Valentine's Day Recipes

Here are some tried and true recipes that will add some romance to your Valentine's Day. After all, nothing says LOVING like something from the oven!

Valentine Food For Thought, a poem by Jeanne Losey

Chocolate Covered Strawberries with Champagne

Even the non-cook will love this recipe.

• Purchase your favorite Champagne and chill.
• Buy fresh strawberries that have their stems intact. Wash, dry and refrigerate the strawberries. (Cold strawberries will cause the chocolate to harden and there will be less dripping.)
• Chocolate dip: Buy a jar or Nutella, European chocolate hazelnut spread (available in specialty and grocery stores in Atlanta as well as Harry's.) Place 1 cup of Nutella in a double boiler or fondue pot. Add 1 to 2 Tablespoons of heavy cream. Heat over low heat! Add more heavy cream as needed until the consistency of heavy cream. Serve your Valentine. Men, you can do it!

Hearts-filled-with-Love Cookies

Fill these favorites with raspberry or strawberry jelly.

Sift together:

2 1/2 c flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream together:

1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar

Stir in:

1 well beaten egg
2 tablespoons Pet Milk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Chill overnight before using. Roll-out dough and cut with a heart cookie cutter. Each cookie needs a top and bottom. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

When cool, assemble cookies. Place a teaspoon of jelly on the bottom of a cookie, then cover with another cookie. (The tops of the cookies should be facing outward on both top and bottom.) Sprinkle with 4X Confectioner's Sugar.

Chocolate Surprise

Blend together:

1 1/2 cup plain flour
1 1/2 stick margarine
1 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Press into 9" x 13" pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool

Cream together:

1 cup powdered sugar
1, 8 oz package of cream cheese

Fold in 9 oz. defrosted Cool Whip. Spread onto the cooled pastry layer.

Mix well:

1 large box of chocolate INSTANT pudding
Add 3 1/2 cups milk

Spread on top of the second layer.

Spread a 9 oz. container of defrosted Cool Whip on top of the third layer and refrigerate.

Splendid Raspberry Spinach Salad

2 Tablespoons Raspberry Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Raspberry Jam
1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
8 Cups Spinach, rinsed, stemmed and torn into pieces.
3/4 Cup coarsely chopped Macadamia nuts or toasted almond slices
1 Cup Fresh Raspberries
3 Kiwis, peeled and sliced

Dressing: Combine vinegar and jam in blender or small bowl. Add oil in thin stream, blending well.

Toss spinach with 1/2 of the nuts, 1/2 of the raspberries, 1/2 of the kiwi's and the dressing. Top with the remaining ingredients (nuts, raspberries and kiwis.) Serve immediately.

Valentine's Day Cake

Cream together:

1/2 Cup of Crisco
1 1/2 Cups Sugar

Add 2 eggs - Beat Well

Sift 3 Times:

2 Cups flour
1 Tablespoon Cocoa
1 Teaspoon Salt

Fold In:

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda dissolved in
1 Tablespoon Vinegar - Quickly

Use 2, 9" Layer Pans that have been greased and floured.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes

Filling and Icing

Cook on low flame to pudding stage:

1 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Flour
Dash of salt

Cream:

1/2 Cup Crisco
1 Stick Margarine
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla

Add to pudding and beat well. Spead between layers and on top and sides. Sprinkle with coconut.

Victorian Gingerbread Valentines

In Victorian times lovers declared their affections via words, songs, pictures and foods. One such food was gingerbread "life cakes" in the shape of hearts.

2 1/2 cups unsifted flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup dark corn syrup
1 large egg

In large bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt.

Blend together margarine and brown sugar until smooth. Add corn syrup and egg; beat well. Add dry ingredients, about one-third at a time, mixing until smooth after each addition. Chill dough one hour.

Roll out half of dough on lightly floured surface to one-quarter-inch thickness. (Reserve other half for decoratins or for a second batch of cookies.) Using hear-shaped cookie cutter, press out cookie shapes or use knife to cut around a pattern. Place hearts on cookie sheet. Decorate as desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes until golden. Remove and place on wire racks to cool. Store in covered container.

Makes about eight 4 1/2 inch cookies.

Valentine Food For Thought

Cabbage always has a heart; Green beans string along.
You're such a cute tomato, Will you peas to me belong?
You've been the apple of my eye, You know how much I care;
So lettuce get together, We'd make a perfect pear.

Now, something's sure to turnip to prove you can't be beet;
So, if you carrot all for me let's let our tulips meet.
Don't squash my hopes and dreams now, Bee my honey, dear;
Or tears will fill potato's eyes, While sweet corn lends an ear.

I'll cauliflower shop and say, Your dreams are parsley mine.
I'll work and share my celery, So be my valentine.