Valentine's Day is slowly approaching for all the lovebirds out there in the best city in the world! There are so many different ways a couple can celebrate this special day (seeing as I am single, I'll probably celebrate it with a burrito and some Netflix, yay) that goes outside of the basic dinner with champagne and chocolates. That is too typical. Why not spruce it up with some incredible recipes made by some of the top Award-winning hotels across the country? Well look no further, because Manhattan Digest has got you covered. Whether it is a tasty Red Velvet Molten Cake or a delicious drink like a Fiery Mandarin, we take a peek as to what you should really be enjoying when the biggest day of love in the year comes around.
Red Velvet Molten Cake
Executive Pastry Chef Brittani Szczecina, Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa, Fla.
Hearts will melt along with the molten center of this classic chocolate dessert, reinterpreted in Valentine’s red.
Yield: 4
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate, melted
- 1/8 cup bread flour, sifted
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 4 tbsp. red food coloring
Preparation:
- Bring eggs, yolks and sugar to ribbon stage on speed 3 with a whisk.
- Melt butter and chocolate together.
- Pour the chocolate mixture into the ribbon eggs and pulse a few times.
- Add in the sifted flour and pulse a few times again.
- Finish folding by hand and add the red coloring.
- Spray 4 4 oz. tins on all sides and portion batter in tins 3/4 high.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes, being sure to rotate and not overbake.
Deep Affection
Lead Mixologist Zachary Blair, The Whiteface Lodge, Lake Placid, N.Y.
Red berries make this jewel-toned cocktail the perfect choice for an evening of romance.
Ingredients:
- 3 whole strawberries (reserve an additional strawberry for garnish)
- 1 oz raspberry liquor (Merlet)
- Splash of lime juice and simple syrup
- Dash of orange bitters (Bittermens)
- Splash of brut champagne
Preparation:
- Muddle first four ingredients.
- Double strain in high ball.
- Add ice and top with brut champagne.
- Garnish with flared strawberry.
Lover’s Lagoon
McCoy’s Oceanfront at Fort Lauderdale Marriott Pompano Beach Resort & Spa, Fla.
Think of as a moonlit stroll on the beach -- in a glass.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz vodka
- 1 oz spiced rum
- 1 oz peach juice
- 1 oz pear juice
- 1 oz plum juice
- ½ oz blue curacao
Preparation:
- Stir all ingredients in a glass without ice.
- Pour mix into a chilled glass.
- Garnish with a mint sprig.
Fiery Mandarin
Lead Mixologist Eddie Garcia, jade bar at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Guaranteed to add heat to any romance.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Absolut vodka
- 1 slice jalapeno
- 1/3 of an orange zest
- 1 oz cranberry juice
- ½ oz lemon juice
- ¾ oz simple syrup
Preparation:
- Muddle jalapeno, add zest and liquids.
- Add ice, shake and double strain.
- Serve up in chilled martini glass with jalapeno slice garnish.
The Wink
Henry’s Hotel Bar, Harbor View Hotel, Martha’s Vineyard
The name of this cocktail says it all.
Ingredients:
- 1 2/3 oz. gin
- 2 tsp. triple sec
- 1/2 tsp. sugar syrup
- 3 dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters
- 1/2 oz. absinthe, to coat the glass
- Orange twist
Preparation:
- Combine gin, triple sec, sugar syrup and bitters in a shaker over ice and shake.
- Strain into the absinthe-coated rocks glass.
- Finish with a spritz of orange zest and garnish with the orange peel.
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