It's that time of year where there are all kinds of red heart boxes full of chocolate and flowers. Those are all nice, but why not make a treat at home that is even more delicious? Some of these are built for only 2, and some of these would make enough to take as a treat to others. Or, you can just make them for yourself and celebrate how fabulous you are!

Saffron Poached Pear Roses

Makes 4 roses

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup dry white wine (such as sauvignon blanc)

1 cup water

1 cinnamon stick, broken

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 teaspoon saffron

1/4 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract

2 firm pears, such as D’Anjou or Bosc, peeled, halved, and cored

1/2 cup toasted pistachios, chopped

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more as needed

8 sheets phyllo dough, thawed

Procedure:

Place wine, water, cinnamon, cardamom, honey, saffron, and vanilla in a medium pot set over medium heat. Bring liquid to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Add pears and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely in poaching liquid, up to overnight. When completely cool, slice lengthwise into very thin slices (if they are not very very thin, the rolling will be difficult).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the insides of 4 muffin cups of a muffin pan and set aside.

Lay out one sheet of phyllo dough with the long side parallel to the edge of the work surface and brush with melted butter. Lay an additional sheet of phyllo on top and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle a line of pistachios across the top of the phyllo. Fold the phyllo in half over the pistachios, then fold in half again, leaving a long strip to work with. Flip strip over so that the side closest to the pistachios is facing up. Lay pear slices, rounded side up along top edge of the strip of phyllo, slightly overlapping. Start rolling the dough and pears to form a rose. Place, phyllo side down in one of the prepared muffin cups. Repeat with additional phyllo and pears.

Place pear roses in oven and bake until phyllo is golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining pistachios. Serve warm or room temperature.

Strawberries and Cream Ile Flottante

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the islands:

2 large egg whites (see the best way to separate them here)

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

4 ounces (approximately 1/2 cup) granulated sugar

Water or milk, for poaching

For the crème anglaise:

2 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

1 cup whole milk

1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen, thawed)

1 tablespoon amaretto

For serving:

Slivered almonds, toasted

Procedure:

Make the islands:

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the egg whites and cream of tartar. Whisk on medium speed until very foamy. While mixer is running, rain in the sugar. Turn mixer to high and whip egg whites to stiff peaks.

Bring a pan of water or milk to a simmer. Add egg whites, spoonfuls at a time, being careful not to overcrowd the pan (they should have plenty of room around them so they do not touch). Cook until beginning to puff and no longer sticky, 1-2 minutes. Flip the meringue and cook an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the meringues are slightly firm and no longer stick to a spoon. Use a slotted spoon to remove from the pan. Continue to cook remaining meringue. Set aside, or chill in the refrigerator up to 8 hours.

Make the sauce:

In a medium bowl, whisk together yolks and 1 tablespoon of sugar until pale and thickened slightly.

Bring milk and 1 tablespoon sugar to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Slowly pour the milk in to the eggs while whisking constantly. Return the egg mixture to the pan and return to a medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer. Add amaretto and whisk to combine.

In separate small saucepan, combine strawberries and remaining sugar. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and strawberries are softened. Place in blender or use immersion blender to puree. If desired, strain out seeds and whisk into sauce. If desired, chill up to 8 hours.

Assemble the dish:

Place a small amount of crème anglaise in a bowl or other shallow serving dish. Place poached meringues on top of the crème. Sprinkle with almonds. Serve immediately.

Strawberry White Chocolate Blondies

Makes 16 small blondies

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for greasing pan

1 cup tightly packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup sliced fresh or frozen strawberries

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter an 8” square baking pan. Line the baking pan with parchment, letting the parchment come over two of the sides by a couple of inches. Grease parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.

Place butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, until just mixed, scraping between additions. Add vanilla and mix until combined. Add flour mixture all at once, and mix just until combined. Mix in chocolate chips.

Spread batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle strawberries over the top. Place dish in oven and bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a toothpick into the center comes out with moist crumbs, 55 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack.

Let blondies cool in pan for 15 minutes. Then, use parchment overhand to remove the blondies from the pan. Place blondies on cooling rack until cooled completely. Cut in squares and serve or store in single layers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Chocolate Malva Pudding

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

For the cake:

4 ounces all-purpose flour

2 ounces cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon vinegar

1/3 cup whole milk

6 1/2 ounces granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons strawberry jam

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, plus additional for greasing pan

For the soak:

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

7 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 ounces granulated sugar

1/3 cup hot water

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Powdered sugar, for sifting on top

Procedure:

Make cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 7” x 11” baking dish and set aside (you can use a 9” x 13” dish, but it will be much thinner).

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside. Mix together vinegar and milk and set aside.

Add eggs and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Turn on high speed and beat until eggs are fluffy and thick. They are done when you lift the whisk and the eggs fall back down in a “ribbon” and sit on top of the mixture for just a second before dropping down. Add jam and mix until combined.

Add milk mixture, flour mixture, and butter to the eggs. Mix until just combined. Pour into greased dish and place in the oven. Bake until the cake springs back when touched in the center, 30-45 minutes.

Make soak:

While cake is baking, place all soak ingredients in a medium pot set over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.

Finish cake:

When cake comes out of oven, pour mix over cake, a few tablespoons at a time, waiting for it to soak into the cake before continuing to pour, and making sure entire cake is well soaked. When all of the mixture is soaked in, sift powdered sugar over the top and serve warm.

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