Valentines Day Recipes - Prepare Some Romantic Food

Valentines Day is a day to express your love, and to celebrate the spirit of love. And there's no romantic way then to have a great valentines meal.

Here are some Valentines recipes you can prepare on this special day:

1. Victorian Gingerbread Valentines

Ingredients:

- 2 1/2 cups unsifted flour

- 2 teaspoons cinnamon

- 1 1/2 teaspoon ginger

- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 1/2 cup margarine

- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

- 1/3 cup dark corn syrup

- 1 large egg

Directions:

- In large bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt.

- Blend together margarine and brown sugar until smooth. Add corn syrup and egg; beat well. Add dry ingredients, about one-third at a time, mixing until smooth after each addition. Chill dough one hour.

- Roll out half of dough on lightly floured surface to one-quarter-inch thickness. (Reserve other half for decorations or for a second batch of cookies.)

- Using heart-shaped cookie cutter, press out cookie shapes or use knife to cut around a pattern. Place hearts on cookie sheet. Decorate as desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes until golden. Remove and place on wire racks to cool.

Store in covered container.

2. Waldorf-Astoria Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup Shortening

- 1 1/2 cup Sugar

- 2 Eggs

- 2 ounces Red food coloring

- 2 tablespoons Cocoa -- heaping

- 2 1/4 cups Plain flour

- 1 teaspoon Salt

- 1 teaspoon Vanilla

- 1 teaspoon Baking soda

- 1 cup Buttermilk

- 1 tablespoon Vinegar

- 1 teaspoon Butter Flavoring (if desired)
Frosting

- 3 tablespoons Flour

- 1 cup Butter (Not Margarine- you can tell the difference in the flavor).

- 1 teaspoon Vanilla

- 1 cup Milk

- 1 cup granulated sugar

Directions:

- Cream Shortening, sugar and eggs. Make a paste with coloring and cocoa and add to mixture.
- Add salt and flour with buttermilk and vanilla. Alternately add soda and vinegar and don't beat- just blend. Bake in two 9-inch pans (greased and floured) for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Layers may be split to make four.

Frosting:

- Cook flour and milk on low heat until thick. Then cool (I put it in the freezer for this.) cream sugar, butter, and vanilla until fluffy.

- Add to flour-milk mixture. Beat until mixture is like whipped cream. Spread on layers. Sprinkle with nuts if desired

3. Mock Pink Lady

Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 cup Milk, homogenized

- 2 tablespoons Lemon juice

- 1 tablespoon Grenadine

- 1 tablespoon Sugar, granulated -Ice cubes

Directions:

- Measure milk, lemon juice, grenadine, sugar and ice cubes into blender.
- Blend until ice is gone. Serve immediately.

4. Passion Fruit Mimosa Recipe

Ingredients:

- 1 cup chilled Champagne

- 1/2 cup chilled passion-fruit juice

Directions:

- Divide Champagne between 2 flutes and top off each with passion fruit juice.

5. Peaches in Spiced Red Wine

Ingredients:

- 2 large peaches

- 1/2 cup dry red wine

- 3 tablespoons sugar

- 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions:

- Blanch peaches in medium saucepan of boiling water 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl of cold water using slotted spoon.
- Pull off peel, using small sharp knife. Pit and slice peaches. Transfer peaches to medium bowl.

- Add all remaining ingredients to peaches and mix to dissolve sugar.

Refrigerate at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, before serving.