VALENTINE'S DAY RECIPES

[Kitchen Witch]

This is an EXCELLENT recipe! I love it! I hope many others will try it too!

Thank you for posting it - Gooey, Decadent Chocolate Cake!


Kitchen Witch

[Kitchen Witch]

Chocolate Surprise


Blend together:
1 1/2 cup plain flour
1 1/2 stick margarine
1 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Press into 9" x 13" pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool

Cream together:
1 cup powdered sugar
1, 8 oz package of cream cheese

Fold in 9 oz. defrosted Cool Whip. Spread onto the cooled pastry layer.

Mix well:
1 large box of chocolate INSTANT pudding
Add 3 1/2 cups milk

Spread on top of the second layer.

Spread a 9 oz. container of defrosted Cool Whip on top of the third layer and refrigerate.

[Kitchen Witch]

DOUBLE BOILER LEMON SOUFFLE

1 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup milk
2 eggs, separated

Combine sugar, flour, lemon juice, milk, and egg yolks in top of double boiler. Blend well. Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into lemon mixture. Place over simmering water. Cover; cook 55 minutes. Do not uncover during cooking.
Serve warm. Makes 4 servings

[Kitchen Witch]

CHOCOLATE BUTTERSCOTCH SCHNAPPS CAKE

3 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate
6 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups white sugar
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butterscotch schnapps; divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur

Melt unsweetened chocolate and butter or margarine in the top of a double
boiler or in a bowl in the microwave. Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, beat eggs well, gradually add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add cooled chocolate mixture slowly; mix well. Stir in 1/4 cup schnapps, almond extract and vanilla. In another bowl stir together flour, baking powder and salt and gradually add flour mixture to chocolate mixture. Stir only to combine. Stir in chips with spatula. Divide batter into 2 greased and floured, 8 inch, round cake pans.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 350°F, or until cake tests done. Cool for 10 minutes in pans. Meanwhile, bring the cream to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in 12 ounces of chocolate chips. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Remove lid and stir in amaretto. Remove layers form pans. Brush with remaining schnapps. Place one layer on a serving plate. Pour 1/3 of the glaze over the layer and then place the second layer on top of the first. Pour remaining glaze over the whole cake. Serves 10

[Kitchen Witch]

EASY OVEN BAKED SWISS STEAK

1 1/2 pounds round steak cut into serving size pieces
1/4 cup flour
2 Tablespoons oil
16 oz tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Pound 1 tablespoon flour into each side of steak. Brown in oil. Transfer to 9x13 oven proof dish. Add remaining flour to skillet, stir in remaining ingredients. Stir till thick and bubbly, pour over steak and bake covered at 350degrees for 1 hour 20 minutes or until tender.

[Kitchen Witch]

SPICY ROAST DUCKLING WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE
Serves 2

2 pieces whole carrot (5 inches long)
2 pieces celery rib (5 inches long)
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 duck, split and trimmed of all fat and excess skin
Mild Louisiana-style hot sauce

For dry rub:
2 tablespoons salt
1/4 cup dried onion
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 tablespoon white pepper
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon granulated garlic

For sauce:
1 jar (8 ounces) raspberry jam
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 ounce Triple Sec (orange liqueur)
1 ounce raspberry brandy
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In 3-inch-deep roasting pan, build nest of carrot and celery pieces topped with sliced onion. Moisten duck halves with hot sauce and place halves atop vegetables, skin side up.
Prepare dry-rub seasoning by blending together in food processor the salt, dried onion, pepper, paprika, basil, mustard, cumin and garlic. Dust duck with 1 tablespoon dry-rub seasoning. Cover pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven 2 hours, 15 minutes.
Remove duck from oven and, avoiding steam, remove foil. Cool slightly and remove duck to platter. (Fat in pan may be saved and used for frying potatoes.) Discard vegetables and any liquid remaining in pan. Cool duck until it can be comfortably handled. Remove all bones from body cavity. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Prepare sauce by mixing jam, sugar, water, Triple Sec and brandy in 2-quart saucepan. Stirring constantly, bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain mixture into 2-quart saucepan and return to low heat. Mix together cornstarch and teriyaki sauce. Add to raspberry jam mixture and heat until slightly thickened.
To serve, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove plastic wrap from duck. Place halves, skin side up, in baking dish and heat in preheated oven 15 minutes. Baste with raspberry sauce and return to oven for 5 minutes.

[Kitchen Witch]

VALENTINE RECIPE FOR FRENCH KISSES

3 egg whites room temperature
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 drops red food coloring
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/4 cups shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place the eggs whites in a glass mixing bowl with salt Beat until the whites are stiff. Slowly add 1 cup of sugar beating constantly. Mix in food coloring, almond extract and coconut using a slow deliberate mix to avoid deflating the mixture. Drop the mixture from a teaspoon onto a greased and well-floured baking sheet. Bake about 30 minutes. Turn oven off and let kisses sit in oven for 1 1/2 hours

[Kitchen Witch]

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

2- 8 0z. packages cream cheese softened
1 cup melted white chocolate
2 eggs well beaten
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 9 inch deep dish graham cracker pie crust

Combine cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla and almond extract together and beat until smooth, add sour cream and blend. Pour into pie crust and bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until set.

