Valentine’s Day: whether you are in a relationship, single, or just don’t buy into the whole day, it can be fun to take it as an opportunity to treat yourself. Ever since my husband and I were blessed with our little girl, Valentine’s Day is less ‘romantic night out’ and more ‘family night in.’ No matter: Valentine’s Day is still Valentine’s Day when if it is filled with the decadent duo of chocolate and cheese. When we were still young and childless we enjoyed having a few friends over for dinner on Valentine’s Day and fondue was my favorite thing to serve because it was both impressive and could feed a hoard of people with minimal effort and clean up. Win-win-win.
Harvarti, Goat Cheese, and Gruyere Fondue
The trick to making amazing fondue is using amazing ingredients. You won’t find dried out, pre-shredded cheese in my list of ingredients.
Begin by shredding 3/4 cups of harvarti and 3/4 cups of gruyere cheese. Cut 4 oz of goat cheese into small pieces.
Place a medium sauce pan over medium heat and douse the pan with a good coating of Simply Beyond Spray-On Garlic. This stuff is incredible: you get ample flavor without having to chop, mince, or change the texture of your fondue.
Pour 1 cup good white wine and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice into your sauce pan and bring to a low boil.
Toss your cheeses (including your goat cheese!) in a decent layer of white flour. The flour helps keep the cheese from globbing up and gives the fondue a silky-smooth consistency.
Drop your heat down to low and add your cheeses one at a time, stirring as you go. Stir the pot in a figure 8 pattern to efficiently melt your cheese into the liquid.
Add your goat cheese last, as it takes the most time to stir in.
Finish your fondue with 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/3 cup chives, and salt and pepper to taste. If your fondue begins to thicken too much you can add a couple of tablespoons of wine to thin it out.
Serve your fondue with a loaf of crusty bread, vegetables, crackers, pretzels, or whatever else you would like to use to dip into your fondue.
Fry up some bacon a chop into small pieces for the carnivores.
S’mores Brownie Bake with Raspberry Drizzle
You can’t have Valentine’s Day without a healthy dose of chocolate. Also, it is well known that calories from chocolate do not actually count on Valentine’s day, so keep that in mind when you are having your third helping of these decadent brownies.
To keep this recipe quick and simple I use a pre-made brownie mix. I love Ghiradelli’s Double Chocolate mix, but you can use any package that your prefer. Prepare your brownie batter to package directions.
Transfer your batter to a greased 9×11 baking dish and smooth out into an even layer with a spatula.
Place on package of graham crackers into a large zippered bag and crush into small to medium size pieces with a rolling pin (or any weapon of choice).
Sprinkle the graham crackers pieces evenly on your brownie batter and pop the whole thing into a preheated 325 degree oven on the middle rack.
About 30 minutes into baking remove you brownies from the oven and sprinkle 2 1/2 cups of mini marshmallows on top of the graham crackers. Place your pan back into the oven for another 15-20 minutes. Test the brownies with a toothpick to see if they are done: if the toothpick comes out clean, they’re ready.
When you know your brownies are done turn your boiler on and let your marshmallows get all toasty and golden brown. Keep a very keen eye on your marshmallows because they will burn in the blink of an eye. Set your finished brownies aside to cool for at least 20 minutes.
While your brownies are baking rinse your raspberries and place into a small saucepan over low heat. Add 1/3 cup white sugar, 1/3 cup water, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the saucepan and stir.
Let your raspberries simmer for 45 minutes over low heat until the raspberries have come apart and the mixture has thickened slightly.
Strain the seeds from your sauce using a fine colander over a bowl. Use a rubber spatula to help any liquid through the strainer.
When everything is ready to go serve a large slice of brownie with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of your raspberry sauce.
Decorate your plate with a couple of fresh raspberries and serve. No one can resist the power of brownies and toasted marshmallows. The raspberry drizzle provides a nice tartness that cuts through the richness of the rest of dessert and creates a very balanced bite.
Every bite is better than the last. I hope your Valentine’s Day is full of loved ones and heaps of chocolate and cheese. Enjoy the last month of winter and I’ll talk to you soon!
Harvarti, Goat Cheese, and Gruyere Fondue
Ingredients:
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- smart herbs spray garlic
- 3/4 cup harvarti cheese, shredded
- 3/4 cup gruyere cheese, shredded
- 4 oz goat cheese
- flour to coat cheese
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1/3 cup chopped chives
- salt and pepper to taste
Shred cheese. Spray medium sized saucepan with garlic spray and add white wine and lemon juice. Bring liquid to a low boil and drop heat to medium-low. Coat your cheeses in a couple of tablespoons of white flour each. Add the cheeses one at a time, stirring between each addition, ending with the goat cheese. Stir using a figure eight motion to keep the cheese from sticking. Stir in your chives, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and it is ready to serve. If the fondue becomes too thick add a couple of tablespoons of wine to thin it.
S’mores Brownie Bake with Raspberry Drizzle
Ingredients:
- 1 box brownie mix (I like Ghiradelli’s Double Chocolate)
- 8 regular size graham crackers
- 2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
- 9×11 baking dish
Prepare brownie batter to package directions. Pour batter into a greased 9×11 glass baking dish (we want it to be thin). Put your graham crackers in a half gallon bag and crush up with a rolling pin into small to medium sized pieces. Sprinkle your brownies with graham crackers and pop into a 325 degree preheated oven on the center rack. About 30 minutes into baking sprinkle your marshmallows on top of the graham crackers and place back in the one for 15-20 more minutes, until the brownie has finished baking. Then turn your broiler on and roast until the marshmallows are browned, but not burned. Let your s’mores cool for at least 20 minutes. Serve with with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of your raspberry syrup, and some fresh raspberries.
Raspberry Drizzle:
- 2 containers (12 oz) fresh raspberries
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup water
Rinse your raspberries and place into a small sauce pan over medium heat with lemon, sugar and water. Stir, and let simmer over low heat uncovered. Simmer for 45 minutes until the raspberries have dissolved and the mixture has thickened slightly. Taste the raspberry syrup and add sugar to your taste. Strain the seeds out using a colander and a bowl.
