SWEET”HEART” TEA FOR TWO

Soon it will be Valentine’s Day and a perfect time to prepare a special tea-time for a friend or spouse combining heart shaped sweets with your favorite tea. Be sure to include a lot of red in your settings with dishes, napkins or flowers and it can be as casual or as fancy as desired. Of course this tea-time can be served any time of day, but would be nice following a casual luncheon or romantic dinner.

Here are some easy recipes you can use to celebrate and each makes enough to share with a group of friends too:

CHOCOLATE CHIP SCONES: Combine 2c flour, 1tsp baking powder, 1/4tsp baking soda, 1/4tsp salt and 1/3c sugar in mixing bowl. Cut in 8Tbs butter until mixture resembles course crumbs. Add 1/2c mini chocolate chips. Combine an egg and 1/2c sour cream (I use plain yogurt!) until well blended, then add to dry ingredients until they are moistened. Divide dough in half and pat out each into a ½ inch thick circle and cut into 6 hearts. Place on greased baking sheet, brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 350 for 12 mins.

RASPBERRY & CHOCOLATE HEARTS: Pat half a package of prepared sugar cookie dough into a rectangle on a cookie sheet. Roll out the other half and cut into two sizes of hearts and place on the same cookie sheet. Bake all according to directions. Cool.
          RASPBERRY: Spread the rectangle with seedless raspberry jam, sprinkle with  toasted sliced almonds and drizzle with melted chocolate. Cut into hearts.
          CHOCOLATE: Spread the larger hearts with Nutella, top with smaller hearts and sprinkle with cocoa.

DOUBLE DECADENT BROWNIES: Brew 1 heaping Tbs black tea in 1/2c boiling water for 5 mins, then strain and cool. Melt 4-1oz squares unsweetened chocolate with 1c butter and beat into a combination of 2c sugar and 4 eggs. Add 2c flour, 1tsp baking powder, 1tsp salt and cooled tea. Stir in 1/2c walnuts and 1c chocolate chips. Spoon into greased mini-muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for 15 mins or until a slight imprint remains when touched lightly with a finger. Cool slightly, and then remove from tins. To serve, turn upside down, spread with melted chocolate and top with a toasted walnut.

CHOCOLATE DIPPED STRAWBERRIES: Melt 6oz semisweet chocolate, cool slightly then dip fresh strawberries to coat and place on waxed paper lined tray. Place in refrigerator until set, then store in airtight container.

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”
I Peter 4:8-9