From Denny: Browsing through the Wilton recipe database was a blast this Valentine season! This blog is my way of bookmarking all the goodies I want to make any time of the year. Cupcakes are such an easy way to make cake you can freeze and pull out for single servings. There are a couple of cookie recipes, especially since I just had to include one of my all time French favorites: Chocolate Madeleines!
They are especially wonderful when dipped in yet more chocolate but you all were already doing that right along with me... Of course, if you really want to be decadent, feel free to dip it in your hot coffee. That is so popular here in south Louisiana and my husband loves it. You should see the look of sheer nirvana spread across his face when he dunks. Me? Well, I'm not much for crumbs in my coffee and I don't like my chocolate full blast flavor diluted with another flavor, even if it is wonderful Gevalia or Community New Orleans blend coffee. Guess I'm a prudish chocolate purist. :)
Anyway, since I found a regular treasure trove of Valentine recipes that are irresistible it was time to share with you all the goodies my chocolate research found so my fellow chocolate foodies can enjoy too!
Recipes Featured:
German Chocolate Cupcakes
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Chocolate Madeleines
Mini Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake
Chocolate Cookies
Valentine Candy
Valentine Cookie Pops
Sweet Valentine Cupcakes
Won’t You Be Mine Cookies
Double Chocolate Pound Cake
German Chocolate Cupcakes
From Wilton: The mellow, nutty flavor of German Chocolate Cupcakes will have everyone asking you for the recipe!
Makes: About 24 standard cupcakes or 5 Mini Tasty-Fill cakes. Each cupcake serves 1.
Tools:Mini Tasty-Fill™ Cake Pan Set or
12 cup muffin pan Ingredients:2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
6 ounces German sweet chocolate melted
1 1/2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Easy Cream Filling
Ganache Glaze
Directions:Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin pan with baking cups. In medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs; mix well. Add chocolate and vanilla; beat until well blended. Add dry ingredients in thirds alternating with buttermilk, beating after each addition until smooth.
Spoon into baking cups. Bake 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in pan on cooling rack for 5-8 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan; cool completely.
From Wilton: Any of our cupcake recipes may be prepared in our Mini Tasty-Fill pans. Spray pans with vegetable pan spray, then fill each with about 1/2 cup batter. Place pans on cookie sheet and bake 14-16 minutes. Cool in pan on cooling grid for about 8 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely before filling and icing.
Makes: About 2 cups filling
Easy Cream FillingIngredients:3/4 cup flaked coconut
1/4 to 1/2 cup grated or shaved semi-sweet chocolate
8 oz. frozen whipped topping, thawed
Directions:In medium bowl, gently fold coconut and chocolate into thawed whipped topping. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Ganache GlazeIngredients:1 pkg (14 ounces) Candy Melts®
1/2 cup whipping cream
Makes: About 2 1/4 cups
Directions:Chop Candy Melts (you can use a food processor). Heat whipping cream in saucepan just to boiling point. DO NOT BOIL. Remove from heat, add chopped Candy Melts, stir until smooth and glossy. If mixture is too thick, add 1 to 2 tablespoons warm whipping cream. Place cake on cake board cut to fit; position on wire rack over drip pan. Pour glaze into center and work out toward edges. Note: Cake may be iced first in buttercream icing. Let icing set, then pour on ganache. If cake is one layer or perfectly smooth, buttercream icing is not needed.
Whipped Ganache: follow recipe above, using 1 cup whipping cream and making these changes: Allow mixture to set and cool to room temperature (it will have the consistency of pudding, this may take 1 to 2 hours.) Whip on high speed until light and soft peaks form.
Double Chocolate Pound CakeFrom Wilton: What could be better? A cupcake that’s full-sized cake. How about it being chocolate with the addition of mini semisweet chocolate chips. You can make it your own with our Dimensions® Giant Cupcake Pan. A delicious creation in irresistible 3-D. Makes a party in an instant!
Makes: Cake serves 12
Tools:Dimensions® Giant Cupcake Pan Cooling Grid
Ingredients:2 teaspoons instant coffee
1/2 cup water boiling
1/2 cup cocoa powder unsweetened
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 sticks butter softened
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar firmly packed
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
Directions:Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour or use pan spray with flour to prepare pan.
In small bowl, dissolve instant coffee in water; stir in cocoa powder and mix well. Set aside to cool.
Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla; mix well.
