Yes it is the sweetest of “SEASONS” ! Valentine’s Day should really be more than just a day. I love this time of year when red and pink hearts predominate whether in glitter, velvet or of course, chocolate.
I always looked forward to Valentine’s Day as a child in grade school, choosing with my mother’s help a prepackaged glittery assortment of Valentines from the store. I labored over just which one I was going to choose for my 3rd grade crush and which to give those I didn’t want to give the wrong impression . I am sure the “crush” or others did not give it more than a passing glance but in my 9 or 10 year old mind this was a matter of grave importance : who got which Valentine. I wish I had saved some of the Valentines I received at that age. Given the fact that I grew into an extremely sentimental adult , it is astonishing I did not save even one.
Of course I save and cherish every one of my also very sentimental husband’s Valentines. And I have some lovely vintage Valentines that I treasure. Years ago my mother-in-law, Marian asked me if I’d like a box of old Valentines she saved from her grade school years. Of course I immediately said yes , being someone who loves everything about the sweetest day of the year. But what intrigued me most about the Valentines was that my mother-in-law , who I knew to be outwardly unsentimental and super practical , kept the Valentines all these year later! I had known her at that point almost 20 years . I learned there was a lot I obviously did not know about this woman that I sometimes felt showed little emotion . It was unfair of me of course. But coming from an Italian family where we greeted each other with a warm hug upon saying hello and goodbye and sometimes in between, my mother-in-law’s demeanor sometimes seemed remote. It was a good lesson to learn : that there is more to a person than what they might show on the surface and perhaps for reasons we cannot possibly begin to understand.
Receiving the Valentines was a great gift to me , not only because the vintage frilly heart and flower designs were a delight to look at, but because it was something she obviously had treasured enough to keep all that time. I take them out each Valentine season and place them around our home as decorations. I started doing that the year she sent them to us. She seemed very pleased with that and sending them, as she said she knew I “was the person who would enjoy them the most”.
Here are some favorites of mine from her collection. Since she would be over 100 years old now, these are between 95 and 100 years themselves.
We have no idea who “Augusto” was but I can only gather “Marian B” saved this as it meant something to her at the time.
Valentines sent by snail mail are rare these days but I do enjoy sending them and of course receiving them. And who doesn’t like even getting a thoughtful Happy Valentine’s text on this holiday of the heart.
And of course the sweetest of seasons also calls for baking and baking something…well…SWEET!
These are Brownie truffles which I have adapted from a Brownie recipe I’ve made for years . They happen to be gluten-free which makes them no less delicious as you can tell from the first fudge filled bite. They have received raves from those gluten intolerant or not. You can make them as brownies and cut them in squares for serving. But if you like something a bit more fancy, bake as directed and when cooled , scoop into balls . Then dip each into silky ganache and these become the perfect, bite size, delectable morsels. Rich? Yes! Indulgent? Most definitely! But isn’t Valentine SEASON the perfect time to indulge your Valentine and yourself for that matter?
Valentine’s day is about indulging our loved ones and showing how much we care for each other. I once had a friend scoff at the idea of “Valentine’s Day” as she said to her it is “every day” as far as showing her significant other she cared. Well, I certainly agree that we can always use more of that sentiment on any day. But I am all for having an actual “holiday” also to celebrate that devotion, Hallmark generated or not . During Valentine “Season” and beyond for that matter, whether we are expressing that in whatever fashion : words, text , social media, cards, art, decorating or baking, spreading more of “the love” can only be a good thing.
Gluten-Free Fudgy Pecan Brownies
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, and more for greasing pan
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)
1/2 tsp. salt
12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp, pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 c. chopped toasted pecans (have also used walnuts and hazelnuts)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly butter an 8-inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on sides
Whisk together the cornstarch, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
Put butter and chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering, but not boiling water, until melted and smooth. Take off heat.
Stir in sugar and vanilla. Stir in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add cornstarch mixture and stir vigorously until mixture is smooth , about 2 minutes. Stir in nuts.
Pour batter into pan and smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs, about 35 minutes, rotate pan halfway through.
Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Using paper overhang, lift cake out of pan and cut into squares.
For truffles, after cooling in pan, scoop into balls and and dip into ganache.
Chocolate Ganache
1/2 c heavy cream
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate (used a bit less than that for 4 to 6 people)
Put heavy cream in small saucepan and heat , but not to boil.
Take off of heat and put in chocolate and stir well until melted and thick.
Let rest for 5 minutes before using.
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