Ingredient: red food coloring

With Valentines Day almost here, I decided to do a prelude post with a few dessert ideas.

In the food industry, this day was always fun to prepare food for. Definitely a more intimate  occasion, all revolving around chocolate, ‘hearts’ and roses. Strangely enough, every time Brion and I have tried to go out for supper on Valentines we usually come home wondering why we did that. The restaurants were packed, the wait is long, the music is loud, etc, etc. Nonetheless, I’m always happiest if I can prepare a ‘special meal’ for us to enjoy at home. That being said, my choice of dessert for this Valentines Day are Strawberry Yogurt Parfaits with Chocolate Cheesecake Squares.  

The fresh strawberry compote has a nice lemony tang that pairs well with the creamy Greek vanilla yogurt. Brion isn’t much for cheesecake but just loves these chocolate cheesecake squares.

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Strawberry Yogurt Parfaits / Chocolate Cheesecake Squares

Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course

Brunch, dessert

Cuisine

American, Greek

Servings

MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

Strawberry Compote

• 454 grams fresh strawberries
• 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• few drops red food coloring
• 500 ml Greek vanilla yogurt

Chocolate Cheesecake Squares

• 1 cup graham wafer crumbs
• 1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 500 grams cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 750 grams semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 3 tbsps shortening

Course Brunch, dessert Cuisine American, Greek Servings MetricUS Imperial Ingredients Strawberry Compote 454 grams fresh strawberries 1 lemon 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup water 1 tbsp cornstarch few drops red food coloring 500 ml Greek vanilla yogurt Chocolate Cheesecake Squares 1 cup graham wafer crumbs 1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped 1/4 cup butter, melted 500 grams cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup sour cream 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1/2 tsp vanilla 750 grams semi-sweet chocolate, chopped 3 tbsps shortening

Votes: 1 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe!

Instructions

Strawberry-Yogurt Parfaits

1. Rinse, hull & slice strawberries. Zest & juice lemon. In a small saucepan, whisk together sugar, water, lemon juice, zest & cornstarch. Add strawberries, mixing gently while bringing to a simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cool.
2. In parfait glasses, spoon layers of strawberry compote & Greek yogurt. Garnish with a strawberry leaf if desired. Refrigerate until serving time.

Chocolate Cheesecake Squares

1. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with 2 sheets of parchment paper so cheesecake can easily be lifted out later. In a small bowl, combine the graham crumbs, pecans & butter. Press into prepared pan; set aside. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar & sour cream until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in vanilla. Pour over crust.
2. Bake at 325 F. for 35-40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate until chilled. Freeze overnight.
3. Melt chocolate & shortening; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Using parchment paper, lift cheesecake out of pan. Gently peel off paper; cut into 49 squares. Remove a few pieces at a time for dipping; keep remaining squares refrigerated until ready to dip.
4. Using a toothpick, completely dip squares, one at a time, in melted chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets; spoon about 1 tsp chocolate over each, reheating chocolate if needed to finish dipping. Let stand for 20 minutes or until set. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. Yield 49 squares.