Chocolate continues to be the irresistible choice for Valentine’s Day desserts, but you don’t have to settle for just any old chocolate cake or cookie recipe this holiday. If you want to treat your sweetheart to a tasty dessert this Valentine’s Day, pick any of these sinful desserts for a gourmet indulgence:
Valentine’s Dessert Dark Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Sauce
Dark chocolate appeals to almost all chocolate enthusiasts, so put together a devilishly rich dark chocolate cake topped with raspberry sauce for an unforgettable dessert. This flourless chocolate cake recipe from Whole Foods is easy to make, and you can top it with your own homemade raspberry sauce. Warm up your favorite brand of raspberry preserves and a few teaspoons of powdered sugar to make a glaze that can be drizzled over the cake for the perfect finishing touch.
Valentine’s Dessert: Cappuccino Truffles
An assortment of homemade truffles is usually appreciated by any chocolate lover, and if they also enjoy coffee, this treat is a must for Valentine’s Day. Just melt together one bag of milk chocolate chips, 6 tablespoons fresh butter, 3 tablespoons of heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of instant espresso in a double boiler and stir until smooth. Pour into a plastic container and freeze for about 1 – 1.5 hours until it’s firm; then form the mixture into small balls or pyramids and dust with powdered sugar. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving.
Valentine’s Dessert: Chocolate Lava Cakes
Is your Valentine a fan of lava cakes from your favorite restaurant? It isn’t very hard to make these at home, and you don’t even need special equipment to create these fudgy treats. The trick to making restaurant-style lava cakes is to use a rich chocolate cake recipe for the base and fill each cake with either store-bought fudge sundae topping or your own homemade chocolate sauce. Try this Lava Cake recipe if you want to create this chocolate indulgence but are short on time.
Valentine’s Dessert: Chocolate Heart Tart
Nothing says ‘I Love You’ better than a heart-shaped tart! Put together a shortbread crust, chocolate pie filling and whipped cream topping in a heart-shaped pan and enjoy with your espresso or after-dinner cordial for a sweet and tasty ending to your meal. This Heart Tart recipe made with sweetened condensed milk and a pre-made pie crust is easy to prepare and will have them head over heels in no time.
Valentine’s Dessert: Dark Chocolate Brownie Bites
Possibly one of the easiest Valentine’s desserts to prepare, this is one treat you can make from a box and enjoy as if it came fresh from the bakery. Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate and Double Chocolate brownie mixes can be used to create ultra-rich brownies that you can freeze slightly then cut into hearts using a heart-shaped cookie cutter. You can serve these plain or topped with your favorite cream cheese frosting for gourmet treat!
Valentines’ Dessert: Chocolate Fondue
If you’re a fan of sampler platters, put together your own at-home fondue plate! You can make fondue with 1 cup of whipping cream, 10 oz. semisweet chocolate and 2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier; melt these ingredients in a double boiler, then transfer to a fondue pot to keep the mixture warm for the evening’s festivities. Serve this with slices of pound cake, brownie bites, fresh strawberries and sliced fruit for a fun and inventive Valentine’s dessert.
