Valentine's Day | I Can Cook That

Valentine’s Day Almond Flour Brownies

I’m so excited to be a part of the 2021 Good Cookie Food Blogger’s Valentine’s event this year! The event brings a bunch of food bloggers together to post a Valentine’s Day themed recipe as a way to bring awareness and hopefully raise some money for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, so I decided to make these Valentine’s Day Almond Flour Brownies.

Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is a national non-profit organization committed to funding new therapies used in the fight against pediatric cancer. This is an organization that I try to bring awareness to whenever I can. This is actually my 12th post highlighting them!

Cancer is the #1 cause of death of children by disease in the U.S. There are 40,000 U.S. children actively battling cancer right now. The National Cancer Institute’s budget for childhood cancer is less than 4%. It’s such a small number and that’s why I got involved. And with the ongoing pandemic, children are still being diagnosed with cancer. It’s imperative that we raise awareness and continue to raise funds to fund the ongoing pediatric cancer research!

Help us make a difference by donating to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer! Our goal is to raise at least $3000. Because OXO, Mediavine and Dixie Crystals have each pledged to match our donations raised through this campaign up to $3000! That means when we raise $1, it turns into $4!

Thank you to so many of you who have already donated, please help us reach our goal so we can get the full matching donations and help us make an even huge difference! So if you’re in a position to do so please consider donating today.

Now for the recipe. This recipe was inspired by my husband, who I’m pretty sure has never met a dessert he didn’t like. He is particularly fond of anything chocolatey and covered in sprinkles. So I decided to bake him chocolate almond flour brownies topped with heart sprinkles.

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
sprinkles, if desired

Continue reading Valentine’s Day Almond Flour Brownies

Blue Rose Cocktail

I have never been one to shy away from sharing all of the awesomeness that the Philadelphia area has to offer. I am pretty darn proud of my city, especially when it comes to our rocking food and beverage scene. So it should come as no surprise that my gin of choice is always Bluecoat Gin.

Why yes, Bluecoat IS made in Philadelphia! What sets Bluecoat’s flavor apart from others is their use of organic juniper berries, which give off a more spicy, earthy tone versus pine-tree flavors found in regular juniper berries. Bluecoat is finished off with a premium blend of organic American citrus peels and spices which adds a nice citrusy finish to the spirit.

Bluecoat must have known my affinity for them, because I was asked to develop a Valentine’s Day themed cocktail using this yummy gin. Because Valentine’s Day is all about the love, I threw in a bunch of my favorite cocktail ingredients to make the “perfect” cocktail for me! (Here’s hoping you agree)

This recipe for a Blue Rose Cocktail starts with a strawberry mint simple syrup, adds in some sparking wine, and finishes off with some pomegranate juice.

My fiance (and considerably more creative half) dubbed this a “Blue Rose Cocktail” — Bluecoat Gin + rose coloring from the simple syrup and pomegranate juice.

Ingredients (makes 4):

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons finely chopped strawberries (~2 strawberries)
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint sprigs
4 oz Bluecoat Gin, divided
12 oz dry sparkling wine, divided
1/4 cup pomegranate juice, divided

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Seared Scallops with a Champagne Vanilla Butter Sauce

Cooking for your Valentine on February 14th and looking for something really different and fun? This recipe from Emeril Lagasse is perfect for a romantic dinner. I really wasn’t sure what to expect with Vanilla and Scallops, but it highlights the sweetness of scallops nicely. I paired this with a champagne risotto based on a recipe from Giada de Laurentiis to make this recipe for Seared Scallops with a Champagne Vanilla Butter Sauce.

Ingredients:

For the risotto:

2 thin slices prosciutto
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup Arborio rice
3/4 cup Champagne
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Scallops:

2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 cup dry brut Champagne
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup (1 sticks), cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces, plus 1 tablespoon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
10 jumbo sea scallops, cleaned
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Continue reading Seared Scallops with a Champagne Vanilla Butter Sauce

Valentine’s Day Roundup

Happy Valentine’s Day! I thought I’d compile some quick Valentine’s Day ideas on here so that they are easier to find:

Need a quick dessert/treat? Try one of these:

Homemade Hot Chocolate with Marshmallow Hearts

Continue reading Valentine’s Day Roundup

Dark Chocolate Lava Cakes

I like any excuse to brag about Philadelphia. I can’t help it, I’m proud of where I live. So I get even more excited when the bragging involves food. Recently, National Geographic named Teuscher Chocolates the Best Chocolate in the World. Teuscher hails from Zurich, Switzerland but we have our very own store here in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia actually has quite a chocolate history, we even used to have a Confectioner’s Row (N 3rd St in Old City in case you’re interested). Wilber Chocolate, Whittman’s , and even Hershey’s got their start in the Philadelphia confectionery scene. And many brands continue that tradition to this day, including Teuscher, located in the Bellevue.

