valentine's day ideas, from our books to you

It's late January, and if you've got a special someone, you know what that means—you've got a mere two weeks to come up with a superb Valentine's Day plan. This year, skip the reservation runaround and serve up some of these delicious dishes from Weldon Owen recent releases Good Food to Share and The Art of the Cookie. 

Get things started with a sparkling limoncello-raspberry cocktail. 

This sunny drink speaks Italian (which is the language of love, we hear!). Embrace its homeland and serve it with crostini, bruschette, or breadsticks. Or set out a cheese plate with Italian favorites like Taleggio or fontina.

1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
A few drops of fresh lemon juice
6 raspberries
4 tablespoons limoncello
Crushed ice
1 cup sparkling wine
Lemon zest strips for garnish

On a small plate, stir together the sugar and grated lemon zest. Dip a clean finger in the lemon juice and moisten the rims of 2 champagne flutes, then dip the rims in the sugar mixture to coat the glass' edges—this'll create a sweet sensation from the first sip.

Then, in a small bowl or ramekin, using a cocktail muddler or the end of a wooden spoon, pulverize the raspberries with the limoncello. Transfer the purée to the sugar-rimmed glasses, place a spoonful of crushed ice in each glass, and pour in the sparkling wine. Garnish with the lemon zest strips and serve.

From Good Food to Share: Recipes for Entertaining with Family and Friends by Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan.

Bake up chocolate sweethearts.

This batch of heart-shaped cookies is sure to earn a kiss or two. It makes about thirty cookies, so you can keep the sweetness going long after Valentine's Day.

¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pink and white sanding sugar for sprinkling
Raspberry cream filling
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup strained raspberry preserves
Pinch of salt

In a bowl, whisk together the 2¼ cups flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on low speed until the egg is completely incorporated. Beating on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and continue to beat until just incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Press the dough into a rough rectangle, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until the mixture is firm, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll out the chilled dough until about ¼ inch thick. Using a 2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut the cookies into shapes. Use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to the prepared sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart. Press the dough scraps together, roll out, and cut out additional shapes.

Sprinkle the cookies with the sanding sugar and bake 1 sheet at a time until the cookies are firm to the touch, 12–15 minutes. Let cool on the sheets for 5 minutes. Using the metal spatula, transfer to wire racks and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.

While the cookies are cooling, get started on the filling: Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a large bowl and add the butter. Using an electric mixer on low speed, beat until combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the preserves and salt and beat on low speed just until combined.

Spoon the filling into a pastry bag fitted with a ¼-inch plain round tip. Turn half of the cookies bottom side up. Pipe a layer of filling over each cookie bottom. Gently press the remaining cookies, bottom side down, onto the filling. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

Store the cookies in an airtight container, layered between sheets of parchment paper, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

From The Art of the Cookie: Baking Up Inspiration by the Dozen by Shelly Kaldunski.