February 11th was National Peppermint Pattie Day and we forgot to publish this delicious cocktail recipe from Partida Tequila.

But it tastes just as good as a Valentine treat (or a Christmas treat or a “because it’s Thursday” treat).

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT COOKIE COCKTAIL

Ingredients Per Cocktail

A “candy cocktail.” Photo courtesy Partida Tequila.

Preparation

1. RIM a Martini glass with chocolate syrup and crushed candy canes.

2. COMBINE ingredients in a shaker with ice; shake and strain into glass.

4. SERVE with a kiss!

A tiny heart turns a simple cupcake into a
Valentine celebration. Photo courtesy
BellaBaker.com.

Just one little candy heart turns seemingly plain cupcakes into a perfect Valentine’s Day treat.

The flower design was added inspiration, but we actually prefer the minimalist approach—heart only—for its elegant simplicity.

Head to the bakery and buy some cupcakes. Head to the candy store and grab some themed candy. If you only have a supermarket at hand, decorate with red or pink sprinkles and top the sprinkles with a chocolate kiss.

You might not have time to bake these double lemon cupcakes today, but they are simply splendid: a lemon cupcake topped with lemon cream cheese frosting. Get the lemon cupcake recipe from BellaBaker.com, and put it on your “To Bake” list.

Because we’re crazy for lemon curd (and all things lemon), we turned the recipe into Triple Lemon Cupcakes:

THE REAL RED VELVET

And now for that all-American favorite, red velvet cupcakes.

Bella Baker herself, Lauryn Cohen, makes them as they should be: with beets, not red food color.

We find that most red velvet cake is bland: all color, no flavor. If you, too, don’t understand what all the fuss is about, bake a recipe that uses beets.

Here’s Bella Baker’s red velvet cupcake recipe.

THE NIBBLE wishes you a Valentine’s Day filled with love—and some great things to eat.

Turn red velvet cupcakes into Valentine cupcakes with a sprinkle of tiny hearts. Photo courtesy BellaBaker.com.

A delicious Valentine starter. Photo courtesy
CalvisiusCaviar.com.

Calvisius white sturgeon caviar, which is farmed in California, is deliciously creamy, smooth and succulent. The silver-gray roe is medium-large in size and exhibits an intense aroma, firm texture, and slightly nutty flavor.

It’s one of our favorite treats. Tonight we’ve re-creating this elegant yet simple starter course recipe idea from Calvisius Caviar.

VALENTINE SCALLOPS & CAVIAR

Ingredients For 2 Servings

 
Preparation

1. SLICE beets into circles and steam until cooked.

2. FINISH quickly in a pan with hot melted butter.

3. SEAR scallops in the same pan.

4. ARRANGE 3 or 4 beet slices in a concentric “rose” design: larger slices on the bottom, smaller slices on top. If using canned beets, which are all the same size, make a “daisy circle.”

5. TOP beets with a scallop. Garnish with caviar. Add the green garnish to the plate and serve.

There’s still time to make something special for Valentine’s Day, even if you’re a non-cook. Here are two sure-to-please ideas.

Start with breakfast: Make strawberry or raspberry cream cheese for the morning toast’s or bagels. You can also use it for tea sandwiches.

STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE RECIPE

Ingredients

Make pink cream cheese for Valentine’s Day. Photo courtesy Einstein Bros.

1. COMBINE ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until smooth and well blended.

2. REFRIGERATE until needed. Ideally make the day before to let flavors blend.

Serve a mini-beer tasting with rose petals to
a beer-loving Valentine. Photo courtesy
CraftBeer.com.

CRAFT BEER

Some people would trade all the chocolate in the world for a good beer.

It you know such a person, take a look at the style of beer in the fridge—Belgian ale, IPA, lager, pilsner, etc. (here are the different types of beer).

Then, head to the market with the largest supply of craft beer and pick up four different brands in the same style.

If you want to make it a beer-and-cheese pairing, here are the cheeses that go with beer.

Toast to a happy Valentine’s Day.

