Serving a special dish makes a day seem more like a celebration. Some popular Valentine’s Day options are steak and seafood, berries and cake, cocktails and mocktails.
Chocolate is a fan favourite on Valentine’s Day, as evidenced by the thousands of heart-shaped boxes of chocolates purchased for the occasion. If you prefer to create a treat in your own kitchen, you can learn to make your own chocolates, or incorporate chocolate into any number of dessert recipes.
Being a pie lover, I have naturally tried chocolate pie, and discovered that I prefer to have it topped with whipped cream rather than the more traditional meringue topping. I say save the egg whites for another use – omelets or pavlova maybe – and whip some cream for the topping. You can sweeten it lightly, or leave it as is, according to your taste.
Chocolate Pie
adapted from Wattie, Helen & Elinor Donaldson: Nellie Lyle Pattinson’s Canadian Cook Book. Ryerson Press, Toronto, 29th printing 1965.
- 500 mL (2 cups) milk (I use half fluid milk and half evaporated milk)
- 60 g (2 oz) unsweetened bakers chocolate
- 30 mL (2 tbsp) all purpose flour
- 30 mL (2 tbsp) cornstarch
- 150 mL (⅔ cup) granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 30 mL (2 tbsp) butter
- 2 mL (½ tsp) vanilla extract
Heat 375 mL (1½ cups) of milk in the top of a double boiler. Chop chocolate into small pieces, and melt in the scalded milk.
Whisk together flour, cornstarch and sugar; add remaining 125 mL (½ cup) of milk and stir until smooth. Stir into hot milk/chocolate mixture.
Cook over hot water until thick, stirring constantly, then cover and let cook for 10 minutes.
Beat egg yolks, and stir in a small amount of the hot mixture. Blend thoroughly, and stir into remaining hot mixture. (This process is called tempering.) Stir until mixture thickens, and continue to cook for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat, add butter and vanilla. Cool, stirring occasionally.
Spoon into a baked pie shell. Spoon or pipe whipped cream over the pie filling, and garnish with fresh berries and/or curls of chocolate if desired.
Keep refrigerated.
Alternate methods:
1. The filling may be cooked in the microwave. Heat milk in a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup. Melt chocolate in hot milk. Stir in flour/cornstarch/sugar mixture and microwave cook, whisking at intervals, until thickened. Proceed as above with egg yolks, but microwave cook for only 1 minute on High. Stir in butter and vanilla, cool, and fill prepared pie shell. Top with whipped cream.
2. Filling can also be cooked over direct heat in a heavy saucepan. Heat (scald) milk over medium heat until bubbles appear along the walls of the pan. Melt chocolate in hot milk. Whisk in flour/cornstarch/sugar mixture, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until thickened. Cover and continue to cook over low heat until the mixture has no taste of raw starch. Proceed as above with egg yolks, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly only until thickened. Remove from heat, stir in butter and vanilla, cool, and fill prepared pie shell. Top with whipped cream.
You may prefer to use a gingersnap crust for this pie, rather than regular pie pastry. It is easier to make, and the ginger/chocolate/whipped cream flavour combination is a winner. To make gingersnap crust, prepare 250 mL (1 cup) of gingersnap crumbs (crush about 20 cookies), combine with 60 mL (4 tbsp) melted butter, press mixture into a pie plate, and chill.
If you’re craving a sweet chocolate beverage for Valentine’s Day, try this Mexican hot chocolate. It takes only slightly longer than pouring hot water over a powdered hot chocolate mix.
Mexican Hot Chocolate
from Coffeen, Kelley Cleary: 200 Easy Mexican Recipes. Robert Rose Inc., Toronto, 2013.
- 1 L (4 cups) milk
- 175 g (6 oz) semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 60 mL (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 5 mL (1 tsp) ground cinnamon
- 5 mL (1 tsp) vanilla extract
- 5 mL (1 tsp) almond extract
In a medium saucepan, heat milk over medium-low heat. In a small bowl, combine chocolate, sugar and cinnamon, and add to milk. Stir until well blended and heated through, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla and almond extracts. Serve warm.
Makes 4 servings
Margaret Prouse, a home economist, can be reached by email at [email protected].
