Looking for Valentine desserts recipes to woo your other half this Valentine’s Day?

From an easy vegan chocolate mousse to cute letterbox pastries made with jam and even Champagne truffles, these ideas are certainly more than sweet nothings…

1. Chocolate and walnut cookie hearts filled with jam

Makes 20 cookies. Prep, bake and set time, 3 hours 40 mins.

Ingredients

• 250g plain flour plus extra for rolling
• 125g California Walnuts, toasted
• 145g caster sugar
• 40g cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• 185g chilled butter, cubed
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• your preferred flavour of jam

Method

1. In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the flour, California walnuts, sugar, cocoa powder, salt and nutmeg. Process until the walnuts are finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until blended into the dry ingredients and the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. In a small cup, whisk together the egg yolks, water and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture and process until the dough holds together in a stiff mass. Transfer the dough into a bowl and cover with clingfilm. Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes, until firm but not hard.
3. Preheat the oven to 180ᵒC/gas mark 4, and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the chilled dough in half (return one half to the fridge). On a lightly floured surface, roll half the dough out to a thickness slightly less than 5mm. If the top of the dough is sticky, sprinkle it lightly with additional flour.
4. Using a 4-5cm heart-shaped cutter, cut cookies from the rolled-out dough. Gather the scraps together, re-roll them, and cut additional cookies. As cookies are cut, place them, about 1cm apart, on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cookies look dry. Cool for about 2 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely before filling. Continue rolling, cutting and baking until all the dough is used.
5. To assemble and decorate the cookies, place half of them in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Spread each one with about ½ teaspoon of jam, then top with a second cookie. When all the cookies have been filled, top each with about ½ teaspoon melted chocolate, spreading the chocolate with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the chocolate lightly with chopped walnuts. Let the cookies stand for 2-3 hours, or until the chocolate is firm, then store them in an airtight container.

Recipe adapted from California Walnuts’ recipe for Walnut Cookie Hearts Filled with Fig Jam

2. Love Letter Tartlets

Rather than the traditional card or love letter, why not show your loved one you care with these delicious tartlets instead?

They’re simple to make and incredible tasty!

Makes 8 tartlets

Ingredients

• 1 jar Bonne Maman Strawberry Conserve
• 2 rolls ready-made shortcrust pastry
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• Icing sugar

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C, 160°C fan, gas 4.
2. Take out the shortcrust pastry. Lay them out side by side and cut out 8 rectangles measuring 10×7 cm from the two doughs.
3. From the first 4 rectangles, cut out a heart shape in the centre using a cookie cutter. Then mark the folds of the envelope delicately with the back of a knife.
4. Spread the centre of the 4 other rectangles with Bonne Maman Strawberry Conserve. Carefully, place the first 4 rectangles with the heart on top of those containing the jam.
5. With a fork, press the edges of the rectangles to close the dough. Trim the excess edges with a knife if necessary.
6. Brush the tops of the envelopes with the beaten egg. Bake for 30 minutes. The envelopes should be nicely browned.
7. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Add a little Bonne Maman Strawberry Conserve to the heart, if necessary, then delicately sprinkle with icing sugar and enjoy!

Recipe and photography from Bonne Maman

3. Apple and Cranberry Rose Tarts

This recipe looks incredible and will get you serious chef points, but it’s actually super simple and a bargain.

Costing £8.56 in total, which works out at just 71p per tart. The recipe makes 12 tarts, plus extra apple and cranberry jam (it’s lovely on toast!).

Prep time: 1 hour, 45 minutes, plus cooling time

Ingredients

For the Apple & Cranberry Jam:

• 6 JAZZ™ Apples
• 400g fresh cranberries
• 1.2kg white sugar
• 250ml water
• 2 lemons, zest and juice
• For the tarts:
• 2 JAZZ™ Apples
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 sheet puff pastry
• Butter or oil, for greasing
• 2 tbsp JAZZ™ Apple & Cranberry jam

Instructions

1. To make the JAZZ™ Apple & Cranberry Jam, combine the apples, cranberries, sugar, water, and lemon juice and zest in a large saucepan and cook over high heat, stirring regularly.
2. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-high and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the cranberries pop and the apples soften. Continue to stir regularly.
3. Once the jam thickens, remove from the heat and allow to cool fully before transferring to prepared jam jars.
4. To make the JAZZ™ Apple & Cranberry Tart, preheat the oven to 200C, 180C Fan, Gas 6.
5. Quarter the JAZZ™ Apples and remove the core. Cut into thin slices and add to a saucepan alongside 200ml water and 2 tbsp lemon juice.
6. Mix gently to coat, cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes over a low heat.
7. Drain and spread out on a large plate or tray lined with kitchen paper. Leave to cool.
8. Unroll the pastry onto a lightly floured work surface and roll it out thinner, until the pastry measures about 30cm deep.
9. Spread a thin layer of JAZZ™ Apple & Cranberry jam all over the pastry, then cut into 12 vertical strips, each about 2cm wide.
10. Grease a 12-hole cupcake or muffin tray butter or oil. Taking one strip of pastry at a time, arrange apple slices, slightly overlapping, along the length of the pastry with the round edges facing outwards.
11. Roll the bottom up over the apples, then loosely roll the pastry into a circle, forming rose shapes, pushing the apple slices back into the centre if necessary. Place into the muffin tray and repeat with the remaining pastry strips.
12. Bake for 5 minutes, then loosely cover with foil and bake for a further 45 minutes, or until the pastry is cooked through.
13. Allow to cool slightly before gently lifting the tarts out onto a wire rack.