Still wondering what to get your non-chocolate-loving Valentine? Here are five delectable options:

1. VALENTINE COOKIES. We love classic Linzer cookies, filled with raspberry jam. And big iced cookies are always fun. We picked up the cookies in the photo from Broadway Bakery, an artisan baker in New York City that uses lots of top-quality butter. It makes a big difference in the fine flavor of cookies. If you want the best iced cookie, ask if it’s shortbread (good) or a sugar cookie (less good).

2. BLONDIES. Blondies, “blonde” brownies, are made without chocolate, although some have chocolate chips. Other non-chocolate bar cookies (brownies and blondies are classified as cookies, not cake, because they are finger food) include lemon bars spice bars. Buy an assortment, or show the extent of your love by baking them yourself.

3. CARAMELS. Many caramels these days are dipped in chocolate. But you can find wonderful uncoated caramels from salt caramels to coffee, passionfruit and other flavored caramels. We are addicted to the habanero caramels from Cowgirl Chocolates: They’re sweet and sizzling at the same time. Head to your nearest fine candy shop to check out the selection.

Iced shortbread hearts and Linzer cookies are a delicious way to enjoy Valentine’s Day without chocolate. Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE.

Even more fun than candy: valentine
cupcakes. Photo courtesy Sprinkles
Cupcakes.

4. CUPCAKES. Look for Valentine-decorated cupcakes or buy plain ones and decorate them yourself. It’s easy to pick up heart-shaped Valentine candies. Or, use colored marzipan or fondant to make your own Valentine decorations: hugs and kisses (XOXO) or the initials of you and your sweetie.

5. ROSÉ CHAMPAGNE. Champagne is a universally celebrated gift, whether it’s Valentine’s Day or Thursday. For Valentine’s Day, make it that much more special by selecting a rosé Champagne, with a pink tinge and a more luscious flavor.

Then, you could buy or bake a heart-shaped Valentine cake in your Valentine’s favorite flavors. But it’s easy to keep the day sweet—and non-chocolaty—with the list above.

Looking for that memorable treat to make your man for Valentine’s Day?

Here’s some inspiration from Ronaldo Linares, executive chef at Martino’s Cuban Restaurant in Somerville, New Jersey.

Chef Linares, like many men, loves his bacon. So he’s reinvented the classic chocolate soufflé in a way that even guys who don’t crave dessert will love. The secret ingredient: bacon.

Adding sautéed, crispy bacon to the traditional soufflé batter lends smoked, savory notes to a dessert that just may become your guy’s (or your bacon-loving girlfrend’s) favorite.

This recipe makes two servings.

CHOCOLATE BACON SOUFFLÉ RECIPE

Ingredients

The secret ingredient in this recipe: bacon! Photo courtesy HeavenlySouffle.com.

Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Place a baking pan filled halfway with water on the bottom of the oven and set the rack just above it.

2. PREHEAT a skillet, than add the diced bacon and cook on high for 3 minutes than turn stove to medium heat, sauté till bacon is crispy. Remove bacon from pan when finished and set aside; discard the bacon fat.

3. COAT an 8-ounce soufflé dish or ramekin with butter; then sprinkle in the sugar. Making sure all sides are coated well. Set aside.

Use a small cookie cutter as a template for a
cocoa or confectioners’ sugar heart. Photo
| Fotolia.

4. PLACE semi-sweet chocolate on the top of a double boiler over hot water. Be sure that the water is not boiling and does not touch the bottom of the top vessel where the chocolate is melting (it can burn the chocolate). This step takes a few minutes; stir gently as chocolate melts.

5. COMBINE flour, egg yolk, milk and rendered bacon in a medium bowl and whisk till mixture becomes smooth. Once the chocolate has melted add it to the mixture and whisk until it becomes one smooth delicious sauce.

6. ADD the egg whites to a clean bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula add half the egg whites to the chocolate sauce and fold in gently until there are no more white streaks. At this point add the rest of the beaten egg whites and fold once again until there are no more white streaks creating a smooth consistency.

7. POUR mixture into the soufflé dish or ramekin to about ½ inch from the top. Place in the center of the oven for 20-25 minutes until firm to touch. Serve immediately.
 
HOW ABOUT SOME CHOCOLATE COVERED BACON CANDY?

