CEDAR PLANKED PECAN, BOURBON AND BROWN SUGAR GLAZED BRIE and GREENS AND RADISH SALAD WITH WARM RED WINE VINAIGRETTE and CHOCOLATE MERINGUES AND STRAWBERRIES

Ever since our first Valentines together, my husband and I have cooked at home. For quite a few years we have had a wonderful and very dear couple join us - they met at our house and then became engaged here - and as our culinary skills have increased, so have the number of people we have included.
We usually begin the evening with appetizers and cocktails upstairs, then we negotiate the stairs down to the wine cellar for the first course, main course and appetizer.
This years meal began with a Cedar Planked Brie, continued with a simple green salad and moved on to a fragrant, delicious leg of lamb, that my husband prepared, before concluding with Chocolate Meringues.
As fantastic as everything was, I must admit, I couldn't wait for the next day - for thinly sliced lamb on soft, fresh bread, with butter, ketchup and a sprinkle of sea salt, which is how I loved it while growing up in New Zealand.
I anticipated the left overs as much as I look forward to our special celebration each year - a lot!!

CEDAR PLANKED PECAN, BOURBON AND BROWN SUGAR GLAZED BRIE

1 cedar grilling plank
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons dried apricots, chopped
1 tablespoon bourbon
1 round of brie
2 tablespoons blackberry jam

Soak the cedar plank in water for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, stir together the brown sugar, pecans, dried apricots and bourbon.
Heat oven to 400F.
Place the brie on the wet cedar plank. Spread the jam over the top of the cheese. Spoon the fruit and nut mixture over the jam.
Place the plank with the brie on a cookie sheet in the oven, bake for 10 minutes, or until the brie is slightly softened and the sugar melts.
Serve with grapes and sliced apple and pear, if desired.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Arkansas Democrat Gazette, December 2013
www.arkansasonline.com/news/features/food/‎

GREENS AND RADISH SALAD WITH WARM RED WINE VINAIGRETTE

1 head of butter lettuce, leaves torn
1 head of red leaf lettuce, leaves torn
thinly sliced radishes
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped shallot
1 cup red wine
5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Place lettuce and radishes on individual serving plates.
In a small saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add shallot and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Add red wine, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 6 minutes. Pour mixture into the container of a blender. Add vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Pulse until mixture is emulsified and smooth. Serve warm over salad.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Southern Lady, September/October 2011
www.southernladymagazine.com/recipes/‎

CHOCOLATE MERINGUES AND STRAWBERRIES

8 ounces of frozen strawberries, thawed
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar, divided
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (I used a violet balsamic)
3 egg whites at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
5 teaspoons cocoa powder, sifted
3/4 cup cream
2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
2 ounces dark chocolate, shaved

Heat oven to 325F.
In a bowl, combine strawberries, 2 tablespoons sugar and vinegar. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until peaks form. Add cream of tartar and a pinch of salt, beat to combine. Slowly add remaining 3/4 cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Sprinkle cocoa over egg mixture, whip until just combined. Spread into 6 mounds, 3 inches each, on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Place in oven, reduce temperature to 300F and bake until meringues are dry on the outside and soft in the center, about 50 minutes. Cool on sheets.
Using an electric mixer, whip cream and confectioners sugar. Top meringues evenly with berry mixture, whipped cream and chocolate.
Enjoy!

HEART CAKES WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE and GANACHE STUFFED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt."
Charles M. Schulz

HEART CAKES WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, divided use
1 tablespoon cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into small cubes
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon flour
cocoa powder for dusting

Heat oven to 400F.
Grease a heart shaped muffin pan.
In a medium heatproof bowl, combine 2 ounces of the chocolate and the cream. Set bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water, but not touching the water.
Melt chocolate, stirring occasionally, until mixture is smooth and blended, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.
In a separate medium, heatproof bowl, combine remaining 4 ounces of chocolate and the butter, set bowl over saucepan of simmering water and melt chocolate, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and well blended, 2 to 3 minutes, remove from the heat and cool for 10 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, yolk, sugar, vanilla and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat until thick ribbons fall from the beaters and the mixture is nearly triple in volume, 5 to 6 minutes.
Sift flour over bowl and gently fold in until just blended. Add chocolate mixture and gently fold together until smooth and blended.
Divide batter among wells of prepared muffin pan. Remove chocolate ganache from the refrigerator and scoop teaspoon-sized balls onto the top of each cake, pressing gently.
Bake until the cakes pull away from the sides of muffin well and tops are just firm, 9 to 11 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and cool about 5 minutes. Invert cakes onto rack, and dust with cocoa powder.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Arkansas Democrat Gazette, February 2005
www.arkansasonline.com/news/.../food/‎

