It’s the perfect holiday for us wine loving romantics who not only cherish a glass of wine but also some rich, dark chocolate to go with. It’s no coincidence that most of the Valentine’s menus around town will have something chocolate on their dessert column.
I’m a sucker for a decadent chocolate dessert, especially dark velvety variety. When you throw wine into the mix, the best wine and chocolate pairings, to me, occur with dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate or white chocolate (which really isn’t chocolate at all).
The general rule of thumb for pairing wine with desserts — your wine should always be as sweet or sweeter than the dessert. I have some wonderful recipes on Goodtaste.tv that appeal to all chocolate fans, recipes that are perfect for the Valentine’s holiday.
One of my go-to crowd pleasers is a chocolate pie recipe I received from Chef Randy Evans at Haven restaurant. He tells me it was his mother’s recipe, and I can relate. Chocolate ice-box pie was one of my grandmother’s favorites to make. You’ll notice one of the ingredients in Haven’s recipe is a shot of Jack Daniels for that extra little richness of flavor.
This pie is delicious served with whipped cream, or for a fun twist, add a little Chambord raspberry liquer to your whipped cream and garnish with a few fresh raspberries…trés chic.
The most romantic dessert I’ve featured on Goodtaste.tv is a creation Royal Chef Darren McGrady shared with me shortly before the royal wedding — the wedding cake recipe. Prince William used for his groom’s cake.
This cake a glorified ganache filling with crunchy bits of shortbread — easy to make and tastes as scrumptious as it looks.
An all time favorite dessert when I’m craving chocolate (which is often) is a dark little pot du crème.
I’ve served this little gem many times and have never had anyone leave as much as a spoonful behind. For a richer, more intense chocolate experience, choose a high quality dark chocolate with a cacao percentage of 65-70%.
Dark chocolates are heavenly with Zinfandels, Syrahs and Merlots as well as Tawny Ports. If you’re having bubbly, choose one that’s on the sweeter side, or do one of my favorite things—have champagne for dessert!
You can see more pairing options with some of my wine choices right here…
For more recipes and pairing ideas head to Goodtaste.tv, and while you’re there sign up for a chance to win a fabulous getaway for two to Deer Lake Lodge near Lake Conroe.
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