In Great Britain thousands of pounds are spent on sending cards and flowers to our loved ones on St Valentine’s Day. Chocolates also feature in the exchange of gifts and often come in the shape of a heart.
Here in Spain, it is much the same as England, but look out for the heart-shaped cakes appearing soon in a shop near you. What better way to show someone how much you love them than making something sweet for St Valentine’s Day? Below are some recipes to try that might say happy Valentine’s to someone special in your life. It doesn’t have to be shaped or pretty, just covered in chocolate to win my heart.
Buen Apetito
Marzipan Hearts
225g icing sugar
225g ground almonds
1 egg
1 tsp lemon juice
Few drops of almond essence
Glace cherries to decorate
Place icing sugar and almonds in a bowl and mix. Beat the egg and add with the lemon juice and almond essence. Turn the mixture onto a dusted board and knead lightly until smooth. Press the marzipan into a flat sheet and then cut into squares. Place on a baking sheet and leave to dry overnight. Heat the oven to 200ºC and bake the marzipan for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool and decorate.
Rum Truffles
100g trifle sponges
4 tbsp rum
4 tbsp black coffee
25g slivered almonds
1 tbsp icing sugar
25g butter
100g strong chocolate
Chocolate strands to decorate
Dice the sponges and place in shallow dish. Grill nuts for 5 minutes, turning until toasted. Allow to cool. Put icing sugar and butter into a bowl and beat together. Add the sponge, rum and almonds and mix well. Set aside. Break chocolate into squares and place in a glass heat-proof bowl over a pan of hot water. Leave until melted and stir in coffee until smooth. Remove from the heat and mix into sponge mixture. Set aside to cool until firm enough to roll. Using a spoon, scoop out a small portion and roll mixture into a ball. Roll in the chocolate strands and place in a paper case.
Traditional Fudge
450g granulated sugar
100g butter
150ml milk
150ml evaporated milk
Place sugar, butter, milk and evaporated milk in a heavy based pan and heat gently until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil without stirring and then boil gently until the mixture is 116ºC (a sugar thermometer is best used for this). Stir occasionally to prevent the milk scorching. Beat with a wooden spoon for 10 minutes or until the mixture becomes grainy and thick. Pour into lightly oiled tin and leave to set. When almost set mark squares with a knife which allow for easier removal when completely set.
Strawberry Romanov
500g strawberries
1 small orange
4 tbsp vodka
3 tbsp caster sugar
Topping
142ml whipping cream
25g caster sugar
200g low fat soft cheese
4-5 tbsp milk
Wash the strawberries, reserving 4 for decoration and cut the rest into quarters. Peel thin strips of rind off the orange and squeeze the juice out. Mix together the orange juice, vodka and sugar in a bowl and stir until sugar dissolves. Toss the strawberries in the mixture and chill in fridge for 1 hour. Whip the cream until peaks form, beat the cheese in a bowl and fold into the cream. Add in the milk a spoonful at a time until a smooth consistency. Place the strawberries in 4 bowls, spoon the creamy cheese on top and decorate
Banana and Strawberry Honey Crisp
75g rolled oats
25g caster sugar
25g butter
I lemon
1 tbsp orange blossom honey
225g strawberries halved
4 medium bananas peeled and thickly sliced
4 tbsp Greek yogurt
Sprinkle oats over a baking sheet and scatter with sugar. Dot with butter and then drizzle over the honey. Place in oven 190ºC for around 10 minutes or until toasted. Remove and allow to cool. Place the strawberries and bananas in a bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Top with Greek yogurt and finish with a scattering of crumbled honey crisp oats.