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Party Planning - Recipes -
Valentine's
Day Party Recipes
Valentine's
Day is a holiday for exchanging tokens of affection. It's also a
time for sharing sweets with your sweetheart. Instead of presenting
typical store-bought chocolates, dazzle your special valentine with
a rich, luscious dessert you've made yourself.
Stencil
Heart Cake
A beautiful surprise for Valentine's
Day-or any special day. |
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Directions:
Grease and flour 1 heart shape pan. Don't have a heart shape pan,
use directions below for making heart from a square & round pan.
Prepare cake batter as directed on 1 package of cake mix.
Bake as directed on the cake mix instruction or until toothpick
stuck in center comes out clean. Usually about 30-40 minutes. Cool
as directed on package.
Heart-shaped cake out of the square and round pans: If you do
not have a heart shape pan then use one square pan (8x8x2 inches)
and one round 8" layer pan. Place square cake on large tray
with one point toward you. Cut round layer in half. Place each half
with cut edge against top sides of square to form heart.
This is shown as a
single layer cake, but it can be made into a double layer if you
choose.
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Prepare
frosting as directed on 1 package of white frosting mix and frost
sides and top of cake. If making a layer cake you will probably need
2 packages of frosting, frost the bottom layer then add the top
layer and frost the sides and top. |
| When
the entire cake is smoothly frosted, sift cocoa powder over the top
of the cake. |
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Stenciling:
Position a paper stencil-in this case, of a rose-on the cake top;
the cocoa powder will keep the stencil from sticking. Sift
confectioner's sugar over the stencil. Take care not to let any of
the sugar fall on the exposed cocoa powder.
Remove the stencil. Press chocolate curls around the base. Serve in
wedges. |
Your
sweetie will never know you've taken shortcuts in the kitchen when
he or she bites into one of these special treats. Refrigerated
all-ready piecrusts are the key to the simple preparation and
homemade flavor of the beautiful, heart-shaped Sweetheart Lemon
Cream Torte and the elegant Raspberry and White Chocolate Valentine
Tart. The velvety chocolate French Silk Cookie Tarts and bite-size
Cupid's Cherry Cream-Filled Cookies are easy to make, too, because
they start with refrigerated spoonable cookie dough. With shortcuts
like these, you have more time for the fun part-decorating!
Sweetheart
Lemon Cream Torte
15-oz. pkg. Pillsbury All Ready Pie Crusts
2 teaspoons flour
Filling:
1/3-cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4-teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups milk
1/4 lemon juice
2 egg yolks
1-tablespoon margarine or butter
l cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Topping:
Fruit (strawberries; maraschino cherries, drained; frozen
raspberries, thawed, drained; or cherry fruit pie filling, drained)
2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips
1-tablespoon margarine or butter
Heat oven to 450 F.
Allow crust pouches to sit at room temperature 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove one crust from pouch; unfold. Press out fold lines. If crust
cracks, wet fingers and push edges together. Sprinkle 1-teaspoon
flour over crust, Turn crust, flour side down, on ungreased cookie
sheet. Using paper pattern as guide, cut cast into heart shape.
Generously prick crust with fork. Bake at 450 F. for 9 to 11 minutes
or until golden brown. Cool. Repeat with remaining crust.
In small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually add
milk. Cook over medium heat until mature boils and thickens,
stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
In small bowl, combine lemon juice and egg yolks; blend well. Add
about 1/3 of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolk mixture, stirring
constantly to blend. Stir egg yolk mixture into remaining milk
mixture in saucepan. Cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring
constantly. DO NOT BOIL. Stir 1-tablespoon margarine until melted.
Cover; refrigerate until cool.
In small bowl, combine whipping cream and powdered sugar. Beat until
firm peaks form. Fold lemon mixture into whipped cream.
To assemble:
Place one heart-shaped piecrust on serving plate; spread with 1/2 of
lemon filling mixture. Top with second crust and remaining filling.
Arrange fruit around top edge of torte 1/4-inch from edge. In small
saucepan, melt chocolate chips and 1-tablespoon margarine. Drizzle
over lemon filling on top of torte.
Refrigerate until serving time. 8 to 10 servings.
TIP: To make pattern, cut a piece of paper into a Heart shape
about 10 1/2 inches high and 10 inches wide.
