Prep time is 15 minutes, cook time is 30 minutes. Thanks to Hungry Jack Pancakes for the recipe.

RECIPE: STRAWBERRY BANANA PANCAKE
STACK

Ingredients For 6 Servings

A pretty pancake stack to share. Photo
courtesy Hungry Jack.

 
*This recipe used Jif Whips Whipped Creamy Peanut Butter. We wanted to add a touch of chocolate, so used the companion product, Jif Whipped Peanut Butter & Chocolate Flavored Spread.

Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 375°F.

2. STIR pancake mix, milk, oil and eggs in large bowl until smooth. Let stand 3 minutes.

3. COAT a griddle or large skillet with no-stick cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat (375°). Make 7 large pancakes, seven inches in diameter, in batches, by pouring a scant 1/2 cup batter for each pancake onto hot griddle to form 7-inch circle. Cook until bubbles appear and edges are dry, about 1 to 1-1/2 minutes. Turn and cook an additional 1 minute or until golden brown.

4. PLACE 1 pancake on oven-safe serving plate; spread with 1/3 cup peanut butter. Top with another pancake. Completely cover surface with banana slices. Top with third pancake; spread with 1/4 cup strawberry jam. Completely cover surface with 1 cup sliced strawberries, mounding strawberries near outside edge. Repeat all layers. Top with remaining pancake. Cover with foil.

5. BAKE 5 to 10 minutes or until heated through. Insert 6 decorative wooden skewers into stack-up, if desired, to secure each wedge. Cut into wedges. Garnish with whipped topping, if desired. Serve with syrup.
  

Pop It In The Freezer

Many people stick the bottle in the freezer. It works, but it isn’t the fastest way to chill wine. Cold air isn’t as effective as cold water, our next technique.

Make A Water Bath

This technique gets the deepest chill. Take a wine bucket, stock pot or other container that will allow at least half of the bottle to be covered with ice. Fill halfway with ice cubes; then add ice water or very cold tap water, filling the bucket to three-quarters full. Next, add salt to the water.

(Why? It lowers the temperature of the water. As the salt dissolves, it requires energy to break the bonds between its ions. The water transfers some of its heat to do aid this process, and the entire solution cools down.)

Stir the mixture to blend and add the bottle(s).

An ice water bath quickly cools a bottle of Champagne or other wine. Photo courtesy Champagne Council.

This is the fastest way to chill a bottle of wine or Champagne. You might think that restaurants bring wine in an ice bucket to keep the wine chilled; but most restaurants lack the capacity to store their Champagne and white wine inventory on ice. So the water bath in ice bucket serves not just to keep the wine cold, but to chill it in the first place.

Most homes don’t have the space or the need to keep an ice bucket. Ever since the first Rapid Ice Wine Instant Wine Cooler appeared on the market 30-plus years ago, we’ve been hooked. We always have two in the freezer.

A plastic sleeve is quilted into several gel pockets. The sleeve folds flat and is easy to store in the freezer. Take it out, insert a bottle and the bottle will be chilled enough by the cold gel to drink in five minutes or so. The bottle can stay chilled for up to three hours.

Rapid Ice is designed to fit over a standard 750 ml wine bottle, but you can get it over some Champagne bottles. However, there is also a Champagne bottle version.

It takes up a lot less room on the table than an ice bucket!

You can purchase Rapid Ice at wine stores, kitchen gadget departments and online. It’s about $12 for the wine version and about $15 for the Champagne version.

Consider adding one to a wine gift.

 
There are many more uses, no doubt!
  

Our favorite baker, blogger Lauryn Cohen (a.k.a. Bella Baker), suggests pie pops for Valentine’s Day. You can also think of them as hand pies on-a-stick. First make the pie pastry, then fill it with from-stratch or store-bought cherry pie filling. Specialty companies like Chukar Cherries make high-end fillings.
 
 
RECIPE: SWEETIE PIE POPS

This is a three-step recipe.

 
Step 1: Ingredients For Flaky Pie Crust

 
Plus

 
Preparation

1. PLACE the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and combine. Add the butter and shortening and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse peas or cornmeal. There will still be chunks of butter and that is fine.

2. SPRINKLE the water, one or two tablespoons at a time, over the mixture and pulse a couple of times in between each addition. Test the dough by pinching it: If it holds together it is ready. If not, add some additional water until the mixture begins to clump together.

