Sweets for Your Sweetie: Make Your Own Gourmet Valentine Desserts at Home

Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse

Step one: Create feuilletine layer
Ingredients

• 5 ounces milk chocolate
• 8 ounces creamy peanut butter
• 4 ounces feuilletine (oven-crisped crepes)

Directions

1. In the large pot, heat water until boiling.
2. Place chocolate and peanut butter into a smaller pot, then place it on top of the large pot using the boiling water as a heat source to melt the ingredients. This is called a bain marie.
3. Fold in the crushed feuilletine.
4. Spread over a silpat, about an eighth of an inch thick.
5. Freeze.

Step two: Create chocolate sauce
Ingredients

• 6 cups sugar
• 6 cups water
• 5 cups cocoa powder
• 5 cups heavy cream

Directions

1. Bring sugar and water to a rapid boil.
2. Reduce heat and add cocoa powder, stirring constantly.
3. Add heavy cream and continue to stir until thick.
4. Refrigerate.

Step three: Create mousse
Ingredients

• 10 ounces milk chocolate
• 4 ounces creamy peanut butter
• 6 ounces milk
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces heavy cream

Directions

1. Place chocolate, peanut butter and salt into a heat-proof container.
2. Bring milk to a boil.
3. Pour milk over chocolate peanut butter mixture.
4. Burr mix mixture with a hand blender until completely combined.
5. Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks.
6. Combine chocolate mixture with cream.

Step four: Assembling the dessert

1. Use a two-and-a-half or three-inch ring mold to cut the frozen feuilletine layer.
2. Leave feuilletine in the bottom of the ring mold.
3. Pour chocolate mixture on top.
4. Freeze.
5. When completely frozen, use a torch to loosen mousse from ring mold, set aside.
6. Cut the same amount of feuilletine rounds to top the mousse.

Roasted Banana Gelato
Ingredients

• 2 quarts milk
• 2 quarts cream
• 6 cups sugar
• 3 cups egg yolks
• 5 or 6 ripe bananas
• ½ cup brown sugar
• Juice of one orange

Directions

1. Place milk and cream into a pot, and bring to a boil.
2. Add eggs into a bowl with the sugar, and whisk until pale yellow.
3. Temper egg yolks with hot cream mixture.
4. Place back in the pot and continue until anglaise has been achieved. Remove from stove.
5. Slice bananas and place them in an oven safe pan.
6. Add brown sugar and orange juice.
7. Roast in the oven at 325 degrees, stirring once in a while until bananas are caramelized — about 10 to 15 minutes — then remove from the oven.
8. Using a hand blender, mix bananas into the cream mixture and strain using a chinois.
9. Refrigerate overnight.
10. Spin into an ice cream maker as directed.