A day for love: 5 desserts to celebrate a perfect Valentine’s Day
This Valentine's Day, plan a day full of love, passion, and sweets with these five desserts that you can make at home.
Valentine’s Day is a day of love, passion, and sweets. And nothing says passion like beautifully crafted pastries. There are a plethora of pastries to choose from, but which ones should we choose to surprise our loved ones this Valentine’s Day?
While chocolate is the first thing that comes to mind for many, try a selection of these five pastries to keep the whole day sweetness, surprise, and romance:
Raspberry bi-colour croissant
A great way to start any day is with buttery homemade croissants. But since it is Valentine’s Day, kick it up a notch with a raspberry bi-colour croissant. This year, Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday and nothing says ‘I love you’ like bringing that special someone a breakfast-in-bed.
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A cup of coffee or tea and these beautiful shining red croissants that have the buttery and flaky texture you would expect from the perfect croissant but filled with a surprise. They are made using a technique to fuse two colours of carefully laminated croissant dough to give it a more elegant look.
After rising, they are baked to perfection and filled with homemade raspberry jam. Now, you’ve already started your day with a bang. These raspberry croissants are sweet, flaky, and nothing is better suited for a Valentine’s Day breakfast in bed.
Raspberry Religieuse
So, you have planned a day full of surprises and fun to spend with your love? Hot air ballooning or just a nice walk holding hands in the park. At some point, you may choose to take some rest over coffee or high tea with a few pastries and just sit and enjoy each other’s company.
There are a variety of small cakes and pastries — known as petite gâteaux — that are the just the right size to enjoy as a mid-day treat for two.
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The raspberry religieuse is a choux pastry-based petite gâteaux. It uses the same dough as eclairs but is immaculately presented by piping two sizes of round choux and covering each with a beautiful red craquelin.
When baked together, the choux pastry rises into two perfectly round balls with a sweet, crispy, and vibrant topping. After cooling the choux is filled with a combination of homemade raspberry jam and vanilla crème patisserie. It is then stacked on top of another. Then, using a special piping technique, a beautiful frill of chantilly is created in between the two pieces to give an elegant look and an explosion of flavour when you bite in.
Japanese strawberry shortcake
Another perfect mid-day treat could be a slice of classic Japanese strawberry shortcake. First, carefully perfect and bake the cloud-like soft and light Japanese sponge then layer with delicately whipped fresh crème chantilly, placing abundant amounts of beautiful fresh strawberries in each layer.
The delicateness and freshness of this cake make it a superb choice for mid-day since it won’t leave you feeling heavy but instead refreshed — just the mood you want to set for the rest of such a special day.
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Truffle
Why not finish the day with the elegant Truffle. An entremets combining a spiced berry jelly, mint ganache, caramelised cashew — all elegantly wrapped in a rich chocolate mousse. Finished with a beautiful glaze and delicate chocolate décor, it is guaranteed to delight your loved one and let them know how special they are.
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Chocolate fondant cake
Aiming for something a little more simple? Something delicious, warm, and cosy to wind down your night? Nothing is more perfectly suited than a classic chocolate fondant cake.
Sometimes called chocolate lava cake because on the outside it looks like a simple chocolate cake but the second you dig in and an explosion of warm chocolate filling comes pouring out. Pair this chocolaty surprise with some homemade vanilla Ice cream and you’re sure to delight.
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No matter how you plan your Valentine’s Day, there is no way around without sweets. What better way to show how much you care than taking your time and love, and putting it into one of these fantastic pastries catered to the theme of love and passion. All of these amazing delicacies and more can be made at home with your own two hands.
Edited by Saheli Sen Gupta