Valentine's Day Sips & Sweets

Strawberry Bellini

From: Center Bar

Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz. fresh strawberry juice
1 1/2 oz. ginger syrup
Champagne

Method:
1. Combine ingredients and garnish with a sliced strawberry.
2. Serve in a coupe glass.

Pink Heart Biscuits

From: stylemeprettyliving.com

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup cold butter
1 cup milk
Pink food coloring
Heart shaped cookie cutter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Sprinkle flour on a large cutting or pastry board and set aside.
1. Chop the butter into small pieces, then place back in the refrigerator to chill.
2. Add several drops of food coloring to milk and stir thoroughly until color is evenly mixed, then set aside. (The pink color will be lighter when mixed with the other ingredients, so make the milk slightly darker than the result you want to see).
3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add in the chopped butter and use a pastry blender or two knives to continue cutting the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the pink milk until the dough takes shape (don't overmix).
4. Place the dough on the floured board and knead a few times. Don't knead more than you have to or the biscuits will become tough! Roll the dough out to about 1" thick. Cut out the biscuits with heart cookie cutter and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
5. Bake for 13-15 minutes and let cool before serving.

His and Hers

From: Comme Ca

Ingredients for Hers:
1.5 oz Ciroc Red Berry Vodka
3/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1/2 oz Campari
Splash of Bugey wine
Served up in a Coupe glass
Garnished with a lemon heart

Ingredients for His:
1 oz Pisco
1/2 oz Cherry Liquor
1/2 oz Drambuie Scotch
3/4 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
3 Dashes Chocolate Bitters
1 Fresh Egg White*

Method:
1. Dry shake first
2. Then, shake with ice
3. Serve up in a Coupe glass
4. Garnish with a Luxardo Brandied Cherry

The Hot Kiss

From: Chef Joshua Tepperberg

Ingredients:
2 ounces Casa Noble Tequila
3 ounces Watermelon puree
2 1/2 ounces Lemonade
Fresh Jalapeño slices

Method:
1. Add jalapeno and liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice.
2. Shake well and pour into a rocks glass.

Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cake

From: Delicatessen

Ingredients:
Cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cups sugar
5 tbsp vegetable oil
1/3 cup Sour cream
1/3 cup Buttermilk
10 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp red food coloring (depending on brand)
Frosting
1/2 cup butter
3 cups sugar
2 cups cream cheese
1/4 cup Shortening
1 1/2 tbsp. vanilla Extract
1/2 tbsp. salt
2 cups white chocolate chips (keep separate)

Method:
1. Whip first 3 ingredients together until fluffy
2. Add sour cream and buttermilk
3. Add dry ingredients
4. Add red food coloring and mix until combined
5. Pour into a half sheet tray lined with parchment paper and nonstick spray and spread evenly
6. Bake until springs back to the touch, about 15-20 minutes
7. Cool in refrigerator

Next:
1. Mix the butter and sugar together with the paddle attachment until smooth in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment
2. Scrape down the sides of the bowl
3. Add everything else and mix until smooth, scraping every couple of minutes

Assembly:
1. Cut cake the long way into 3 equal pieces
2. Spread 1/4 of the frosting on top evenly
3. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup white chocolate chips on top
4. Repeat with second layer
5. Put 3rd layer of cake on and spread remaining frosting evenly on top and on the sides

Melt My Heart

From: Chef Joshua Tepperberg

Ingredients:
5 ounces Birthday cake vineyards Black Forest cake red wine
1 ounce pomegranate juice
1 ounce orange juice
Splash of club soda
Pomegranate ice cubes

Method:
1. Pour red wine and juices into a wine glass and stir, top with a splash of club soda.
2. Chill with frozen pomegranate hearts.

Dana's Bakery Macarons

A fun and delicious way to show that special someone you care. $30/12 macarons; danasbakery.com.

The Bitter Wife

From: Pinewood Social

Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz. Gin
1/4 oz. Batavia Arrack
3/4 oz. lemon juice
1/2 oz. Lyles Golden Syrup (thinned 4 to 1 with water)
2 dashes Peychauds Bitters

Method:
1. Shake all ingredients together and strain into a Collins glass.
2. Top with soda and garnish with an orange peel.

Raspberry Chocolate Lava Cakes

From: stylemeprettyliving.com

Ingredients:
6 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
2 oz semisweet chocolate chips
10 tablespoons butter (1 1/4 stick)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
3 large eggs
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup raspberry preserves
1/3 cup chopped fresh raspberries
Cocoa powder
Vanilla ice cream

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Butter 6 (6 oz) custard cups and sprinkle with a coat of cocoa powder.
3. Stir together the raspberries and raspberry preserves and set aside.
4. Chop the butter into rough 2 tbs chunks and place in a medium bowl with the chocolate. Melt in the microwave, or in a double boiler.
5. Pour chocolate into the bowl of a standing mixer and beat on a low speed. Beat in the flour and sugar, then the eggs, yolks, and vanilla extract until smooth.
6. Scoop a large spoonful of batter into each custard cup, so that each cup is about half full. Use the spoon to carve out a small well in the center of the batter. Spoon a tablespoon of raspberry filling into each batter center. Scoop another spoonful of batter on top, until each custard cup is about 3Ž4 full.
7. Place the custard cups on a baking sheet and bake for 14 minutes. The edges should be firm with a runny center.
8. Let cool for 10 minutes then invert onto dessert plates. Sprinkle with cocoa powder and top with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

Baked By Melissa Cupcakes

An adorable bite-sized treat any cupcake lover will appreciate. $10/12; bakedbymelissa.com.

Lovers Rock

From: Bleecker Kitchen & Co.

Ingredients:
1.5oz Gin
.75oz Strawberry purée
.5oz vanilla syrup
.5oz lemon juice
2oz Sparkling

Serve in a champagne flute

Tipsy Fresa

From: The Forge

Ingredients:
3 Fresh strawberries
2 slices Fresh ginger
1 1/2 oz Rock sake
1/2 oz Simple syrup
Champagne to taste

Method:
1. Muddle 2 strawberries and ginger in bar mixing tin
2. Add ice, sake and simple syrup to mixing tin and shake rigorously for 10-15 seconds
3. Strain into champagne flute
4. Top SLOWLY with fresh champagne
5. Garnish with fresh strawberry slice

20-Layer Chocolate Cake

From: LAVO Italian Restaurant

Ingredients:
4 3/4 cup sugar
3 1/2 cup AP Flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup cocoa powder
26 oz buttermilk
9 eggs
26 oz coffee, brewed
12 oz butter

Method:
1. Mix the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl with a whisk attachment
2. Melt the butter in the hot coffee
3. Add the warm coffee and eggs in alternating batches
4. Add the buttermilk, scraping down the bowl as you go
5. Scrape down the bowl at least 3X to make sure batter is perfectly smooth and there are no lumps whatsoever
6. Using a scale to measure weight, pour one tenth of batter on to a round 10" cake pan that is greased and lined with parchment
7. Bake at 275F for 6 minutes
8. Turn around bake additional 6 minutes
9. Allow to fully cool on speed rack

Between The Sheets

From: Hinoki & the Bird

Ingredients:
4 oz Aged Rum
3/4 oz Cognac
1 oz Cointreau
1/2 lemon juice

Method:
1. Combine all ingredients into a shaker tin
2. Add ice and shake
3. Strain into a coupe glass

Rose Cocktail

From: TAO Asian Bistro

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Oz Ketel One Citron
1 Oz Lemon Juice
1 Oz Simple Syrup

Method:
1. Place ingredients in shaker with ice.
2. Strain into class and top with blueberry sparkling sake.