Rather than spending Valentine’s Day in a crowded restaurant or dropping hundreds of dollars for a private dinner, why not cook dinner for your sweetheart?
Let’s be honest, cooking your own dinner is going to be more affordable, a lot less hectic than trying to find an affordable restaurant that takes reservations, and it’s going to be a lot more romantic.
This week, leading up to Valentine’s Day, we’re giving you plenty of ideas to make your Valentine’s Day more personalized and special.
Up first…DESSERTS!
We may not eat desserts after every meal, but on Valentine’s Day, it’s required, and we have several ideas that will have your sweetheart feeling loved and appreciated. Today’s featured Valentine’s Day dessert…Citrus Crepes!
Ingredients
- Lemon Sauce
- 1 1/2 c. sugar
- 1/2 stick butter–softened
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 c. lemon juice
- 1/8 tsp salt
- Lemon Cream
- 1/2 oz. gelatin
- 1/2 c. water
- 1 pt. cream
- 2 c. lemon sauce
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- Crepes
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/3 c milk
- 2 TBSP melted butter
- 1 c. all purpose flour
- 3 TBSP sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp orange extract
- Glaze
- 1/2 c. butter
- 2/3 c. sugar
- juice from one red or pink grapefruit (preferably red)
- juice from 2 navel oranges
- 2 TBSP orange concentrate
- 4 TBSP dark rum
- zest from one orange
- 3-5 red grapefruit sections (yes, individual grapefruit pieces)
Instructions
- In a blender, combine all ingredients for crepes. Pulse until blended. Pour batter into a large bowl.
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Ladle crepe batter and swirl to coat pan with batter. Cook over medium-low heat until dry on top and edges are lightly browned. Remove from pan & cool
- Pipe 3 rows of lemon Bavarian cream in the center of each crepe. Roll up. Spoon glaze over each crepe.
- To make lemon sauce
- In a small saucepan, mix together sugar and lemon juice. Add eggs and salt, and whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thick & bubbly. Whisk in butter.. Remove from heat and cool.
- To make lemon Bavarian cream
- Place gelatin in a small glass dish. Add water. Let stand for 10 minutes or until gelatin has bloomed. Melt the bloomed gelatin over a hot water bath to 105 degrees. Whip cream to soft peaks. Combine lemon sauce and lemon extract. Combine lemon sauce/extract and gelatin. Fold in whipped cream. Refrigerate until set.
- To make glaze
- Heat a non stick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle sugar and begin melting. As sugar melts, add butter. Once butter is melted and sugar begins to bubble, add juice and concentrate. Reduce for 2 minutes. Add rum, orange zest, and preserves. Continue cooking over medium high heat until fruit segments have broken down. Remove from heat and cool slightly before spooning over crepes.
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