Sweet Creations At Home with Miele: Valentine’s Day Desserts
Express your love and admiration this Valentine’s Day by creating delicious desserts from scratch.
“Valentine’s Day is a day all about indulgence. One of the most thoughtful presents you can give a loved one is a homemade gift, and nothing says I love you more than a decadent dessert made from the heart,” says Nicholas Coughlin, one of Miele’s Culinary Experts. “Valentine’s Day is a fantastic day to show your loved one that you care, but it’s the little things throughout the year that make a difference too –things like a surprise chocolate fondant!” he added.
Love is in the kitchen.
Nicholas’ top four handpicked Valentine’s Day desserts are sure to impress:
A delicious creamy dessert like crème brûleé is sure to warm the heart, and with only five ingredients, it is simple yet decadent.
“Crème brûleé is prepared mostly in the Miele steam oven with a final flourish of flame as you caramelise the top. An element of theatre to top off a beautiful evening,” says Nicholas.
“The nice thing about this recipe is that you can prepare the day of, or even the day before, and leave it cold in the fridge,” he added. You could also cook the brûleé using a lower temperature and longer cooking time in a conventional oven – 20 minutes at 90°C works well.
With twenty minutes preparation time and eight minutes to bake, this dessert is definitely a fast way to your loved one’s heart.
“Warm, velvety and just a tiny bit decadent, this dish encapsulates the very heart and soul of Valentine’s Day,” says Nicholas.
“Just make sure that the fondants have cooled down a little from the oven before you tuck in,” he added.
Left-over fondant mixture can be frozen inside the metal rings and stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months, bringing it out for other special occasions or whenever the mood strikes you. When it does come time to reheat your frozen fondants, let them sit for five minutes at room temperature, and make sure you add an extra five minutes to the cooking time,” Nicholas said.
Pear and chocolate frangipane` tart
The humble pear goes perfectly with chocolate to create a tart like no other.
“What used to take an age and require blind baking, now takes 45 minutes to cook with Miele’s Intensive Bake function. Have this one going during dinner, and then leave to cool while relaxing,” Nicholas said. Serve this tart with a tiny bit of whipped cream, crème fraiche or even delicious mousse.
If it’s a sugar-free, protein-rich dessert option you are looking for this Valentine’s Day, you can’t go past homemade yoghurt made in the steam oven.
“Serve it with mixed berries or summer fruits, and some crushed, mixed nuts. This is a guilt-free, beautifully tasty way of getting in some sweets without too much effort on the night,” Nicholas said.
The yoghurt will last for about three weeks, but make sure when you get towards the end to keep some as a starter for your next batch.
Complimentary Appliance Demonstrations
Miele offers complimentary classes that focus on their range of cooking appliances so you can become familiar with the intuitive features of their ovens, steam ovens, or even induction cooktops to be best prepared for the special day.
“If you’re wanting some pointers or recipes, we regularly run MasterClasses designed by our talented ambassador chefs. Our library of recipes at mieleexperience.co.nz also provides lots of inspiration no matter the occasion,” Nicholas said.
To locate your local Miele Experience Centre, click here.
