Beautiful Shops Blog

Welcome New Members

Susan Temple owns Baskets-N-Boughs in Ashville, Ohio visit her shop online www.BasketsnBoughs.com  She has beautiful baskets for a new Baby,  weddings, pets, thank you's & House warmings! Hand made wreaths and gifts for every possible occassion!

Marilou Rock owns Lemon Tree Corners in Williamsburg, Virginia visit her shop online www.LemonTreeCorners.com or her Auctions on EBay.  Exquisite vintage jewelry, antiques and incredible collectibles!  Sterling silver collectible spoons,  Oriental vintage  porcelain  & other collections!

April Goff Brown owns April Goff Brown Jewelry in Hartford, Connecticut.  Visit her online shop www.AprilGoffJewelry.com for gorgeous one of a kind gemstone, lampwork glass and crystal jewelry! She recreates that romantic vintage look and she takes custom orders!

Thinking Romantic, Beautiful Shops Members stores are filled with romantic decor, vintage and antiques along with cottage style items to make any room romantic.  Look how pretty this room is! Just imagine a vintage chandelier and mis-matched vintage china dishes on the table. 

This is Shabby Chic style at it's best in romantic white on white with shades of pinks and greens. Remember to add roses!  Buy faux roses and twist them onto the tied on ribbons.  Add folded napkins and add the same roses to the napkin rings.  Add candles with roses wrapped around the base and fresh roses in a vase in the center of the table! The beauty of white, you can decorate around it simply changing accessories and colors, especially for the holidays.

Visit CupidsCharm for romantic Valentines Day jewelry.  Hand made necklace, earrings and keepsakes, romantic inspired from broken china. 

    HEART SHAPED SWEETS FOR YOUR SWEETIE

CHOCOLATE HEART CAKE   HEART COOKIES    COOKIE SANDWICH HEARTS           COFFEE DACQUOISE HEARTS        STRAWBERRY HEART PILLOWS

Click on any delicious Valentine dessert for the recipe, Yummy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Chocolate and Raspberry Heart
Napoleons

From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

Serves 2

3 half-pint containers of fresh raspberries, about 18 ounces, or 1 pound frozen raspberries

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

2 tablespoons kirsch, or champagne

3 large egg whites

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon superfine sugar 

Bittersweet Chocolate Hearts (see recipe below) 

Confectioners' sugar, for garnish

Directions

1. Line a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside. Place raspberries (if using fresh raspberries, reserve 1/2 cup for garnish) in a medium skillet over medium heat. Simmer until raspberries begin to break down and liquid is released, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer raspberries to a food processor, and puree, about 20 seconds. Pass through a fine sieve. Set aside to cool.
2. Fill a large bowl with ice and water; set aside. Bring a stockpot 1/4 full of water to a boil. Let simmer. In a medium stainless-steel bowl, whisk together egg yolks, 2 tablespoons sugar, corn syrup, and kirsch or champagne; place over simmering water. Whisking constantly, cook until mixture thickens (when whisk is lifted over the mixture, the ribbonlike trail it leaves on the surface should hold its shape for 1 or 2 seconds), about 4 minutes. Transfer bowl to the ice-water bath; whisk mixture while it cools. Add 3/4 cup raspberry puree to mixture; whisk to combine. Set aside.
3. In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on high speed until frothy, about 30 seconds. While mixer is running, gradually add remaining 6 tablespoons sugar; beat until very stiff, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Beat cream with whisk attachment until stiff; fold into egg whites.
4. Fold raspberry mixture into egg whites and cream. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan; cover with plastic wrap. Transfer to the freezer; freeze until hardened, at least 4 hours. This can be prepared up to 2 days in advance.
5. To make the raspberry sauce, stir superfine sugar into the remaining raspberry puree (about 2 tablespoons). Refrigerate until ready to serve.
6. To serve, use a heart-shaped cookie cutter (2 1/2 inches across at the widest point) to cut out four hearts from the semifreddo. Divide the raspberry sauce between two dessert plates. Place a chocolate heart, off center, on top of the raspberry sauce. Place a semifreddo heart on each chocolate heart, and repeat layering until there are three layers of chocolate and two layers of semifreddo, ending with a chocolate heart. Garnish with reserved fresh raspberries (if using), and sift confectioners’ sugar over the raspberries, if desired.

Bittersweet Chocolate Hearts

Ingredients

Makes 6

• 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Cut parchment paper to fit a 9-by-13-by-2-inch pan. Brush vegetable oil in corners and center of the pan, pressing parchment to adhere it. Set aside.
2. Bring a medium pot of water to a simmer. Place chocolate in a medium stainless-steel bowl; place the bowl over, but not in, the simmering water to melt the chocolate, about 4 to 6 minutes.
3. Remove chocolate from simmering water. Thoroughly dry bottom of bowl; a drop of water will ruin the chocolate. Pour chocolate into prepared pan. Using a large metal offset (bent-neck) spatula, spread the chocolate evenly over the surface 1/6 inch thick. Freeze until chocolate sets, about 6 minutes.
4. Working quickly, use a heart-shaped cookie cutter (3 1/4 inches across at widest point), to cut out six chocolate hearts. If chocolate begins to soften, return to freezer for several minutes. Run an offset spatula under the hearts, and place in a container. Cover and freeze until ready to use, up to 2 weeks.