Recipe and photography courtesy of Jazz Apples

4. Champagne and raspberry truffles

Prep time around 15 minutes, cooling time two hours.

Ingredients

• 400g white chocolate
• 150ml double cream
• 75ml champagne (or prosecco)
• 5tsp raspberry powder
• 20g raspberry powder to roll the truffles

Method

1. Break up the chocolate and put the pieces in a large bowl.
2. Bring the double cream to the boil and pour the hot cream over the white chocolate.
3. Leave to stand for a minute then stir to combine.
4. Add the champagne/Prosecco and mix. Then add the raspberry powder and whisk until all combined.
5. Put cling film on top of the mix (touching it) and leave to cool for around 2 hours.
6. Cover a baking tray with cling film. Using a tea spoon, scoop out a heaped amount and form into a ball.

Roll the balls in the raspberry powder and serve alongside a glass of champagne!

Recipe courtesy of Carole Poirot for ao.com

5. Valentine’s Day Black Bean Chocolate Mousse

Looking for a vegan Valentine dessert recipe?

This is the one for you! It’s delicious, packed full of flavour and guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser.

Prep time: 5 minutes + 2 hrs chilling time.

Makes: 2-4 jars.

Ingredients

• 1 tin Mr Organic Black Beans, drained & rinsed well
• 3 tbsp hazelnut butter
• 2 tbsp Mr Organic Light Agave Syrup
• 1 tbsp Mr Organic Coconut Oil, melted
• 1 tbsp Mr Organic Chocolate and Hazelnut Spread
• 30ml espresso
• 50ml plant milk, e.g. hazelnut
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• A pinch of salt
• 1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp Mr Organic Lemon juice
  
  To decorate:
• 1-2 tsp vegan crème fraîche
• Vegan chocolate shavings
• Toasted hazelnuts

Method

1. Rinse the black beans well and transfer them into a blender.
2. Add in hazelnut butter, agave syrup, melted coconut oil, chocolate spread, espresso, plant milk, cocoa powder, salt, cinnamon and lemon juice.
3. Process until smooth. Make sure to stop the blender regularly to scrape down the sides until you have a smooth chocolate mousse.
4. Transfer the mousse into small jars and place them in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours to set.
5. Before serving, decorate the jars with a spoonful of vegan crème fraîche, toasted hazelnuts and vegan chocolate shavings.

Recipe and photography courtesy of Mr Organic

6. Apple Pie Doughnuts

Who doesn’t love a doughnut? They’re delicious and if they have apples in, they definitely count towards your five-a-day.

This delicious recipe take on the classic makes 12 doughnuts for just £2.93, and they take less than an hour to make* so are a definite winner for a Valentine’s dinner.

*Prep time: 45 minutes, plus proving time

Ingredients

For the Apple Pie Filling:

• 3 JAZZ™ apples, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• 50g sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

For the doughnuts:

• 125ml Milk
• 15g butter, plus extra for greasing
• 1 egg
• 250g strong white bread flour, plus extra for rolling
• 7g yeast sachet
• ¼ tsp salt
• 30g caster sugar
• Caramel sauce, for drizzling (optional)

Instructions

1. Begin by making the JAZZ™ apple pie filling. Add all ingredients to a saucepan alongside a splash of water.
2. Stir well and cook over low heat for 20-30 minutes until the apples are soft enough to mash with the back of a wooden spoon.
3. Allow to cool slightly and blend into a smooth puree. Set aside for later.
4. To make the doughnuts, add the milk and butter to a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix until completely combined – around 2 minutes.
5. Add the egg and mix until incorporated.
6. Add the yeast to the bowl, followed by the flour, then the caster sugar, then salt. Knead for 10 minutes or mix with the dough hook for approx 3 minutes until the dough is sticky but well combined and slightly transparent if stretched.
7. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover with cling film and set aside to prove in a warm place. Leave for 1-2 hours, dependent on the temperature, until the dough doubles in size.
8. Once the dough is proved, knock down onto a floured surface and cut the dough in half. Roll into two balls.
9. Roll each ball into long log (approx. 25cm), then cut each log into pieces and roll each into a tight ball. Place on a tray lined with baking paper and prove for a further 15 minutes.
10. In the meantime, heat oil for deep-frying. Once the oil reaches 180C and the doughnuts have proved, drop 3-4 balls into the oil at a time and cook for 5 minutes until golden brown, turning once or twice during cooking.
11. When cooked, use a piping bag to fill the doughnuts with the smooth JAZZ™ apple pie filling.
12. Optionally drizzle with caramel sauce to serve.

Recipe and photography courtesy of Jazz Apples

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