Happy Valentine's Day

It has been a long day and I'm heading for bed but I wanted to share my Valentine's dessert with you.  Why? because it was so simple and yet so yummy.  And both of those rank really high for me!

Since I have a sick husband and a sick mom I decided to go with a comfort food for dinner and made a large pot of my mom's chicken soup.  Plus my kids all LOVE it and so it was a win / win.  I then wanted to to a dessert but something not over the top that my sweetheart husband would like even tho he isn't feeling well.  I ended up going with a plain vanilla instant pudding with the Dove Raspberry Sauce on top in the shape of a heart.  I know there are some that would frown that I didn't make the pudding from scratch but I was busy and my kids don't care - plus with the raspberry sauce on top it looked almost - FANCY!  This is where I was going to add a photo but forgot and then the family ate it all up!  My husband said it made his stomach feel better as well as my mom and my son gave me the ultimate compliment that it was too pretty to eat (he ate it anyway! )

I am not writing this blog primarily to push the Dove Raspberry sauce but I want to say that I am surprised how many times the whole family has grabbed the squeeze bottle out of the fridge to use it.  We have put it on ice cream, yogurt, oatmeal, and topped all kinds of desserts.  We have also mixed it in milkshakes and you can add it to whipping cream for a raspberry mouse (I need to try this it sounds yummy).  The sauce also comes in Mango as well but to be honest we haven't tried that one as much because the bottle of raspberry sauce has lasted so long.

Here is a photo of the sauce with a molten lava cake!  I would give every one of my friend's this dessert - it just looks so yummy!

A photo of a brownie with chocolate fudge sauce decorated with both sauces!

While I am a Indepentant Dove chocolate discoveries Chocolatier, I am not a pushy salesman.  I simply love the products and we eat them in my home almost daily from the hot chocolate my kids drink when they come home cold after school to the amazing chocolate chips they make that I throw into their pancakes.  Dove is more than a box of chocolates and I find that we eat the products more than I thought we would.  I say this because I am not a person that eats tons of chocolate everyday.  When I do however, I'm at the point in my life where I want it to be the best chocolate and none of that nasty stuff your kids bring home on Halloween.  Plus they are priced so that I can afford it and in these times is a really really good thing.

- You are always welcome to check out my Dove website and look at all the products from baking, to desserts to savories.  You don't have to have a party to order (just shoot me an email or call me 208-871-4766)  although my parties are a casual and fun way to get together and chat while eating and drinking chocolate.  (The chocolate martini mix is a best seller!)  I live in the Meridian, Idaho area if anyone is interested.  The new spring products just came out and they look amazing!

I do hope that everyone had a Happy, NO STRESS, Valentine's Day!

Take care!

My Valentine's craft/present

Just wanted to share the Valentine's present I made for my Sweetheart.  I usually try to carve him alittle something to show him just how much I love him!  I made this to sit on his desk.  I just carved it out of a piece of wood we had out in the woodpile.  Shhh, but I used one of my old kitchen knives.  So I probably shouldnt do that.   oh - and he has already recieved it so it isnt a secret anymore - I'm terrible at waiting.

I guess this means I have time to make hime something else.  Plus I'm going to make something chocolate for my kids.

Our dessert tonight- Chai Spiced Apple Gingerbread Trifle With White Chocolate Mousse

I'm going to make this for dessert tonight so I thought I would share the recipe:

Chai Spiced Apple Gingerbread Trifle With White Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients


Gingerbread Cake

1/2 cup molasses

1 stick of butter, melted

1 extra-large egg

1/2 cup hot water

1 package DCD Gingerbread Mix



Chai-Spiced Apples

6 large Granny Smith apples

4 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla sugar (included in the Gingerbread Mix kit)

1 package DCD Spiced Chai Tea



White Chocolate Mousse

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup milk

1 packet DCD Frosty White Chocolate

Smoothie Mix



Dark Chocolate Mousse

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 packet DCD Chocolate Mousse Mix

2 bars DCD Chef-Series Dark Chocolate (4 oz.)



Tools

DCD Pastry Bag, DCD Parchment Sheets







Directions

Preparing the cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x11" pan or line with parchment paper for easy release. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together molasses, butter, egg and water.

2. Pour in the Gingerbread Mix, and continue mixing until batter is smooth.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 28-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Cool and cut into small cubes. Set aside.



Preparing the apples

4. Peel, quarter and core apples. Cut into ¼" slices. In a saucepan over medium heat, simmer apples, butter, sugars, and Chai Tea until cooked and juicy, about 20 minutes. Set aside.



Preparing the mousses

5. White Chocolate Mousse: pour cream and milk into a mixing bowl. Begin to whip with an electric mixer while pouring in the Smoothie Mix. Whip until soft peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

6. Dark Chocolate Mousse: prepare 1 batch according to instructions on the packet (using the heavy cream and Dark Chocolate).



Preparing the trifle

7. In the bottom of a trifle bowl, spoon a layer of Dark Chocolate Mousse, followed by a layer of the gingerbread cubes. Top with a layer of White Chocolate Mousse. Arrange half of the chai-spiced apples on the White Chocolate Mousse. Then repeat all layers again. For a professional finish, use your DCD Pastry Bag to pipe a decorative twist of White Chocolate Mousse on top.



Garnish Ideas

DCD Chocolate Leaves, grated DCD Chef-Series White and Dark Chocolate



Makes 4 - 5 individual trifles or 1 large trifle

You can use similar ingredients you find at the store or modify it and make it your own.  You can also browse my website for the ingredients listed and can purchase them from me anytime.