Food, Baby!: Six Sweet Valentine’s Day Recipes (2024)

By Rebecca Chavoya

Feb. 14 is only a few days away and reservations at Austin restaurants will be filling quickly. Beat the ravenous crowds of hungry couples and stay in this Valentine’s Day with these at-home recipes that you and your sweetie can prepare together. You’ll save money and make some memories in the process. Plus, no one can judge you for Instagramming your meal in the privacy of your own apartment.

Drinks

Godiva co*cktail
By The Hot Sheet Blog

Ingredients:
-2 oz. Godiva White Chocolate Liquer
-2 oz. Svedka Cherry Vodka
-2 oz. Crème de Cacao

Mix all ingredients in a shaker and serve in a martini glass. Garnish with Svedka-soaked cherries dipped in melted chocolate.

Pomegranate Soda
By Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
-1 cup sugar
-½ cup pomegranate juice
-Club soda
-Maraschino cherries

1. In a small saucepan, combine sugar and juice; bring to a boil over high, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Reduce to a simmer; cook, without stirring, until mixture is syrupy, about 2 minutes. (To store, refrigerate syrup up to 1 week; adjust consistency with water, if necessary.)
2. To serve: Fill 8 glasses with ice. Pour 2 tablespoons syrup in each glass, and top with club soda. Garnish with cherries, if desired.

Entree

Heart-Shaped Pizza
By Pillsbury

Ingredients:
-1 can Pillsbury classic refrigerated pizza crust or 1 can Pillsbury refrigerated thin pizza crust
-1 can (8 oz.) pizza sauce of your choice
-24 slices of pepperoni
-¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. If using classic crust: Heat oven to 425°F. Lightly spray or grease large cookie sheet. If using thin crust: Heat oven to 400 F. Spray or grease 15×10-inch or larger dark or nonstick cookie sheet.
2. Unroll dough on work surface. With sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into 4 rectangles. Place rectangles on cookie sheet. Cut 1-inch slit in center of wide edge of each dough portion; on opposite wide edge across from slit, pinch dough together to shape point of heart. Slightly separate each cut slit, and gently press dough into a 6×5-inch heart, creating slight rim on edge of dough.=
3. Divide pizza sauce evenly onto hearts, spreading to within 1/2 inch of edges. Top each with 6 slices pepperoni and 3 tablespoons cheese.
4. Bake classic crust 13 to 16 minutes, thin crust 9 to 13 minutes, or until crust edges are golden brown and cheese is melted.

Dessert

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
By Two Peas and Their Pod

Ingredients:

For the Dark Chocolate Cupcakes:
-1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
-2 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
-1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
-3/4 cup all-purpose Gold Medal flour
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-3/4 teaspoon baking powder
-2 large eggs, at room temperature
-3/4 cup granulated sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream (Chobani Greek Yogurt works)

For the Raspberry Buttercream Frosting:
-3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
-2 cups powdered sugar
-1 cup fresh raspberries
-1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
-Additional fresh raspberries, for garnish-if desired

1. To make the cupcakes: preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
2. Place butter, chocolate and cocoa powder in a medium heatproof bowl. Microwave in 30 second spurts on 50% power, stirring in between, until the butter and chocolate are melted and the mixture is smooth. (Alternatively, you could do this step in a double boiler.) Set the mixture aside to cool until it is warm to the touch.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl to combine, then add the sugar, vanilla and salt and continue whisking until fully incorporated. Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the bowl and whisk to combine. Sift one-third of the flour mixture into the bowl and whisk gently to combine. Add the Greek yogurt or sour cream and whisk to combine. Finally, sift the the rest of the flour mixture into the bowl and whisk until everything is well combined. The cupcake batter will be thick.
4. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin tins, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. Remove the pan to a wire rack and let the cupcakes cool for a few minutes before removing them to the rack to cool completely.
5. While the cupcakes are cooling, make the raspberry buttercream frosting. In a food processor or blender, puree the raspberries. Pour raspberries through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids, to eliminate the seeds. Place butter, half of the powdered sugar, and raspberry puree into mixing bowl. Beat over low speed until well-blended. Add the other half of the sugar, increase speed to medium. Mix until light and fluffy.
6. Frost cooled cupcakes with the raspberry buttercream and top each cupcake with a fresh raspberry, if desired.

Nutella Fondue
By Babble

Ingredients:

-1/2 cup cream (half & half, coffee cream or whipping cream)
-4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
-1/2 cup Nutella

In a small-medium saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat until steaming but not boiling; remove from heat and add the chocolate and Nutella. Let sit for a few minutes, then stir until smooth. Serve in a small chocolate fondue pot set over a tea light to help keep the mixture melted. Serves 8-12 (depending on appetites).

Strawberry Sweethearts Cocoa
By Babble

Ingredients:

-4 tablespoons butter
-1/2 cup sugar
-1 pint strawberry ice cream
-4cups water
-Whipped cream
-1 cup mini chocolate chips
-1 tablespoon chocolate sprinkles

1. In a medium-sized bowl, melt the chocolate chips and dip the top of four mugs into the chocolate. Set aside, allowing chocolate to harden.
2.In a medium pot, whisk together the butter, sugar, and ice cream over medium high heat until melted. Whisk in the water, one cup at a time until your favorite texture/flavor is achieved. Heat just until steaming. Pour into chocolate-rimmed mugs. Garnish with a dollop of whipping cream and a sprinkling of chocolate sprinkles. Serve with your favorite bite-sized cookies for dipping.