There is perhaps nothing more caring and significant than showing your special someone your love by creating something beautiful for them on Valentine's Day with your very own hands! Sweets, desserts, cakes, cookies- call them what you may, no Valentine's Day is complete without indulging in and being indulged with them. We bring you a selection of a few such 'sweet somethings' that you both can not only gorge yourselves silly on but also recreate, thanks to these easy-to-follow recipes. So, go on and spoil yourselves. And don't forget to add that extra special ingredient called 'love'!
Here Are 7 Valentine's Day Treats That You Must Try
1. Pistachio, Cranberry and White Chocolate Pie (eggless)
This eggless eight-inch pie by Swheta Mutreja Aggarwal of Kookie Cake Crumble is as beautiful to look at as it is to eat. With it, one gets to savour a smooth, creamy Sicilian pistachio filling that's studded with chewy cranberry bits, all ensconced in a crispy and crumbly shortcrust pastry. Though it might take a bit of practice to construct, trust us when we say that just one bite of it will have your special someone enamoured. Both, by you, and the pie. Click here for the recipe.
Also Read: 3-Course Valentine's Day Menu to Surprise Your Special Someone
2. Rose Petal Gadbad (eggless)
Often dubbed as the 'Original Mangalorean Sundae', the gadbad was created in 1977 by Y. Prabhakar Kamath of Mangaluru's famous Idea Ice Cream. Giving us this romance-laden riff with a fragrant rose petal gadbad is Chef Dipesh Shinde of the brand new restaurant +94 Bombay created especially for Valentine's Day. The original gadbad (the word gadibidi loosely translates as 'hurried confusion' in Kannada) sees a tall glass filled with three differently flavoured ice-cream scoops (in this case, rose petal ice cream!), with nuts, fresh fruit cubes, jelly and tutti frooti alternating each scoop. All this is then topped off with a bit of sweet, thickened milk. Click here for the recipe.
3. Coeur du Chocolat (Heart of Chocolate) Mini Cake
This mini, two-inch tall travel cake by pastry chef Shweta K of The Blue Mango is the cute little sum of its Belgian dark chocolate sponge and dark chocolate ganache frostings parts. It's garnished with rainbow sprinkles (lower edges) and organic rose petals (on the top). As 14th February is meant to be a celebration of love and the people we love, its creator wanted to make something to honour that. Something that says 'love'. Simple, pure, and classic. She adds that the reason the top of the cake has been left blank is so that it can be customised with the name of your partner, or a short message if desired. Click here for the recipe.
4. Strawberry Shortbread Heart Cookie (eggless)
Taking a simple shortbread cookie and elevating it to epic proportions with her rendition of the perfect Valentine's Day treat is Bollywood's favourite patissier Milanda Jagtiani. Giving one the option of infusing these buttery, melt-in-the-mouth eggless cookies with either colourful sprinkles, dried cranberries or pink chocolate bits, the recipe is rather an easy one for you to whip up in your own kitchen. Just make sure to get some cute heart-shaped cookie cutters and you're golden! Click here for the recipe.
5. Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownie (eggless)
Having built a name for itself as one of Mumbai's best brownie places, Brownie by the Bay by Anjali Mirchandani has what else, but an exclusively crafted brownie for this Valentine's Day special treats list of ours! The eggless creation combines the best of not one, not two, but three separate confections of a red velvet cake, a cheesecake and a brownie in one delicious little square. Easy enough for you to replicate, these slightly red-hued brownies are sure to win you some... pardon the pun, brownie points with the love of your life. Click here for the recipe.
6. Strawberry Cheesecake Tart with Strawberry Gelato (eggless)
Giving us a recipe each for her six-inch, eggless strawberry cheesecake tart and for her no-churn, quick eggless strawberry gelato is chef and cookbook author Natasha Celmi. Making a cheesecake into a tart is a fun and creative way of reinventing the dessert. Natasha adds that the tart can be topped with any seasonal fruit like mangoes, peaches etc, but given the significance of strawberries and Valentine's Day, she simply couldn't resist the cliche. Accompanying the tart is an easy recipe that requires minimal ingredients to prepare a strawberry gelato at home. So, what are you waiting for? Whip up this killer combination right now! Click here for the recipe.
7. Red Velvet Whoopie Pie
Coming up with this recipe specially for us is Inderpreet 'Rummy' Nagpal of Rummy's Kitchen who has travelled the world in search of interesting dishes and confections and then recreating them for her business. With its origins in American Amish cooking, a whoopie basically is a pie like cookie sandwich made with two soft cookies with a fluffy marshmallow filling. While the original whoopie pie is made with chocolate, our special version is a red velvet heart shaped whoopie pie. Interestingly, there is a fun story about how the whoopie pie got its name. Apparently, when children would find these treats in their lunch bags, they would shout "Whoopie!" Click here for the recipe.
About Raul DiasA Mumbai-based writer, Raul is an ardent devotee of the peripatetic way of life. When not churning out his food and travel stories at a manic pace, he can be found either hitting the road for that elusive story or in the company of his three dogs!