To celebrate being the Best Chocolate in the World, Teuscher Philadelphia contacted a few of us local bloggers and offered to let us sample some of their chocolates. Honestly, who’s going to say no to that?!

You may have seen some of my Instagram photos about their chocolates. Every piece seemed to be better than the last. I was hoarding them, eating one a day, until they sadly were all gone. The house specialty is not to be missed: the Classic Champagne Truffle. Made with dark chocolate ganache coated in milk chocolate with some Dom Perginon champagne creme, these are little bites of happiness and luxury. They even have Dark Chocolate Champagne Truffles! But their other choices really hold their own. The Chocolate Citrus Peels were amazing, but my ultimate favorite was the fleur de sel caramel. I cannot even put into words how good it was!

If that wasn’t enough to make me giddy, I also walked away with a bar of Teuscher’s Chocolate 99, a 99% chocolate bar that is somehow not overly bitter, perfect for baking. The chocolate has no chemicals, additives, or preservatives either.

To show off this beautiful chocolate, I decided to make Chocolate Lava Cakes, which are super easy to make and would impress any Valentine (hint hint). And because chocolate makes me feel oh so warm and fuzzy inside, I wanted to share some of this chocolatey goodness with one lucky reader! I am giving away an assorted box of Teuscher Chocolates! (More below)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Chocolate 99 Baking Bars
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
1 stick unsalted butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup flour

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Homemade Hot Chocolate with Marshmallow Hearts

The simplest actions can really make your day. Sometimes all you need to turn a day around is a simple pick me up. This hot chocolate is a really easy way to put a smile on your, or your loved ones, face(s). It’s also a perfect Valentine’s Day drink! I found this cute recipe on Martha Stewart.

Ingredients:

(this makes 2 cups)

4 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons plus one teaspoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
4 tablespoons finely chopped dark chocolate
2 marshmallows

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Chilled Raspberry Shooters

I fell in love with this recipe for Chilled Raspberry Shooters initially just on the photo; they are so pretty! The original recipe from Taste of Home is actually more of a savory dish but one of the comments mentioned using vanilla yogurt instead of sour cream so I decided to take their suggestion. This take some preparation, so if you plan on using this to impress guests with a slightly different but amazing dessert, be sure to give yourself a few hours before the event.

Ingredients (makes 6):

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons cranberry juice
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar
3 pints plus 6 fresh raspberries, divided
2/3 cups french vanilla yogurt
1 tablespoon whipped topping, divided

Continue reading Chilled Raspberry Shooters

Strawberries with Chocolate Cream

Valentines Day has come early to I Can Cook That! Ok, not really. I made them for a party recently, but they would be perfect for a Valentines Day dessert, or with your coffee in the morning! I found this recipe on Taste of Home. After reading the reviews, a few people suggested adding some powdered sugar to sweeten up the chocolate cream. I love anything sweet, so I took their suggestion!

Ingredients:

1-1/2 ounces dark chocolate, grated, divided

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup whipped topping

2 containers of fresh strawberries, halved

I used dark chocolate bars from Trader Joe’s. They come in 1.75 oz little bars so I used two of those 1.75 oz bars. Take the first bar and melt over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl, add the cream cheese, vanilla, powdered sugar and whipped topping. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth.

Add the melted chocolate and beat until combined. Add the mixture to a plastic zip lock bag.

Cut off the lower corner and pipe onto the strawberries, with the cut side up.

Using a grater, grate the remaining chocolate over the strawberries.

These are really simple, and really tasty too!

I think the addition of the powdered sugar was a good idea. Fresh strawberries can be a bit tart, so it was nice to add some extra sweetness within the chocolate cream.

The cream cheese adds a nice smoothness to the chocolate cream. They are so pretty too, aren’t they?

You can make these ahead of time and then pop them in the refrigerator until needed.