Valentine’s Day is just round the corner. How about planning a day with delicious goodness for the special someone, as your romantic playlist adds a special background score? You can start your day with pancakes, spend the evening sipping daiquiris and wrap up with some chocolate cake and a classic romantic film — a perfect plan, promising a lot of quality time. So get that apron on, pour yourself a drink and try out these recipes to surprise your bae with or to cook together on V-Day...
Strawberry pancakes
![Strawberry pancakes](https://assets.telegraphindia.com/telegraph/2023/Feb/1675846191_strawberry-pancakes.jpg)
Strawberry pancakes Unsplash (Representational Image)
Start the day with surprising the beloved with soft pancakes, with the surprise bites of strawberries, topped with maple syrup and some more heart-shaped strawberries.
Ingredients:
- Flour (Maida): 1 large cup
- Baking powder: 1 and ½ teaspoons
- Eggs: 2
- Full fat milk: 1 medium cup
- Powdered brown sugar: 6-8 tablespoons
- Salt: 1 small pinch
- Finely chopped strawberries: 5-6 tablespoons
- Whole strawberries cut with heart-shaped cookie cutter: 8-10 pieces
- Butter: 3-4 tablespoons for batter, 10-12 tablespoons for cooking
Recipe:
- Sieve maida and baking powder
- Add powdered sugar, salt, melted butter and eggs. Mix well into a no-lumps batter, adding milk in small amounts
- Now, add chopped strawberries and give a quick mix
- Brush butter on a non-stick pan and heat well. Turn the flame low and add a dollop of the batter and spread
- Cook for 3-4 minutes each side or until each side is golden brown
- Serve with maple syrup and garnish with heart-shaped strawberries
Tip:
- You can also serve with whipped cream along with maple syrup
- You can add choco chips or grated chocolate in the batter if you like
Heart-shaped salami with poached eggs and bacon
![Heart-shaped salami with poached eggs and bacon](https://assets.telegraphindia.com/telegraph/2023/Feb/1675846306_heart-shaped-poached-eggs-salami-and-bacon.jpg)
Heart-shaped salami with poached eggs and bacon Shutterstock (Representational Image)
Let it rain some more hearts on the plate. Add some eggs (but with a twist), salami and bacon for brekkie or if you are planning to cook a brunch.
Ingredients:
- Eggs: 4
- Avocado: 2
- Lime juice: 1 tablespoon
- Black salt: 1 teaspoon
- Chilli flakes: 1 teaspoon
- Back pepper powder: 1 teaspoon
- Salami: 10 pieces
- Bacon strips: 12 pieces
- Olive oil: 2 tablespoons
- Cheese slices: 5
- Salt
Recipes:
For the base
- Scoop the avocados and mash well with a fork
- Now add salt, black pepper powder and lemon juice and mix
- Take a spoonful and add it to a plate. With the help of the back of the spoon, make an asymmetric bed of almost-guacamole
For the eggs
- Add water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil
- Now crack one egg and drop lightly into the water, or you can also crack the egg in a big, lightly greased ladle and lower it into the water for less chances of the yolk breaking
- Turn the flame medium to high and cook for 1 minute
- Take a strainer and carefully take out the eggs with a strainer
- Carefully place the egg on the avocado bed
- Repeat the process of water poaching with the remaining eggs
- Sprinkle some salt and chilli flakes on the top
For the salami
- Add one tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick pan and heat
- Place five salami pieces and put one cheese slice each on the top. Add the remaining five salamis making a salami-cheese-salami sandwich
- Cover, keep the flame low and cook for 45 seconds to a minute
- Cut them with a heart shaped cookie cutter
- Plate on the side of the eggs
For the bacon
- Add olive oil to the same pan in which you cooked the salami
- Place the bacon strips and cook until it’s crispy
- Strain the excess fat and add to the plate
Tip:
- Store the bacon fat for later use
- You can also cook the bacon without adding any oil. The fat it it melts easily
Easy charcuterie board
![Easy charcuterie board](https://assets.telegraphindia.com/telegraph/2023/Feb/1675846457_easy-charcuterie-board.jpg)
Easy charcuterie board Unsplash (Representational Image)
Go for some daiquiri (scroll down for the recipe) and music in the evening. Here’s a fancy looking but easy-to-make charcuterie board to go with it.