3. REMOVE the dough from the food processor bowl and lightly knead it into two flat disks. Wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. The dough can be made and refrigerated up to 3 days ahead of time.

4. REMOVE the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Sprinkle flour onto a clean work surface and, using a rolling pin, gently roll out, lifting the dough from underneath and sprinkling additional flour if the dough begins to stick slightly onto the work surface. Once the dough reaches 1/4 inch in thickness, use a 2- or 3-inch round biscuit cutter or a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut shapes out of the pie dough.
 
Step 2: Ingredients For The Cherry Pie Filling

To save time, consider store-bought pie filling instead of making it from scratch. Look for a better brand from Whole Markets or another up-market store.

Here is the from-scratch recipe:

 
________________

*Out of season, use frozen cherries or buy prepared cherry filling.

[1] Valentine pie pops (photo © Bella Baker [now closed]).

[2] You can use prepared pie filling if you don’t want to make your own (photo © Chukar Cherries).

[3] When fresh cherries aren’t in season, make pie filling from scratch with pitted canned cherries (photo © Oregon Fruit).

[4] Or, use frozen sour/tart cherries (photo © Dole).

1. COMBINE all ingredients except for the vanilla extract in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and continue to simmer for about 15 minutes.

2. STIR in the vanilla extract, remove from heat, and cool before using.
 
Ingredients For Egg Wash

 
To Make The Pie Pops

1. PREHEAT oven to 450°F. Place half the dough circles or hearts onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place a 6-inch lollipop stick on top of each circle, pressing gently so it sticks into the dough circle, going about halfway up the circle.

2. ADD about a teaspoon of filling to each dough circle or heart and place another dough circle or heart on top. Use the tines of a fork to carefully crimp together the edges of the dough. It is important to make sure that your dough is securely closed around the entire circle so that your filling does not leak out.

3. MAKE egg wash: Beat egg and milk/cream until combined and brush on the top of each pie pop. Bake pie pops in the oven for 10-12 minutes. The crust should look golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely, then decorate with personalized tags, like the “Sweetie Pie” tags in photo #1, or a pink or red ribbon.

Margaritas are America’s favorite cocktail. Tailor them for Valentine’s Day with a homemade Frozen Strawberry Margarita.

> The history of strawberries.

> February 27th is National Strawberry Day.

> February 22nd is National Margarita Day.
 
 
RECIPE #1: FROZEN STRAWBERRY MARGARITA

Ingredients For 4 Drinks

 
Preparation

1. FILL a blender with ice and crush. Pour in the tequila and triple sec. Add the strawberries and limeade.

2. BLEND for 30 seconds or until smooth. Pour and serve.
 
 
Want something different? Here’s a recipe from Polar Seltzer.
 
 
RECIPE #2: STRAWBERRY SHOOTERS

Ingredients For 1 Drink

 
Preparation

1. MUDDLE the chopped strawberries and vodka in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and maraschino liqueur and shake.

2. STRAIN into a glass, filling half way and then add additional strawberries. Top with Polar Seltzer and whipped cream.

[2] A Frozen Strawberry Margarita with a salt rim mixed with minced lovage–you can substitute basil (photo © Quinciple).

[3] A can of frozen limeade concentrate (photo © Minute Maid | Coca-Cola).

BLACK & WHITE TRUFFLE SALT

To make truffle salt, small chips and bits that break off from whole truffles during handling are mixed with sea salt. Truffle salt is sea salt that has been laced with fragrant pieces of black or white truffle.

Black truffles have earthier aroma and flavor; white truffles are lighter. Depending on the origin of the white truffles, they can have garlicky notes. Most people have a personal preference for one or the other where fresh truffles are concerned; but once salt is produced, the variations become more subtle.

Unlike truffle oil, the flavor of which is usually synthesized*, truffle salt typically has pieces of real truffle—although the flavor may be enhanced with truffle oil.

USES FOR TRUFFLE SALT

First: truffle salt is pricey, but you only need a pinch. A jar may cost $20 or $25 but will last a long time. Don’t let the sticker shock discourage you.

Different brands use different truffles, with varying intensities of truffle salt. Your retailer may only have one brand. A good brand of truffle salt will state the percentage of truffles on the label. Look for 5% or more.

One brand of black truffle salt you can rely on is Cassina Rossa, imported from Italy. Urbani sells a quality white truffle salt, also imported from Italy.

We typically bring jars as host/hostess gifts. They are much appreciated.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TRUFFLES