Love is in the air - Valentines day is coming - bring on the Chocolate

Tomorrow is Valentines day.

When the kids were little we made Valentine cards with construction paper and doilies and sent them out to our family.  As with all holidays in our house Valentines day involves some level of decoration and decorated and  theme foods.  Breakfast was cheese biscuits or scones cut into hearts and the kids sandwiches made with cream cheese tinted pink with strawberry jam were also cut into heart shapes.  We made cookies or cupcakes to send to school every year.

When Naomi was three she came home from preschool school with her Valentine card for us and said "We have to make a romantic dinner because it is Balentines" (she couldn't pronounce her V's).  We planned a dinner that would feature red and pink foods.  We went to the store and bought strawberries and chocolate and cream and we made Gnocchi with a blush sauce and shrimp (the recipe is on my Jan 30 blog) and Chocolate Mousse with Chocolate covered Strawberries.

We set the table with a tablecloth and candles.  We had a big heart decoration hanging from our light in the center of the table and we put the chocolates I had bought everyone for Valentines and the cards we made on each plate.

Romantic dinner for 4!!

This year Andrew and I are going out for dinner and to the theater tomorrow. Lauren is working and Naomi is in rehearsal until at least 7:00.

The girls will wake up tomorrow to a decorated kitchen (I still have the big heart and it will be hanging in the center of the table) and a Valentines "goodie" bag of chocolates for each (Andrew gets one too).    I have a new biscuit recipe I want to try and will cut them into heart shapes for breakfast and serve them with berries and cream. I'll have to get up at 6 am to be ready for Naomi who has to heave at 7:00 but it is worth it if the girls start their day feeling special (and that they have a crazy mother).

I am using a mousse recipe I found on epicurious.com which I have halved to make 4 portions.  We had it tonight for an early Valentines dessert and it was light and delicious and surprisingly easy to make.


Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients 

1 cup chilled heavy cream
2 large egg yolks
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
100 grams  fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped


Instructions

Chocolate Custard

Heat 1/3 cup cream in a 1-quart heavy saucepan until hot. Whisk together yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a metal bowl until combined well, then add hot cream in a slow stream, whisking until combined. Transfer mixture back into the saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla,
Melt chocolate in a glass or plastic bowl in the microwave at 50 percent power 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently (my microwave has a setting for melting chocolate). Whisk custard into chocolate until smooth, then cool.
Beat remaining 2/3 cup cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Whisk one fourth of cream into chocolate custard to lighten, then fold in remaining cream gently but thoroughly.
Spoon mousse into 4 stemmed glasses or ramekins and chill, for at least an hour.  Serve on plate with one chocolate covered strawberry in the mousse and one on the plate.

Mousse

Folding the Cream unto the Custard

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

8 large Strawberries washed and wiped with a paper towel until they are completely dry

2 oz dark chocolate

1 oz white chocolate

In individual glass or plastic bowls melt chocolates in the microwave - if you don't have a special "melt chocolate" setting, melt on medium for one minute and stir, if not completely melted then put back in for 30 second intervals until melted.   Put melted white chocolate in a zip lock sandwich bag.  Cut the end off leaving a small opening.  Cover a dish with wax paper.  Dip the strawberries into dark chocolate covering 2/3 of the strawberry place each strawberry (you may need the assistance of a spoon to get the chocolate onto the strawberry.  Place the chocolate dipped strawberry on the wax paper covered dish and drizzle the white chocolate over the dark chocolate refrigerate until hardened.