Alexandra Spikes

Delicious sweet snacks to make for any Valentine’s Day celebrations.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, spend time with your loved ones and make some delicious treats perfect for the occasion. These sweets will get you in the mood to celebrate cupid’s holiday the right way so the fun never stops.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

Part 1: Raspberry Swirl (measurements dependent upon taste)

• 2 teaspoons Water
• 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups Fresh or frozen raspberries
• 2 tablespoons Granulated Sugar
  • Mix 1 teaspoon water and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch together. Set aside.
  • Press raspberries through a FINE MESH strainer to strain then discard the seeds
  • Cook raspberries, sugar, and remaining 1 teaspoon of water together on the stovetop
  • Once simmering add the cornstarch mixture (stir for about 3 minutes)
  • When slightly thickened, remove from heat
  • Let the seedless sauce cool completely before using

Part 2: Oreo Cookie Crust

• 22 Oreos (not double stuffed)
• 5 Tablespoons melted butter
• 9-inch square baking pan
  • Use food processor/blender place the whole oreos, filling and cream, and blend into crumbs
  • Mix melted butter in with spoon
  • Press into a lined 9-inch baking pan with a spatula or spoon
  • Pre-bake for about 8 minutes at 350 degrees as the filling is being prepared

Part 3: White Chocolate Cheesecake Filling

• 6 ounces of white chocolate baking bars
• 16 ounces stick cream cheese
• 1/3 cups granulated Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
• 2 large eggs
  • Chop and melt 6 ounces of white chocolate. Let cool.
  • In a different bowl beat together 16 ounces of cream cheese with the sugar and mix until smooth
  • Then, add flour, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt to brighten up the flavor. Stir.
  • Beat in 2 eggs, one at a time, into cream cheese mixture
  • Add melted/cooled chocolate and stir/beat at a low speed until fully combined.

All together

• Pour half the cheesecake filling onto the slightly warm cookie crust
• Drizzle in half of the cooled raspberry sauce. Then, pour in the remaining cheesecake filling on top.
• Drizzle in the rest of the raspberry sauce. Swirl everything together with a toothpick.
• Bake for about 32-36 minutes at 350 degrees. The bars will puff up as they bake and settle when cooled.
• Cool for 45 minutes at room temp then chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours before slicing into bars.

Heart Sugar Cookies

Cookies Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (room temp)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg

Icing Ingredients:

• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Red gel food coloring
• Pink gel food coloring
• Sprinkles (optional)

Instructions for all:

• Begin the cookie, Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then, line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, set aside.
• In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium to high speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
• Add the eggs and mix until fully incorporated (about 1 minute)
• Reduce speed to low, add the flour mixture and mix until well combined (about 2 minutes)
• Separately, Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time.
• Roll the dough on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper until it is about 1/8-inch thick.
• Use heart shaped cookie cutters. Cut the dough and place on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart
• After both pieces of doubt have been rolled and cut combine the scraps and use as much of it as possible.
• Rotate half way through (at about 7 minutes in). Bake until barely golden around the edges. The whole process should take about 12 to 14 minutes.
• Transfer the cookies to cool.
• Start the icing, whisk the confectioners sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. If the consistency is not close to a slightly thinned yogurt and doesn’t coat the back of a spoon, adjust with additional sugar or milk as needed.
• Place 2 tablespoons of icing into each of 2 small bowls. Add 4 drops of red food gel to one bowl and 2 drops of food coloring to another, stir until fully incorporated.
• Using a small spoon, drizzle a small amount of each color over the white icing then repeatedly drag a toothpick through to create a marble effect.
• After the cookies cooled, working with one cooled cookie at a time carefully dip the cookie (face-side down) into the icing and allow the excess to drip off before placing back on the cooling rack.
• Add additional red and pink icing to the bigger bowl of icing as needed to keep the marbling effect.
• Decorate with sprinkles, if using, before allowing the icing to fully set
• Eat after icing has set (about 4 to 5 hours).

Chocolate Bread Pudding

• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup half-and-half cream
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup 2% Milk
• 1 large egg (room temp)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 slices day-old bread
• Confectioners sugar (topping)
• Whipped cream (topping)
  • In a small microwave-safe bowl melt the chocolate. Stir until smooth, then stir in the cream and set aside.
  • In a large bowl whisk sugar, milk, egg, vanilla, and salt. Stir into chocolate mixture.
  • Cut off crusts from bread and cut into cubes. Next, add the bread cubes and toss with hands to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes.
  • Spoon the mixture with bread crumbs into 2 greased 2-cup souffle dishes. Bake at 350 until it comes out clean when a knife or toothpick is inserted into the middle (about 30-35 mins).
  • Sprinkle confectioners sugar over the top and place a dollop of whipped cream over the top before serving.

Classic Chocolate Covered Strawberries

• 12 strawberries
• 4.5 oz semi-sweet chocolate
• 4.5 oz white chocolate
  • Wash and dry the strawberries very well and dry them well enough that the chocolate will be able to stick onto it.
  • Melt the chocolate in the microwave. Place the chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl and use 30 second intervals, stirring between cycles. Repeat until it is fully melted and stir until completely smooth.
  • Dip half the strawberries into melted semi-sweet chocolate and place on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Dip the remaining half into melted white chocolate.
  • Use a piping bag and round tip to drizzle the remaining chocolate on top (you can also use a plastic bag and cut the edge of the bag if you do not have a piping bag)
  • Add any toppings desired
  • Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator and let chill for 30 minutes until the chocolate is set

Red Velvet Cake with Cheesecake Custard

Cake Layers:

• 3 1/3 cups bleached cake flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups canola oil
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs (room temp)
• 1 large egg yolk (room temp)
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring gel
• 1 1/3 cups whole buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • Preheat the oven to 350 with a rack in the center of the oven. Coat 3 8-inch round cake pans with baking spray
  • Sift cake flour and cocoa into a large bowl. Wisk in salt and set aside.
  • Beat oil and sugar in a stand mixer fitter with the paddle attachment on medium high until fully combined.
  • Reduce mixer speed to medium, add eggs and egg yolks one at a time until all are fully incorporated. Add vanilla and red food coloring; beat until combined.
  • Reduce the mixer speed to the lowest speed and gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk as you mix in the flour mixture. Then, use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Don’t worry when the batter looks loose, it is supposed to be like that.
  • Combine vinegar and baking soda in a bowl. Pour into the batter and beat on medium speed until combined. Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl with a spatula. Pour the batter evenly into prepared pans.
  • Bake in a preheated oven until clean when a toothpick is inserted into the middle (25 to 30 minutes). Cool in pans on a rack for about 10 minutes. Take the cake out of the pan and lay on a wire rack to cool completely.

White Chocolate Frosting:

• 2 2/3 cups high-quality white chocolate bars, finely chopped
• 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Place chocolate in a large  heatproof glass bowl and set aside.
  • Fill a medium saucepan with about 2 inches of water, bring the water to a boil at medium-high, lower it to medium-low heat then set the chocolate bowl over the saucepan making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir with a heatproof spatula until the chocolate is melted.
  • Remove the bowl from the pan and turn off the stove. Stir the melted chocolate with a spatula until smooth. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until cooled to almost room temperature after 25 to 30 minutes with a thermometer reading of 89-90°F.
  • In a separate mixing bowl, beat powdered sugar, vanilla, butter, and salt into a stand mixer at high speed until fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the cooled white chocolate then beat until smooth. Set frosting aside at room temperature until ready to use.

Cheesecake Custard

• 3 large egg yolks (room temp)
• 1 large egg (room temp)
• 3 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • Whisk together egg yolks, egg, cornstarch, and 1/4 cup of sugar in a large heatproof bowl until lightened in color.
  • Cook milk and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk occasionally until the milk begins to boil. Remove from heat.
  • While constantly whisking egg mixture, slowly drizzle one-third of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture to temper. Next, slowly pour the rest of the egg mixture back into the milk mixture in a pan and whisk constantly.
  • Whisk in vanilla and salt. Return to the stove over medium heat, whisking bottom and inside the edges of the pan until thickened and just starting to boil.
  • Once bubbles start to erupt on the surface, cook, whisking constantly, until thick.
  • Remove pan from heat (if needed strain the custard). Add cream cheese to the custard and stir until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the custard. Chill until cold.

All together (Combining all ingredients):

• Take the cooled cake layer and using a long serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half horizontally to make 6 layers (if the cake starts to crumble when you begin to cut, wrap it in plastic and freeze until chilled). Trim the cut side of each cake half to make it flat and even, reserving trimmings to yield.
• Wrap layers individually into plastic wrap; set aside at room temperature until ready to use. Place crumbs in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet; let stand at room temperature.
• Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on a cake stand or platter. Using a small offset spatula, spread about 2/3 cup Cheesecake Custard, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edges.
• Top with a second layer, cut side up, and another 2/3 cup custard. Continue alternating the layers and custard, ending with the top cake layer, cut side down. Chill, uncovered, until filling is set (about 1 hour).
• Using a large offset spatula, spread a thin layer of frosting over top and sides of chilled cake as a crumb coat. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of chilled cake after a thin layer has been added to all parts of the cake the first time.
• To make a flower pattern on top of the cake, drag an offset spatula from the center of the top of the cake toward the edge in a slight arc. Rotate cake slightly; repeat to create parallel arcs that cover the top. Lightly press dried cake crumbs around the bottom edge of the cake to create a band about 1 1/2 inches tall.
• The finished cake can stand at room temperature up to 4 hours or be stored, uncovered, in a fridge for up to 6 hours. It is recommended that you let the chilled cake stand at room temperature for 1 hour before slicing and serving.