pantry Allulose

The good news is, the pastry cream is lower in sugar and calories because I substituted Allulose in place of honey and regular table sugar. Allulose is a rare natural sugar found in very small quantities in dates, dried figs, raisins and wheat, and also in other brown caramelized products such as caramel sauce, maple syrup and brown sugar.  It has the same chemical formula as fructose but because it isn’t metabolized by the body, it does not raise blood sugar or insulin levels (and studies show it can reduce blood sugar levels!) and has zero net carbs and only 21 calories per teaspoon.

It provides a taste and texture similar to sugar, and doesn’t have a bitter aftertaste like most non-sugar sweeteners. But, you will need to use a little more than regular sugar because it isn’t as sweet. It does have the same volume and browning characteristics as white sugar when used in baking, but browns faster than regular sugar so it may require a slightly lower temperature when cooking with it. It also comes in powdered/crystalline forms or as a liquid syrup.

Fig Vanilla Almond Tart 4

This recipe could absolutely be made with any other fruit you like that’s in season – maybe plums? or apricots? or berries? But there’s something so good about the sweet and tart figs mixed with the almond, vanilla and orange flavors that make this a harmonious dessert, perfect for brunch or to top off a weeknight Fall dinner.

Prepare puff pastry

First, defrost your puff pastry (if frozen, I use Dufour brand which is super light and crispy and buttery and delicious) and roll it out into a 9×13 inch rectangle (or any shape you like but about 1/2 inch thick). Sprinkle with a little flour on both sides on a silicone mat or parchment paper. Then score an edge around the pastry (or roll it over to create a rustic looking edge), and brush the edges with an egg white and water mixture to give the crust a lovely sheen.  Bake the pastry for about 20-25 minutes at 400 and let it cool on a wire baking rack while you make the Almond Vanilla Cream. 

ingredients

Mix all the ingredients (mascarpone cheese, almond paste, Allulose, agave, orange flower water and vanilla) in the bowl of a food processor,

ingredients mixed

until the mixture is blended smooth and creamy. 

spread cream on pastry

Spread the Vanilla Almond Cream on the baked puff pastry evenly with a spatula. 

add fresh cut figs

Top the pastry with quartered fresh figs,

add fig jam and crushed almonds

a few drizzles and dollops of orange fig jam, and crushed almonds. Cut into squares and serve immediately. 

Finished Tart

Devour. Repeat. 

Fig, Almond + Vanilla Orange Tart

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: Serves 8.

Serving Size: 1 square slice (1/8 of tart)

A gorgeous Fall dessert made with puff pastry, fresh figs, almonds layered in a vanilla orange almond pastry cream made with Keystone Pantry Allulose, for a lighter and less sweet treat.

Ingredients

  • 1 sheet of puff pastry (if frozen - defrosted, Dufour brand)
  • 3 1/2 ounces almond paste, cut into small pieces
  • 2/3 cup mascarpone cheese
  • 2 tablespoons Keystone Pantry Allulose
  • 1 tablespoon agave syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon orange flower water
  • 7-8 fresh figs (quartered, stems removed)
  • 4 tablespoons orange fig jam, for garnish
  • 1/2 cup crushed almonds, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Unwrap defrosted puff pastry sheet on a floured surface. Unfold, remove inner parchment papers and dust both sides lightly with flour.
  3. Score a 1-inch border on inner edges of pastry sheet or roll edges in to create a border. Brush border with egg wash and prick holes in the center of the pastry sheet with a fork. Place on a silicone mat on a baking sheet (or parchment paper).
  4. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and flaky. Let cool on a wire rack to the side while you make your pastry cream.
  5. In the bowl of a food processor, add all the ingredients (almond paste, mascarpone, Allulose, agave, vanilla, orange flower water) and blitz on high for about a minute or so. Scrape the sides and process again, until the mixture is blended well and creamy.
  6. With a spatula, spread a generous amount of the pastry cream on the cooled puff pastry.
  7. Top with fresh quartered figs in a rustic pattern on top of the cream.
  8. Dollop or drizzle the orange fig jam on top of the figs. Top with crushed (or sliced) almonds.
  9. Serve immediately.

