VALENTINE FACT

*In Las Vegas,Nev., the self-proclaimed Wedding Capital of the World, an average of 328 weddings take place every day, with Valentines Day and New Year's Eve being the two most popular dates.

Traditional New Orleans King Cake

MARDI GRAS- Legend has it that if you hide a tiny plastic baby in this classic cinnamon-swirl cake, whoever finds it has 1 year of good luck! (Just don't bake the plastic baby in the cake-after the cake has been baked and cooled,cut a small slit in the bottom and then insert the token).    PREP: 40 min+ rising  BAKE: 25 min + cooling    2 pkgs (1/4 oz each) active dry yeast  1/2 cup warm water(110-115 degrees) 1/4 cup sugar,divided 1/2 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup warm 2% milk(110-115 degrees) 2 egg yolks 1 1/4 tsps salt 1 tsp grated lemon peel 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg  3-1/4 to 3-3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 egg,beaten  GLAZE:  1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar 1 tsps lemon juice 2-3 TB water  Green,purple and yellow sugars  In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Add 1/2 cup sugar,butter,milk,yolks,salt,peel,nutmeg and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough ( dough will be sticky).  Turn onto a floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 min. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch the dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 16-in by 10-in rectangle. Combine cinnamon and remaining sugar; sprinkle over dough to eithin 1/2 in. of the edges. Roll up dough jelly-roll style, starting with a long side,pinch seam to seal. Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet;pinch the ends together to form a ring. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Brush with egg. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 -30 min. or until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. For glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and enough water to achieve desired consistency. Spread over cake. Sprinkle with colored sugars. YIELD: 1 cake (12 slices) ( Source: Taste of Home)

Fast Flourless Chocolate Cake :)

VALENTINE COLLECTION- This recipe is easy, the chocolate is dense and wonderful!!!  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch deep-sided springform pan, line with parchment paper,and butter the parchment. In a large saucepan, simmer 1lb bittersweet chocolate,coarsely chopped; 1cup unsalted butter; and 1/4 cup chocolate,hazelnut,or coffee liqueur. When mixture is melted and smooth, stir in 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Set aside to cool. Beat 7 eggs (at room temperature) with 1 cup granulated sugar on medium for 5 min or until fluffy. Gradually add eggs to chocolate mixture. Spoon batter into pan. Bake cake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few crumbs attached. Cool for 1 hour in pan, then loosen springform and remove. When cool, sprinkle cake with confectioner's sugar. Store in refrigerator. Serves 12. (Source: Parade magazine)

VALENTINE FACT

*About 145 million Valentine cards, excluding classroom valentines,are purchased annually,the U.S Greeting Card Association reports.

Vanilla Marshmallows :)

VALENTINE COLLECTION: For the bloom: 1/2 cup & 2 TB cold water 1 1/2 TB pure vanilla extract 3 TB unflavored gelatin  For the base: 3/4 cup water 1 1/4 cup Marshmallow Syrup  Pinch salt 1 1/2 granulated cane sugar Marshmallow Syrup: 2 cups water 5 1/3 cups granulated cane sugar 1 tsp cream of tartar Pinch of salt  Place the ingredients in a heavy 4-quart pan, stirring gently with a heatproof spatula until the sugar is moistened. Bring to a boil over med-high heat, and cover the pan for 2 min to allow steam to wash any sugar crystals from the sides of the pan. Then uncover the pan, insert a candy thermometer,and increase the heat to high. Do not stir it at all once you have removed the lid  or the syrup will crystallize as it cools. Continue cooking until it reaches 240 degrees. Remove from heat and let the syrup cool for fifteen minutes. Ladle it into clean jars and attach the lids. Store it at room temperature for up to 2 months. If the syrup begins to form crystals at the bottom of the jar, don't be alarmed; pour out the amount of syrup you need when you use it,without scraping the jar. Discard any crystallized part that is left in the jar. NOTE: The syrup will be very thick once it cools. To use it,microwave for 2min on high,or place the jar in a pan of hot water over low heat until it can be poured easily. Do not stir the syrup.  Spray the bottom and sides of a 9 by 13 by 2-inch or 11by 15 by 1-inch pan or another mold you will be using for the marshmallow batter with a pan coating such as Pam, and wipe it lightly with a paper towel,leaving only a thin film of oil. Make the bloom.  Measure the cold water into a measuring cup and add the vanilla. Place the gelatin into a small bowl and pour the water and vanilla over it, stirring with a whisk or fork until there are no lumps. Set the bowl near the stove. Make the base: Place the water,Marshmallow Syrup,salt, and sugar, in that order,into a 4-quart pan. Bring the mixture to a boil over med-high heat. Then place a lid on the pan and boil it,covered for 2 min. This step is essential in order to eliminate sugar crystals on the side of the pan that may cause the marsmallows to crystallize. Remove the lid,insert a candy thermometer, and continue boiling until the thermometer reaches 250 degrees. Do not stir the mixture once the lid has been removed. Remove the thermometer and gently stir in the bloomed gelatin. Pour the batter into a bowl of an electric stand mixer. Beat it on high speed for 10-12 min, using the wire whisk attachment or the paddle beater. At first, the marshmallow batter will look very watery; as it beats, it will become thick,white, and glossy,and will increase in volume by two- to threefold. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and spread the marshmallow batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with the spatula, or wet your hand and smooth the marshmallow with your palm. Let the pan set out at room temperature,uncovered, for at least 4 hours or overnight. After that you can cut the marshmallows and place in an airtight container,with wax paper between the layers.Leave the corner of the lid slightly ajar. The marshmallows will keep up to 2 weeks at room temperature. You can also dip or coat the marshmallows. (Source: Marsmallows-Eileen Talanian)

VALENTINE FACT

*Nearly 70% of all roses purchased for Valentines Day are red, according to a 2004 poll by the Society of American Florists. However, 62% of women surveyed by the organization prefer softer hues such as yellow,pink,peach and white.

BASIC MARSHMALLOW MAKING

It takes about 45 min to make your first batch of marshmallows, and less time as you become familiar with the process. Marshmallow making is broken down into these parts: Marshmallow Syrup: A homemade invert sugar syrup that helps control crystallization. The Base: This is the combination of Marshmallow Syrup,cane sugar,water, and occasionally, other ingredients cooked to a specific temperature. The Bloom: Before granulated gelatin can be used in a recipe, it must first be softened,or "bloomed", in a cold liquid so that the crystals are separated and don't form lumps. Flavoring ingredients might be added to the bloom in some recipes. Additional flavoring: Certain flavorings can't be included in the cooked base or in the bloom, so they're added in at another time in the recipe and are listed separately in the ingredients list. The Marshmallow batter: This refers to the base and bloom mixture that is poured into the bowl,beaten,and then spread into a pan,molded,or piped into shapes.(Source: Marshmallows-Eileen Talanian)