Creamy Chocolate and Coffee Casatta for Valentine’s Day

Ingredients:

1 small box Ricotta cheese
360 g cream cheese
3 oz instant coffee
3 oz honey
2 tbsp chocolate
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preparing:

Mix ricotta cheese with cream cheese.
Add remaining ingredients.
Mix thoroughly until get a creamy mixture.
Pour into individual ramekins and cover with foil.

Refrigerate for 1 hour and unmold.
Decorate with chocolate syrup and serve.

Chocolate Mousse for Valentines Day

Ingredients:

500 g dark chocolate, chopped
500 g heavy cream
100 g sugar
100 g heavy cream
6 egg yolks
3 egg whites

Preparing:

Melt the chocolate with 100g cream in water bath, stirring constantly.
Add the yolks one by one and mix well until thickened.
Remove from heat and let cool.

Whip the heavy cream with sugar until whipped.
Fold in the whipped cream to chocolate mixture in surrounding form.

Beat the egg whites until stiff with a pinch of salt.
Fold in the egg whites in surrounding form until a smooth mixture.

Pour into individual cups and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Decorate with strawberries and whipped cream and serve.

Valentine Strawberry Chocolate Tarts

Ingredients:

½ cup ground almonds
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup superfine sugar
2 oz semisweet chocolate, grated
1 egg, beaten

Pie dough:
1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
7 tbsps butter, softened
2 tsps confectioners’ sugar
1 egg yolk

Topping:
1 ½ cups strawberries, halved
4 tsps red currant jelly
1 tsp kirsch

Preparing:

Cream butter and confectioners’ sugar together until soft and light.
Mix together the egg yolk with 3 teaspoons water in another bowl.
Gradually stir into creamed mixture.
Sift flour into mixture and mix to a smooth dough with round-bladed knife.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 190ºC (375ºF).

Roll out the dough thinly on a light floured surface, and use to line four 4-inch tartlet pans.
Press a square of foil into each tartlet shell and bake blind for 10 minutes.

Beat the butter and superfine sugar until creamy and then beat in the egg.
Stir in chocolate and add ground almonds.
Mix to a soft dropping consistency.
Divide among pastry shells.
Bake for 25 minutes.

Topping:
Heat red currant jelly in a saucepan, stirring constantly until completely dissolved.
Stir in kirsch.
Brush over chocolate tarts while still warm.
Arrange strawberry halves on top and brush with remaining jelly.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool.