Dark Chocolate Raspberry Tart

Dark chocolate raspberry tart: the Valentine’s Day dessert of chocolate lover’s dreams! This chocolate tart is smooth, creamy and rich – with a hint of fresh raspberry for a pop of bright flavor. So good, so easy, and almost a no-bake dessert (we bake the crust for 7 minutes). Whether you’re planning a Galentine’s Day party, romantic dinner for two, or fun dinner with the kiddos, everyone will love this delicious Valentine’s Day dessert!
 
dark chocolate raspberry tart

Easy Red Wine Brownies

Easy, delicious and fudgy red wine brownies. The perfect Valentine’s Day dessert idea, girl’s night treat, or mid-week pick me up! You are going to love how seriously quick and simple this recipe is. Serve with ice cream and my red wine chocolate sauce for the ultimate wine-lovers dessert!

Whenever I do a poll on Instagram asking what recipes you’d like to see, recipes with red wine always make the list! And especially red wine and chocolate. So here we are! Deep, rich, delicious chocolate? Check! Full, deep and fruity wine flavor? Check!

I definitely wanted this red wine brownie recipe to have a noticeable red wine flavor. I mean otherwise, what’s the point? So I have two great options for you:

1) Use port! Port is a naturally sweet, red fortified wine. If you love red wine, I’m going to guess that you’ll also love port. Because it has a stronger flavor, more of that deliciousness comes through in the brownies. You can find port at your local grocery store in the wine section, and it is usually not expensive. I used this port from Maryhill Winery, since it’s my current favorite!

2) Make a red wine reduction! If you’d rather use your favorite red wine, you can easily reduce it on the stove. This will help concentrate the flavors so that you really taste them in your brownies. It’s super simple to do, and you can read about how I reduced red wine in this recipe for Merlot Chocolate Truffles. I’d recommend using any wine that usually pairs well with dark chocolate, such as Merlot, Syrah or Cabernet Sauvignon.

Brownie Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cups cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup port (or red wine reduction – see note above)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Brownie Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×8 baking dish, and line with parchment paper. I like to create an overhang of parchment paper for super easy removal.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, flour through salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, port, vanilla and eggs. Add the dry ingredients in two batches, stirring with a spatula until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish, and bake 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.

Serve with ice cream and chocolate wine sauce! 

Chocolate Wine Sauce Ingredients: 

2 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup port (or red wine reduction)

Chocolate Wine Sauce Directions: 

Combine the heavy cream and chocolate chips in a microwave safe dish, and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir until melted and smooth. Stir in port, and serve immediately.

Sweet, Spicy & Salty Bourbon Glazed Peanuts

These amazing sweet, spicy and salty bourbon glazed peanuts are perfect for baseball games, football watching parties (Super Bowl, anyone?), or enjoying with a movie! Incredibly quick and easy, these delicious nuts are sure to be a hit at your next party. The woodsy and peppery rosemary compliments both the warm Brown Sugar Bourbon and spicy cayenne perfectly – these nuts are a flavor explosion with every bite!

bourbon glazed peanuts
 

Peach Bellini Cupcakes

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you’ve all been having a wonderful holiday season, and it’s not over yet! New Years Eve is just a few days away, and I’m so excited to ring in a new decade!

These super easy peach bellini cupcakes are the perfect champagne inspired dessert for however you plan to celebrate! Whether it’s with a full blown party or pajamas on the couch watching movies (that will be me!), you’ll love these fun and festive cupcakes. Full of fresh fruity peach flavor, and topped with delicious champagne frosting, these are the perfect New Years treat.

A Merry and Bright Christmas Tea

Christmas is just 5 days away, can you believe it? This whole month of December we’ve been celebrating by baking cookies, making festive cocktails, and of course, my annual Christmas tea!

I hosted this year’s Christmas tea early in the season, and it was such a fun way to kick off the festivities with friends. I would totally use this same set up for a fun Christmas or New Years Eve brunch too!

Last year I opted for a traditional red and plaid table, so this year I chose a Merry and Bright theme with pinks and blues. I love how happy and relaxed this table feels. Read on for all the details!

Used In This Post: 

I knew I was going to focus the table on light pastels, and just about jumped with glee when I found these adorable nostalgic village salad plates! I love that each plate has a different winter village scene – they are so pretty! I love how the snowflake napkin rings tie in with the plates, and also add just a bit of glam to the table.

My centerpiece was incredibly simple this year, with some bottle brush trees in different colors and  pretty candles, set on a simple pink table runner. It doesn’t get much easier than that, and we’ve been enjoying the bottle brush trees as decoration around the living room too!

For desserts, I set up a hot cocoa bar with all the fixings, and a fun tiered tray full of various sweets! I love this 3-tier stand, because it makes every cookie whether homemade or store-bought look beautiful! It’s one of my go-to dishes when I’m entertaining!

If you have any questions about anything on this table or how to host your own Christmas tea (or party of any kind), check out my 6 Tips For An Easy and Beautiful Christmas Tea, or leave a comment below!

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season!

This Celebrated Life