For one of our first Valentine's Day celebrations, Dan made me a couple of my favorite dishes — steak tartar and beef wellington. Since then, we typically treat Valentine's Day as we would any other night. We stay in, cook for each other and drink copious amounts of wine.
While preparing for new dessert recipes for V-Day, I used a few ingredients we had left over from my Tarte Aux Frambroises to try out my first vegan recipe — a chocolate cake with red currant jelly layers and an avocado-chocolate frosting.
It was wonderful.
I'm not vegan, but recently, I've been interested in trying out new techniques through baking — using different flours, sweeteners, and combinations that would otherwise freak me out, like avocado and chocolate.
Surprisingly, the avocado and chocolate frosting tasted great, so I turned to yet another favorite dessert of mine to see if I could simply reuse the frosting recipe in a different way to make: BROWNIES!
With all the snow we've been getting in Chicago, this brownie recipe is packed with protein and will give you the energy boost you need to take on the back-wrenching task of shoveling multiple times in a weekend.
Since we've seen 9.1 inches the last time I checked, the whole "dibs" situation here in Chicago is getting serious. I'm calling dibs on these brownies instead.
Vega-Chocolate Brownies with Avocado Frosting:
- 1 cup coconut flour
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 2 scoops chocolate protein powder ( I bought a single-serving packet of the Vega brand, found at Whole Foods)
- 1 cup almond butter
- 1 1/2 cups maple syrup
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
Line a 10 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
On the stovetop, heat together the almond butter and maple syrup until melted. Pour over the dry mixture and stir until batter gets crumbly. Add the applesauce and continue mixing.
Transfer to prepared baking pan and set in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before frosting.
Avocado frosting:
- 2 avocados
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 4 tsbp pure vanilla bean paste (preferably Nielsen Massey brand)
- Pinch of salt
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil
Use a food processor to mix all frosting ingredients. Frost over the brownies and refrigerate until firm. Once firm, cut into bars or use cookie cutters to make fun shapes.
Optional - top brownies with chopped walnuts.
Serve chilled over freshly fallen snow.
For everyone else who might be looking for special date ideas to celebrate Valentine's Day, here are a few ways to spend the day with loved ones:
For the car lover.
I visited the Chicago Auto Show on Saturday when my dad came down to visit. He was interested in scoping out the 2019 Chevy Silverado, while I was more interested in Volvo's attempt to cater to dog lovers with a built in doggie cage.
While we didn't have time for this last part, if you're in the area of McCormick Place, walk over to Chinatown for some dim sum, trinkets, Kpop — oh, and face masks! This is really one of my favorite neighborhoods in the city.
For the art lover.
Stop by the Art Institute and explore one of the greatest art museums in the world. Grab a cocktail at Cindy's Rooftop — adorned with an original Andy Warhol portrait of Cindy Pritzker. Visit the Game Room for a round of bocce.
For the music lover.
Last week, we went to Concord Music Hall to see one of my favorites badasses — K.Flay. We saw her a few years back at the House of Blues, but this time we caught her VIP meet + greet. My heart exploded when I met her. You know when you meet one of your idols in person and you try SO hard to be the coolest version of yourself but it ends up being really awkward? Ya, that was me. She also played a quick acoustic set before the show, and we all got signed posters. SHOUTS TO CAROLINE DEE KERR FOR THE HOOKUP!
Amaze.
After the concert, we walked over to The Pink Squirrel — a self proclaimed "Midwestern Cocktail Lounge" in the heart of Logan Square, which plays tribute to supper club classics and throwback entertainment. As for the entertainment, duckpin bowling! We reserved our bowling spot online — it's $40 for an hour of fun + smack talk, plus you're able to have four guests with you. Highly recommend this for a group outing.
Wanna guess who won?
The only food item they have on the menu is a turkey club with chips and relish...which I found hilarious. If they really wanted to play with the Wisconsin supper club theme, I would have suggested a cheese and sausage platter, or fried cod, or a marshmallow fruit salad. Ya know, the staples of my childhood.
What I drank:
Pink Lady - dry gin, applejack, lemon, egg white, grenadine
Brown Derby - bourbon, grapefruit juice, honey, lemon (MY FAVORITE!)
I'll be transparent here: I didn't like their version of an old fashioned. Maybe I'm bias because in WI we use brandy.
For the animal lover.
Walk through Lincoln Park Zoo and grab a glass of wine from the rolling cart at the French Bistro across the street, Mon Ami Gabi. There's also a great little restaurant on the first floor of Hotel Lincoln called The Kennison if you're looking for an incredible brunch option.
For the plant lover.
There is nothing like warming up at the Garfield Park Conservatory on a chilly February day. According to my previous posts on Instagram, February is around the time I need some warmer weather and venture over to walk through the gardens. If you're into hops, check out the Chicago Brewing District after.
Strolling through a tropical paradise.
For the architecture lover.
Perfect for a day with your girlfriends — grab lunch at Beacon Tavern and a cocktail at London House. The Beacon Tavern serves American Gastropub fare with a seafood focus, adorned with vintage-inspired digs. Try their Smoked Salmon Tartine and chocolate croissants! The cocktails at the London House are fabulous and the views are just as great.
What I'm really looking forward to this Valentine's Day is finishing my Henri Matisse puzzle, watching the Winter Olympics, and buying itty bitty mugs for our new espresso machine.
How will you be spending Valentine's Day?