Notes

You can also substitute other fruit to top this tart with (berries, apricots, plums,). Delicious for brunch or a weeknight dinner dessert.

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2018/09/fig-almond-orange-vanilla-tart/

Fig Almond Vanilla Tart 4

For more inspiration and information about Allulose, check out Lang’s Chocolate and Keystone Pantry products on FacebookTwitterInstagram, and Pinterest#Keystonepantry #Alluloserecipe

 

Holiday Giveaway with Tate’s Bake Shop from Southampton :: Recipes from ‘Baking for Friends’ Cookbook

Tate's Bake Shop Baking with Friends Cookbook

'Baking for Friends' Cookbook by Kathleen King, Tate's Bake Shop
‘Baking for Friends’ Cookbook by Kathleen King, Tate’s Bake Shop

If you haven’t heard of Tate’s Bake Shop before or experienced their amazing line of desserts and cookies and baked goods, well you absolutely need to. I remember the first time I tried some of their chocolate chip cookies (the ones on the cover of their cookbook), I almost died and went to heaven. They’re light, crispy and thin, and filled with loads of gooey chocolate chips that melt in your mouth for days. They are still my favorite chocolate chip cookies (other than mine, of course), and I can’t resist them any time I spot them at the store.

Kathleen King, Chef and Author
Kathleen King, Chef and Author

Author Kathleen King is the creator and owner of the nationally acclaimed Tate’s Bake Shop in the Hamptons, known for her delicious baked goods made with wholesome yet elegant ingredients.

BAKING FOR FRIENDS is a gorgeous cookbook with over 120 scrumptious recipes and mouthwatering photos.With the holidays just around the corner, this is the perfect cookbook to read for all your holiday baking. The book features recipes that are perfect for both special occasions and everyday baking. Chapters include Scones & Shortcakes; Pies, Tarts & Crisps; Tea Loaves & Quick Bread; Party Cakes & Cupcakes; and Cookies. The book also offers delectable, taste-tested recipes for readers with dietary restrictions, including gluten-free, low-fat, vegan, and nut-free. Each chapter also features Kathleen’s innovative baking tips and tricks, designed to help save precious time and energy in the kitchen.

Holiday Cookie and Bar Tower Giveaway! (a $48 value) 

Holiday Cookie and Bars Tower
Holiday Cookie and Bars Tower

**THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED. CONGRATULATIONS TO TERI TROCKWOOD, THE WINNER OF THE TATE’S BAKE SHOP HOLIDAY COOKIE AND BARS TOWER! (Teri, please send me your shipping address so I can get this prize out to you this week!) ENJOY!**

Just to celebrate the holidays, I’ve teamed up with Tate’s Bake Shop who is giving away one of their Holiday Cookie and Bar Towers (a $48 value)! It includes three 7-oz boxes of cookies – one each of chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and white chocolate chip macadamia nut. It also includes two rich and buttery raspberry bars, two chocolate chip and walnut-loaded blondies, and two rich, dense and fudgy plain brownies. Each 7-oz box contains approximately 12 cookies, and the bars are a generous size..and all wrapped in pretty holiday packaging!
HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY
All you have to do to enter for a chance to win is tell me your favorite holiday dessert in the comments section below for one (1) entry.
For extra chances to win, follow/like me on all or one of my social hangoutstwitterfacebookpinterestgoogle +, and/or sign up for my monthly newsletter (see box at the top of this page), and tell me that you did at the end of this post. You have to be connected to Facebook to enter comments on this post. If you don’t have a Facebook profile, just send me an email for your entries at kristen (at) theartfulgourmet (dot) com.
The giveaway begins on Saturday Dec 1st and ends on Sunday December 12 at midnight EST, where one person will be picked by random from the comments below. Don’t forget to tell your friends about the giveaway by sharing this page at the end of the post and letting me know in the comments below for extra entries!

Good luck!

A Few Holiday Recipes from the Cookbook

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

Chocolate Thumb Print Cookies

Yield: Makes about 6 ½ dozen cookies.

