If you're looking for some fun, easy desserts to share with your Valentine -- anyone from your beloved to your neighbor to your best friend -- here are a couple that are sure to melt their hearts!
Fabulous Fudge Bars
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| I didn't add nuts or fleur de sel to the top -- but you can! |
My book club friend Lynne brought these to a meeting. They were not only a hit there, but with everyone I shared them with when I made them at Christmas!
1) Prep a 9x13 pan with parchment (Yes, this makes a LOT!) and preheat the oven to 400F.
- Pulverize six ounces of chocolate wafers or Teddy Grahams
To that, add:
- 6 Tablespoons of melted butter
- 2 Tablespoons of sugar
- Pinch of Salt
Press the crust in pan and bake 10 minutes. (I use the bottom of a flat measuring cup to really press it down and into the corners -- and Ina Garten trick!)
While that's baking, in a double boiler melt:
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 1 pound of bitter sweet chocolate (chips or chunk work well)
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 Tablespoons whole milk
Spread over cooked crust. If desired, sprinkle with 1/2 c. chopped nuts or fleur de sel.
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| You can see the crust is quite thin -- but still a full crust. |
Put in the fridge for two hours. Cut into small bars. Very small, as these are very rich and you will feel less guilty if you go back for seconds!
Super Easy Puff Pastry Palmiers
- Up to 1 c. granulated sugar (divided)
- 1/2 t. cinnamon
- 1 sheet of puff pastry
- Preheat oven to 450F.
- Combine the sugar and cinnamon and spread about 1/3-1/2 c. on your counter, a board or a parchment sheet. Spread it evenly around. (I used 1/2 cup here and in the recipe. You want them to caramelize, so I'd lean toward around 1/2 cup (maybe a little less) but overall they were too sweet for me, so I'd adjust on the "inside" top layer next time.)
- Roll out pastry to about 13-14 inches on top of the sugar. Any sugar that "escapes," lift pastry from parchment gently and brush it under.
- Now you have a flat sheet of pastry with cinnamon/sugar on the parchment side.
- On the top, spread the remainder of the sugar cinnamon mixture evenly and use your rolling pin to roll it in.
- (I haven't done this but next time I might add a thin layer of extremely finely chopped nuts to the top layer -- probably pecans. If you do that, roll those in, too.)
- With the long side, fold the bottom about 1/4 of the width of the pastry and then again to the middle.
- Do the same with the other side, again, folding 1/4 of the width, and again to the center.
- (An alternate fold is to fold the long side in half to the middle both ways and then fold it again so one side is on top of the other)
- Cut about 1/2" thick and place on parchment with the cut side down.
- Bake for about six minutes on one side; turn them over and go 4-5 minutes on the other side. You are looking for caramelized sugars, which will make a nice crunch.
- These are wonderful with coffee or tea as well as on a dessert plate or just as a sweet gift!
Enjoy!
Sharing with: Pink Saturday / Love Your Creativity / All About Home / Tuesday Turn About / Share Your Style
56 comments:
Those sound so good. Have always wanted to try the espaliers. I will buy a puff pastry.
Super tempting recipes! Especially the fudge.
best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
That chocolate sounds just decadent. I am saving both recipes to try next time I know the kids are coming over.
I hope you have a really wonderful weekend. xo Diana
Delicious recipes! Thank you
It will be nice to turn Valentines into a baking fest.
These both look delicious. Those chocolate bars look to die for. They almost look fudgy. Thanks for sharing. I may have to try these soon. Happy weekend. Hugs-Erika
These look delicious!
Might have to try these! Been baking more since I moved.
These sound yummy! Have a great weekend, hugs, Valerie
The only time we make dessert is when we have company, and that hasn't been too often since COVID decided to pay a visit to the world.
Ingo once came home with a heart shaped Pizza for the occasion :-)
Hello Jeanie,
Both of these treats look delicious. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!
This heart shape is very pretty. It's full of love.
Both sounds so yummy! Thanks for sharing the recipes with us :)
yum
Irresistible... (and isn't that just what we want for any Valentine's Day treat?)
Thanks, Jeanie -- these look fabulous!
They both sound wonderful!
Such a fun day to bake for!
Thanks for the recipes. I have actually been thinking about making palmiers with puff pastry; so the tips help here. Lately I have had a craving for cinnamon and sugar and have been mostly just been making toast under the broiler. This would be a nice variety. Hugs!
