Strawberries & Chocolate (with rose water, figs, and cardamom!)

Hi Mom! You're probably wondering what my plans are for Valentines day (if you're not, I don't blame you).

After a two hour yoga session, I'm going to watch the latest episodes of Suits, Girls, and Top Chef Seattle. Of course, I will observe February 14th by indulging in healthy (read: excessive) amounts of chocolate and strawberries.

For myself.

You see, I will be my own Valentine this year. I kept thinking-- with all these people around the world revolting against antiquated norms, why hasn't anyone started a popular uprising to reform Valentines Day? I think when people ask you the dreaded question, "Who's your Valentine?", it should be considered perfectly reasonable to respond with: "It seems like a  myself kind of year. She's been good to me lately".

My Valentine's self asked "What would Zahrah like to have on this day?" The obvious answer is strawberries and chocolate... but what else? You know I wouldn't end there.

Strawberries- with cardamom and rose water, and chocolate with rose water, honey, and figs...

Before:

Honey, figs, and rose water are undoubtedly some of the most intense aphrodisiacs, in ancient times considered to be the "food of the Gods". I've incorporated them in desserts with modern aphrodisiacs, strawberries and chocolate, to make for a fantastically Lebanese approach to Valentine's Day indulgence.

Side note: You're going to see lots of figs in my recipes. Figs specifically hold a special place in my heart. I remember counting down the days until the fig tree in Jiddo's garden in the Lebanese mountains produced ripened fruit, and eating them literally fresh off of the tree. Lucky for me, they're a really stylish ingredient now!

So to keep with the strawberries and chocolate theme, I have for you recipes that I have prepared for:

Cardamom Cupcake with Strawberry Rose Cardamom filling and Strawberry Mascarpone Frosting 

and

Rose-Scented Honeyed Fig Truffles

After :)

So, scratch those plans to make red velvet something or other... Take a risk! Try this and if nothing else, your inner Valentine will seriously enjoy it :)



Cardamom Cupcake with Strawberry Rose Cardamom filling and Strawberry Mascarpone Frosting
(Makes 10-12 cupcakes)

For cupcake

• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1-2/3 cups cake flour
• 1-1/2 tsp. cardamom (add more for more aggressive taste)
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup cold milk

Preheat oven to 350°F.

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffly. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together cake flour, cardamom, baking powder, and salt. Add slowly to butter mixture in batches. Add milk and stir to incorporate. 
3. Bake for 18-24 minutes, and not 1 minute too long! COOL COMPLETELY before frosting.

Resist the urge to open the oven on these delicate things of beauty!

Hopefully your results will look like this, and you'll have more self control than I did: 

For Filling

• 1-1/2 cups of fresh strawberries, chopped into small pieces
• 1/2 and 1/4 tsp. cardamom
• 1/2 tsp and a splash  rose water (see note on rose water at end)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice

1. Combine strawberries, sugar, lemon juice in saucepan under medium heat, continually stirring. When it starts bubbling, switch to low heat and cover the mixture. Roast strawberries for 15 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and put in fridge to cool. 
3. To fill cupcakes: Wait until cupcakes and filling have completely cooled down. Using a small spoon, carve out a deep (little past halfway to bottom) circular hole in a cupcake, making sure to keep the carved-out part and preserve the shape of the cupcake. Fill with approximately 1 tablespoon of filling, or however much fills most of the hole. Cover the hole with the carved out piece. Repeat for all cupcakes. 

For Strawberry Cardamom Mascarpone Frosting

• 2/3 cup fresh strawberries
• 1/2 cup butter, firm and still cold
• 4oz mascarpone cheese
• 3 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• pinch of sea salt
• 2 tbsp heavy cream

1. Puree strawberries in food processor.

2. Cut butter into chunks and combine with mascarpone

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. 

4. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar; add strawberry puree, cardamom, and whipping cream. Mix on medium-high speed for 30 seconds- do not overmix, or risk having an overly fluffy frosting. 

5. Frost your cooled and filled cupcakes generously. 

Rose-Scented Honeyed Fig Truffles

(Makes 24 truffles)

You will need:

• 2 cups good quality dried black mission figs, stems removed and chopped in halves
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1-1/2 teaspoons rose water
• 3.5 oz great quality dark chocolate (I used Valrhona 70% dark cocoa), chopped finely
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

For decorating: 

• 4 oz dark chocolate 
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• Cocoa powder 

1. Place figs, honey in food processor and puree for a few minutes until smooth.
2. Add rose water to figs and puree again for a few more seconds. 
3. Bring cream to a boil and pour over chocolate. Let it sit for 2 minutes before whisking to incorporate. Chocolate should look consistent and have nice sheen to it. 
4. Remove sticky fig mixture from food processor and blend it gently but thoroughly into the chocolate cream mixture, making sure to get as much chocolate as you can off the sides of the bowl
5. Cool mixture in fridge for 30 minutes
6. Remove mixture from fridge and form small balls using 2-3 teaspoons of mixture and rolling it smooth with the palms of your hands. Place onto wax paper on plate and put back in fridge for 15 minutes
7. To decorate: Meanwhile, melt 4 oz dark chocolate and butter in microwave for 1-2 minutes in safe glass bowl, mixing every 20 seconds until chocolate is consistently smooth and melted. Remove fig balls from fridge. Begin rolling around one by one in melted chocolate with a rounded spoon. Pick them up with the spoon and drop them carefully on a wax paper sheet. Once almost cooled hard, sprinkle dusting of cocoa powder on them. Other option: Spread cocoa powder onto flat plate. Roll balls in cocoa powder with gentle pressure until completely covered.