Ingredients:
- Crackers: 6-8 pieces
- Green/Black olives: 6-8 pieces
- Cherry tomatoes: 6-8 pieces
- Sliced kiwi: 6-8 pieces
- Feta cheese: 100gm
- Cheddar: 100gm
- Gouda: 100gm
- Cashews: 50gm
- Dates: 50gm
- Grapes: 10-12 pieces
- Salami: 100gm
- Bacon: 100gm
- Ham: 100 gm
- Pesto: 1 small bowl
- Mayonnaise: 1 small bowl
- Hummus: 1 small bowl
- Honey: 1 small bowl
- Tomato salsa: 1 small bowl
Recipe:
- Place all the ingredients on the charcuterie board and enjoy
Tip:
- You can cut down on the ingredients and keep just cheese, meat, one dip and a fruit if you like
Daiquiri
![Daiquiri](https://assets.telegraphindia.com/telegraph/2023/Feb/1675846525_daiquiri.jpg)
Daiquiri Shutterstock (Representational Image)
Add another special touch to surprise your beloved…
Ingredients:
- Rum: 60ml per glass
- Lemon juice: 30ml per glass
- Sugar syrup: 1 and ½ tablespoons
- Lemon slices: 1 per glass
- Ice
Recipe:
- Add all the ingredients in a shaker and shake very well
- Take a cocktail glass and put a round lemon slice
- Strain the daiquiri and you are ready to sip
V-Day special chocolate cake
![V-Day special chocolate cake](https://assets.telegraphindia.com/telegraph/2023/Feb/1675846592_chocolate-cake-with-icing.jpg)
V-Day special chocolate cake Shutterstock (Representational Image)
Round it up with some gooey heart-shaped chocolate cake.
Ingredients:
For the cake
- Flour (maida): 1 medium cup
- Eggs: 2
- Full fat milk: 1 small cup
- Salt: 1 small pinch
- Brown sugar: 1 small cup
- Cocoa powder: ½ of a small cup
- Chocolate chips: ½ of a small cup
- Baking powder: 1 teaspoon
- Baking soda: 1 teaspoon
- Butter: 200gm
For icing
- Grated chocolate: 100gm
- Condensed milk: 50gm
- Water: 1 small cup
- Icing sugar: 1 small cup
For garnish-
- Kit kat- 10
- Fererro rochers-20
- Strawberry- 1 large
Recipe:
For cake
- Sieve maida, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder
- Beat the eggs well and add butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy
- Add the egg batter in the maida bowl. Now, add chocolate chips
- Fold, adding milk in smaller amounts to make a thick batter
- Grease the heart shaped mould and put a butter paper
- Pour the batter and tap lightly to release air bubbles
- Preheat the microwave for 10 minutes
- Put the mould into the microwave, set the temperature for 180°C at convection mode and bake for 30-40 minutes
- Check the cake with a toothpick. Once ready, take the mould out of the oven and allow it to rest for 10-12 minutes before demoulding
For garnish
- Take a non-stick pan and add water. Boil some water
- Now take a deep bowl
- Add chocolate, condensed milk and icing sugar in the bowl and place it on the non-stick pan with water
- Hold the bowl with the tong (saransi) and keep mixing all the ingredients in the bowl until it forms a thick, smooth frosting. Keep the flame low
- Turn off the heat when your are satisfied with the mix
Making the cake
- Demould the cake and cut it into two halves horizontally
- Add a dollop of the chocolate icing and cover the surface
- Place the other half of the cake atop and pour the chocolate frosting in small quantities, spreading well, covering the sides and the top. Smoothen with the back of a ladle
- Add a few Kit kats and Ferrero Rochers to garnish and then place the strawberries
- Put it in the refrigerator for minimum 2 hours