Thumbprint cookies are traditionally flavored with vanilla and filled with fruit jam, but these are chocolate cookies stuffed with more chocolate! They will be a welcome treat on your holiday cookie platter, and they are a perfect hostess gift.

Ingredients

  • Cookies
  • 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ pound (2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3 cups finely chopped pecans
  • Filling
  • 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. To make the cookies: Heat the chocolate in a microwave-safe medium bowl on Medium (50% power), stirring at 30-second intervals, until fully melted and smooth. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until tepid, but still fluid.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. In a large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer set on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. One at a time, beat in the egg yolks, followed by the tepid chocolate and the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the flour mixture, just until combined. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a thick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
  3. Position the oven racks in the top third and center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  4. Using a heaping teaspoon for each, roll the dough into 78 marble-sized balls, putting them in a baking pan or platter. (If you wish, you can cover the balls with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days.) Beat the egg whites in a small bowl until foamy. One at a time, dip each ball in the whites, roll in the pecans, and arrange 1 ½ inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate the remaining balls until ready to bake. Using your thumb (or, if you have long fingernails, the end of a wooden spoon), press an indentation into the center of each cookie.
  5. Bake, rotating the positions of the sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking, until the edges of the cookies look set, about 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheets from the oven, and, using your thumb (or the end of the wooden spoon), reform the center indentation in each cookie. Return to the oven and continue baking until the cookies are crisp, about 10 minutes more. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire cooling racks and let cool completely. Repeat with the remaining balls, egg whites, and pecans, on cooled baking sheets.
  6. To make the filling: Heat the chocolate and oil together in a microwave-safe bowl on Medium (50% power), stirring at 30-second intervals, until fully melted and smooth. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until tepid but still fluid.
  7. Using a teaspoon, fill the indentations with the chocolate mixture. Let stand until the chocolate sets (you can refrigerate them to speed things up).

Notes

Recipe from Tate’s Bakeshop ‘Baking with Friends’ Cookbook, pp 116-118.

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2012/12/holiday-giveaway-with-tates-bake-shop-from-southampton-recipes-from-baking-with-friends-cookbook/

Fig Cake
Fig Cake

Hakan's Fresh Fig Cake

Yield: 12 to 16 servings.

Monday through Friday, my friend Hakan Ciling designs for the textile and fashion industries. On the weekend, he is an equally talented baker, as this moist, fruit studded cake shows. If you are serving it for an evening dessert, top it with shipped cream flavored with ground cinnamon or nutmeg.

Ingredients

  • Softened butter and all-purpose flour for the pan
  • 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ¾ cups sugar
  • 1 ¼ cups vegetable or grapeseed oil
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup very coarsely chopped walnuts
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 cup pitted dates or dried plums (prunes), cut in half
  • 1 cup golden or dark raisins
  • 12 ripe figs, tips trimmed and cut lengthwise into quarters (about 1 ½ cups)

Instructions

  1. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter and flour a 9-inch tube pan with a removeable bottom (such as angel food cake pan) and tap out the excess flour.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and oil with an electric mixer set on high speed until the mixture is very pale, about 5 minutes. One at a time, beat in the eggs, followed by vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Fold in the walnuts, cranberries, dates and raisins. The batter will be very thick.
  3. Spread half of the batter in the prepared pan. Arrange half of the figs in a ring in the pan, pressing them lightly into the batter. Repeat with the remaining batter and figs.
  4. Bake until a long bamboo skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 ¼ hours. Let cool in the pan on a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the inside of the pan and the tube and lift out the insert. Invert the cake onto the rack, unmold and let cool completely.

Notes

Recipe from Tate’s Bakeshop ‘Baking with Friends’ Cookbook, pp 56-57.

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2012/12/holiday-giveaway-with-tates-bake-shop-from-southampton-recipes-from-baking-with-friends-cookbook/

Blackberry Galette
Blackberry Galette

Blackberry Galette

Yield: Serves 4 to 6.

When all the local farm stands are stocked with big baskets of berries, I can't resist buying them. I love the way blackberries cook up and hold their shape, with their sweet/tart taste. And the blackberries against the yellow hue of the cornmeal in the crust make a beautiful presentation. Serve this the day it's made, with fresh whipped cream or ice cream - it's lovely on its own too!

