Chocolate Valentine Sweethearts

Yield: 6

Ingredients

Sweethearts

• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 3/4 ounces butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 recipe Raspberry Mousse
• 2 pints fresh raspberries
• 1 cup Raspberry Coulis

Raspberry Mousse

• 1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream

Raspberry Coulis

• 1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

Sweethearts

1. Mix the boiling water with the cocoa and blend into a paste. Cool.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
3. Cream together butter and sugar. Add sour cream, mixing until fluffy, then add egg and mix until smooth.
4. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and blend until smooth. Add cooled cocoa mixture and completely incorporate.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F in a buttered 9 inch square cake pan for about 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.

Raspberry Mousse

1. Sauté raspberries in butter, about one minute. Add brandy and lemon juice. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Puree in a blender until smooth. Cool.
2. In a double boiler cook egg yolks and sugar, stirring constantly until thickened to the consistency of mayonnaise. Cool and combine with cooled raspberry mixture.
3. Whip egg whites until they form soft peaks and fold into raspberry mixture.
4. Whip cream until thickened and fold into raspberry mixture (do not over-mix). Chill for 3 to 4 hours.

Raspberry Coulis

1. Bring all ingredients to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about ten minutes or until thickened. Puree in a blender and cool.

Assemble Sweethearts

1. Slice cooled cake through the center making two thin squares. Using a 2 to 2 1/2 inch heart shape cookie cutter, cut six hearts out of each half. Place the bottom half of the chocolate cake hearts on a platter and place raspberries around outer edge of the hearts and fill the middle with raspberry mousse. Then place top heart on top. Garnish with a small dollop of mousse and a raspberry or two. Drizzle coulis over the top.