For food enthusiasts, Valentine’s Day isn’t solely about chocolate and cupcakes. Look in the housewares department for Valentine gifts.

For every price range, red items abound. From a burger/pancake flipper or “spoonula” set (spoon/spatula) to a CrockPot, hand mixer or stand mixer, the housewares department yields bright red gifts that will grace the kitchen every day of the year.

We received an early Valentine gift yesterday: a Bialetti Mini Express single-serve espresso machine. It uses capsules that produce a perfect taste of Italy every time.

The machine is $199.00, not expensive for a good espresso machine. If you enjoy just one espresso a day, you’ll break even in about two months, including the cost of the capsules.

And the Bialetti Mini Express has a modest footprint: 7.5″ wide x 10.5″ deep. It fit easily into the small available space on our kitchen counter.

Treat yourself or your Valentine to a bright red espresso machine. Photo courtesy Bialetti.

We love espresso, and previously had owned a conventional Italian espresso machine. It looked like a work of art, but we found that it was cumbersome and messy to grind, tamp and insert the group head (the device that holds the ground coffee). Too often, we found ourselves either out of fresh espresso beans or tossing out the ones we’d had for weeks (the flavor of the beans declines with each day after they’ve been roasted, and is even more noticeable in a strong-brewed drink that is drunk black).

Instead of the chore of making espresso, we started brewing French roast coffee in a regular coffee maker. We gave the espresso maker to the first person who said, “Wow, I’ve always wanted an espresso machine.”

But we are espresso-less no more! The Bialetti Mini Express is a great little espresso machine that produces a terrific cup. It delivers authentic espresso in no-mess capsules, in about 15 seconds—a bit more if you want a double. We couldn’t be happier.

Enjoy a rich cup of espresso whenever the mood strikes. Photo by Luke S.Z. | SXC.

THE BEST ESPRESSO MAKER UNDER $200

Bialetti may not yet be a household name in the U.S., but the company is the world’s leading espresso maker.

It put its technical know-how into a small, single-serve espresso machine that has all the pressure needed to make a perfect espresso: a 20 bar high pressure system. Easy-to-use capsules load and expel with one motion. And it’s a great price for such a fine espresso machine.

The Mini Express has these other features that we really like:

5 DIFFERENT TYPES OF ESPRESSO

So you thought there was only one type of espresso? No: Espresso is not a type of bean but a roasting style (see our Espresso Glossary for more information). Each region of Italy has its preferred blend of beans. Bialetti offers four different styles plus a decaf—a boon for espresso lovers who are off caffeine.

All of the styles are rich and round with the most wonderful aftertaste that you can enjoy the cup long after the last drop is gone. The variations are in the body and intensity, with subtle flavor nuances.

 
The Bialetti Mini Express comes with a “starter kit” with two of each capsule, so you can quickly decide your favorite. It’s easy to buy capsules online (Amazon.com, BialettiShop.com) or at retailers such as Bed, Bath & Beyond, Crate & Barrel, Kitchen Kapers and Sur la Table.

A box of 16 capsules is $11.95. That’s less than 70 cents for a rich, delicious cup of espresso. And it will make you or your Valentine happy for years. Can you say that about a box of chocolate?

Here are two tasty Valentine tips from The Pampered Chef:

It’s easy to share the love with mini heart-shaped pizzas for Valentine’s Day. Whether for lunch, dinner or “breakfast pizza,” you’ll have a hit on your hands.

HEART SHAPED PIZZA RECIPE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to at 425°F.

2. DIVIDE refrigerated pizza dough into quarters and shape into hearts.

An easy treat for Valentine’s Day. Photo courtesy ThePamperedChef.com.

3. BAKE on a lightly oiled cookie sheet for 12-15 minutes. (This recipe used the Stoneware Cookie Sheet from ThePamperedChef.com).

4. REMOVE from oven and add sauce, mozzarella and toppings.

5. BAKE for 2-3 more minutes or until cheese melts.
 

DIETING ON VALENTINE’S DAY?

A Valentine sandwich. Photo courtesy
ThePamperedChef.com.

Congratulations for passing by all the not-so-great-for-you simple carbs.