[Kitchen Witch]

Chateaubriand For Two with Mushroom Sauce

1 1/4 pounds beef tenderloin
1 cup teriyaki sauce
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter

Sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces wild mushrooms
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup red wine
1 cup beef stock

Marinate tenderloin for 20 minutes in teriyaki, chopped garlic, salt and black pepper. Heat butter in skillet until sizzling. Pan-sear tenderloin, flipping to all sides. Finish in oven at 400 degrees until desired temperature (about 20 minutes until it tests done with a meat thermometer). Rare: 130 degrees; medium-rare: 140 degrees; medium: 148 degrees; medium-well: 154 degrees; well: 165 degrees.

Remove tenderloin from oven to a separate plate. Cover loosely with foil and make sauce.

To make sauce: Add butter to pan, and add mushrooms, saute until golden. Deglaze pan with red wine. Add beef stock. Reduce by half. Slice tenderloin into four equal portions. Place on plate and ladle mushroom sauce on top. Serves 2.

[Kitchen Witch]

Valentine Pizza

"Make this pizza for your Valentine! The rosemary dough is made in a bread machine, and then made into three heart shaped pizzas." Original recipe yield: 3 medium pizzas.


* 3 cups bread flour
* 1 (.25 ounce) envelope active dry yeast
* 1 1/4 cups warm water
* 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
* 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
*
* 1 (14 ounce) can pizza sauce
* 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
* 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
* 1 zucchini, sliced
* 15 slices vegetarian pepperoni
* 1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced black olives


* Place bread flour, yeast, water, and 2 tablespoons olive oil into the bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the Dough setting. Press Start. When the dough is finished, knead rosemary into the dough.
* Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
* Divide the dough into three portions. Shape each piece into a heart shape about 1/2 inch thick. Brush with remaining olive oil, and spread a thin layer of pizza sauce on each pizza. Sprinkle cheese over pizza sauce, and arrange tomatoes, zucchini, pepperoni, and sliced olives on top.
* Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until cheese has melted and crust is browned. Tip:Bake pizza on a pizza stone for best results.For more heart shapes, cut tomato into slices, and then cut slices into heart shapes. Do the same to the zucchini and the pepperoni.

[The Mad Baker]

Preparing for Valentine's Day

It's that time of year again...

The time when you want to do something sweet for that special person in your life... but what do you do? Do you go buy the most expensive gift you can find? Do you take that traditional flowers and chocolate route?

It's likely a safe bet. For the record, I'm not gonna suggest you don't do that.

What something sweet that says I love you and shows it with not only a delicious homemade dessert, but also the traditional flowers and chocolate as well?

Make your Valentine's Day one to be remembered with Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake. This is a perfect compliment to go with a dozen pink carnations:


The Ultimate Turtle Cheesecake Experience


1 1/4 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
12 ounces caramel
1/2 cup milk
1 1/4 cup crushed pecans
24 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
4 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
4 ounces milk chocolate, melted


Preheat oven to 350` F.

In medium bowl, combine cookie crumbs, 1/4 cup crushed pecans and melted butter until crumbs are evenly moist. Press along the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch spring form pan.

Place crust in oven and bake 8 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool.

Using a small sauce pan, melt caramel over low heat, stirring frequently, add milk and stir well. Add pecans.

Pour half of the caramel mixture into crust. Place in freezer for 15 minutes. Cover and refrigerate remaining caramel mixture for later.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, one by one, beating on low speed after each one until just blended. Pour over caramel topped crust.

Bake 45 to 55 min. or until center is almost set. Run a thin knife or metal spatula along rim of pan to loosen cake. Cool. Cover; refrigerate 4 hours to overnight. Remove cheesecake from pan.

Reheat reserved caramel mixture; stir frequently. Drizzle over cheesecake. Drizzle melted chocolate over caramel.

Cover and refrigerate any leftover dessert.

[THOMCOOK]

KW,
One quick question, if I may. Love the looks of Princess Diana's Wedding cake. Would have to leave out the nuts because of a family member who has nut allergy. Do I need to make any other adjustments to do that? I am sending two of your cake recipes to my kinda kooky step-mom. I have never heard of the Better-Than-Sex Cake. It sounds like she will love it. The other is the Ambrosia Cake, which I will try also. You have outdone yourself again on this thread! Many thanks once more!
Thom

[Kitchen Witch]

Thom - Once again THANK YOU.

Anytime you see a cake recipe that has nuts in it you can usually leave them out with no other adjustments.

There are so many of those "Better-Than" cake recipes. Just like the dump cakes - there are so many.

I hope everyone enjoys the recipes!

KW