I saw a social media post recently that illustrated the absolute truth about gift buying for women. “Women don’t want chocolate for Valentine’s Day. They want crab legs.” Aren’t women finicky?
The truth is – husbands, please take note -- women want crab legs with a side of ribeye, followed by chocolate and champagne with a diamond at the bottom of the glass.
So let’s get busy making that happen, shall we?
First things first, visit Allen’s Fine Jewelry or Crossroads Jewelers here in Winona for the diamonds – both have gorgeous things that sparkle. Now, my husband is the best seafood-boiling-cook and grill master I know, so I am going to leave that up to him. You can check with some of our local restaurants to see if they have Valentine’s Day specials, as they often do.
Now the chocolate, I can do. It is my tradition to give my husband chocolate-covered strawberries from Dinstuhl’s in Memphis (a treat my mother introduced us to as children), carried here in Winona by The Crow’s Nest, and bless his heart, he shares. I’ve also picked up Sugaree’s chocolate or red velvet cupcakes from Hammond’s for my son, Dean. Both are fantastic, especially if you aren’t the best in the kitchen or want a little gourmet treat.
However, if you want to whip up a special chocolate dish for your sweetie on Valentine’s Day, here are a few tried-and-true dishes that are plate-scraping delicious.
Death by Chocolate Trifle
1 box Devil's Food cake mix (make according to directions)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
16 oz. whipped cream
22 oz. caramel syrup
8 oz. Heath English Toffee Bits
1 King-Sized Heath bar
Prepare Devil's Food cake according to box directions. When cake is still warm, cut it into small squares, leaving it in the pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over cake, allowing it to soak in while it cools. Once cake is cooled, spread 1/3 of it in the bottom of the trifle bowl. Cover the cake pieces with 1/3 of the whipped cream, caramel, and Heath English Toffee Bits. Create two more layers the exact same way. Finally, sprinkle on a crushed Heath bars to top everything off. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Store in refrigerator.
The Death by Chocolate Trifle is as pretty as it is delicious if layered in a glass, footed trifle dish. It is almost too pretty to eat – almost.
Years ago, I read the book, The Sweet Potato Queens Book of Love by Jill Connor Brown, which included a recipe for something the author referred to as “Chocolate Stuff.” Now, I’m no Sweet Potato Queen, but for Heaven’s sake, I imagine “Chocolate Stuff” being what the angels eat.
It isn’t pretty, and it makes enough for about two true chocoholics to enjoy. It is so fantastic, I advise not to try and dress it up with ice cream. It is perfect as is.
Chocolate Stuff
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 stick butter, melted in a small bowl
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon (running over) vanilla
2 heaping tablespoons Hershey’s Cocoa
Beat the ingredients together and use the part of the butter that sticks to the small bowl to butter a round cake pan. Set the cake pan in another pan which is larger and pour some water into the bottom pan so you have a water bath. Bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes.
The top should come out crunchy like that on a brownie, but the inside should be the consistency of undercooked brownie batter or as I like to say chocolate goo.
You can thank me later.
A friend of mine at the University of Mississippi football office sent me a cookbook, Touchdowns and Tailgates, she puts together annually for the Ole Miss Ladies Football Forum, held each summer on the Ole Miss Campus. I love this cookbook! I have probably used it more than any other cookbook I have.
One particular page is obviously a favorite based on the chocolate smudges and drips. It features the recipe for Chocolate Chess Pie – oh, how awesome it is.
I have actually blended two recipes to make the chocolate chess pie – the pie recipe from Touchdowns and Tailgates and the crust recipe from the Vintage Vicksburg cookbook published by the Junior Auxiliary of Vicksburg. I recommend this duo for a reason. There is nothing like it.
Chocolate Chess Pie
1 pie crust, (recipe below)
1 ¼ cups sugar
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup butter, softened
3 eggs, room temperature
5 ounce can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and adjust oven rack to lowest position.
In a large bowl whisk together sugar, cocoa powder, cornmeal, flour, and salt. Add softened butter, eggs, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract to the bowl. Use a mixer to beat until well combined.
Pour filling into prebaked pie crust and bake on the lowest rack for 55-60 minutes. The top layer should be set and underneath will have a slight jiggle, but not sloshy. Insert a toothpick to make sure the center isn’t liquid. Cool before slicing.
Butter Pie Crust
