Dinner for two
By candlelight
Posted by Kelly

Dinner for two is a romantic thought, for Valentine's Day or any other special occasion.
As for the menu, a miniature version of beef Wellington could be an easy way to impress a sweetheart.
This is a simple dish to prepare; it can be on the table in under an hour.
It consists of lean tenderloin steaks and a savory sauteed-mushroom filling wrapped in thin sheets of flaky phyllo pastry and baked.
Serve the beef Wellingtons with colorful steamed vegetables, and follow with a special dessert.
Chocolate would make a rich choice; for a lighter one, try raspberry sorbet garnished with heart-shaped candy.
Miniature Beef Wellingtons
(Total preparation and cooking time 40 minutes)
2 small beef tenderloin steaks, cut 1 inch thick (3 to 4 ounces each)
1 teaspoon olive oil 1/4 pound mushrooms, finely chopped
11/2 tablespoons dry red wine 11/2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Salt and pepper
3 phyllo dough sheets, defrosted
Vegetable cooking spray
Cake:
Heat oven to 425 F.
In large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot.
Add mushrooms; cook and stir until tender.
Add wine; cook just until liquid is evaporated.
Stir in green onions and thyme.
Add salt and pepper, as desired.
Remove from skillet; cool thoroughly.
Heat same skillet over medium-high heat until hot.
Place steaks in skillet; cook 3 minutes, turning once.
(Steaks will be partially cooked. Do not overcook.)
Season with salt and pepper, as desired.
On flat surface, layer phyllo dough, spraying each sheet thoroughly with cooking spray.
Cut stacked layers lengthwise in half.
Stack halves to make 6 layers of phyllo dough.
Cut stack in half crosswise to make 2 equal portions.
Place about 2 tablespoons mushroom mixture in center of each portion; spread mixture to diameter of each steak.
Place steaks on mushroom mixture.
Bring together all four corners of phyllo dough; twist tightly to close.
Lightly spray each with cooking spray; place on greased baking sheet.
Immediately bake in 425 F oven 9 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Let stand 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
Makes 2 servings.
Nutritional information per serving: 277 cal., 26 g pro; 11 g carbo; 13 g fat; 232 mg sodium; 71 mg chol.
Raspberry Ice Cream Cake
Infused with romance
If you're looking for a Valentine's Day dessert, think red.
Then think a little more.
Consider a frozen dessert sweet enough to melt a heart -- or hearts, if the cook is generous, and sociable.
A raspberry ice cream cake with raspberry Amaretto sauce combines all these seductive qualities.
Beyond the visual and romantic, this is a practical little number, too.
It's a snap to make and you can prepare it up to a month ahead, then keep it frozen until you are ready to serve it.
Raspberries, quick frozen, are available year-round in your grocer's freezer section to combine with ice cream as this Valentine treat.
A 23 cm (9-inch) heart-shaped springform pan will give you an appropriate shape, but if you don't have one you may substitute a 23 cm (9-inch) round springform pan.
Raspberry Ice Cream Cake With Raspberry Amaretto Sauce
(Preparation 45 minutes to 1 hour; freezing time 6 hours or up to 1 week in advance; thawing time before serving, 30 to 45 minutes)
For the cake:
1.5 l (6 cups) raspberries, frozen
2 l (8 cups) vanilla ice cream
About 2 dozen Italian-style ladyfingers
60 ml ( 1/4 cup) Amaretto liqueur (optional)
160 ml (2/3 cup) sugar
For the sauce:
1 l (4 cups) frozen red raspberries
30 ml (2 tbsp) Amaretto (substitute 2 ml (1/2 tsp) almond extract if you prefer a nonalcoholic sauce)
180 ml ( 3/4 cup) of sugar
For garnish:
250 ml (1 cup) heavy whipping cream
10 ml (2 tsp) sugar
2 ml (1/2 tsp) almond extract
Cake:
Prepare springform pan by spraying with cooking spray and then lining with plastic wrap.
Let plastic wrap hang over the sides of the pan.
Thaw frozen raspberries.
Remove ice cream from freezer and soften.
Cut ladyfingers in length to be flush with top edge of plastic-lined pan; stand them, with rounded edge at the top, along the sides of the pan.
Place additional ladyfingers in the bottom of the pan, squeezing them in tightly to cover completely, cutting to fit in small areas if needed.
Sprinkle Amaretto over all ladyfingers, if desired (omit this step for nonalcoholic cake); set aside.
Puree raspberries in a food processor with the sugar.
Press through a fine sieve into a large bowl.
Add softened ice cream to raspberry puree, and combine well.
Pour ice cream mixture into prepared pan with ladyfingers.
Freeze cake, covered with plastic wrap, until frozen hard, about 6 hours or up to one week.
To serve, remove cake from freezer and let soften in refrigerator at least 30 minutes and up to 45 minutes before serving time.
Remove cake from pan, discarding plastic wrap.
Whip heavy cream with sugar and almond extract until stiff peaks form.
Garnish cake by piping cream along edge of cake with a large piping tip.
Top cream with fresh or frozen whole raspberries.
You may further decorate center with unsprayed fresh flowers, if desired.
Serve cake with sauce.
Pass extra sauce at the table.
Makes 10 servings. Sauce:
In a food processor, puree raspberries with sugar and Amaretto (or almond extract) and force through a fine sieve into a bowl.
Sauce may be made ahead, covered and chilled.
Makes 375 ml (11/2 cups).
Nutrition information per serving: 557 cal., 7 g pro., 86 g carbo., 21 g total fat (13 g saturated fat), 79 mg chol., 264 mg sodium.

Lemon Hearts
Posted by Mai

1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
3 tsp. grated lemon peel
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup ground blanched almonds
About 20 candied cherries cut in half
Beat butter and the cup of sugar until creamy; beat in egg yolk and lemon peel.
Then gradually add flour, blend thoroughly and stir in almonds.
Gather dough into a ball with your hands.
On a lightly floured board, roll out dough to a thickness of1/4 inch.
Cut out with a 2 to 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter; transfer cookies to greased baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart.
Sprinkle with sugar.
Press in half a cherry in center of each cookie.
Bake in a 325 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until edges are golden.
Transfer to racks and let cool completely.
Store airtight.
Makes about 3-1/2 dozen.

Chocolate Truffles
Posted by Starr

Using baking fat replacement trims a third of the fat from these wonderful chocolate bites.
The rich candies make a perfect gift for Valentine's Day or another special occasion.
Low-sodium (140 milligrams or less per serving)
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup baking fat replacement*
1 tablespoon butter (no substitutes)
1 tablespoon half-and-half cream
2 tablespoons ground almonds
Place chocolate and confectioners' sugar in a food processor or blender; cover and process until finely chopped.
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine baking fat replacement, butter and cream.
Microwave on high for 50-60 seconds or until hot.
With blender or food processor running, gradually add hot cream mixture to chocolate mixture in a steady stream.
Blend until smooth.
Transfer to a bowl; cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until easy to handle.
Shape chilled mixture into 1-in. balls; roll in almonds.
Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets.
Chill for 1-2 hours or until firm.
Yield: 16 truffles.
Nutritional Analysis: One truffle equals 80 calories, 5 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 2 mg cholesterol, 10 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 1 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 fat, 1/2 starch.
*Editor's Note: This recipe was tested with Sunsweet Lighter Bake. Look for it in the baking aisle of your grocery store.