Valentine’s Day is a few short days away.  Do you have plans or know how you’re going to celebrate?  A lot of people have set traditions each year and like to go out to dinner or prepare a fun meal at home with their friends and/or loved ones.  We prefer staying in and making a meal at home.  We feel less rushed, it’s fun to cook together, and we can make something special to celebrate the holiday.  Two things I like to focus on when creating new Valentine’s Day recipes is desserts and cocktails.  Both will enhance your dinner and make the event more memorable and are required to complete the meal (in my opinion).  So, let’s walk through my new recipes and hopefully something will catch your eye to prepare for Valentine’s (or Galantine’s) Day!

I’m going to start with the cocktails because 1) they are easy to make, 2) they are delicious, and 3) you need something to drink while you read 😊

Pink Moscato Punch is perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth.  It’s sweet, a little sour, and refreshing.  This recipe is for ONE cocktail, but you will have plenty of ingredients leftover that you can make a few more throughout the night.

The recipe can be found here.

Make sure your ingredients are chilled.  Add the Moscato, sprite, and lemonade to a wine glass (or another decorative glass).  Give it a little stir to combine the ingredients, then top with raspberries and sliced strawberries.

You can enjoy as is BUT if you are feeling a little saucy, I highly recommend investing in edible glitter.  It doesn’t change the flavor of your drink and makes it looks really pretty.  Sprinkle some pink edible glitter in the glass, swirl it around, and enjoy!  The pink glitter creates a shimmering effect when swirled and add the perfect pink touch to the cocktail.  If you look closely at the second image below, you will be able to see the shimmer.

The recipe can be found here.

Red Queen Cocktail is perfect for anyone that likes something fruity and tart.  The fruity taste is subtle and comes from elderflower, the tartness comes from cranberry juice (which is such a universal cocktail mixer), and the gin gives it this lovely earthy taste.  I didn’t think I would like this cocktail, but I loved it!  This recipe is for TWO cocktails, but again, you will have leftover ingredients so don’t stop there!

The recipe can be found here.

Start by filling a cocktail shaker with ice.  Add the cranberry juice, gin, elderflower liqueur, and lemon juice.  Shake vigorously until frothy.  You don’t need to worry about chilling your ingredients beforehand because the ice in the cocktail shaker will do that for you but there is no harm in chilling them if you prefer.

Strain into 2 coup glasses (or other decorative glasses) and garnish with cranberries.  I like to use a toothpick to skewer the cranberries, or you can have them float around the glass.

You can now enjoy the cocktail as is OR you can add edible glitter.  I suggest the edible glitter.  It makes everything more festive but doesn’t alter the flavor of the drink.  Sprinkle some red edible glitter in the glass, swirl it around, and enjoy!  I love the sparkly look of the cocktail with the glitter.  If you look closely at the second image below, you will see the sparkle.

The recipe can be found here.

Next up is 2 dessert options.  The first one I’ve made before for various holidays; Valentine’s Day Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods.  The beauty of pretzel rods is you can change the color of the chocolate and sprinkles you are using to coordinate with different holidays.  For example, we’re talking Valentine’s Day today, so I used chocolate and vanilla almond bark with red, white, and pink sprinkles.  Super simple yet super tasty!

The recipe can be found here.

Start by lining 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.  Alternately, you can lay parchment paper or wax paper directly on the counter.  I like to use baking sheets to I have the option to move the pretzel rods to another location if I need the counter space.  Up to you!

Divide the pretzel rods in half.  You will make half chocolate and half vanilla.

Use a double boiler to melt the chocolate almond bark.  Alternately, you can melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until completely melted.  I prefer to use the double boiler because it melts the chocolate low and slow, and keeps the chocolate melted while you work.  If you microwave the chocolate, it will start to harden as you work and you will need to microwave it again to keep that smooth, melted consistency.

Dip a pretzel rod in the chocolate and use a spoon to scoop chocolate over the pretzel rod.  The spoon helps cover the areas you can’t dip.  You want to coat at least 75 % of the pretzel but ideally you will cover almost all of it.  Gently shake the pretzel rod to drip off any excess chocolate then place on a baking sheet.  Top with sprinkles.  Repeat until you have run out of chocolate, about 12-14 pretzels.  Let the chocolate harden while you work on the vanilla flavor.

Same as before, use a double boiler to melt the vanilla almond bark (or use a microwave safe bowl).  Dip a pretzel rod in the chocolate and use a spoon to scoop chocolate over the pretzel rod.  You want to coat at least 75 % of the pretzel but ideally you will cover almost all of it.  Gently shake the pretzel rod to drip off any excess chocolate then place on a baking sheet.  Top with sprinkles.  Repeat until you have run out of chocolate, about 12-14 pretzels.

Let the pretzels sit on the counter until the chocolate is set.  Once set, enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container on the counter.

The recipe can be found here.

These are a favorite of mine to make.  I like the simplicity of the recipe, plus they are easy to bring to work to share with coworkers or package in 2’s or 3’s to pass out as treats.  Everyone will love the taste and themed sprinkles.

Lasty, is Strawberry Cheesecake Mousse.  This no bake dessert is packed with fresh strawberry flavor!  The cream cheese is combined with fresh strawberry puree, and it creates this light and fluffy dessert.  It’s sweet, a tiny bit tart, and has a lovely crunch from the graham cracker crust.

The recipe can be found here.

Start by making the graham cracker crumble.  Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl.  Add the graham cracker crumbs and sugar and stir to combine.  The mixture will resemble wet sand.  Divide the mixture evenly between 4 glasses or small serving dishes.  You’ll have 2 for tonight and 2 for leftovers, unless you’re expecting more company 🙂

Next, make the strawberry puree.  Remove the stem and leaves from 8 strawberries.  Add them to a food processor and pulse until pureed.  Set aside.

Then, make the whipped cream.  Add the heavy whipping cream to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until it begins to thicken.  Add 2 Tbsp powdered sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks forms.  Set aside.

Next, make the cheesecake mixture.  Add the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until smooth and creamy.  Add the vanilla extract and 1/3 cup powdered sugar and beat until well combined.  Add the strawberry puree and beat until combined.  Add the whipped cream and beat on low speed until combined.  The mixture should be light and fluffy.  Give it a taste, I’m sure you’ll love it!

Finally, you are ready to assemble the desserts.  Add the cheesecake mixture to a piping bag or Ziploc bag and snip off the corner.  Pipe into each glass / serving dish until about ¾ full or until you run out of mixture.  Slice the remaining strawberries and place on top as a garnish.

Chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes or until ready to serve.  If you are going to make ahead of time and chill overnight, cover with plastic wrap.  Serve cold and enjoy!

The recipe can be found here.

I think this dessert is so light and refreshing.  The strawberry flavor really comes out and who doesn’t love cheesecake?  It’s the perfect way to end your meal.

Happy Cooking and Happy Valentine’s Day!

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