Sweet treats for Valentine’s Day by Dessert Bar

With Valentine’s day around the corner we share with you some easy to prepare recipes to make your Valentine’s Day desserts extra special

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 eggs

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sour cream

½ cup milk

1 bottle (1 ounce) red food colour

2 teaspoons pure vanilla essence

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 pack (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened

¼ cup butter, softened



Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. For the cupcakes, mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.

2. Beat butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream, milk, food colour and vanilla extract. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended. Do not overbeat. Spoon batter into 30 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.

3. Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely.

4. For the frosting, beat cream cheese, butter, sour cream and vanilla in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes with frosting.

Strawberry and Kiwi Tart

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cup Wheat biscuits mix

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup firm butter or margarine, softened

¼ cup apricot jam

1 pint (2 cups) strawberries, sliced

2 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced or 3/4 cup

seedless green grapes, sliced

¼ cup apple jelly

Whipped cream, if desired



Method:

1. Heat oven to 400º F. Mix the crushed biscuits and sugar in a medium bowl. Cut in butter, using a pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal.

2. Press mixture in bottom of ungreased springform pan, 9x3 inches. Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until light brown. Cool 30 minutes. Remove side of pan.

3. Heat apricot jam to boiling; immediately pour over crust, spreading evenly. Arrange strawberries and kiwifruit on top. Heat apple jelly to boiling; brush or spoon carefully over fruit. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Cut into wedges. Serve with whipped cream.

Coffee Éclairs

Ingredients

Crust:

1cup water

1/2 cup butter

1cup all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

Filling:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 large box (5.1 ounces) vanilla instant pudding

3 cups milk

Topping:

1/8 oz container cool whip (just enough for a thin layer ) or one batch of homemade whipped cream

chocolate syrup or homemade chocolate sauceMethod:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9”X13” glass baking pan.

For the Eclair Crust:

1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter in water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in flour. Mix in one egg at a time, mixing completely before adding another egg. Spread mixture into pan, covering the bottom and sides evenly. Mixture will be very wet. *If the sides of your pan are too greased you won’t be able to get the mixture to stay up the sides so make sure to just lightly grease. No big deal but I like the crust to go up the sides a bit.

2. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown .You may want to check it occasionally - you don’t want to overcook the crust, it will ruin the cake! Remove from oven and let cool (don’t touch or push bubbles down).

For the filling:

1. Whip cream cheese in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl make vanilla pudding by beating the pudding mix and the milk for 3 minutes and put in the fridge until set. Make sure pudding is thick before mixing in with cream cheese. Slowly add pudding to cream cheese, mixing until there are no lumps. Let it cool in fridge. When the crust is completely cooled, pour filling in. Top with layer of cool whip however thick you want it. Serve with a drizzle of chocolate syrup. *If you want to make this even better use homemade whipped cream.

Cinammon Rolls

Ingredients

2 and ¾ cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 package instant yeast (1 packet = 2 and ¼ teaspoons)

½ cup water

¼ cup milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large egg

Filling:

¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

¼ cup brown sugar

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-3 tablespoons milk or coffee

 

Method:

To make dough:

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast together until evenly dispersed. Set aside. In a small microwavable bowl, heat the water, milk, and butter together in the microwave until the butter is melted (about 30-45 seconds). Stir the butter mixture into the flour mixture. Add the egg and knead with hand or with stand mixer for 3-4 minutes or until the dough is no longer sticky. Place in a lightly greased bowl and let rest for about 5 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and turn off after 10 minutes or just before placing rolls in oven.

To make filling:

1. After the dough has rested for 5 minutes, roll it out in a 15x9 inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter on top. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle it all over the dough. Roll up the dough tightly and cut into 9 (large) even pieces. Place in a lightly greased 9-inch or square pan (or cut into 12 small pieces and place in a 9x13 pan) and lightly cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.

2. Turn off the oven and place the cinnamon buns in the oven to rise for 20 minutes. Keep the buns in the oven (remove the foil or plastic) and turn on the oven to 375F. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and top with glaze.

To make glaze:

1. Mix the powdered sugar, vanilla and 2 tablespoons milk together until smooth and lump free. Drizzle over warm rolls.

Source: Zarmina Kadir of Dessert Bar

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