Ingredients

  • DOUGH
  • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling the dough
  • 1/2 cup fine yellow cornmeal (not coarse or polenta)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold salted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoons cold water
  • FILLING
  • 1 teaspoon unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups fresh blackberries
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cold salted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 tablespoon sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

  1. To make the dough:
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt. Work in the butter with a pastry blender, 2 knives, or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse meal with small pea-sized pieces of butter. In a small bowl, mix together the egg yolk and water. Add to the flour mixture and stir gently with a fork until the mixture is moist enough to hold together.
  3. Gather the dough into a thick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled but not hard, at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days, but let it stand for 15 minutes before rolling out. It can also be frozen for up to 1 month.)
  4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
  5. On a ligthly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 10-inch round about 1/8 inch thick. Fold the dough in half, and then reopen on the prepared baking sheet. The dough cracks easily, but just press it back together if it does and don't worry, as the look of the dessert is very rustic.
  6. For the filling:
  7. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour over the dough leaving a 2-inch border all around. Spread the berries over the floured section of the dough. Sprinkle them with the sugar and dot with butter. Fold the uncovered dough up over fruit, pleating it as necessary. If the dough cracks, not to worry - just seal the tears. If you wish, brush the edges of the dough with a pastry brush dipped in water and sprinkle with the tablespoon of sugar.
  8. Bake until the crust starts to brown a bit and the fruit bubbles, about 40 minutes. Let the galette cool on the baking sheet. Transfer the galette to a serving platter with a wide spatula or pick up the baking mat and slide it off onto the platter.

Notes

Recipe from Tate’s Bakeshop ‘Baking with Friends’ Cookbook, pp 92-94.

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2012/12/holiday-giveaway-with-tates-bake-shop-from-southampton-recipes-from-baking-with-friends-cookbook/

 

Tate’s Bake Shop also has some holiday exclusives (see below) which are super delicious and seasonal, available for purchase online and at the Southampton store location.

Gingerbread Cookies

 

Disclosure: All opinions expressed here are my own and for participating in Tate’s Bake Shop Holiday Giveaway Promotion, I received a copy of their new cookbook “Baking with Friends”.

 

In the Mood For Love: Aphrodisiac recipes

Aphrodisiac Recipes To Spice Up Your Valentine’s Day


“Aphrodisiac: any of various forms of stimulation thought to arouse sexual excitement. Aphrodisiacs may be classified in two principal groups: (1) psycho-physiological (visual, tactile, olfactory, aural) and (2) internal (stemming from food, alcoholic drinks, drugs, love potions, medical preparations)”.

We’ve all heard that there are certain foods that have aphrodisiac powers, but which ones and what effect do they have on romance? There are several foods that increase passion and the mood for love – almonds, arugula, asparagus, avocado, bananas, basil, chilies, chocolate, coffee, figs, garlic, ginger, honey, nutmeg, oysters, pinenuts, raspberries, strawberries, black truffles, vanilla and wine, just to name a few.

Truffles are said to stimulate and sensitize the skin for touch. Vanilla’s scent and flavor is known to increase lust. Chilies increase blood flow and sex drive. The chemicals in chocolate trigger neurochemicals in the brain that increases passion. Red wine relaxes and stimulates the senses.

For Valentine’s Day, I rounded up a few recipes featuring some of these love-ly passion-inspiring foods, guaranteed to spice up your night and make it one to remember!

Broiled Oysters with Fresh Herbs, Garlic and Cheese

Herbed Oysters

Ingredients:

24 fresh oysters
¾ cup of breadcrumbs
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of olive oil
½ teaspoon of fresh thyme, chopped
½ teaspoon of fresh basil, chopped
¼ teaspoon of fresh marjoram, chopped
Zest of one lemon
2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Shuck the oysters and set aside on the half shell. Discard the remaining shells.

In a bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, garlic, mustard, olive oil, thyme, basil, marjoram, lemon zest and Parmesan.

