It’s that time of year when the feelings are sweet, and the treats are even sweeter! This Valentine’s Day, try baking these tasty recipes from our Creative Arts Competition Kitchen, with recipes for chefs of all skill levels. Whether you want to surprise a special someone or simply satisfy your own craving, these treats are too sweet to beat!
CHERRY CHEESECAKE BARS
Wesley Burress
Houston, TX
Best of Show–1st Place-Cookie Contest
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 ½ c. crushed cinnamon graham crackers
6 T. butter, softened
Line 8 x 8-inch baking pan with tin foil. In a small bowl, combine graham crackers and softened butter. Press into bottom of the pan. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
Cheesecake:
2 c. cream cheese, room temp.
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 ½ c. cherry preserves
½ c. sour cream
½ c. toffee bits
½ c. sugar
¼ c. raw sugar
In a mixing bowl, beat room-temperature cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Spread half of this mixture over the cooled crust. Drop cherry preserves over the cheesecake layer. Spread remaining cream cheese batter over the cherry mixture. Drizzle toffee bits over cheesecake mixture. Sprinkle raw sugar over top.
Streusel:
4 T. butter
½ c. flour
½ c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
⅓ c. pecans
In a small bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, pecans, flour, and cinnamon for streusel. Spread streusel over top of the cheesecake. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until the edges are lightly brown. Cool completely and store in refrigerator. Cut bars and serve.
CHOCOLATE LOVERS DELIGHTS
Franklin Creed
Euless. TX
1st Place–Cookie Contest
Ingredients:
½ c. unsalted butter, softened
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 c. packed light brown sugar
1 ½ c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 lg. eggs
2 T. buttermilk
1 c. Hodgson Mill all-purpose flour
½ c. cocoa powder
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
11-oz. pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chunks
Preheat oven to 325°. Prepare cookie sheets with parchment paper. Put butter, unsweetened chocolate, and semi-sweet chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and melt on half power until smooth for about 2 minutes, be sure to stir after 1 minute. Stir and heat again if necessary. Meanwhile, stir light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla into the chocolate mixture with a wooden spoon. Add eggs and buttermilk and beat vigorously until thick and glossy. In another bowl, whisk Hodgson Mill flour, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt together. Add dry ingredients to wet and stir until mixed. Stir in chocolate chunks. Drop batter by heaping tablespoon onto parchment paper and bake for 17-20 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets and store in an airtight tin for up to 1 week.
PINK CHAMPAGNE CAKE WITH PINK CHAMPAGNE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
Judy Spencer-Creed
Euless. TX
2nd Place–Cake Contest
Ingredients:
Cake:
3 c. cake flour
1 T. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
6 lg. egg whites
1 c. pink champagne
2 tsp. vanilla
2 T. vegetable oil
1 c. unsalted butter, softened
2 c. sugar
1-2 drops pink food coloring
Frosting:
1 c. unsalted butter, softened
¼ tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
6 c. powdered sugar
¼ c. pink champagne
1 drop pink food coloring
Cake: Preheat oven to 350°. Take three (8-inch) round cake pans, butter them, line them with parchment paper, and lightly dust them with flour. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a 4-cup measuring cup, whisk egg whites, champagne, vanilla, and vegetable oil; set aside. Mix softened butter and sugar in the bowl of your mixer for 3-5 minutes. Add the dry mixture and mix until blended. Add ½ of the liquid ingredients, mixing until combined. Continue alternating dry and wet ingredients. Begin and end with dry ingredients. Add pink color when wet ingredients are mixed, one drop at a time. Pour equally into the three pans and bake for 25-30 minutes. Test with toothpick. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out on cooling racks.
Pink Champagne Buttercream: Beat softened butter, salt, and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually add in powdered sugar and champagne until sugar is incorporated. Beat at medium speed for 3-4 minutes. Add one drop of pink coloring on a toothpick to batter. Frost and decorate the cake as you wish.
TAYLOR’S PEPPERMINT SWIRLS
Taylor Skelton
Carrollton, TX
1st Place–Youth Cooking, Children
Ingredients:
4 egg whites, room temp.
½ tsp. cream of tartar
¼ tsp. salt
1 c. fine sugar
½ tsp. peppermint extract
1 drop of red food coloring
Crushed peppermints
Preheat oven to 250°. Place egg whites in a metal or glass mixer bowl. Use whisk attachment to beat egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar and salt and continue to whisk until soft peaks. Continue mixing while adding sugar a little at a time. The meringue will start to turn shiny and stiff. Once the sugar has all been added and has stiff peaks, turn off the mixer and add extract and food coloring. Fold in. Place in pastry and swirl onto parchment-lined cookie sheets. Sprinkle with crushed peppermints and bake for 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and do not open oven door for 6-8 hours. Serve or store in airtight containers.
SUGAR-FREE WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE PIE WITH RASPBERRIES AND ALMONDS
Paula Joy Kindred
Plano, TX
2nd Place–Pies
Ingredients:
Chocolate-Almond Crust:
1 ½ c. Tutti Keto style graham style crumbs (or other sugar-free wafer cookies, *see note)
⅔ c. toasted almonds, finely ground
⅓ c. Swerve, granulated
2 T. dark unsweetened cocoa
1 T. black cocoa (opt.)
5 T. butter, melted
White Chocolate Mousse Filling:
1 ¼ c. heavy whipping cream, divided
1 c. Lily’s no-sugar white chocolate chips
1 c. Swerve, powdered (confectioners’)
12 oz. cream cheese, room temp.
1 tsp. vanilla
Raspberry Swirl:
1 c. sugar-free raspberry jam
Toppings:
1 c. heavy whipping cream
½ c. Swerve powdered (confectioners’)
¼ c. toasted almonds
2-3 doz. fresh raspberries
Preheat oven to 350°. In a bowl, combine crumbs, almonds, Swerve cocoa (if using both), and butter, blending well. Push into bottom and upsides of a pie plate. Bake for 8 minutes, remove, and cool. In a medium saucepan, combine ¼ cup of cream with white chocolate morsels over medium-low heat and stir until melted, for about 5 minutes. Let cool. In a medium bowl, beat 1 cup whipping cream until stiff; set aside. In a large bowl, combine Swerve and cream cheese, and beat until smooth and combined. Take the cooled White Chocolate mixture and vanilla and beat a few minutes longer until combined. Fold in whipped cream. Set aside. Into the crust, spoon White Chocolate Mousse Filling. Add raspberry jam and swirl in. Top with whipped cream, toasted almonds, and fresh berries.
*Note: Tutti can be purchased on the internet. There are several readily available sugar-free cookies.