Valentine’s Day Desserts - Beyond Chocolate

Love…love…love. Love is in the air. But, after Valentine’s Day, our attention turns to a similar theme - “Spring is in the air.” Whether now in February or on into spring, I suggest you make a special dessert for someone special. It may make an ending to a perfect Valentine’s Day dinner for two even more special or as a dessert for a celebration in Spring with family and friends.

When I think “dessert,” my mind immediately goes to rich, chocolaty desserts. Everyone loves chocolate! But, sometimes it is more fun to serve a dessert with a different or unusual flavor because it offers a “surprise and delight” factor. If you are set on chocolate, I have some suggestions for pairing chocolate with other flavors, making the dessert more interesting and one that will win the hearts of all!

Gingered Crème Brûlée

To me this individual, personal-sized dessert is very perfect! It often is the type of dessert I order at the end of a special meal with my husband in a restaurant. It’s not chocolaty at all, but has a caramelized brittle sugar topping that contrasts to the soft, creamy texture of the cream underneath.

The unique flavor in this recipe is ginger created by using fresh gingerroot. Ginger gives a spark of flavor with just a little “heat.”

Lemon Raspberry Tarts

Lemon and raspberry pair perfectly together in a special sweet treat such as a Valentine’s Day dessert. The crust is unique with the addition of chopped fresh basil leaves. Herbs, lemon and berries are Springtime ingredients or flavors. Raspberries with bright red color piled on the top of the tart extend the opportunity to add it to my list of what to serve as a Valentine’s Day dessert.

One more thing — this tart can be made in a 9-inch tart pan. If you do not have individual tart pans, this can still be on your list of Valentine’s Day dessert recipes.

White Chocolate Torte

I know this is chocolate. But, it is a more delicate form of chocolate and is a special Valentine’s Day dessert just by the nature of the color…white cake and frosting with a raspberry filling. Though it’s a butter cake, it has a light and airy texture since egg whites are carefully stirred into the flour mixture. This gives the cake a higher volume. It is important since each of the layers is cut horizontally, so it looks like it is a 4-layer torte instead of a 2-layer cake.

This dessert is simply decorated with whimsical white chocolate curls, a perfect dessert for a buffet table at a special family event celebrating love.

Chocolate & Almond Truffle Sauce

Simple, but elegant…this chocolate sauce is so smooth and has truly wonderful chocolate flavor. To make this sauce unique, the complementary flavor is almond. Almonds are caramelized as a special touch and texture to the sauce. With the ice cream, the truffle sauce is best served when the dessert should not be filling, but rather a little something to finish the meal.

Besides using the sauce as an ice cream topping, there are endless other options such as dipping fruit bites, marshmallows, or tiny cookies. Use your imagination!

Dessert Grilled Cheese

A sandwich? Bite-sized grilled cinnamon bread sandwiches filled with sweet cream chocolate hazelnut spread. Mmmm…the taste is divine! It may seem unusual to serve a sandwich for dessert, but why not give it a try? It has both sweet and savory flavors to tempt your taste buds.

Special Valentine’s Day desserts can be classic, comfort our gourmet. Adding a new flavor to a chocolate recipe makes a dessert perfect to win the heart of anyone who has a taste.