 Top each oyster with about 1 teaspoon of the breadcrumb mixture and place the oysters on a baking sheet. Cook under high broiler (grill) for about 6 minutes or until the oysters are crispy and golden brown.

 Serve hot, with a wedge of lemon and your favorite hot pepper sauce on the side. Pop open a bottle of your best bubbly and indulge with your honey.

Recipe adapted from www.oysterrecipes.org

Milk Soup with Truffles au Gratin

Truffle Gratin

Ingredients:

2 c. of chicken juice (gravy)
2 + 2/3 c. of milk cream
1 oz. of fresh truffle
2 lbs. of fresh bread
2/3 c. of truffle juice
1/3 c. of milk
2/3 c. of egg whites
Salt, white pepper

Preparation:

Reduce the chicken juice to half.

Add the milk, milk cream and reduce again.

Add the truffle juice and reduce until you get a nice texture.

Check on seasoning and put aside for the moment.

Preparation of the bread toasts:

Whisk 2/3 c. of cream, season with salt and pepper.

Cut the bread into 1 inch thick slices and cut them into circles (2 inch diameters)

Toast both sides of the bread pieces, dig one side on the piece and pour the wiped cream into it, bake it “au gratin”
under the broiler for a few minutes until lightly browned around the edges.

Recipe originated from French-Truffles.com

Chocolate Chicken

Chocolate Chicken

2 lbs. chicken, cut up — (2 to 2 1/2)
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil — (1 to 2)
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. anise seed
1/2 cup almonds, chopped
1/2 cup peanuts, chopped
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp salt
3 tomatoes, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
1/2 tsp. fresh pepper
2 tsp. hot crushed red peppers
1/8 tsp. cayenne (or to taste)
Sesame seeds

Brown chicken in a medium skillet in hot oil. Remove to a large (13x9x2) cake pan or baking dish. Pour oil from skillet and add the stock. Simmer 5 minutes. Mix cocoa with vegetable oil to form a paste. Add cloves, cinnamon, anise seed, and blend. Stir spice mixture into simmering stock and simmer 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. 
Pour mixture over the chicken parts. Cover and bake in preheated 350-degree oven until chicken is tender (around 1 to 1 1/2 hours). Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds over a bed of rice.

Spicy Scallops with Capellini

Scallop

Ingredients:

1 pound sea scallops, quartered if large
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 small dried chipotle chile with seeds, stemmed and chopped
Fine sea salt
1/2 pound capellini

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large shallow glass or ceramic baking dish, toss the scallops with the oil, wine, parsley, garlic and chipotle. Season with salt and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the oil is sizzling and the scallops are firm.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the capellini until just al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain; transfer to a serving bowl. Add the scallops and their juices, toss well and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Recipe originated from Food and Wine magazine.

Coffee and Chocolate Braised Short Ribs

Chocolate-Coffee Braised Short Ribs

Ingredients:

Olive oil or lard
5 lbs beef short ribs
Salt and Pepper
1 large onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
2 cups strong coffee
1.5 cups chopped tomatoes, with juice (or one 28 oz can)
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 cup unsweetened chocolate (70% or higher cacao)
Cilantro, chopped (for garnish)

Preparation:

Rinse short ribs under cold water and pat dry, season liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a cast iron pan or Dutch oven over medium high heat.

Place a few of the short ribs in the pan, being careful not to crowd them. Brown the short ribs well on all sides until they have a nice seared brown color. Transfer the meat to a plate and continue to cook the rest of the ribs. When done, remove all of the meat to the plate.

Reduce the heat to medium. If you used a cast iron pan for the browning, heat more oil in a large oven safe covered casserole dish. If you’re using a Dutch oven, just keep on cooking.

Add the onions and peppers and cook until the onions are translucent, approximately 5-10 minutes. Next mix in the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the brown sugar and spices and cook for 5 minutes longer. Add the coffee, chopped tomatoes, and tomato paste and bring the whole mixture to a boil.

Return the short ribs to the pot and cover. Braise in the oven for 1.5 to 2 hours. Mix in the chocolate until melted. Season ribs with salt and pepper, and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, pasta or polenta. Indulge in a nice hearty red such as a Cabernet or Zinfandel or Shiraz which goes great with the chocolate and spicy flavors in this dish.