Combine cocoa mixture and sour cream. Add flour mixture alternately with sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating after each addition until smooth.
Fold in chocolate chips. Spoon 4 1/2 cups batter into top of cupcake pan; spoon remaining batter into bottom of pan.
Bake 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on wire rack 15 minutes.
Turn cake onto wire rack to cool completely. To assemble cupcake ice top of cake's bottom half. Place top half of cake atop iced bottom half. Decorate as desired.
Dark Chocolate CupcakesFrom Wilton: This is serious chocolate! Our boldly-flavored Dark Chocolate Cupcakes are for those who desire the richest chocolate experience. Pair them up with a deep fudge icing!
Makes: About 12 standard cupcakes. Each cupcake serves 1.
Ingredients:1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine softened
2 eggs slightly beaten
1/4 cup milk
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate melted
3/4 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon orange oil
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions:Preheat oven 350°F, fill muffin pan with baking cups. In mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, milk, chocolate, vanilla, and orange oil, mixing after each addition. Add flour, baking powder and salt; mix just until blended. Fill each baking liner full. Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool in pan on cooling rack 8 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan. Cool completely before icing.
Red Velvet CupcakesFrom Wilton: As luxurious as they sound! Our Red Velvet Cupcakes combine cocoa, buttermilk and a dash of red color to create a bold beautiful dessert.
Makes: About 20 standard cupcakes. Each cupcake serves 1.
Tools:Standard muffin pan
Standard Baking Cups
Cooling Rack
Ingredients:2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons
Red (no-taste) Icing Color 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda
Directions:Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin pan with baking cups. In medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; set aside. In large bowl, cream butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, icing color and vanilla extract; mix well until icing color is well incorporated (scraping down sides of bowl when necessary). Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to butter mixture; add water and mix well. In small bowl, combine white vinegar and baking soda; gently stir into cupcake mixture. Spoon into baking cups. Bake 20-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in pan on cooling rack for 5-8 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan; cool completely.
From Wilton: Any of our cupcake recipes may be prepared in our Mini Tasty-Fill pans. Spray pans with vegetable pan spray, then fill each with about 1/2 cup batter. Place pans on cookie sheet and bake 14-16 minutes. Cool in pan on cooling grid for about 8 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely before filling and icing.
Chocolate CookiesRoll and cut these Chocolate Cookies into seasonal shapes. From Valentine’s Day to Christmas, they’re sure to attract a lot of attention.
Source: 1996 Yearbook
Makes: Each cookie serves 1
Ingredients:3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon Madagascar Pure Vanilla Extract
2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Directions:Preheat oven to 375°F. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder and cocoa, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. If dough is too soft, add enough flour to make a stiff dough. Do not chill. Cut patterns, transfer dough pieces to ungreased cookie sheet with spatula. Bake 8-10 minutes, cool.
Another version of this cookie - the traditional vanilla cake but with a chocolate dip, photo by Yomi955 @ flickrThis is a favorite cake cookie at our house and so easy to make!
Chocolate Madeleines Chocolate Madeleines recipe is perfect for those delicate, shell -shaped cookies. Line them up around the edge of a clear glass bowl, then fill the center with a light mousse or pudding for a French-influenced dessert.
Makes: About 2 dozen
Tools:If you don't own a traditional French long flute shaped pan, then try a
Mini Tulip Pan.
Ingredients:1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 cup cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
Directions:Melt butter in microwaveable bowl. Skim off foam from surface; keep warm. In small bowl, combine cocoa powder with water; stir until dissolved. Add to butter; stir to blend. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray pan with vegetable pan spray with flour. In medium bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Whip on high speed with electric mixer until thick and lemon-colored, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla; stir to blend. Gradually stir in butter mixture. Fold in flour mixture. Spoon about 1 tablespoon batter into each cavity. Bake 13-14 minutes or until madeleines are firm to the touch. Remove pan from oven and immediately turn pan over onto cooling grid; gently tap to release madeleines.
Sweet Valentine Cupcakes
From: Wilton Enterprises
Makes: 24 cupcakes
Ingredients: Red and white ready-to-decorate icing
Red cake sparkles
Hearts mix sprinkles
Valentine cookie and cupcake stencil
Colorful hearts petite icing decorations
Directions:1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with baking cups and prepare cupcakes as directed on package.
