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A Romantic Valentine’s Day At Home

Edited by Jennifer L. Price

"Going out to a restaurant on Valentine's Day is vastly overrated," proclaims author and chef Diane Phillips. "Restaurants are jammed, servers are harried, and the evening often ends up being a more disappointing than romantic experience!" Instead, Phillips recommends serving a special dinner at home. With the right atmosphere and a little planning, a homemade meal for two can be both romantic and stress-free.

Known as the “Diva of Do-Ahead,” Diane has long been helping cooks save time by making things ahead of time. She suggests some simple yet effective ways for you to set the mood for an amorous dinner at home: "A white or cream tablecloth accented with red and pink decorations would be spectacular. Votive candles for lots of sexy low lighting are musts. Floating candles are another beautiful accent for your table: pour cranberries or red marbles into the bottom of a low shallow container, fill it with water, and float white votive candles on the water (tinting the water red with food coloring will also work if you don't have cranberries or marbles). To help set the mood with music, stock up on romantic standards such as Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole, or sultry singers such as Etta James and Diana Krall."

Of course, the best part will be the dessert: Individual Molten Chocolate-Caramel Cakes! These cakes can be partially prepared from eight hours to a month in advance and then easily finished on Valentine's Day. The recipe serves 8, so simply freeze what you don't want to bake (the batter can even be frozen in the ramekins, then defrosted as needed) and pull them out later to impress guests at a moment's notice. As the Diva says: "You can expect a marriage proposal or a renewal of vows after this."

Individual Molten Chocolate-Caramel Cakes with Diva Caramel Sauce
Serves 8
For the ramekins:

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, salted

• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

• For the cakes:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

• 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

• 4 large eggs

• 1 large egg yolk

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 8 Kraft caramels

• Diva Caramel Sauce (recipe follows)

1. Generously butter eight 6-ounce ramekins and dust with confectioners' sugar. Set aside on a baking sheet.

2. For the cakes, in a medium-size saucepan melt the butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring once or twice until smooth. Set the chocolate aside to cool slightly.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk, beat the eggs, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and sugar until the volume nearly triples, about 5 minutes. The color will be very light and the mixture will drop from the beaters in a thick stream.

4. Whisk in the cooled chocolate and then sprinkle the flour over the mixture and fold in until incorporated.

5. Ladle or pour the mixture into the prepared ramekins and place a caramel into the center of the batter. [Do-Ahead Tip: At this point, you can cover and refrigerate the cakes for up to 8 hours or freeze for 1 month.]

6. When you are ready to bake the cakes, bring them to room temperature for 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 400¡F, and bake for 12 to 13 minutes. Run a paring knife around the inside edges of the ramekins to loosen cakes. Invert onto serving plates, cool for 1 minute, and lift off ramekins. Serve in a pool of caramel sauce with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream.

Diva Caramel Sauce
Makes about 3 1/2 cups

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

• 2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

• 2 cups heavy cream

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.

2. Stir in the brown sugar and continue stirring until it dissolves. Add the cream and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce boils. [Do-Ahead tip: At this point, you can let cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Warm over medium heat or on 50 percent power in the microwave before serving.] Serve hot.

For more ideas, including a complete menu with tips for doing nearly all of the cooking ahead of time check out Phillips’s book, Happy Holidays from the Diva of Do-Ahead (2006, The Harvard Common Press).

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