Instead, enjoy slices of apple, pear or other complex carbs (whole grain bread counts) and use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter to make them festive.

The photo shows a “Valendine sandwich” with a filling of peanut butter and a few raisins.

You can also use the cookie cutter to make a cutout in bread, pancakes, whatever.

Go for it!

At a fine restaurant, after a five course dinner, including dessert, the sixth course is a dish of chocolates or mignardises with coffee.

The founders of Sixth Course Artisan Confections describe them selves as “good pastry chefs [gone] rogue.”

The Bay Area confectioners used Guittard couverture chocolate, made in San Francisco, along with local dairy and Start with two talented pastry chefs: Borganic herbs, then chose sustainable, recycled packaging

The results are superb. While there’s no heart-shaped gift box, if your Valentine craves the finest couverture and exciting flavors, head to SixthCourse.com to partake of these lovelies.

Chef’s Choice is a sampling of the superb
bonbons, caramels and truffles; but you can
also have one of everything. Photo courtesy
SixthCourse.com.

Caramels for your Valentine: Passion Fruit Habanero and Cayenne. Photo courtesy Sixth Course.

OK, Valentine: You know what we want. Send lots!

Beet-ing heart deviled eggs for Valentine’s
Day. Photo courtesy Andrews McNeel
Publishing.

A delightful cookbook was published today for lovers of deviled eggs, D’Lish Deviled Eggs: A Collection of Recipes from Creative to Classic. The 50 recipes from chef Kathy Casey prove the case that deviled eggs are not just for summer picnics; they demand their place at the table year-round.

We’ll publish a review of the book at another time, but we wanted to rush this special recipe for Valentine Deviled Eggs for your consideration.

Have you ever thought of mixing beets and eggs? It’s a delicious combination.

“I’m all for an appetizer that doubles as a fun craft project, and these eggs certainly fit the bill,” says Chef Casey. “Pickled beet juice turns the whites deep pink and makes these eggs ideal for serving up on Valentine’s Day.”

Whether it’s for a party or a romantic tête-a-tête, whip up a batch of these “Beet-ing Heart” eggs.

The recipe makes 24 deviled egg halves. Check out the information at the end of the article for why it’s O.K. to enjoy your fare share (two halves a day).

RECIPE: BEET-ING HEART VALENTINE DEVILED EGGS

Ingredients

 
Filling

 
Topping

 
Preparation

1. PICKLE THE EGGS. Drain the beet liquid into a deep medium container and reserve the beets separately. Add the red wine vinegar and sugar to the beet liquid and stir to dissolve the sugar. Peel the hard-cooked eggs and add to the mixture, being sure they are submerged. Cover and let sit for about 4 hours, refrigerated. Stir often to color evenly. OPTION: For a polka dot effect, firmly pack the eggs into a narrow container so that they are all touching, and do not stir them. The eggs will be lighter pink or white where they touch, lending a perky polka dot pattern.

2. DRAIN the eggs well, pat dry on paper towels, and discard the beet liquid. Halve the eggs lengthwise and transfer the yolks to a mixing bowl. Set the egg white halves on a platter, cover and refrigerate.

3. FINISH THE EGGS. With a fork, mash the yolks to a smooth consistency. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, red onion, sugar and salt; mix until smooth. (You can also do this using an electric mixer with a whip attachment.) Add salt and black pepper to taste.

It’s fine for most people to have one egg a day. Photo courtesy American Egg Board.

4. SPOON the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain or large star tip, then pipe the mixture evenly into the egg white halves. Alternatively, fill the eggs with a spoon, dividing the filling evenly.

5. TOP each egg half with 1/2 teaspoon of pickled beets and a sprinkle of green onion.
 
WHAT ABOUT THE CHOLESTEROL IN EGGS?

As reported last week in The New York Times, a recent review off cholesterol studies suggests that for most people, eating one egg a day is not bad for the heart.

A review of eight prospective studies covering 263,938 subjects found no evidence that eating an egg a day increased the risk of heart disease or stroke, according to Dr. Frank B. Hu, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard University and co-author of the study. The results were the same for men and women and in all age ranges.

That means you can enjoy two halves of these delicious deviled eggs. Here’s more on the study.