Valentine's Treats

Why not avoid the crowded restaurants this year and make a romantic meal at home for your loved one? Your menu could include some of the following, which are reputed to be aphrodisiacs – oysters, mussels, truffles, spices such as saffron, nutmeg, vanilla and cinnamon, asparagus, celery, figs and chocolate.

You could also try making special Valentine's themed foods. Cut toast into a heart shape or buy a heart-shaped frying pan and surprise your partner with heart shaped fried egg or pancake for breakfast!

Many foods are considered to be aphrodisiacs.

• In ancient Greece, figs were associated with fertility and love, and ritual lovemaking followed the arrival of every new crop. Although many say figs are a powerful sexual stimulant, no chemical reason for this has been established.
• Chocolate is considered to be the king of aphrodisiacs. The love of chocolate is often associated with the feeling of euphoria that envelopes you after consuming it.
• Chocolate also contains a substance related to caffeine, theobramine, which increases feelings of well-being and satisfaction. The higher the cocoa content, the stronger the aphrodisiac properties, so choose dark chocolate to maximise the effect.
• Bananas are rich in vitamin B6, believed to aid the production of sex hormones.

Macaroon shells filled with white chocolate and strawberries
Serves 8

Macaroons
100g caster sugar
2 egg whites
200g desiccated coconut

Filling
1/2 cup cream, whipped
200g white chocolate, melted
200g punnet of strawberries, washed and sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
2. Mix together the sugar, egg whites and coconut. Place a tablespoonful of the mixture into each cup of a greased, or a nonstick muffin pan.
3. Pat the mixture into the base and up the sides of the cups. Bake for 15 minutes or until the macaroons turn light gold. Remove the pan from the oven.
4. Leave the shells to cool and firm and remove from the pan.
5. For the filling, fold the cream into melted chocolate and spoon the mixture into the shells. Top with sliced strawberries.

1. Sift the flour into a bowl, stir in the sugar and orange rind and rub in the butter until the mixture starts to form into a dough (it is easier if the butter is at room temperature). Gather together until smooth but do not over handle.
2. On a lightly floured surface roll out the shortbread to a thickness of 1cm and cut into heart shapes with a cutter or cardboard template approx 10cm across the widest part of the heart.
3. Place onto a greased baking tray and cook at 190°C/gas mark 5, for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
4. Mix the fruits with the Cointreau and leave to one side
5. Whip the cream with the icing sugar until just holding in peaks.
6. Place one heart onto each plate, top with cream and fruits and then add a second heart. Dredge with icing sugar and serve.

Fig, honey and ginger pudding
Serves 2

3 1/4tbsp fig jam
125ml cream, whipped
250ml ready-made custard
6 ginger biscuits, crushed
honey, for drizzling

1. Heat the fig jam until it is runny. Allow it to cool to room temperature. Mix the whipped cream into the custard.
2. Spoon a layer of crushed biscuits into two glasses. Put a spoonful of jam onto the biscuits. Add another layer of biscuits and then a layer of the custard mixture. Repeat each of the layers. Ensure that you end with the custard mixture. Decorate with a drizzle of honey.
3. Keep the desserts in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve them.

Caramel bananas with ice cream and chocolate
Serves 2-4

1 1/4 cup butter
2 firm bananas, peeled and sliced
20g brown sugar
30ml rum (optional)
20ml water
ice cream, to serve
50g dark chocolate, melted

1. Heat the butter in a heavybased pan over a high heat. When it starts to foam, add the bananas and fry for one minute, shaking the pan. Do not stir, or the bananas will disintegrate.
2. Remove from the heat and add the brown sugar, rum and water. Return the pan to the heat and cook until the sugar has melted. Remove it from the heat and serve it spooned over ice cream. Drizzle with melted chocolate.

Energy Saving Tips

• Use a toaster instead of a grill Avoid using the oven to cook one dish. Cook a few things at a time.
• Microwave ovens provide an efficient way of thawing, reheating and cooking food.