If you're anything like me, you love dessert. But all the recipes out there make SO much that you end up with a bunch of leftovers that just never seem to get eaten for some reason. So, in honor of Valentine's Day, I set out to make recipes that feed only two (or maybe 3), so those of us with small households can enjoy dessert too! I hope you enjoy these sweet treats!

Pineapple Rum Sauce

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups finely diced pineapple

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons coconut rum (such as Malibu)

2 tablespoons dark rum

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Fresh mint, chopped, for serving

Procedure:

In a medium skillet (preferably stainless steel) set over medium heat, melt butter. Once melted add brown sugar. Continue to cook until sugar begins to melt. Add pineapple and continue cooking until pineapple releases its juice and sauce forms. Add cinnamon. Remove pan from heat. Add rums and return pan to heat. Ignite rum using long lighter or torch. Once flame burns out, turn off heat and serve immediately over vanilla ice cream, garnished with fresh mint.

Blood Orange Cream Filled Eclairs

Makes 4-5, 4” eclairs

Procedure:

For the eclairs:

½ cup water

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes

½ teaspoon granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon Kosher salt

½ cup all-purpose flour

2-3 large eggs

For the Blood Orange Cream:

3/4 cup of blood orange juice (about 2-3 blood oranges)

Zest of 2 blood oranges (learn how here)

1/3 cup of sugar

3 egg yolks (learn the best way to separate eggs here)

Pinch Kosher salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in to 6 pieces

1/2 cup cold heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

For the ganache (see how to make it here):

3 tablespoons heavy cream

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Procedure:

Make the éclair shells:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, add water, butter, sugar, and salt. When water boils and butter is melted, turn off heat. Add flour all at once and stir to combine. Return to heat and stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

When mixture is cool enough that the eggs will not scramble, add eggs one at a time and stir to combine. Do not overmix. As soon as mixture comes together, stop stirring. After 2 eggs are added, place a little dough between your thumb and finger and gently pull apart. If the dough stretches without breaking, you are done. If it does not, scramble additional egg in a small bowl and add, a tablespoon at a time, until dough will stretch properly.

Load mixture in to piping bag (this one is my favorite, and the only one I use at home). Pipe logs 4” long and 1/2”-3/4” wide on to a parchment-lined sheet tray. With a wet finger, push down “tails” that have formed. Place in preheated oven and bake until golden brown and puffed, 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and set on a cooling rack to cool.

Make the filling:

In a small saucepan set over medium high heat, reduce the blood orange juice until it reaches 1/3 cup. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a stainless steel or glass bowl, mix together the zest, eggs, granulated sugar, and salt. Whisk until the mixture is lighter in color and sugar has started to dissolve. Slowly pour the reduced blood orange juice into the egg mixture, whisking the eggs constantly as you do so.

Bring 1” of water to boil in the bottom of a saucepan. Place the bowl with the egg mixture over the saucepan, making sure the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl. Cook, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula until the mixture thickens. You should be able to leave a trail when you run your finger down the back of your spatula, or the temperature of the mixture should reach 170 degrees F.

Turn off the heat and add the butter. Stir until the butter melts and incorporates into the curd. Take the mixture and push through a strainer (I prefer a Chinois - it is the finest mesh available) into a container. Discard whatever remains in the strainer. Set aside until the mixture reaches room temperature.

In a small bowl, add cream and powdered sugar. Using a handheld mixer, a whisk, or an immersion blender, whip cream to stiff peaks. Whisk one third of whipped cream in to cooled curd mixture. Gently fold in remaining cream. Cover tightly and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight, until the mixture has firmed.

Make ganache:

Bring cream to a simmer. Pour over chocolate and let stand for 1 minute. Stir until smooth.

Assemble eclairs:

Fill piping bag fitted with small round tip with blood orange cream. Fill eclairs either by filling from each side, or from the top. If filling from the top, place one hole in the center and one on each end to ensure even filling. Dip the top of the filled éclair in the ganache. Serve.