Recipe adapted from the Washington Local and Seasonal Cookbook

Arugula and Avocado Salad With Shaved Parmesan and Toasted Pine Nuts

Arugula Avocado Salad

Ingredients:

2 bunches arugula, washed and dried ( about 6 cups)
1 avocados, peeled and sliced
Shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese, to taste

Lemon Dressing

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
4 -5 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions

To make the dressing, in a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and garlic. Slowly whisk in olive oil until the mixture is creamy. Season with salt and pepper.

Place arugula in a serving bowl and add dressing to taste. Mix well. Top with avocado slices, drizzle a bit more dressing over them and season with a pinch of salt. Using a vegetable peeler, shave slivers of Parmesan over the top.

Top off the salad with some toasted pine nuts for an extra crunch (and spice to your Valentine’s Day!)

Serves 4.

Recipe originated from Food.com

Bananas Foster

Bananas Foster

Ingredients

¼ cup (½ stick) butter
1 cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup banana liqueur
4 bananas, cut in half 
lengthwise, then halved
¼ cup dark rum
4 scoops vanilla ice cream

Instructions

Combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a flambé pan or skillet. Place the pan over low heat either on an alcohol burner or on top of the stove, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the banana liqueur, then place the bananas in the pan. When the banana sections soften and begin to brown, carefully add the rum. Continue to cook the sauce until the rum is hot, then tip the pan slightly to ignite the rum. When the flames subside, lift the bananas out of the pan and place four pieces over each portion of ice cream. Generously spoon warm sauce over the top of the ice cream and serve immediately. Prepare to swoon almost immediately.

Recipe originated from Brennan’s Restaurant in New Orleans.

Chocolate Honey Mousse

chocolate mousse

Ingredients

12 oz of dark crispy chocolate
5-6 dessert spoons of pure honey
3 cups of fresh cream

Instructions

Mix together dark chocolate (should be crushed into pieces), 5 dessert spoons honey and ¾ cup of fresh cream. The ingredients
should be mixed over luke warm water. This mixture will need to be stirred constantly, till the dark chocolate stats to melt and combines itself with the honey and cream.

Once all three ingredients have blended into one another, keep it aside for it to cool.

While the chocolate mixture is kept aside to cool, start whipping the remaining cream (2 ¼ cups) but not very firm.

Once the cream is whipped and the chocolate mixture is cool, gradually and slowly fold the cream into it. Blend this mixture well.

Take a special serving dish and carefully pour the whole mixture into it and keep it to set in the refrigerator.

The chocolate honey mousse can also be poured into separate individual bowls as it does make a lavish amount.

If the mousse is poured into one whole serving dish, the chocolate honey mouse might take about 3 to 4 hours for it to set well.

Chocolate honey mousse can be served with creamy vanilla ice cream. Garnish with crushed nuts as a topping.

White Chocolate Raspberry Tart

Raspberry Tart

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cup of walnuts, finely chopped
¾ cup of unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons of sugar
1 ½ cup of flour
1 teaspoon of freshly-grated orange zest
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 cups of fresh raspberries
12 oz of white chocolate, chopped
½ cup of heavy cream, warmed
½ cup of whipped cream, to garnish

Directions:

In a bowl with an electric mixer, blend walnuts, ¾ of the butter, sugar, flour, orange zest and egg until thoroughly combined, and press into an 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom.

Freeze the shell for 15 minutes.

While the shell is freezing, preheat your oven to 375°F.

 Bake the shell in middle of your oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

 Allow the shell to cool on a rack.

Remove the side of pan and transfer the shell to a plate.

 Fill shell with 2 ½ cups of raspberries.

In a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, melt the white chocolate. 

Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the cream and the remaining butter, whisking until smooth.

 Spread the white chocolate mixture over the raspberries, smoothing top and chill, covered, for 3 hours or overnight.

Garnish the tart with whipped cream and remaining ½ cup of raspberries.

Serve at room temperature.

Recipe originated from www.raspberryrecipes.net

Read more about Aphrodisiac Foods and History