Raspberry
and White Chocolate Valentine Tart
15-oz. Pkg. Pillsbury All Ready Pie Crusts
1-teaspoon flour
Filling:
3-1/2 oz. (2 cubes) almond bark or
vanilla flavored candy coating
1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
1/3-cup sugar
2 eggs
Topping:
10 oz. Pkg. Frozen raspberries, thawed
1-tablespoon sugar
1-tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons raspberry liqueur or 2 tablespoons water and ?
teaspoon almond extract
3-1/2 oz. (2 cubes) almond bark or vanilla-flavored candy coating
Heat oven to 450 F. Prepare piecrust according to package directions
for unfilled one crust pie using 10-inch tart pan with removable
bottom or 9-inch pie pan. (Refrigerate remaining crust for later
use.) Place prepared crust in pan; press in bottom and up sides of
pan. Trim edges if necessary. Generously prick crust with fork. Bake
at 450 F. for 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.
In small saucepan, melt 3 1/2 oz. Almond bark over low heat. Cool 10
minutes. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat margarine and 1/3-cup sugar
until light and fluffy. Gradually add melted almond bark, beating
constantly. Add eggs one at a time, beating at highest speed 2
minutes after each addition. Spoon into cooled crust. Refrigerate
until set.
Puree raspberries by pressing through sieve. * In small saucepan,
combine sugar and cornstarch; blend well. Gradually add raspberry
puree. Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, stirring
constantly. Remove from heat; stir in raspberry liqueur. Cover; cool
completely. Spread over filling.
In small saucepan, melt 3 1/2 oz. Almond bark over low heat. Pour
onto waxed paper-covered cookie sheet. Spread evenly to about
1/8-inch thickness. Cool on counter until hardened about 25 minutes.
Using heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut almond bark into shapes. **
Lift gently from waxed paper. Arrange hearts over surface of tart.
Store in refrigerator. Makes 10 servings.
TIPS: * Raspberries can be pureed in blender container or
food processor bowl with metal blade; strain and discard seeds.
** Heart shapes can be made by cutting 2-inch paper pattern. Place
on almond bark and cut around pattern with sharp knife.
French
Silk
Cookie
Tarts
20-oz. pkg. Pillsbury's Refrigerated
Sugar Cookies
2 oz. (2 squares) unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3-cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4-teaspoon vanilla extract
Fruit (strawberries, cherries, kiwi fruit, orange slices)
Freeze cookie dough for 1 hour or longer. Heat oven to 325 degrees
F. Generously grease 18 muffin cups. Slice eighteen 1/4-inch slices
from frozen cookie dough.' Place in bottom of prepared muffin cups.
Bake at 325 degrees F for 11 to 15 minutes or until golden brown
around edges. Cool 2 minutes; remove from muffin cups. Cool
completely.
In a small saucepan, melt chocolate; cool. In medium bowl, cream
butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time,
beating at medium speed 2 minutes after each addition. Blend in
chocolate and vanilla; mix well. Spoon or pipe chocolate mixture
onto cookies. Garnish with fruit. Store in refrigerator. 18 tarts.
TIP: Prepare remaining cookie dough as directed on package.
Cupid's
Cherry Cream-Filled Cookies
1 (20-oz.) pkg. Pillsbury Refrigerated
Sugar Cookies
FILLING
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
1/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries
1 teaspoon cherry liquid
1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
GLAZE
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4-cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 drops red food color, if desired
DECORATION
Maraschino cherries, fresh fruit, decorator frosting
or candy hearts.
Heat oven to 350 F. Spoon and shape heaping teaspoonfuls of
well-chilled cookie dough into balls. Place 2 inches apart on
ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 F. for 10 to 14 minutes or
until golden brown. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheets with
spatula. Cool completely.
In small bowl, combine all filling ingredients; blend well. Spread
about 1 tablespoon filling on bottom of cooled cookie. Top with
another cookie, bottom side down, to form sandwich. Repeat with
remaining cookies.
In large bowl, combine all glaze ingredients; blend at low speed
until moistened. Beat at high speed until smooth. Add 1 to 2
tablespoons additional water if glaze is too thick.* Arrange filled
cookies on wire rack over 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Spoon glaze
evenly over tops and sides of cookies. Glaze that drips off can be
reused. Let stand until glaze is dry. Decorate as desired with
maraschino cherries. Store in refrigerator.
18 sandwich cookies
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