Tag Archives: Valentine’s Day

Caramel Brownies

Compared to many parts of Canada, our winter in Vancouver has been very mild…..until 2 days ago ! A snow pile just dumped onto us in a matter of hours ! Seriously, I was still jogging in the morning at 9 am, it was cold, but no snow. Three hours later, everywhere was covered in white ! I guess it’s our turn to experience this cold snowy winter ! And what does a baker do when it snows ? Bake of course ! So I made these brownies and also had time to decorate a whole bunch of Valentine’s cookies ! The snow has made me more productive !

I like my chocolate desserts very chocolaty, and I mean VERY……And this brownie is not only chocolaty, but also soft, fudgy and chewy ! Who can say no to that ? Especially if you are making it for your Valentine’s ! Make sure you don’t overbake, in fact, a good brownie is often slightly underbaked. It’s best to serve them warm, reheat in the oven for a few minutes if you need.

Happy Valentine’s Day !

Makes about 10 – 12 brownies
For the batter

180 g unsalted butter
180 g semi-sweet chocolate
40 g unsweetened cocoa powder
2 eggs
240 g granulated sugar
5 ml vanilla extract
135 g all-purpose flour
2 g baking powder
2 g salt
10-12 caramel candies

For the caramel sauce

Melt together 30 caramel candies (about 240 g) and 1/2 cup of whipping cream in a non-stick pot over low heat until well blended, stirring frequently

Preheat oven to 350ºF
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt
Melt butter, chocolate and cocoa powder in a bowl over a pot of simmering water, let cool for about 5 minutes
Whisk together eggs, sugar and vanilla until pale
Mix in chocolate mixture
Add flour mixture and mix until blended, the batter can be quite thick
Spoon half the batter into lightly-greased silicone molds, place a caramel candy in the middle, cover with remaining batter and bake for about 20 minutes
Cool slightly, drizzle with caramel sauce and serve warm

Strawberry Panna Cotta

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Panna Cotta is one of my daughter’s favourite desserts. She loves it plain with just a bit of vanilla flavour, but I prefer some fruits with it to cut down the richness. Valentine’s Day is coming up, so I made this panna cotta with strawberry sauce on top. It’s easy, tasty and perfect for the occasion ! The best thing for me is, my daughter and I can both enjoy it, with or without the sauce ! You can also use other fruits like mango, passion fruits, coconut or other berries. Happy Valentine’s Day ! Hope we all get to spend some time with our loved ones !

Makes about 6 servings

For the panna cotta

350 mL whipping cream
150 mL milk (at least 2%)
45 g granulated sugar
5 mL pure vanilla extract
6 g gelatin sheet or 1 envelope of gelatin powder

For the strawberry sauce

360 g fresh strawberries (washed, hulled and cut into small pieces)
90 g granulated sugar (adjust if needed)
15 mL fresh lemon juice

To make the panna cotta, bloom gelatin sheet in cold water until soft (alternatively, you can sprinkle gelatin powder over about 50 mL of milk)
In a non-stick pan, heat whipping cream, milk and sugar over medium heat
Turn heat off when liquid starts to bubble, add vanilla
Gently squeeze out excess water from softened gelatin sheets and add into pot (or add the milk gelatin mixture if using powder), stir until all dissolved
Pour into desired containers, cool then refrigerate until set, about 3-4 hours (To avoid a skin from forming, you can use a plastic wrap, pressing gently on top of the panna cotta when setting)
To prepare the sauce, heat strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a non-stick pot over medium heat
Turn heat down to low when liquid starts to bubble
Cook until thickened, let cool and puree
When ready to serve, spoon strawberries sauce over panna cotta, decorate with finely chopped chocolate if desired

Chocolate Souffle

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I think Valentine’s day is a perfect time to make chocolate souffle. It brings a sweet ending to your romantic dinner. I first learned it at a pastry course and it’s actually pretty easy. All souffles will rise in the oven and fall shortly after they are taken out. That doesn’t mean that you fail, it’s just the way they are. Some recipes have a higher ratio of egg whites, some add cornstarch and milk or cream. These methods may make the souffles higher and stay in shape a little longer. After trying a few recipes, I found this one, adapted from the book “How To Bake Everything” by Mark Bittman is the simplest. It uses equal parts of egg yolks and whites, so you won’t need to worry about what to do with the extra yolks and the souffles came out both rich and airy. Have a sweet Valentine’s Day!

Makes about 4-6 servings

Butter for greasing ramekins
80 g granulated sugar, plus more for coating
90 g dark chocolate (70%), chopped
4 eggs, separated
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Icing sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°F
Grease ramekins with butter, then sprinkle sugar over to coat, tap off excess
Melt chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water, let cool slightly
Whisk together egg yolks and 30 g of granulated sugar using an electric mixer until light yellow and mixture falls in a ribbon over surface
Mix in melted chocolate until combined
Clean and dry the whisk
In another mixing bowl using the electric mixer, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar at medium speed until frothy
Increase speed to high and slowly add in 50 g of granulated sugar
Whisk until a stiff peak is formed
Gently fold egg whites, in 3 batches, into egg yolk mixture
Pour into ramekins and place on a rimmed baking tray
Put tray into oven, pour about one inch of hot water into baking tray
Bake in hot water bath for about 20 minutes (Do not open oven door during baking)
Dust with icing sugar, serve immediately