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Valentine’s Day dessert two ways

Article by Hanna Kryhina

Valentine’s Day is an occasion to share your love with your friends and family. One tried-and-true method of bringing joy to your loved ones is baking them a dessert. Here are three festive recipes to make this Valentines Day: two quick and easy baked goods, and a more challenging recipe for hardcore bakers.

The Fancy: Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake

An experienced baker can try their hand at this flourless cake. Students will accomplish the desired decadence by folding beaten egg whites into the cake’s chocolate batter. Although complicated, this modern spin on a traditional chocolate cake is sure to impress loved ones.

90 minutes Serves 6-8 350* F

Ingredients:

Butter for greasing 3 tablespoons butter 6 ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate 6 large eggs, separated 1 cup granulated sugar 3 tablespoons instant coffee granules ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Invert the bottom of a springform cake pan. Line pan with parchment paper and grease parchment. 2. Melt butter and chocolate. Stir until smooth and set aside. 3. In a large bowl, beat together egg yolks and ½ cup sugar on medium to high speed until thick and light in color. Add instant-coffee granules and salt; beat to combine. Add vanilla and butter-chocolate mixture; beat to combine. 4. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites on medium speed until foamy.

Increase speed to high and gradually add remaining sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. 5. Fold egg whites into egg yolk-chocolate mixture in small amounts. 6. Transfer batter to pan and bake until set, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven. 7. Let cake cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Remove side of pan and transfer cake to a serving plate. Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart.

The Fast: One-Bowl Brownies

These one-bowl brownies don’t create much of a mess, allowing cooks to clean up quickly and spend more time with their valentine. This recipe enables everyone to learn beginner baking techniques through its simple steps. Easy to master, making brownies will quickly prove to be a great way to unwind after a long day of Zoom classes.

1 hour

Ingredients: 1 cup butter 1 ½ cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips ¾ cup granulated sugar ¾ cup brown sugar 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon salt 3 large eggs 1 ¼ cups flour ⅓ cup cocoa powder

Butter, for greasing Serves 14-16 350* F

Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Melt butter with 1 cup of chocolate chips. Let sit for 3 minutes and stir until smooth. 3. Add sugars, vanilla, and salt to the butter-chocolate mixture; whisk to combine. Add eggs and whisk until combined. Fold in flour and cocoa powder with a spatula. Fold in remaining chocolate chips. 4. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and grease parchment. Spread the batter evenly in the pan. 5. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 45 minutes. 6. Let cool completely for at least 30 minutes before cutting.Recipe adapted from Tasty.

The Fast: Soft Raspberry Cookies

These cookies combine a buttery base with raspberries for a refreshing twist. While this recipe is unique, it is also simplistic, using common ingredients and requiring only one bowl. The simplicity of the recipe and the deliciousness of the cookies make this recipe the perfect Valentine’s Day treat.

45 minutes 24 Cookies 350* F

Ingredients: 2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ¼ cup granulated sugar ¼ cup brown sugar ¾ cup butter, cubed ½ cup heavy whipping cream 1 egg 1 cup frozen raspberries, chopped Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and sugars. Add butter; combine with a spatula. Add cream and egg, and mix until combined. Gently fold in raspberries. 3. Using a spoon or ice cream scoop, create rounds from the dough. Arrange at least ½ an inch apart on the cookie sheet. 4. Bake until cookies begin to brown around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely for at least 30 minutes. Recipe adapted from I Heart Naptime.

The Fancy: Sugar Cookies with Raspberry Royal Icing

Baking enthusiasts looking for a challenge can find one in these sugar cookies and their nearly impossible-to-perfect royal icing. The cookie’s surface offers a blank canvas to decorate, and royal icing achieves a level of intricacy that frosting does not. Iced cookies are ideal for a gift, delivering love to a significant other.

5 hours 30-40 cookies 375* F

Ingredients:

Cookies: 3 cups flour ¾ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 1 tablespoon milk Icing: 3 to 6 cups powdered sugar 2 to 5 tablespoons milk ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ cup raspberry juice ½ teaspoon beet juice

Directions: 1. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. 2. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light in color. Add egg, milk, and extracts; beat to combine. Lower speed and gradually add flour; beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. 3. Divide the dough in half, wrap each section in parchment paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours. 4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 5. Sprinkle surface powdered sugar on the surface where you will roll out dough. Remove one pack of dough from the refrigerator, sprinkle powdered sugar on a rolling pin, and roll out dough to ¼-inch thick. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and grease parchment. Cut dough into hearts and place ½ an inch apart on a baking sheet. Freeze for 10 minutes. 6. Take out of the freezer and bake until cookies begin to turn brown around the edges, 7 to 14 minutes. Take out of the oven and let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes. Move cookies to wire rack and let cool completely for at least 1 hour. 7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 with the second pack of refrigerated dough. 8. In a medium bowl, beat 3 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, vanilla, and raspberry juice, until almost the consistency of syrup. If icing is too thick, add milk, ½ tablespoon at a time. If it is too runny, add powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time. 9. To create one color of icing, add all the beat juice to the icing. To create different shades of pink, divide the icing into separate bowls and add varying amounts of beat juice to each bowl. Mix to combine. 10. Ice and decorate cooled cookies as desired. Let icing set for at least 2 hours. Recipe adapted from Food Network and Betty Crocker.