Would you rather fall in love or chocolate?
On a hot summer afternoon there’s nothing like a love affair. Perhaps it’s with your sweetheart, whose touch sends tingles up your spine. Or love may come to you like a kiss, in delicate chocolate form. For the creative lover in you, here are a handful (of many) moan-worthy melt-in-your-mouth sweet selects extracted from AGFG Recipes.
Unlock the Key with Chocolate Recipes
Passion is nestled within, naturally requiring only a catalyst for it to emerge as a creative outburst. Sugar, sweeteners and chocolate in our recipes allow that capable goddess (god) within to come out with a display of sublime goodies, as found in Anna Gare’s chocolate cardamom and ginger semifreddo. If you aren’t having a love affair, you’ll likely sit down with a friend and reminisce of while partaking in this cool, softly beaten creamy mixture.
Chocolate Can Be Your Valentine’s Day Romance
Whether Valentine’s Day leaves you seeing red, either in anger because of a lingering bitter memory or in adoration because your emotions are residually romantic, there’s nothing like the taste or chocolate and its trusty endorphin release. Sky Craig's fresh cherries and chocolate ganache – enough said.
Though chocolate needs little embellishment… you can be creative with it if you want to – try mixing it with punnet raspberries and Amaretto meringue. Romantic eating on Valentine’s Day is cool and sweet, summer eating at its finest and more versatile than any lover. Tarts with juicy pomegranate are the go, with a topping that leaves you free to get to tutti frutti if you will.
Make light work of your love affair…
Valentine's Day Chocolate Mousse Recipe
Ingredients:
Chocolate Hearts450gm dark chocolate50gm white chocolateHeart shaped cookie cutter/heart shape cut out of thick cardboardBaking paperPiping bag with thin tip
Chocolate Mousse
170gm semi sweet chocolate5 large egg yolks2 cups whipped cream with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla added1 tsp instant coffee dissolved with 1 tbsp hot water2 tbsp rumWhipped cream, to serveSummer berries, to serve (optional)Berry coulis (optional)
Preparation:
Chocolate Hearts
With cookie cutter/cardboard heart, trace shape out onto baking paper several times over, making sure to account for 3 hearts per person.Melt dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over simmering water until completely smooth.Fill piping bag with chocolate and trace the outline of the hearts, filling in the centre. Heat up white chocolate and use a spoon to drizzle over the hearts before placing them in the fridge to set.Chocolate MousseAs you wait for the hearts to set, melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over simmering water.Stir rum into whipped cream.Add egg yolks, coffee and vanilla to melted chocolate before folding it into the whipped cream. Pour into small batches and place in fridge to chill.
To serve
Place chocolate heart on plate before adding a dollop of whipped cream on top. Place second heart on top of chocolate followed by a dollop of chocolate mousse, so the dessert is sandwiched together. End with the third chocolate heart on top. Serve with summer berries and berry coulis, if using.
