Special easy-to-make recipes for Valentine's Day

Pooja Dhingra, chef and owner of Le 15 Patisserie, creates two recipes especially for SUNDAY MiD DAY readers to woo their loved ones this Valentine's Day

It’s that time of the year again when love is in the air and everyone wants to pamper that special someone. Pooja Dhingra, chef and owner of Le 15 Patisserie who is known for her melt-in-the-mouth delicacies, creates two easy-to-make recipes that you can whip up for your loved one.  Dhingra says, “Since strawberries are fresh this season, nothing beats giving your Valentine a jar of fresh Strawberries & Cream. This classic combination is always a winner. The second dish, Vanilla Cupcakes, is a do-it-yourself cupcake that will not fail to impress your Valentine.”  

Strawberries and cream make for a classic combination.

Strawberries & Cream
Ingredients
>> 150 g fresh strawberries
>> 150 g cream, whipped
Method
>> After rinsing the strawberries, cut off the tops. Then cut each strawberry in half
>> Layer a few strawberries at the bottom of a bowl or a jar and then spread some whipped cream on top
>> Repeat till all the strawberries and whipped cream are used up
>> Let it set in the fridge for two hours and then serve

Cupcakes paired with tea make for a good tea-time snack. Pics/Amit Jadhav

Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients
>> 110 g butter
>> 200 g castor sugar
>> 1 tsp vanilla essence
>> 2 eggs
>> 150 g flour
>> 1tsp baking powder
>> 80 ml milk
Method
>> Preheat the oven to 175C
>> In a bowl, beat the butter, castor sugar and vanilla essence till light and fluffy
>> Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition until mixed well
>> Sift together the flour and baking powder
>> Add the milk and mix with a spatula. Then fold in the flour
>> Line a cupcake mould with liners and pipe the batter in them till 3/4th full
>> Bake for 15 minutes or till a skewer, when inserted in the centre of the cake, comes out clean
>> Pipe the frosting on top of the cakes

Vanilla buttercream frosting
Ingredients
>> 100 g butter
>> 1 tsp vanilla essence
>> 225 g icing or powdered sugar
>> 1 tablespoon milk
>> A few drops of liquid food colouring of your choice
Method
>> In a bowl, whisk together the butter and vanilla essence until smooth
>> Gradually add in the icing sugar and whisk till mixed
>> Add the milk and beat to combine
>> Keep whisking till the frosting is light and fluffy. It should take you around five minutes if using a hand whisk. If not using right away, cover it with cling wrap and refrigerate  to prevent it from drying out.

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