For anybody who missed the memo, today is Valentine’s Day. This is my fourth Valentine’s Day writing for The Irish Times, a timely reminder that as I get older and change my ways, my opinion of this day remains the same. Complete marketing nonsense. That said, it is a day fraught with potential pitfalls. In my house, we are both in complete agreement as to the superficial nature of the day, until of course the day in question rolls around. My opinion never wavers. However, there are certain things you learn in marriage. Often, “Of course you don’t need to get me anything”’ translates as, “You absolutely need to get me something”. This is a simple trap that somebody with sense should know to avoid. For the record, “I don’t know what I want for dinner” is a dangerous challenge where you must use experience and skill to cook something they don’t know they want yet. The consequences of getting this wrong can be painful. You rarely make the same mistake twice.
[ It’s easy to find the perfect wine for Valentine’s Day if you follow these tipsOpens in new window ]
For those of you reading this who haven’t planned anything or simply believe they were being honest when they said, “You don’t need to get me anything”, this will have you covered. Both recipes this week use ingredients you are likely to have in stock (ignore the rose extract for the day that’s in it), and can be thrown together quickly and left in the fridge, ready to impress. All that will be left to do is produce them with a romantic flourish after dinner, hopefully with smiles all round.
The first recipe, for lemon posset with shortbread, is as simple as it gets. The posset only uses four ingredients to create a light and zingy mousse. The citric acid in the lemon juice breaks down the proteins in the cream, causing them to glue together and thicken. This creates a mousse with no obvious setting agent. It will spook you when they go in the fridge looking like lemon soup, but trust the citric to work its magic while they chill. The shortbread involves throwing some simple ingredients in a bowl and just bringing them together before baking. If nothing else, you could bake these off with a cup of tea after dinner and you’ll probably be in the clear.
If you wish to push the boat out, I have warm chocolate and orange pots.
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These are basically chocolate fondants you can bake in a cup, ramekin or bowl. This way you get all the indulgence of a fondant without the drama of it collapsing in a heap. This can be made early in the day and left in the fridge for after dinner. A few minutes in the oven and the results will make you look like a patisserie master. I’ve just given the recipe for the chocolate but this will need a ball of ice cream or some clotted cream to really make it special. The flavour is up to you. What says “I love you” like a big warm spoonful of chocolate?