These are so tempting! Sound delicious.
The fudge bars look delicious. I've never used parchment paper but I can see I need to learn.
Jeanie, the recipes look wonderful. Thank you for them - I have printed them and plan to give them a try.
Have a great weekend and week ahead!
Valentine's Day is always a good excuse to bake some delicious treats! These two recipes sure fit the bill. Thanks Jeanie.......
OMGosh. Now I am so hungry:) As Sue would say, 'Drat you and thank you':)
Looks delicious, thanks for sharing the recipe.
Looks delicious, thanks for sharing the recipes.
Great Share my Friend... but you know I'll just look for the equivalent now in the Local Bakeries, Right? *Winks* A Domestic Goddess I am certainly not...
Would love to make these things- but there is no one that can eat them here, well I COULD but that would just add to all of the Queen's mince pies that I have scoffed in the past two weeks. Balloon!
These look wonderful! What a treat!
I will pin them for later, for when I can have sugar! :D
These look so delicious! I love the pastry hearts but I think the fudge bars are the one I'd enjoy the most - they look so tasty! :)
Thank you for sharing these treats!
Hope that you are having a wonderful weekend :)
Away From The Blue
Very delicious treats, Jeanie! Baking is always fun to do in winter.
I have a heart-shaped Nordic Ware bundt pan that I always bake a cake in for Valentine's Day. I'm thinking of making a red velvet and vanilla swirl cake this year in it.
These sound tasty.
Yes, Valentines Day is getting near! There are many Valentines cards and gifts available in our shops.
Thanks for sharing these recipes.
All the best Jan
I love fudge. I have my grammas recipe which makes me want to make some now. Will need to make the palmiers. TFS Janice
Both of these recipes look amazing. I can never have too much chocolate. Thank you, Jeanie!
Yummy, yummy.
Palmiers are a favourite of mine :)
Thanks Jeanie.
You are a great cook - yum, yum,
Dear Dear! These are beyond fabulous Jeanie! I love sweets and even more I adore fudge!!! I do eat nuts but I love it plain just like what you did because it makes me appreciate its texture and richness so much more!
Boy would my Valentines love the fudge bars, Jeanie! We have many chocoholics in our family. A nice cup of tea and the Palmiers would suit me just fine!
Jeanie,
Everything looks great!! Especially those fudge bars...I prefer Winter over the heat of the Summer...Thanks so much for all your visits..
Hugs,
Deb
Those sound so good. Have always wanted to try the espaliers. I will buy a puff pastry.
I'm a HUGE fan of cinnamon and these sound so good. I just wish I liked to bake, but I'm simply no good at it. These both look swoon worthy, though.
Yummy!
Kind of wishing I had one of those Palmiers right now with my coffee! I love dark chocolate, and may have to try those (and by "try", I mean eat all of them and not share, lol)!
These both look wonderful. Unfortunately, my sweet husband doesn't like sweets, and I decided to give them up for the first part of the year. I haven't baked a thing except bread since Christmas, and I miss that.
Very very tempting :)
Those goodies look absolutely fabulous! I would love to sample them. Thanks for the recipes.
Yum! Both of these look delicious, and I could definitely make a GF version of the fudge bars!! We are already talking about Paul's birthday dessert and he's selected chocolate chocolate chip cookies which he refers to as "black cookies." I am surprised he likes them as the recipe calls for dark chocolate. But it's an easy thing to make. He does not like cake so cookies it is! But that's a good month away.
These both look great.. my chocolate loving family will love the fudge.
Those fudge bars look so good, Jeanie. They look like a toss between fudge and a brownie. And the puff pastries look scrumptious as well. The plates you displayed them on look vintage to me. They are so pretty. I wish I had one of those fudge bars to go with my coffee this morning while I'm catching up on my favorite blogs. ; )
Have a nice week, Jeanie.
~Sheri
Lovely sweet treats Jeanie, puff pastry especially is magical stuff!
Jenna
Oh YUMMY....those look great.
Luckily, I just ate or I'd need a treat! Happy February, Jeanie!
The palmiers are so pretty! I don't usually do much with pastry. It really intimidates me! But those look so good I may have to try.
What great recipes! Valentine’s is soooooo fun!
I like the plates you served them on!
Happy February!
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