Valentine Day Some special recipes that you can conveniently make at home

Team L&M

This Valentine Day (February 14), we bring you special recipes by Swapnadeep Mukherjee, Executive Chef, The Metropolitan Hotel & Spa, Delhi. 

Lovey-dovey Strawberry Crush Mousse

Ingredients                                     Quantity

Strawberry crushes                                2 tbsp

Strawberry, chopped                           100gms

Whipped cream, sweetened                 300gms

Vanilla essences                                    2-3drops

Sweet cookies                                       60gms

For Garnish – strawberries and chocolate rice

Method:

• Add all ingredients together and mix well
• Place a mould (herat or any shape and size of your choice) with silver foil and spread coarsely powdered cookies evenly to form a base
• Pour the mixture into the mould on top of the cookie and allow chilling in the refrigerator for one hour
• When set, garnish with sliced strawberries and chocolate

Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients                                     Quantity

Unsalted butter, at room temperature             120g

Caster sugar                                                    300g

Large eggs                                                        2

Cooking oil                                                      1/4 cup

Cocoa powder                                                 10g

Red food coloring                                           45ml

Pure vanilla extract                                         10ml

Plain cake flour,                                              350g

Salt                                                                   1 tsp

Milk                                                                  250ml

For Cream Cheese Frosting:

Cream Cheese                                          400g

Unsalted butter                                        120g

Pure vanilla extract                                  2 teaspoons

Icing sugar                                                4 cups

Method:

• Heat oven to 350°F | 175°C. Lightly grease two-inch cake tray with butter or nonstick oil spray and lightly dust with 1 tablespoon of the sifted cocoa powder
• Mix cream, butter and sugar together until it turns in light color. Add egg one at a time, and mix well
• In a small bowl, mix oil, remaining cocoa powder, red food color and vanilla extract until smooth. Stir color and cream sugar in a way to make a smooth mixture.
• Sift together flour and salt in a separate bowl. Add half of the dry ingredients and half of the milk to the wet ingredients; mix well. Repeat the same procedure with remaining dry ingredients and milk
• Divide batter in 2 pans and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack completely
• Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth and lighter in color (about 3-4 minutes). Beat icing sugar until frosting is light and fluffy (if frosting is too thin, add more icing sugar and beat again until it reaches your desired consistency)
• Optional if using: mix in the lemon juice
• Transfer 1 cake onto a serving dish/plate, flat-side down. Trim the top dome off of the cake to create a flat bottom later. Scoop about 1 1/2 – 2 cups of frosting on the cake and spread evenly over the top
• Place second cake layer on top and use remaining frosting to cover top and sides of cake
• Garnish with strawberry and other fruits

Heart Choco Pops

Ingredients                                     Quantity

Chocolate Cake premix                       1 kg

Ref. Oil                                               50 ml

Water                                                   500ml

Vanilla essence                                    2-3 drop

Whipping Cream (Rich Bakery Cream) 300 ml

Dark chocolate                                    250 gm

White Chocolate                                  250 gm

Heart shaped chocolate candy                         100 gm

Method:

• First heat the oven at 325°F, and grease round shaped mould with butter paper
• Take the cake mixture and add water, oil and mix all together. Pour the mixture in the pan
• Now bake for nearly 30 – 35 minutes and check by inserting toothpick, if no liquid sticks then the cake is ready. Then remove the pan from the oven and keep them aside for 10 minutes and let them cool completely
• Meanwhile, take white and dark chocolate and whip cream mix all together in the blender bowl, blend for 5-6 minutes, till it becomes light and fluffy
• Using a knife remove the entire outer layer of the cake and crumble it into a large bowl. Try to get these crumbs to be as fine as possible
• Now roll the cake crumbs into a ball and put wooden sticks like a lollypop. Dip one pop in melted white chocolate and one pop in dark chocolate and cover each with heart shaped chocolate candy

Heart Strawberry Cake

Ingredients                                     Quantity

Chocolate Cake premix                       1 kg

Ref. Oil                                               50 ml

Water                                                   500ml

Vanilla essence                                    2-3 drop

Whipping Cream (Rich Bakery Cream) 300 ml

Fresh strawberries                               250 gm

Strawberry food color

Method:

• First heat the oven at 325°F, and grease 1 heart shaped mould with butter paper
• Take the cake mixture and add water, oil and mix all together. Pour the mixture equally in all pans
• Now bake for nearly 30 – 35 minutes or till the toothpick inserted in the cake center comes out clearly. Then remove the pans from the oven and keep them aside for 10 minutes and let them cool completely
• Take the food blender and mix the fresh strawberries, whip cream and strawberry food color. Blend for 5-6 minutes, till it becomes light and fluffy
• Cut the cakes equally into 3 layers. Take one cake layer and frost the top portion with cream. Put another layer on top and repeat. Make it three layer cake. Make sure to frost the sides also
• Decorate it with fresh strawberries and the heart shaped cake is ready