Valentine's Treats Recipes!

Chocolate covered Strawberries

 You will need:

Strawberries (of course)

Dark or Milk Chocolate (depending on your taste)

White Chocolate

Vegetable Oil (optional) 

The first thing you need to do is wash the strawberries and let them dry. If they're not dry by the time you dip them into the chocolate, it won't stick to them.

Once your strawberries have dried, you can start melting the chocolate - not the white chocolate, not yet. You can use your microwave oven or a double boiler. Be really careful while melting the chocolate, because it can change in seconds from melted to burned. 

You could add some vegetable oil to your chocolate, once you start melting it. It has no taste, but will give a nice shine to the chocolate, once it has hardened again. It will also prevent the chocolate from cracking.

Once your chocolate is melted you can start dipping the strawberries. If you want you can pin toothpicks on the top of each strawberry, to make dipping them - and eating them afterwards - easier. Dip each strawberry about 2/3 into the chocolate and then lay them on wax paper, so that they won't stick.

When all strawberries are covered, let them cool in room temperature for about five minutes. Then you can start melting the white chocolate. 

Once it's melted you can use a fork to drizzle it on your strawberries. This will create a great decoration and will give extra sweet taste to your chocolate covered strawberries. You don't have to be precise. Just dip the fork in the white chocolate and then move it back and forth over the strawberries.

Once you're finished let them cool in room temperature for five minutes and then put them in the fridge for another 15 minutes. The reason you need to leave them in room temperature first is so that the chocolate won't crack from cooling too fast.

After that you can share them with your loved one!

Chocolate Truffles

You will need:

Dark Chocolate

White Chocolate (optional)

Double or Thickened Cream

First you will need to melt 200g of the dark chocolate on a double boiler, with the cream mixed in (90ml). If you want, you could also add two tablespoons of your favorite spirit or liqueur to that mixture. While melting, mix the ingredients together.

Once the chocolate has melted, leave it in room temperature for a couple of hours, until it sets. After that, using a teaspoon, take small portions of the mixture and roll them into truffle balls.

Then put them in the fridge for a few minutes and start melting another 200gr of the dark chocolate. When it melts, bring the truffle balls out of the fridge and dip them into the melted chocolate. You can use two forks for that process -one to pinch the truffle balls and the other one to help unpin them. Lay the chocolate covered truffles on wax paper, to prevent sticking.

You could put them in the fridge to cool for about 20 minutes and just enjoy them after that, or you could let them sit in room temperature for five minutes and then melt some white chocolate, to drizzle on them for a nice design. If you decide to add some white chocolate, after you decorate your truffles, put them in the fridge for 20 minutes to cool.

You could also do other variations of this recipe. You could use milk or white chocolate instead of black for your outer coating, or you could roll the truffle balls in cocoa (without putting them in the fridge first!).

Either way, when you're done, you can enjoy them with that special someone!

Strawberry Shortcake

You will need:
Flour
Sugar
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Salt
Whipping Cream

Strawberries
Whipped Cream

First you will need to mix the ingredients for your shortcake. Add 2 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/4 a teaspoon of baking soda, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 3/4 a teaspoon of salt and 1,5 cups of cream in a large bowl and mix them with a whisk. The mixture will soon become thick and you may need to continue mixing with a large spoon or a spatula. Once it reaches the consistency of dough, stop mixing. It's really important to not overmix.
Get a pan and oil it's surface, so that the shortcake won't stick in it once it's baked. Put the dough in the pan and spread it out evenly, so that it will cook evenly. Then you can put it in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes in a temperature of 200 (Celsius).
While the shortcake is baking, cut the strawberries in small pieces, put them in a bowl and add sugar. You can put as much sugar as you wish, depending on your taste. The sugar will dissolve, while drawing out the moisture of the strawberries. This process will create a sweet tasting liquid around them. Stir the sugar into the bowl of strawberries and then leave it in room temperature until the shortcake is ready.
Once your shortcake is done you can cut it in pieces, to serve. Slice each piece in half horizontally and add strawberries in between as well as on top.
Add some whipped cream and you'll have a great sweet treat for you and your valentine!