GANACHE STUFFED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

COOKIES
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
GANACHE
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
5 tablespoons cream
2 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons creme fraiche

MAKE THE COOKIES
In a bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter with the sugars and vanilla at medium speed, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the dry ingredients. Beat in the chocolate chips. Chill the dough for 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 375F. Scoop spoons of the dough onto cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. Let cool on the sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Sandwich the chocolate chip cookies with the ganache and serve.
GANACHE
Put the chocolate in a bowl. In a saucepan, bring the cream and corn syrup to a boil, pour over the chocolate and let stand for 1 minute. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in the creme fraiche. Refrigerate the ganache until thick and spreadable, about 1 hour.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food and Wine, September 2009
www.foodandwine.com/recipes‎

JELLY HEARTS

"The best thing to spend on your child is time"

JELLY HEARTS

1 packet unflavored gelatin
5 ounces of rose hip jelly (or your choice of fruit preserves)
1/2 cup sugar, divided

In a bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water, and let sit for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine fruit jelly and 1/4 cup sugar in a saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until boiling. Reduce heat to low and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in gelatin mixture. Pour into a baking pan.
Chill in the refrigerator several hours until firm. Using a heart shaped cookie cutter, cut hearts out of fruit mold. Dredge hearts in remaining 1/4 cup sugar.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Parents Magazine, February 2006
www.parents.com/recipes/‎

HEART SHAPED BANANA MUFFINS and PINK PASSION MARSHMALLOWS and RED VELVET CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

This week has felt as crazy busy as the month of December.
There was Mardi Gras cooking to be done, a Fat Tuesday celebration to be attended, Lent to be negotiated, and sick children at home that made it difficult to accomplish anything. Valentines day I organize desserts for our very sweet, very deserving teachers, and then we always cook for friends in the evening.
This year, instead of giving something up for Lent, I decided to add something - of course! A Gratitude Journal, and today, among many things, I am very thankful that after two weeks, all my children are well and back in school. I heart that.

HEART SHAPED BANANA MUFFINS

Heat oven to 325F.
Place muffin liners into mini-muffin cups.
Cream together 1/2 cup shortening with 1 1/4 cups sugar. Add 2 well beaten eggs.
Sift together 2 cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon soda. Mash 3 to 5 bananas.
Alternate adding to sugar mixture, 4 tablespoons of buttermilk, the mashed banana and flour mixture. Mix well. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 cup white chocolate chips.
Fill the muffin cups, and before putting the cupcakes in the oven, slip a marble between the liner and the muffin tin to form an indent.
Bake muffins for 12 to 15 minutes.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Treats from Arkansas Kitchens, 1960

PINK PASSION MARSHMALLOWS

confectioners sugar
2 packets unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
pinch salt
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
red food coloring

Spray an 8 inch pan with cooking spray.
Dust heavily with confectioners sugar. In a mixing bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1/3 cup cold water, and let set 10 minutes.
In a saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/3 cup water. Bring to a boil to dissolve sugar, then boil 4 minutes more.
With mixture on low speed, pour hot sugar syrup into gelatin. Continue beating until completely mixed. Turn mixer to high and beat 10 to 15 minutes more, until mixture has doubled in volume and is completely white. Beat in vanilla and food coloring, if using.
Spread mixture in the prepared pan. Let set 3 hours or overnight. Turn onto a cutting board dusted with confectioners sugar. Cut into desired shapes.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Parents Magazine, February 2006
www.parents.com/recipes/

RED VELVET CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

RED VELVET LAYER
3 1/4 cups flour
2 1/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
4 tablespoons milk, divided
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon red food coloring
2 teaspoons white vinegar
CHEESECAKE LAYER
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350F.
Coat a 13 X 18 pan with cooking spray.
Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder.
Whisk together eggs, vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons milk, vanilla, food coloring and vinegar. Add dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Scrape into pan (reserving 3/4 cup). Smooth to reach all the edges.
Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add sugar and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla, beating well. Pour cream cheese mixture on top of red velvet layer in pan and smooth mixture until it reaches all the edges.
Combine remaining milk with reserved batter. Stir well. Drop spoonfuls on top of cheesecake layer. Drag the tip of a knife through red velvet and the cheesecake layers to create swirls.
Bake 25 minutes or just until the center is set. Let cool. Cut into shapes using heart cookie cutters.
 Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Relish Magazine, February 2013
relish.com/