The sweetness of Valentine’s Day should not be confined to a single day.
This week’s recipes offer three ideas with which to extend the sweetness for a few more days, to make it Valentine’s Week.
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White Chocolate Truffles
- 8 dried apricots, finely chopped
- 2 tbsps. amaretto or other liqueur
- 8 oz. white chocolate
- 1/2 cup finely chopped blanched almonds
- 8 oz. milk chocolate
- 1/2 cup chocolate sprinkles
Add chopped apricots to liqueur and let soak for 30 minutes.
Melt white chocolate in the oven at 250 degrees F, watching carefully so it does not get too hot. Add to apricot mixture with almonds and mix together. Refrigerate until firm.
Take teaspoons of white chocolate mixture and form into small balls. Melt milk chocolate and cool. Dip balls into milk chocolate, then roll in chocolate sprinkles. Place on waxed paper and store in the refrigerator. Makes 24 truffles. May be frozen.
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Orange Almond Cheesecake
Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups graham wafer crumbs
- 1 cup ground almonds
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup melted butter
Filling:
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup creamilk
- 1 1/2 lbs. cream cheese at room temperature
- 2/3 cup orange juice
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 tbsps. amaretto
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Topping:
- 1 tbsp. plain gelatin
- 1/4 cup lukewarm water
- 1 cup whipping cream, whipped
- 2 tbsps. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- orange slices for garnish
Combine crust ingredients and put in a 10 inch springform pan. Press with a spoon over sides and bottom. Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
For the filling, beat eggs and sugar. Beat in cream and cream cheese. Add orange juice, vanilla, amaretto and salt. Beat well and pour over graham wafer crust. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour or until set. Remove from oven and cool overnight.
For topping, dissolve gelatin in water and cool. Whip cream, add sugar and vanilla. With rubber spatula, fold gelatin into whipped cream. Spread on cold cheesecake. Let set for 2 hours. Garnish with orange slices. Serves 10-12
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Maple Syrup Bananas
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 4 tbsps. lemon juice
- 2 tbsps. butter
- 4 bananas, peeled and halved lengthwise
- 1 large orange, sectioned, and sections halved
- 1/2 cup whole pecans
In a heavy frying pan, over low heat, combine syrup, sugar, lemon juice and butter. Bring to a boil. Gently lay the bananas, orange pieces and pecans in hot syrup. Stir gently and baste the bananas.
Serve over plain ice cream or top bananas with flavoured whipped cream. Serves 4.
Joyce Walter can be reached at [email protected]
