Increase the sweetness quotient of Valentine’s Day with 2 perfect chocolate dessert recipes

Valentine’s Day just seems so incomplete without chocolates! But then, just buying bars of chocolates or getting a gourmet chocolate gift basket seems so passé – it is okay for an ordinary day but not when you plan to celebrate a day earmarked for love and togetherness. Go off-the-beaten track by rustling up chocolate desserts for that very special person and make him or her feel pampered and wanted.

Here are 2 recipes that help you prepare some awesome chocolaty treats for your beloved without much hassle and in quite a short time frame.

First up is Brownie tart! 

Brownie Tart 

Here’s how you can earn brownie points with this one:

Ingredients

• Butter (Unsalted) – 6 tablespoons

• Chocolate Chips (Semi Sweet) – 3 ¼ cups

• Eggs (extra large ones, mind you!) – 3

• Sugar – 1cup

• Instant coffee granules – 1 tbsp

• Pure Vanilla extract – ½ tsp

• All purpose flour – ½ cup

• Baking Powder – ¼ tsp

• Kosher Salt – ¼ tsp

• Walnuts (chopped) – 1 cup

• Heavy cream – 2 to 3 tbsp
  

How you can make it

• Take a 9 inch tart pan.  The sides should be removable. Grease and flour it.  Preheat the oven to a temperature of 350 Degrees F.

• Set a bowl over simmering water and put the butter in it to melt. Add 2 cups of the chocolate chips. Now turn off the heat source and stir till it melts completely. Keep it aside to cool.

• Take an electric mixer, the ones that come with a paddle attachment, set it on medium high speed and beat the coffee, sugar, eggs and vanilla in the bowl until the mixture turns completely light and fluffy. Mix in the cooled chocolate.

• In a separate medium sized bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, 1 cup of chocolate chips and chopped walnuts. Fold this mixture into the batter until it is completely combined. Pour the mixture into the greased pan and bake for about 40 minutes or till the center is puffed. The inside will be still quite tender. Cool it before taking off the sides of the tart pan.

• Melt the remaining chocolate chips and mix it with the cream. Drizzle this mixture on to the tart. Your brownie tart is ready to sample!

Next in line – chocolate cake!

Chocolate Cake

Nothing, absolutely nothing can beat a chocolate cake. Here’s how you can make the perfect gooey one that will simply melt in the mouth of your loved one! 

Ingredients

• Cake flour – 2 ½ cups

• Baking Soda – 1 ½ tsp

• Salt – 1 tsp

• Unsalted Butter 9kept at room temperature) – 1 ½ sticks

• Sugar granules – 2 cups

• Dark Chocolate ( melt and cool it before using) – 3 ½ ounces

• Vanilla extract – 1 tsp

• Eggs – 2

• Cold Water – 1 ½ cups

• Raspberry liquor – for drizzling purpose

• Dark Chocolate Shavings for dressing

• Nonstick cooking spray

• Chocolate chip butter cream 

How you can make it

Preheat the oven to a temperature of 350 Degrees F. Place an oven rack at its center.

Mix flour, salt and baking soda in a large bowl and leave it aside. Take an electric mixer and beat the butter and sugar granules in the bowl unless you get a light and fluffy mixture. Stir in the cooled chocolate and vanilla and beat for another minutes. Next, you beat in the eggs – not all at once, but one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat the whole mixture for another 3 minutes. Stir in the dry ingredients now, in 3 batches, following each batch with cold water. After each addition, beat the mixture for 1 minute to incorporate all the ingredients. Mix till you have a smooth batter.

Grease two round cake pans, each about 9 inches in size, with non-stick cooking spray. Cut 2 circles of parchment paper in such a way that they fit the bottom of the pan and place them inside the pans. Pour the batter in these lined pans and use a spatula to smooth the surface. The pans should be at least 2/3rds full. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. You will know that the cake is done when a toothpick or needle inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean and not gooey. Leave it to cool for about 35-40 minutes.
Ease the cakes out of the pan and drizzle the liquor on them. Use a metal spatula to spread ½ cup chocolate chip butter cream on top of one layer. Start at the center and then move to the sides. Now place the second layer on the top. Smooth the sides with butter cream and spread the rest on top so that cake is completely covered. Cool for 5 minutes before decorating it with shavings.

Read Also
How New Couples Can Celebrate Valentine’S Day Without Going Overboard 

 

Enjoy the Chocolate on Valentine's Day with your sweetheart!