Super easy and most definitely romantic recipe ideas. This is the month of romance, so add your extra splash of love in preparing these for your significant other. These are all designed to share, other than the cocktails of course! ❤️
Chocolate Strawberries
Ingredients:
100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
400g strawberries, Farm Drop have amazing Organic Strawberries
30g white and milk chocolate, roughly chopped (optional)
Method:
STEP 1
Cut a strip of baking parchment and leave to one side. To melt the dark chocolate, fill a small pan with 2cm water and bring to a simmer. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and rest it on top of the pan, ensuring the bowl isn’t touching the water. Stir the chocolate to gradually melt it. Or, melt the chocolate in 20-second blasts in the microwave, stirring after each blast until melted. Put the melted chocolate in a small deep bowl.
STEP 2
Gently hold the strawberries by the leafy top and dip into the chocolate. Tap off any excess chocolate and put on the parchment to set. If you have any leftover chocolate, pour it onto another strip of parchment and leave it to set, it can be used again.
STEP 3
If you'd like to decorate the strawberries, melt the white and milk chocolate and drizzle lightly over the fruit.
Cheese Fondue
FOR THE FONDUE
300 grams chopped or grated French Gruyere Cheese (Farm Drop)
300 grams chopped Camembert de Normandie (Farm Drop)
300 millilitres white wine
2 teaspoons cornflour
3 tablespoons kirsch
1 clove garlic (peeled)
good grinding of pepper
good grating of nutmeg
TO SERVE
carrot (cut into batons)
bunch of radishes (trimmed)
radicchio (cut into spears or skinny wedges)
chicory (cut into spears or skinny wedges)
sourdough (toasted and cut into cubes)
METHOD
Put the chopped or grated cheese into the fondue pot with the wine and heat gently, stirring frequently, until boiling on the hob, by which time the cheese should have melted.
Turn the pot down to a simmer. Slake the cornflour with the Kirsch in a small bowl, and add to the fondue pot along with the garlic clove.
Season with the pepper and nutmeg, stir well and place the fondue pot over a flame at the table.
Love Heart Churros
For the dough:
250ml water
2 1/2 tbsp caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
125g plain flour
Sunflower oil for frying
To serve:
100g caster sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Method:
In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar, salt and vegetable oil. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Stir in the flour until the mixture forms a ball of dough.
Place into a piping bag and pipe heart shapes onto a sheet of parchment paper.
Heat the oil to 190c, then carefully lower the churros hearts into the hot oil. Fry until golden and drain on paper towels.
To serve: Combine the sugar and cinnamon then roll the drained churros in the mixture. Serve with a warm chocolate dip!
Charcuterie Board
Charcuterie is typically made up of these components:
Cured meats, a great option is this British Letterbox Charcuterie
Your favourite cheeses, we love The Truckle Cheese Co.
Assortment of crackers or toasted sourdough/baguette
Chutneys and dips
Nuts
Fresh and dried fruit
Anything else you fancy!
Arrange all the nibbly bits on your best wooden board, get creative with using a heart cookie cutter for the cheese and create salami roses!
Fresh Oysters
Ingredients:
Fresh Oysters, we love these on Farm Drop fresh from Cornwall
1-2 Lemons (optional)
Tabasco (optional)
Method:
Give them a rinse in cold water before you start preparing them – this can be tricky so please be very careful!
To open them, you’ll need an oyster knife which is short, thick and quite blunt.
Hold the oyster curved-side down on a chopping board with a folded kitchen cloth between the shell and your hand – this is to help you get a good grip and protect your hand.
Look for the hinge between the top shell and the bottom shell, and poke the knife tip into the crack. You need to push quite hard and work it in there but eventually, you should be able to prise the top shell off.
When you get the oyster open, throw away the top shell. If there is any seawater in the bottom shell with the oyster, try and keep it in there.
Pick out any fragments of shell and place the oyster on a plate with a mound of rock salt or crushed ice in the middle.
Season it however you like – I'm a big fan of lemon juice or Tabasco – then tip that lovely fresh oyster into your mouth!
Chocolate Truffles
Ingredients:
200g dark chocolate (at least 50% cocoa solids), a great option is Hotel Chocolat Cooking Chocolate Collection
150ml double cream
25g unsalted butter
1 tbsp light brown sugar
For the toppings
15g cocoa powder, sifted
30g pistachios, lightly toasted and finely chopped
30g chopped roasted hazelnuts
Method:
Chop the dark chocolate into small pieces and place in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream, butter and sugar to just below boiling point, stirring over a gentle heat.
Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and stir gently until melted and smooth. Pour into a shallow dish or tray to cool more quickly, then cover and chill in the fridge for 3 hours, or until thickened and firmed up.
Using your hands, shape the chocolate into walnut-sized balls and place on a tray lined with baking paper. Put the cocoa powder, chopped pistachios and hazelnuts in separate bowls. Roll the truffles in the different toppings until evenly coated. Shake off the excess and chill again to firm up. Pop into mini paper cases and gift in empty egg boxes, if you like.
Raspberry Champagne Cocktail
Raspberry Simple Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup raspberries
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
For the Cocktails
2 cups champagne, our favourite from Laithwaites
2 ounces of raspberry vodka, we like Absolut Raspberri Vodka
2 ounces of raspberry simple syrup*
Raspberries to garnish
sugar to garnish
Method:
For the simple syrup
Stir sugar, water and vanilla together in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add raspberries and reduce heat to medium low. Bring to a slow simmer, stirring regularly. Let simmer for 2 minutes. Pour into a jar by holding a strainer over the jar and pressing the remaining raspberries against the strainer with a spoon. Cover and refrigerate.
For the cocktails
Dip rim of 2 champagne glasses in a small bowl or dish of water, then dip in sugar. Add a shot of raspberry liquor, 1 shot of raspberry simple syrup and a cup of champagne to each glass. Stir and enjoy.
Salted Caramel Espresso Martini
Ingredients
1 tbsp store-bought caramel
50ml espresso, cooled
50ml coffee liqueur, we recommend Kahlua from Drinks Supermarket
100ml vodka, Grey Goose is a great option!
Method:
Place caramel, espresso and a pinch of salt flakes in a cocktail shaker and stir until caramel has dissolved.
Add coffee liqueur and vodka, top with ice and shake until combined and frothy.
Strain mixture and divide between two chilled martini glasses and top with finely grated chocolate, to serve.
Strawberry Moscow Mule
Ingredients:
5 strawberries, muddled
3 oz. ginger beer
1 ½ oz. vodka, we like Belvedere
1 oz. simple syrup
½ oz. lime juice , freshly squeezed
Ice , for serving
Fresh mint , for garnish
Method:
Slice the strawberries.
Place the strawberries in a glass (a copper mug or your glassware of choice—we aren’t picky here!), and muddle with a muddler.
Measure in the ginger beer, vodka, simple syrup and lime juice.
Use a spoon to stir up the ingredients.
Top with ice, garnish with an additional strawberry and a sprig of mint, and enjoy immediately.
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