Tempt your sweetheart this Valentine's Day with a decadent dessert for two! Legend has it that chocolate is a powerful aphrodisiac - combine it with raspberry preserves pressed within a flaky, buttery croissant, drizzled with more chocolate and wading in sweet creme anglaise and you have a panini recipe that is sure to delight on any romantic occasion. Want to see how this recipe was created? Check out "Chocolate + Raspberries = Valentine's Day!".

2 servings

INGREDIENTS:

3 egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 croissant
1 oz. semi-sweet or dark chocolate, 1/8"-1/4" thickness
2 teaspoons raspberry preserves
1/4 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
raspberries for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

To make creme anglaise, whisk together egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl; set aside. In a medium heavy saucepan cook milk and heavy cream over medium heat, stirring constantly until milk begins to simmer (bubbles will form around the edge of the saucepan). Remove from heat. Gradually stir milk into the egg mixture. Clean the saucepan that was used to heat the milk and cream, removing any cooked-on bits. Transfer the custard mixture back into the saucepan. Heat custard over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat once custard is slightly thickened (you should be able to draw a line with your finger on the back of the spoon), about 5 minutes. Strain custard into a small bowl. Let cool 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so that a film doesn't form on the surface.

Heat the panini grill to 350 degrees.

Cut an opening around the inside edge of the croissant, creating a pocket for the chocolate and raspberry preserves. Spread preserves inside the croissant pocket. Lay chocolate on top of the preserves. Grill sandwich at medium grill height for 10 minutes until chocolate is completely melted.

Meanwhile, heat chocolate chips in the microwave on high in a small microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute. Stir until smooth; set aside.

Spoon 3 tablespoons of creme anglaise onto a dessert plate (you can discard the remaining creme anglaise). Place croissant on parchment paper or other nonstick surface. With a spoon, drizzle chocolate over the top of the croissant. Transfer the croissant to the dessert plate, positioning it in the center of the pool of creme anglaise. Garnish with raspberries and enjoy!


Looking for more great Valentine's Day recipes? Check these out from my fellow food bloggers:

• Chocolate Fondue at Simply Recipes


• Blueberry Heart Cheesecakes for My Valentine at Tartelette


• Triple Peanut Chocolate Dipped Biscotti at Serious Eats


• The Love Tart at Accidental Hedonist
  
  

This recipe was created and copyrighted by Panini Happy to appear exclusively at http://paninihappyrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/02/chocolate-raspberry-croissant-paninifor.html

3 cups orange juice, no pulp
4 Fuji apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/8" thick
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons flour
1 17.3-oz package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed (e.g., Pepperidge Farm)
Vanilla ice cream
Caramel sauce (e.g. Smucker's)





On a floured surface, roll each sheet of puff pastry into a 12" x 12" square. Divide each square into 4-6" x 6" squares for a total of 8 squares. Spoon apple slices into the center of each square, being careful not to overfill. Working with each square one at a time, dip a finger in water and wet the edges of a square. Fold the pastry to form a triangle, pressing the edges together. Seal the turnover by either folding the edges over or crimping with a fork. Repeat for the remaining 7 squares.

Place two turnovers on the lower grate of the panini press. Close the press (if your press allows you to adjust the height, place it on a low-medium height) and grill for 12 minutes or until the pastry is puffed, golden and crisp on the outside. Repeat for the remaining 6 turnovers.

While still hot, top each turnover with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle with caramel sauce.

Looking for more dessert panini recipes? Check out:

• Chocolate Raspberry Croissant Panini...for Two!