I guess this post is a little too tardy, considering Valentine’s Day is gone and I haven’t blogged in a while! But oh well you don’t need a “labeled name day” to enjoy. It can be made on a yet a regular day.

Over a month…No may be more 2 months I guess- I haven’t blogged and I also realized I am just a pastry chef not really a blogger. I can multi-task in the kitchen with 5 desserts at one but handling 5 jobs of one company can be crazy! That way if ask I love Facebook and twitter when it comes to work- uploading pictures are good enough! You can join me at both @foodaholics

So what have I been up to? Work work and more work! Sister was in town and then I had a short trip to Bombay, Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani. I will write about my experience there in the coming post as I do have stories to tell.

About a week back The Economics Times Approached regarding Valentines Day’s Recipes and I decided to keep them simple.

Have a read and make them for your partners: (You don’t need a valentine day to express love!!)

Quark Cheese Cake:
From her to him!

Your loved ones deserve a treat and I have just the right thing for you. All you need is a recipe and your hands to bake that perfect cake for your loved ones. Introducing the Quark Cheese cupcakes. Cheese so good that it’ll break the trend of
The usual Philadelphia cream cheese. Soft, fresh, white and smooth, this cake is foreplay to your palette. So good the texture and so strong the desire to never let the taste leave your tongue.

Couple the quark cheese and sour cream and add the kinky feeling of a tang to the recipe. Try it, rope him in and tell us how he couldn’t stop at one.

Photo:Ashwani Nagpal

Quark Cheese-Cake Cup Cake:

Ingredients

Quark cheese – 2 cups
Sugar – 3/4 cup
Eggs – 2
Vanilla extract – 1 tsp
Cornstarch – 2 1/2 Tbsps
Sour cream – 1 cup
Lemon Zest/Orange Zest- 1
Red Colour- Few Drops

For Base
Biscuit crumbs – 1 1/2 cups
Melted butter – 6 tbsps
Sugar – 1/4 cup

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 C
2.Combine biscuit crumbs, melted butter, and 1/4 cup sugar together and press the  mixture onto the bottom 10 Cup cake liners.
3. Refrigerate in freezer for 10 minutes.
4. Mix 3/4 cup of the sugar with Quark cheese until smooth.
5. beat in eggs, vanilla, and cornstarch until just mixed. Stir in sour cream until blended. Scoop equal amount batter into the cup cake liners.
6. In a small container take out few spoons and add red colour and pipe small hearts on top and any other designs. Bake in a water bath for 30 to 35 mins until set.
7. Turn oven off and leave cup cakes in oven with the door ajar for 3 hours.
8 Once cool put in fridge for few hour and enjoy with your loved one!

Nutty Fudge
From him to her!

Which Valentines Day is complete without that perfect gift for your woman? I have got the perfect thing from you to her.
Women yearn for it and nothing turns them on more than large amounts of it. Chocolate. This recipe is easy -fool proof and anyone who finds himself challenged in the kitchen can also make it to spark the twinkle in her eye. Proven to melt in her mouth and win her heart. This chocolate fudge is love at every bite. Sprinkle nuts to add a crunch. Get naughty with this mishmash.

Photo:Ashwani Nagpal

Heart Shape Nutty Fudge

Ingredients:

400 gm sweetened condensed milk (1 tin Nestle Milkmaid)
¼ cup sugar
150 gm mixture of cashew nuts/raisins/almonds
½ cup cocoa
50 gm Unsalted butter

Method:

1. Pour Milkmaid into a thick bottomed pan.
2. Add butter, sugar, cocoa and nuts.
3. Swirl gently on medium heat till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.
4. Pour evenly into a buttered dish and allow cooling and setting.
5. Cut into heart shape with a cutter and toss in icing sugar.

And here is the ET Article