Pistachio Shortcakes with Saffron Poached Pears

Serves 2

Ingredients:

For the shortcakes:

1/2 cup milk (you can also use buttermilk, but then skip the vinegar)

1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup pistachios

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of Kosher salt

2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, placed into the freezer for 15-20 minutes

1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream or milk, for brushing

Turbinado or sparkling sugar, for sprinkling

For the pears:

1 cup dry white wine (I personally like Sauvignon Blanc for this)

1 cinnamon stick, broken in half

1 star anise

Pinch saffron, softened in 1 tablespoon very hot water

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 firm pear (such as Bosc or D’Anjou), peeled, cored, and diced finely

For the whipped crème fraiche:

1/4 cup crème fraiche

Procedure:

Make the shortcakes:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.

Add vinegar to milk and set aside.  Finely chop pistachios.

To a medium bowl, add finely chopped pistachios, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well. Grate frozen butter on the large holes of a box grater into the mixture. Toss gently with fingertips. Add milk mixture and stir just until it comes together. If mixture is too dry, you can add an extra tablespoon of milk until it comes together.

Divide dough in half. Roll each half of the dough into a log, then stand on one end and press flat to make a disk approximately 3/4”-1” thick. Place on parchment lined sheet tray. Brush tops of shortcakes with milk and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Place shortcakes in oven and bake until golden brown, approximately 14-16 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool.

Make the pears:

Add wine, cinnamon stick, star anise, softened saffron, and sugar to a small saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until sugar is dissolved. Add pears and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook until tender, approximately 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. With a slotted spoon, remove pears from liquid, reserving 2 tablespoons of the poaching liquid.

Make the whipped crème fraiche:

Place crème fraiche and reserved poaching liquid in a small bowl. With a whisk, whip until stiff peaks form.

To serve:

Split shortcakes with a serrated knife. Place the bottom of each shortcake on a plate. Top with drained pears. Divide whipped crème fraiche evenly between shortcakes, and place the other half of the shortcake on top. Serve.

Salted Caramel Napoleon

Serves 2

Ingredients:

For the pastry cream:

3 ounces granulated sugar

3 tablespoons water

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste

1 ounce cornstarch

3 egg yolks

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups whole milk

For assembly:

1/2 sheet of frozen puff pastry (2 generally come in a box – you need 1/2 of 1 of them)

Powdered sugar, for dusting

Procedure:

Make the pastry cream:

In a medium saucepan, dissolve sugar in the water. Making sure sides of the pan are clean, boil sugar over medium heat until it reaches a deep amber color. Do not stir sugar or it will crystalize!

While sugar is boiling, in a medium bowl, whisk together vanilla, cornstarch, egg yolks and salt. Set aside.

Once sugar is golden, remove from heat and add milk. Return pan to medium heat and cook, whisking until sugar is dissolved in milk and milk has come to a simmer. Add 1/4 of milk mixture to egg mixture while whisking constantly. Once incorporated, add remaining milk mixture while whisking. Return mixture to saucepan. (See a video on tempering eggs here)

Return saucepan to a medium low heat, whisking constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Continue to cook for 3 minutes to remove starch taste. Remove from heat and strain through fine mesh strainer (I prefer a Chinois here also) to remove any lumps that may have formed. Place in bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream (it must touch the pastry cream to avoid a skin forming). Set aside to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to use.

Bake puff pastry:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Take puff pastry and fold it in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry back to original thickness, sealing two halves together. Cut the pastry in to 6 even rectangles and place on prepared baking sheet. Prick dough all over with a fork. Place a layer of parchment or another silicone baking mat on top and place another baking sheet on top of the parchment, weighing down the dough.

Place dough in the preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until dough is turning slightly golden brown. Remove top baking sheet and return pastry to the oven. Continue to bake until deep golden brown, about another 5-8 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Assemble Napoleons:

Place one rectangle on plate. Spread or pipe a layer of pastry cream, and top with an additional rectangle of pastry. Repeat this process one more time. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

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