Valentine's Treats
Valentine's Day treats from Hey Pesto
Yvonne Carty has been whipping up some special Valentine's Day treats.
Lemon Curd
What you need:
- 50g butter
- 110g caster sugar
- 2 lemons, zest and juice
- 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk, beaten together
What you do:
- In a bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, melt the butter and add the sugar, lemon zest and juice.
- Whisk in the eggs and continue to whisk until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.
- Take off heat and allow to cool – it will thicken further
Lemon Curd & Blueberry Pancake Stack
What you need:
- 300g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp bread soda
- 2 eggs
- 250 ml buttermilk
- 2 eating apples, peeled, cored and grated
- Oats, blueberries……
- butter or oil for frying
What you do:
- Mix the flour, bread soda and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre, then gradually whisk in the eggs and the buttermilk.
- Once the mixture is smooth, stir in the grated apples, oats or berries.
- Melt a little butter in a non-stick pan or wipe with sunflower oil.
- When hot, add small ladles of batter to the pan to make small pancakes Cook for 2-3 mins until bubbles appear and the bottoms are set. Flip and cook for a few mins more. Transfer to a plate and keep warm while you cook the rest of the batter.
Valentine’s Brunch
What you need:
- Chocolate Spread
- 125g cream
- 35g sugar
- 75g dark chocolate
- 100g bar hazelnut chocolate, chopped
- 4 slices bread – preferably brioche
- 1 egg
- 75 ml milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp. caster sugar
- 2 tbsp. hazelnuts
- 25 g butter
- Icing sugar and raspberries to serve
What you do:
- To make the spread heat the cream and the sugar.
- Pour over the chocolate and whisk until smooth. Allow to cool.
- Spread the chocolate over two slices of bread and top with other two slices to make a sandwich. Cut into heart shapes.
- Whisk the egg, milk, vanilla and sugar together in a wide bowl.
- Dip each of the sandwiches into the egg mixture and allow to sit for a minute on each side to soak up mix.
- Toast the hazelnuts in a dry pan and chop. Sprinkle on top of each sandwich
- Heat the butter in large frying pan, add the sandwiches and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve with raspberries.
Hey Pesto! ‘Happy Ever After’ Tart
What you need:
- Heart Shaped loose bottomed tin
- 180g dark chocolate digestives
- 60g butter, melted
- 2 tbsp. flaked almonds
- 200ml Fresh Cream
- 3 tbsp. Honey (local is best)
- 300g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped
- Generous splash of Cointreau!
What you do:
- Crush the biscuits finely – easiest way to do this is put them in a plastic bag and bash with a Rolling pin. Stir in the melted butter to the crushed biscuits and then press into the bottom of your tin.
- Toast the almonds in a dry pan. Watch these carefully and don’t walk away or they will burn. This I know from experience!
- Whisk the cream and honey together in a small saucepan over a low heat and then slowly bring the mix to just below the boil.
- Pour the mix over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate melts.
- Stir in the toasted almonds and the Cointreau.
- Pour the mix into the lined tin and leave to chill for a few hours until set (overnight is best)
- Decorate to your heart’s content with almonds, hearts and sparkles!