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Community Table from Epicurious

from Epicurious

Take your place at the table

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There is nothing better than sharing your favorite dessert with someone you love. Although the scientific evidence of aphrodisiacs is debatable, it wouldn’t hurt you to try these beautiful and delicious desserts with your loved one.

Mini White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecakes

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We all know that making a cheesecake can be difficult, but these mini ones are very easy to prepare. And trust me, every bite of this astonishing dessert will be absolutely cherished. In the end, you will be able to enjoy the butter cookie crust and the berry center. It is not only delicious but also a healthy bite. How you’ll serve it and eat it with your partner, we leave to you.

Ingredients:

5 Oz (150g) butter cookies, or shortbread (40 cookies), ¼ cup (50 mL) melted butter, 1 ½ pkg (375g) cream cheese, cut into cubes, ⅓ cup (75 mL) sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla, 2 Oz (60g) good quality white chocolate – melted and ½ pint blackberries or raspberries.

Directions:

Crust: preheat oven to 375 degrees (190 Celsius), put cookies in a bowl of food processor and pulse them till fine, add melted butter and continue pulsing until it is all well combined; place 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of cookie crumbs in each mini cheesecake tin; tap it down with a small spoon and place in the refrigerator.

Filling: 1) Start by beating the cream cheese until it is smooth; continue beating and start adding eggs, one at a time; blend in white chocolate and vanilla; 2) Scoop a small amount of the cream cheese mix in each tin and put a berry in the center; put the cream cheese mix filling on the top; 3) Put the cheesecake tin in the oven and bake it for 15 to 18 minutes (you will see they are done when they are puffed); 4) Let it cool for 20 minutes then remove them from the tin; after letting it cool completely, refrigerate the cakes for at least an hour before serving – garnish them with fresh berries.

Gingersnap Tiramisu

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This dessert is very delicious and easy to prepare. But before you get started, make sure to put on your cool apron and make use of your gourmet kitchen and cook something that is very delectable for both you and your partner. A little bit of liqueur and dark chocolate can spark romance like nothing else.

Ingredients. 1 cup (250 mL) rich mascarpone cheese, ¼ cup (60 mL) brown sugar, ¼ cup Amaretto or Frangelico liqueur, 2 cups (500 mL) whipping cream, 1 lb.(s) (425 g) package thin rectangular ginger cookies, 1 cup (250 mL) strong coffee or espresso, 1 cup (250 mL) or so bittersweet dark chocolate - coarsely grated.

Directions. 1) Put the mascarpone in a large bowl; add the brown sugar and the amaretto; whisk all of these together evenly. 2) Add the cream and continue whisking until it firm – creamy peaks form, it takes around 5 minutes if you do it by hand; after you are done set the bowl aside. 3) Dip the ginger cookies one by one into the coffee or espresso, immerse them fully and, afterwards, arrange them in an 8-inch square baking dish. 4) Form 2 thin layers with half of the ginger cookies and cover it with a thick layer of half the mascarpone mixture from the bowl; on top add half of the grated chocolate. 5) repeat the 4th step in the same manner; cover and put the dish in refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving it.

Strawberry and Cream Sandwich Spong

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This cake is one of the classics. You and your sweetheart will enjoy a royal taste, since this “sandwich” is a famous dessert amongst British Royalty and was named by Queen Victoria. It is very simple to prepare, although there are few tricks to make it as spongy as possible. Make sure to whip the eggs very well and carefully fold flour and butter so that the butter is not deflated.

Ingredients. 225g unsalted butter (at room temperature), have some extra for greasing, 225g white caster sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 4 large free-range eggs, 225g self-raising flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 splash of milk, 200ml double cream, 1 vanilla pod, 1½ tablespoon of icing sugar, have some extra for dusting, 250 g fresh strawberries.

Directions. 1) Ready the 2 round sandwich tins (20cm) by greasing them and preheat the oven to 350 degrees (180 Celsius); 2) Take a large bowl and cream the butter with sugar until it is pale and fluffy, then add the vanilla extract; 3) Beat the eggs (make sure to do it very well), and slowly mix them with the creamed butter and sugar. Sift, then fold in the flour, ¼ of teaspoon of sea salt and baking powder with a large spoon until it is all combined. 4) Stir in one splash of milk to loosen the batter, then you should divide it evenly and put the mass in the two cake tins. 5) Bake them for no more than 25 minutes (they will be ready when they become golden, you can test by putting skewer into the middle of a cake, if it comes clean it is ready). Leave it until it is cooled completely (after couple of minutes’ place them onto a wire rack). 6) Let's make that filling. Pour the cream into a large bowl and scrape in the vanilla seeds. Keep whisking until you have soft peaks. 7) Sift in icing sugar and gently fold through. Place one of the cakes on a plate and spread over some vanilla cream. 8) Roughly slice the strawberries and scatter them on top of the creamed cake. 9) Place the second cake on top; dust it with icing sugar and decorate with some extra strawberries.

As you can see, these deserts are not too complicated to cook in your gourmet kitchen. They are arranged from the one that is the easiest to make to the last one that requires a little bit of chef-skills. In case you have already enjoyed these ones with your dearest, you can always try some of the many recipes found online.

MyCity Web – Digital Marketing Agency, Ivan Dimitrijevic

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Ivan Dimitrijevic is a seasoned blogger and SEO consultant with years of experience. His skill sets include Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and blogging on a wide variety of topics. He is a digital marketing & business consultant and has had many articles published on serious blogs over the years on topics ranging from Digital Marketing, Tech and Online Business to Home & Family, Health, Wellness and Architecture, Real Estate & Design.