You will have to excuse me not posting this on Valentines day but we’ve both been a little loved up so this will be here for next year if you need it ;0)

We had a Flabulous day! I took the day off , the Dazzler took me for a pub lunch and we had a rummage round some charity shops to get each other silly gifts. (I got D a vintage quality street tin and he got my some hand carved chopsticks, bargains at £1 each)

We don’t have a meal out on valentines day evening, as it’s always overhyped and overpriced and we would rather have the meal we love, somewhere where we can hold hands or snuggle without feeling weird.

This year was no exception and we went retro with a twist. Prawns and avocado salad to start, steak and salad with sweet potato “fries” (baked in the oven) for main, but the main event had to be my Pink Pavlova Heart which uses a well tested recipe from my mum but given my own special twist…

Ingredients

4 egg whites
225g caster sugar
Tsp cornflour
Tsp wine vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Lots of cream
Tbs icing sugar
Pink food colouring
Toasted almond flakes
Pack of Chocolate buttons
Cocktail cherries

Method
Preheat the oven to gas mark 4

To make the meringue…

• In a food mixer, with a balloon whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites till stiff
• Gradually add in the caster sugar, spoon by spoon until thick and silky looking
• Add in the cornflour, vinegar, vanilla extract and combine again
• With a cocktail stick put a tiny amount of the food colouring into the mix and combine, continuing till it’s as pink as you would like
• On a lined baking sheet dollop the meringue and then using a spatular shape into a heart!
• Pop in the oven and cook for 1 1/2 hours

To make the toppings…

• Melt the chocolate buttons In a Bain Marie (saucepan of water with a bowl on top but not touching the water)
• Dip half of each almond slither in the chocolate and lay on baking parchment then pop in the fridge to set
• Meanwhile whisk your large pot of cream until getting stiff then add in icing sugar and do the same pink food colouring process and whisk till nicely stiff

Assemblage…

• Once the meringue is finished, cool on the tray and then transfer to your serving plate (don’t worry about cracks, they will happen)
• Slather with cream and define your heart shape
• Make pretty heart shapes with the almonds and cherries, or just strew (sorry Nigella)

Devour!!!