Sweets for Your Sweetie

Classic popovers stuffed with pistachio creme brulee.  Be bad for once and have them for breakfast! Photo:  Abdi Aminlari for 3 Photographers.  Styled by Michelle Druskinis.

Is it me or has Valentine’s Day has become an advertiser’s dream?  I know it’s been forever since retailers take down the Christmas lights and immediately paint their stores red and pink and splash the place with hearts.  But this year, it seems that every ad on tv for the past three weeks has been for the perfect Valentine’s gift (and, no, I’m not watching the Lifetime Network!).  It seems silly to write a blog about sweet Valentine’s gifts when, apparently, “every gift begins with Kay.”  You know everything you need to know, so why go on?  Well, if you can believe it, the holiday exists beyond Kay’s or Jared’s or Leo’s (or Victoria’s Secret) and, whether you go all out or offer up a little token, I’ve put together some of my favorite foodie gifts for you to DIY or buy. 

This year, I’m going to a Valentine’s party.  With real couples.  It’s been a while and I’m stressing on whether or not to wear red which, despite my nearly auburn hair, makes me manic and just shy of angry.  Pink’s not much better. Perhaps even more stressful, however, is the appetizer we’ve been asked to bring.  I thought having a BF who is an amazing cook would be heaven.  But, after years of ruling the kitchen, I now have to learn to compromise — with a cook who is, arguably, better than me!  Drats.  Do we make my Parmesan pudding bites topped with piquillo pepper relish and cocoa nibs (beautiful, sublime and delicious) or do we make his sausage stars (which, let’s face it, are probably much more comforting and gorge-fest inducing)?  His friends, his call. Last year, I made the Parmesan bites as a thank you gift, placed them on a lovely melamine tray and wrapped them up in red cellophane.  This year, maybe I’ll just show up in my red dress!

Another favorite Valentine’s gift is a basket of heart-shaped scones.  If you remember my Valentine’s post from last year, I prepared these several years ago and drove them out before sunrise to some of my favorite people.  Check below for the recipe.

I found the most interesting recipe for sugar cookies in the December/January issue of Fine Cooking.  I switched out the granulated sugar for a sugar mix of vanilla and lavender.  The cookies are finished off by dipping the baked cookies in sugar and burning it slightly with a kitchen torch.  Shape these into hearts and you’ve got a perfect Valentine’s Day treat.

No time to bake?  Pick up some delicious chocolate filled pink sprinkle cupcakes from Crumbs Bake Shop — currently in 7 states and coming soon to an “old-tyme” sweet shop near you!

If you’d rather channel your inner Casanova (he’s the genius who figured out he could use chocolate to seduce women), check out these spectacular chocolate champagne truffles from Martha Stewart.  Or pick up your sweetie’s favorite bark from Pure Dark, a down to earth NYC chocolate den.  Looking for something a little more sexy and sophisticated?  Check out my fav, Jacques Torres, at Chelsea Market or one of his 5 other NYC locations or order some sleek creations or chocolate body paint from his online store.

If you, like me, think feeding each other (in the privacy of your own home; Cameron Diaz and A-Rod please take note) is sexier than wearing it (seriously, Lady Gaga, the only guys you’re going to turn on with that meat dress are, well, dogs), go for some juicy strawberries dipped in chocolate or fresh figs stuffed with mascarpone and honey.

And, should you forgo the sweets and opt for a savory aphrodisiac, take a stroll through Chinatown as I did last week.  For just a few yen (okay, dollars), you can score some sliced deer antlers or powdered rhinoceros horn (for men only).  Or play it safe and pick up a lovely bottle of 2009 Bisol Crede Proseco Di Valdobbiadene from Italy (thanks to Bill M for sharing) and a dozen of the freshest (local) oysters you can find!

Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone with a heart!  xo

Recipe:  Raisin Scones

Makes 8

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 Tbl. baking powder

2 Tbl. sugar plus additional for dusting

1/2 tsp. salt

4 Tbl. butter

5 1/2 Tbl. heavy cream

2 eggs beaten, plus 1 egg white, reserved

1/4 cup raisins

Prepare

Preheat oven to 400°.  Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a bowl.  Cut in butter until mixture is fine and crumbly.  Combine cream with eggs and add to flour mixture until still and doughy.  Add raisins.  Knead gently on a lightly floured surface until dough is sticky.  Divide in half.  Roll out each half into a 6 inch circle about 1 inch thick.  Cut circles into hearts.  Place on an ungreased baking sheet about 1 inch apart.  Brush tops with reserved egg white; dust with sugar.  Bake for 10 - 15 minutes or until golden brown.

For more recipes and stories, check out last year’s Valentine’s posts on Cooking for Two and Aphrodisiac Foods.  As always, this Valentine’s post is dedicated to my brother and sister-in-law — Happy Anniversary!!

If you would like to leave a comment and do not see the DISQUS tool, please click on the post headline or here and scroll to the bottom.