Cooking together is the perfect way to express love on Valentine's Day.

If not an entire meal, how about squeezing in lovey-dovey time in to whip up a quick dessert? These recipes are stuff to brighten up any day especially a special occasion.

The Short Crust Lemon Gin Tart has a melt-in-your-mouth crust and a filling of rich lemon curd.

The Irish-style Baileys' Tiramisu is a dream dessert for chocolate enthusiasts and coffee lovers.

Both treats are great for those curling-up-on-the-couch moments post a romantic dinner for two.

Short Crust Lemon Gin Tart

Servings: 2

Ingredients

For the short crust dough

• 100 gm unsalted butter, diced
• 50 gm icing sugar
• 150 gm maida or all-purpose flour
• 15 ml cold water
• 2 tart moulds
• Pinch salt
• Edible flowers, to garnish
• Thin slice of lemon, to garnish

For the filling

• 60 gm egg yolks
• 60 gm castor sugar (a kind of finer sugar manufactured by top baking brands)
• 40 ml lemon juice
• 60 gm unsalted butter, meted
• 15 ml Tanqueray gin

Method

• Sieve the flour into a large bowl.
  Add the diced butter.
  Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  Stir in a pinch of salt.
  Add the icing sugar.
  Add the cold water and mix to create a firm dough.
  Knead the dough briefly and gently on a surface dusted lightly with flour.
  Wrap in a cling film and place in the fridge for an hour or so until the filling is ready.
  Once chilled, roll the dough till about &frac12 cm thick.
  Place one piece each in the tart moulds.
  Bake it at 160°C for 9 minutes.
  Cool
• Meanwhile for the filling, mix the egg yolks, castor sugar together over a double boiler over low heat to make sabayon or a light creamy sauce.
  Cook until a thick, creamy custard mixture.
  Keep stirring the mixture continuously, so that it doesn't stick to the bottom or doesn't overcook or curdle.
  Take off heat and let it cool for 25-30 minutes.
  In a bowl, combine the sabayon, unsalted melted butter, lemon juice and the Tanqueray.
  Pour the filling into the tart.
  Garnish it with edible flowers and a thin lemon slice.

Baileys' Tiramisu

Servings: 1

Ingredients

• 3 egg yolks
• 30 gm castor sugar (a kind of finer sugar manufactured by top baking brands)
• 150 gm mascarpone cheese, made in India and available in gourmet grocery stores
• 50 gm whipped cream
• 15 ml Baileys' Irish cream liqueur
• 1½ cups cooled espresso, please check the note below
• 1pacs ladyfingers biscuits, available in gourmet grocery stores
• Cocoa powder, to garnish

Method

• Mix the egg yolks, castor sugar together over a double boiler over low heat to make sabayon or a light creamy sauce.
  Cook until a thick, creamy custard mixture.
  Keep stirring the mixture continuously, so that it doesn't stick to the bottom or doesn't overcook or curdle.
  Gently fold together the sabayon, mascarpone cheese, whipped cream to create a smooth mixture.
  Soak a few of the ladyfingers in a mixture of the coffee and the Baileys'.
  Arrange the soaked fingers in a ramekin bowl and cover with the sabayon-mascarpone cheese-whipped cream mixture.
  Place it in the fridgerto set for 90 minutes.
  Garnish it with the cocoa powder.

Editor's Note: Fill a tall glass with ice cubes and pour shots of hot espresso in it. You can also let the espresso chill in refrigerator for a few minutes before you pour it over the ice.

Recipes: Kind courtesy RCB Bar and Cafe, a pub owned by Diageo India, Bengaluru.

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