Hello February

February - the most romantic month of the year.

some Valentines Day favourites

red velvet cupcakes

a slim volume of garden poetry

love locks on a bridge in Paris

fine bone china at tea time

old fashioned french roses

sterling silver sugar shaker and basket

strawberry roulade

cupid's love tokens

love is in the air

linking to 

Amaze Me Monday with Cindy @ Dwellings - The Heart of Your Home

Mosaic Monday with Judith @ Lavender Cottage 
Bernideen's Tea Time

Laurie's Annual Valentines Party @ Bargain Decorating with Laurie

I ♥ My Favorite Kitchen Gadget Party!

When Lynn @ Happier Than A Pig in Mud announced her I ♥ My Favorite Kitchen Gadget Party!  recently, I knew that there was truly only one piece of my kitchen kit which qualified for this award.

Where would I be without my KitchenAid mixer?
Click here to see what other blogging chefs can't live without.
Happy Valentines Day everyone!
Please join me also in visiting Mary's Mosaic Monday

Tea Time with my Valentine.



 So glad you came to tea today, sweetheart.

I've been looking forward to seeing you all week long.

I've taken Grandma B's wedding china out of the cabinet, and polished the silver.

I baked Red Velvet Cupcakes with Buttercream frosting.

One for you and one for me,
 and one to share?

A decadent roulade.
Light as a feather sponge cake

 wrapped around fresh cream and strawberries soaked in Marsala wine
and
 dusted with the finest of sugars.

Won't you be my Valentine?

(Image courtesy of The Graphics Fairy) 

Click on the links below to join the celebration

Miz Helen's Country Cottage Full Plate Thursday,
Valentines Party @ Bargain Hunting with Laurie

Courtney for Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage
Show and Tell Friday with Cindy @ My Romantic Home
Sherry @ The Charm of Home for her brand new Home Sweet Home Party
and
The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday

Chocolate Valentines

It all began with an email from a sweet blogger friend.

Kate @ Serendipity wrote:
I want to get together a few food bloggers, send them all some dark chocolate, and we'll all make something for Valentine's day. And post it that day. It doesn’t have to be a new recipe, or an original one. It just has to be something that you love and that you’d love to serve to someone special on Valentine’s Day.
Would you be interested? Please say yes!

Did I need asking twice?? What do you think? I replied immediately and said "Yes, please!"

It wasn't long before I took delivery of this wonderful gift of dark Belgian chocolate gorgeousness.

Kates' very pretty card had this note attached:
" Maggie,
Here it is! The large dark bar is just wonderful chocolate. Me, I'd eat that one. The ones in foil are what use when I cook with chocolate. But they are good to eat too. The small one is handmade by Christophe and makes wicked hot chocolate. Whatever you do with the, I hope you enjoy them!
Kate".
How could I resist, especially as Kate almost insisted? I broke off a small piece from the largest bar, mmmmmm, heaven.

So, what did tempting treat did I make for my Sweet Valentine.


Chocolate expresso cake with caffe latte cream, so wicked, so decadent, so wonderful! From Nigella's "FEAST Food That Celebrates Life", see her recipe below.

When I removed the cake from the oven the top was firm to the touch but inside was all dark chocolate squidginess and mousselike. Once it was cool I dusted with cocoa powder and then just before serving piled the cream in the sunken centre of the cake.

The combined taste was very reminiscent of a Tiramisu dessert, thanks to the Tia Maria liqueur!
Cupid is never far away on Valentine's Day.

Pretty heart shaped plates, "Love Letters" from William Sonoma.

CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO CAKE WITH CAFFE LATTE CREAM

Makes 10 to 12 slices.

FOR THE CAKE

150g dark chocolate, chopped

150g butter

6 eggs

250g caster sugar

1tsp vanilla real extract

75g plain flour

5 tsp instant espresso powder

4tblsp Tia Maria or other coffee liqueur

FOR THE CAFFE LATTE CREAM

75g white chocolate broken into small pieces (I used Nestle Chocolat Blanc a pâtisser)

375ml double cream (I used creme cru)

scant 2 tsps instant espresso powder (I used Carte Noir individual sticks of instant espresso)

Pre heat oven to gas mark 4/180 degrees C. Butter and line a 23 inch Springform tin

Melt the chocolate & butter in the microwave or or double boiler, allow to cool slightly.

Beat the eggs, sugar & vanilla together, until thick, pale & moussey. The mixture should double in size, I used my Kitchenaid freestanding mixer which made the task easier.

Fold in the flour & espresso powder, keeping as much as in the batter as possible, then add the melted chocolate & butter, folding it in gently.

Pour into prepared tin and cook for 35 - 40 minutes.

The top of the cake should be firm to the touch but underneath still a little bit gooey.

Poor over the Tia Maria before allowing the cake to cool completely.

For the cream, melt the white chocolate, as before and let it cool, fold in the cream & the espresso powder whipping together until it thickens.

Release the cake from the springform tin, dust with cocoa and serve the creme in a bowl or pile the creme into the slightly sunken centre of the cake.

Vintage Valentines courtesy of TipNut