The first association I make with Valentine’s Day is romantic love, the kind that’s fortified with preconceived outward gestures like buying flowers and chocolate, making reservations for an extravagant dinner, and of course the events that could follow. Don’t get me wrong, all of these activities and gestures are beautiful, appreciated acts of love. (Marshall, if you are reading this…I am not against these things. I repeat. Flowers will always put a smile on my face.) Whether I like to admit it or not, gifts are one of my love languages; I find great joy in giving them and I will always welcome them. However, it’s the fact that someone put special thought into buying, writing, making or planning out something for me, not the actual thing I’m after. I’ll never forget one of my favorite Valentine’s Days with my husband (then high school boyfriend) was one of our first, when he cooked an amazing lobster and steak dinner for me. Even though I’m the “cook” of the relationship, he took it upon himself to surprise me in an unexpected way.
Being an intentional gift giver takes time and selflessness, and those can be some of the most difficult “commodities” to harness in our fast-paced, self-absorbed day and age. Our consumer-centric culture makes it insanely simple to purchase things on a whim. We swipe up, one-click-buy, even press our fingerprints down to fill shopping carts and voids, but taking the time to get in close, listen the others and take in who they are and what they’re about, that’s where the magic happens. That’s where the best gift ideas stem from, whether for a significant other, child, friend, stranger or self, and sometimes just being there listening is the best gift of all.
Oh, but if you happen to be there bearing this decadent, flourless chocolate cake with blood orange buttercream, I don’t think you’ll hurt any feelings.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Amanda
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks\
- 6 eggs, yolks and whites separated
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Preheat oven to 300ºF and butter a 9-inch cake pan or springform pan. Place butter pieces and chocolate into a large heatproof bowl and microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring as you go, until chocolate is fully melted. Let cool slightly. Whisk in egg yolks, sugar, cinnamon and salt.
- Place egg whites in a mixing bowl and whip on medium/high speed until glossy, stiff peaks form. Carefully fold into the chocolate mixture until just combined, being careful not to overmix the batter.
- Pour batter into cake pan and bake for ~45 minutes. Let cool and carefully remove from cake pan. Sprinkle top with powdered sugar or buttercream.
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 2 blood oranges
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- Juice one of the oranges and set aside. In the bowl of a mixer, whip butter on medium speed. Add in orange juice and powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until completely smooth.
