FOOD FOR THOUGHT — A perfect Valentine’s Day trio

by | Feb 2, 2020

By KARA KIMBROUGH

 

A perfect Valentine’s Day trio

 

Delight your loved ones with a sweet treat on Valentine’s Day that will far surpass a box of store-bought chocolates. Few foods speak of love like chocolate, cherries and strawberries — so use one or all three to spread the love.

 


VALENTINE’S DAY CHERRY AND CHOCOLATE SUPREME

 

  • 1 bag (12-ounce) frozen cherries
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 cups vanilla ice cream
  • 16 chocolate sandwich cookies, broken into pieces

 

     In a heavy pan, combine cherries, sugar and orange juice; bring to a simmer over medium heat. In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch and water. Stir the combined ingredients into cherry mixture and simmer 1 to 2 minutes until it thickens. Let cool.

 

     To assemble, put a small scoop of ice cream in each of four parfait glasses. Top with a spoonful or two of the cherry mixture and some cookie pieces. Repeat layers to fill up the glass.

 

 


STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM DESSERT

 

  • 4 graham cracker sheets
  • 1/2 cup pecans
  • 10 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup flour
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • Juice from 1 lemon
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups coarsely chopped strawberries

 

     Preheat oven to 325 degrees and prepare a 9×13-inch glass pan by spraying with cooking spray. Set aside. In a food processor, combine graham crackers and pecans until finely ground. Melt butter and combine with crumbs, flour and brown sugar.

 

     Spread mixture in the bottom of a separate parchment-lined pan and cook for 20 minutes, stirring halfway. Remove the crumb mixture and let cool.

 

     Using a mixer, beat egg whites and sugar on medium for 3 minutes. Add heavy cream and mix for 6 minutes. Add lemon juice and cream cheese; mix until creamy. Gently fold in chopped strawberries.

 

     Press half of the crumb mixture into the bottom of your 9×13-inch pan. Spread strawberries and cream mixture on top and sprinkle the rest of crumb mixture on top. Cover with aluminum foil and freeze at least 3 hours, but best if overnight. Let thaw 10 minutes or more before cutting.

 

 


BERRY GOOD COOKIE COBBLER

 

  • 2 bags (12-ounce) frozen mixed berries, thawed (can use only strawberries if you prefer)
  • 1 can (21-ounce) apple pie filling
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 package (18-ounce) refrigerated sugar cookie dough
  • Vanilla ice cream for serving

 

     Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine berries, apple pie filling, sugar and cinnamon. Transfer fruit mixture to an 8×8- inch baking dish. Crumble cookie dough over fruit, covering completely with a thick layer.

 

     Bake 45 minutes or until crust is golden and crisp and juices come to a robust bubble. Serve warm with ice cream.