2. Pour into prepared pan and bake 18 to 21 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
3. Remove cups from pan. Repeat with remaining batter. Cool cupcakes completely.
To decorate: Use the star tip to cover cupcakes with icing stars. For a smooth look, smooth out the stars with a spatula. Place sparkles and sprinkles onto the cupcakes, using the stencil desired. Decorate the edges of the cupcakes with icing. Add sprinkles or petite icing decorations as desired.
Valentine Cookie PopsMakes: 8 cookie pops
From: Wilton Enterprises
Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. baking powder
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbl. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
Nonstick cooking spray
Red and white ready-to-decorate icing
Red, pink and lavender sugars
Pink Color Mist food color spray
Directions:1. I large bowl, cream butter and sugar with electric mixer. Add egg; beat well. Add remaining dough ingredients; mix well. Refrigerate dough 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray inside of pan cavities with nonstick spray. Fill cavities with cookie dough to 1/8 -inch below top edge; insert sticks into dough, covering 2 inches of end.
3. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until browned. Cool 5 minutes; gently loosen cookies with spatula, tip pan upside down to remove.
4. Repeat with remaining dough. Cool cookies completely before decorating.
To decorate: Using the star tip, cover cookies with icing stars. For a smooth look, smooth out icing stars with spatula. Sprinkle sugars onto icing or spray with Color Mist food spray. Decorate cookie edges with additional icing.
Valentine CandyFrom: Wilton Enterprises
Ingredients:Red Candy Melts
White Candy Melts
Pink Candy Melts
Light cocoa Candy Melts
Directions:1. Melt Candy Melts according to package directions. Fill heart candy molds with melted candy; tap mold to remove any air bubbles.
2. If using the heart lollipop mold, position sticks in molds; rotate sticks to thoroughly cover with candy so they remain securely in place. Refrigerate until firm.
3. Carefully pop out candies. If desired, place candies in baking cups, then wrap in party bags.
To create a marbleized look, stir together two different colors of melted Candy Melts.
Mini Chocolate Cherry CheesecakeFrom: Wilton Enterprises
Serves: 2
Crust:Nonstick cooking spray
1/3 cup chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
1 tbl. granulated sugar
1 tbl. butter or margarine, melted
Filling:1 (12-oz.) jar cherry preserves
1 (3-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
3 tbls. granulated sugar, divided
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
1/4 cup plus 3 tbls. sour cream, divided
Directions:To make crust:Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray 4-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Mix all crust ingredients and press firmly into bottom of pan and 3/4 up sides of pan. Bake 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside.
To make the cake:1. Remove 1/4 cup cherries from cherry preserves. If desired, coarsely chop. Set aside.
2. In large mixer bowl, beat together the cream cheese and 2 tablespoons sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg, vanilla and cornstarch until thoroughly mixed. Mix in melted chocolate and 1/4 cup sour cream.
4. Pour mixture into prepared crust. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees. Place small pan of water on bottom oven rack and springform pan on a cookie sheet and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until cheesecake does not jiggle in center.
5. Allow cheesecake to cool with oven turned off and door slightly ajar for 45 minutes. Cool on cooling rack or refrigerate at least 2 hours.
6. Combine remaining sour cream and granulated sugar. Spoon over top of cheesecake; add spoonful of cherry preserves.
Won’t You Be Mine Cookies
From: Wilton Enterprises
Makes: about 3 dozen cookies
Ingredients:1-1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 tsps. baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
Red and white ready-to-decorate icing
Red cake sprinkles
Hearts mix sprinkles
Directions:1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large bowl, cream butter and sugar with electric mixer. Beat in egg, vanilla and almond extracts.
2. Combine flour and baking powder and add to butter mixture, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. The dough will be very stiff. If necessary, blend last flour in by hand (if dough becomes too stiff, add water, a teaspoon at a time). Do not chill dough.
3. Divide dough into two balls. On a floured surface, roll each ball into a circle approximately 12 inches in diameter and 1/8 -inch thick.
4. Dipping cutters into flour before each use, cut out cookies.
5. Bake cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet for 6 to 7 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool completely on wire rack before decorating.
To decorate: Use the star tip to cover cookies with icing stars. For a smooth look, smooth out the icing stars with a spatula. Place sparkles and sprinkles onto the cookies, using the stencil, if desired. Decorate the edges of the cookies with additional icing. Add petite icing decorations, if desired.
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