What Did You Do For Valentines Day?

Well. Here we are. Two days after Valentines Day. The day filled with romance, roses and red stuff. Because you know. Valentines Day.

The day one gets so mushy and gushy (rhyme that with mushy for my sake ), seeing couples (old, young, in that ‘middle zone’ where they can’t decide) holding hands and walking in rhythm… sigh… what a romantic day.

BIG HEART <3

The day that TV shows nothing but cartoons glowing red and giving their other half a kiss on the cheek with their hearts literally beating out of their chest, as if it would rip it apart.

Yeah, Jerry, you can’t hide that luuuurve on Valentines Day

I have not met my other half yet. Nope, not heard a word or seen even a single hair of him yet. But I am a believer (and a sap for romantic Hollywood classics!). Who needs to rush into this anyway?

After all, who needs to be watching a sappy film in the cinema sharing popcorn when you could eating popcorn alone with your French textbook. Sexiest language in the world indeed, it had me hooked

‘Ooooh la la, Monsieur Livre, tu es trop!’

One day, Monsieur Livre will be replaced with Mr Choc Chip Uru but until then, Monsieur Livre, keep up that… oh my god, I can’t say ‘Frenching’, ‘Sexy tongue’ or anything, it is all so inappropriate! God, the French…

Now, I am but 17. I want to hear about your wonderful Valentines Day with your other halves! Were you swept off your feet with roses? Were you given boxes of chocolate? Did someone try to sneak you love potion Harry Potter style? (because that one is a keeper!)

And in return did you bake/cook for them?

Because if you did or if you didn’t, next year (or tomorrow, because you could say Valentines Week is continuing) you could whip them up something, so ooey, gooey and romantic

This slice is gold. A little weird to make but once it is finished, it is the whole A-U. The base is so wonderfully buttery (I swear, I have never made a shortbread recipe which is so buttery!) and when combined with the delicious jelly-ish topping, it really matches, especially if said topping is bursting with tangy and sweet flavours mingling together.

Opposites attract no?

Strawberry Lemon Hearts
Heavily Adapted From: Blue Eyed Bakers

Ingredients:

Base:

• 230g butter, room temperature and cubed
  
• ½ cup icing mixture (icing sugar mixed with cornstarch) – can use regular icing sugar too
  
• 1 ¾ cup plain flour + a little extra
• ½ cup desiccated coconut
• 1 tbs vanilla essence
• ¼ tsp salt (ignore if using salted butter)

Topping

• 6 eggs, room temperature
• 2 ½ cups caster sugar (don’t have a heart attack on me yet!)
• Zest from one orange (can use any citrus fruit)
• 1 cup lemon juice, fresh is optimum
  
• Red food colouring
• 1 cup fresh strawberries (optional – do not need to add this part in, in which case you will have a simple lemon square)
  
• Strawberry essence
• 1 cup flour

Method:

1. Puree Strawberries (if using): Wash, dry and stem the strawberries. Place in a blender and puree till pure liquid. Sieve through fine wire and then set aside (no seeds!)
   
2. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease and line a 9×13 inch baking tin and set aside
3. In a food processor, combine all base ingredients (except extra flour) and blend till fully combined
4. Dust hands in extra flour (because the mixture will be damn sticky!) and press into the bottom of the baking tin, in an even layer
   
5. Bake for 15 minutes or till slightly golden. Remove and let cool to room temperature on a wire rack
   
6. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, essence, lemon juice, zest and pureed strawberries together
7. Stir through a small amount of food colouring until desired shade – make it a little bit darker than you want the colour because as it bakes, it will lighten
   
8. Pour over cooled crust and bake for 20-25 minutes or until topping is set
   
9. Cool completely on a wire rack then refrigerate overnight
   

   DO NOT JUDGE THE MINI BURNT PART

10. Cut using heart cutters and eat that gooey deliciousness

Note:

• It is VERY hard to make shapes out of BUT I think you will be fine in the name of Valentine