Anytime sweets

Your valentine will love these, or just reward yourself

Valentine's Day treats.
Valentine's Day treats.

— Whether you want to woo your sweetheart or treat yourself to something special, sweets and Valentine’s Day seem to be natural partners. But there’s no need to resort to a heart-shaped cardboard box filled with candies that were made weeks or even months ago when you can create made-for-two treats in your kitchen.

And when it comes to intimate gatherings, more is not merrier. We scoured our favorite cookbooks and cooking websites for recipes for sweet treats to share with your sweetie that make just two to four servings. This is one “holiday” when chocolate seems to rule, but we know not everyone loves chocolate the way we do, so we also included a blondie recipe.

Special pans like the one featured in today’s Gadgets & Gizmos column make these treats easy to bake, but you can just as easily use a loaf pan or small baking dishes to accommodate these smaller-sized recipes.

S’Mores Brownies 3 tablespoons butter, divided use◊cup graham cracker crumbs 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped ½ cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder 1 egg, lightly beaten ½ teaspoon vanilla extract◊teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips ½ cup miniature marshmallows Arrange a rack in the center of the oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 5-by-3-inch loaf pan (2-cup capacity) with aluminum foil, leaving overhang on the ends.

Lightly butter the foil. Set aside.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. In a small bowl, combine the melted butter with the graham cracker crumbs and mix well. Press mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until light golden brown; set aside.

In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons ofbutter and the unsweetened chocolate. Cook on 50 percent power, stirring every 30 to 45 seconds, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Whisk in sugar and cocoa powder. Whisk in egg, vanilla and salt. Stir in the flour. Spread mixture evenly over the cooked crust. Bake 25 to 27 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out almost clean, with just a few moist crumbs attached. The top will appear puffed and slightly cracked.

Remove from oven. Heat broiler. Scatter the chocolate chips and marshmallows over the brownie and place the pan under the broiler for about 1 minute, or until marshmallows are lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack before cutting into bars.

Makes 3 to 4 brownies.

Recipe adapted from Small Batch Baking for Chocolate Lovers by Debby Maugans Kahlua Chocolate Cake 2 tablespoons whole milk 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur

such as Kahlua 1 egg, well beaten ½ cup PLUS 2 ½ tablespoons

all-purpose flour ¼ cup granulated sugar 1 ½ tablespoons unsweetened

cocoa powder ¼ teaspoon baking powder◊teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons butter, softened Chocolate Cream Glaze (recipe

follows)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly coat a 5-by-3-inch loaf pan or other 2-cup capacity baking pan with baking spray (or grease and flour).

In a small bowl, stir together the milk, liqueur and beaten egg;

set aside.

In a small, deep mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt.

Using a handheld mixer on low speed, mix the dry ingredients.

Add the butter and half of the milk mixture and beat on low until dry ingredients are just moistened. Increase speed to medium and beat until batter has nearly doubled in volume, about 45 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the remaining milk mixture and beat on medium for 20 seconds.

Scrape sides again and pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan set on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan and let cool, upright, on the wire rack. Once cool, spread glaze over cake and place on a serving plate. Serve at room temperature.

Makes 1 petite loaf.

Chocolate Cream Glaze 2 tablespoons heavy cream 1 ½ ounces semisweet

chocolate, chopped 1 tablespoon coffee liqueur

OR 1 tablespoon very strong

brewed coffee PLUS 1

tablespoon confectioners’

sugar Heat cream in a small, microwave-safe bowl on 100 percent power until hot, about 20 seconds. Add the chocolate, stirring to submerge it into the hot cream. Let stand 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Stir in the liqueur. Let stand until mixture reaches glazing consistency.

Makes about ¼ cup.

Recipe adapted from Small Batch Baking for Chocolate Lovers by Debby Maugans Raspberry Palmiers 1 sheet frozen puff pastry,

thawed 2 tablespoons butter, softened Granulated sugar 1 cup semisweet chocolate

chips OR white chocolate

chips 2 tablespoons coconut oil OR

vegetable shortening ½ teaspoon raspberry extract Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 sheet of the thawed pastry into a 14-by-10-inch rectangle.

Spread surface with softened butter, then sprinkle with sugar.

Roll in both narrow ends of the pastry to meet in the center of the rectangle. Cut each roll into ¼ -inch thick slices. Place cut pastries (don’t let them touch) on the prepared baking sheets.

Sprinkle tops with sugar. Bake 12 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, melt the semisweet or white chocolate chips, coconut oil or shortening and raspberry extract in the top part of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Dip half of eachcooled pastry in the melted chocolate. Place on a wax-paper lined baking sheet and refrigerate until chocolate is set.

Makes about 12 palmiers.

Note: Puff pastry will thaw at room temperature in about 45 minutes.

Peanut Butter Squares 2 cups sifted confectioners’

sugar ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs ½ cup peanut butter ½ cup butter, melted 1 cup semisweet chocolate

morsels, melted In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter and melted butter and mix well.

Firmly press mixture into thebottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. Spread the melted chocolate evenly over the crust.

Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours or until chocolate is set. Cut into squares.

Bars will keep layered between sheets of parchment or wax paper, stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Recipe adapted from Classic Southern Desserts from the editors of Southern Living Small Batch

Butterscotch Blondies 3 tablespoons butter, melted ½ cup brown sugar 1 egg yolk ½ teaspoon vanilla extract Generous pinch salt ½ cup all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon baking powder 5 tablespoons butterscotch

baking chipsHeat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a standard (9-by-5-inch) loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on each end;

set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the melted butter and brown sugar using a wooden spoon. Stir in the egg yolk, vanilla and salt. Sprinkle the flour and baking powder over butter mixture and stir well. Fold in the butterscotch pieces. Spread batter into the prepared pan.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out almost clean. Using the overhang, lift the blondies from the pan and place blondies with parchment on a wire rack to cool. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Makes about 4 blondies.

Recipe adapted from dessertfor- two.com

Food, Pages 35 on 02/13/2013

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