A8 Thursday, February 10, 2022 THE DAILY NEWS

Treat that special someone to something decadent

Metro Creative Connection
There aren’t too many
days on the calendar when
individuals feel like they can
indulge in decadent desserts
without feeling guilty. But
Valentine’s Day allows all
the guilt-free indulgences
one can handle, making it an
ideal time to treat that spe-
cial someone to a delicious,
homemade dessert.
This recipe for Milk
Chocolate Torte with Assam
Tea Ganache from “Cooking
with Tea” (Periplus) by Rob-
ert Wemischner and Diana
Rosen makes for a fitting end
to a romantic Valentine’s
Day dinner.
Milk Chocolate Torte
with Assam Tea Ganache
YIELD: Serves 6 to 8
8 ounces dark milk chocolate
(41% cocoa content)
4 tablespoons Tippy Assam
tea leaves (or an Assam of your
choice)
1/2 cup water
4 ounces sweet butter
4 large eggs, separated
1/3 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
twice
2 teaspoons malted milk
powder
Preheat oven to 350 de-
grees F. Lightly coat the bot-
tom and sides of an 8-inch
springform or regular cake
pan with nonflavored aero-
solized spray. Line the bot-
tom with a circle of parch-
ment paper.
In a double boiler or a
stainless steel bowl set over
a pan of simmering water,
melt the chocolate. In a
separate small saucepan,
bring the tea leaves, water
and butter to a boil.
Remove from the heat and
stir to melt the butter, allow-
ing the tea leaves to infuse in
the water-butter mixture for
3 minutes.
Pass through a fine sieve
into the chocolate. Stir to
This Milk Chocolate Torte with Assam Tea Ganache from “Cooking with Tea” by Robert Wemischner
and Diana Rosen makes for a fitting end to a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner.
blend.
Allow to cool for about 15
minutes.
Separate the eggs, place
the whites into a perfectly
clean, fat-free bowl of an
electric mixer and the yolks
into the chocolate mixture.
Beat whites until soft peaks
form.
Sift flour and malted milk
powder together and then
fold in egg whites. Fold this
flour-malted milk powder
mix gently but thoroughly
into the chocolate base.
Pour into the prepared
cake pan and bake for about
35 minutes, or until the cake
appears firm, but not dry.
This cake is very moist in-
side and will fall as it cools.
Make the ganache.
Assam Ganache
7 ounces heavy cream
2 tablespoons Tippy Assam tea
leaves
7 ounces dark milk chocolate,
cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon unsalted (sweet)
butter
In a heavy 1-quart sauce-
pan, bring the cream and
tea leaves to a boil. Remove
from heat and allow to in-
fuse further for 3 minutes.
Pass through a fine-
meshed sieve into a bowl
set over a pot of simmering
water.
Slowly add the chocolate
and gently stir to blend,
without aerating. Add the
butter and stir until com-
pletely melted.
Set aside.
Assembly
Line a cookie sheet with
parchment paper or foil.
Place the cake on a cooking
METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION
rack, then place the rack on
the cookie sheet. Pour the
ganache over the cake, us-
ing a spatula to spread the
ganache evenly as needed.
Allow to set.
Scrape up any ganache
that drips off the cake and
pour to cover the cake a
second time. (Reheat slightly
over a pot of simmering
water, if necessary, to loosen
the mixture.)
Cool at room temperature.
–––
Note: If your kitchen is
hot, place the cake in the
refrigerator just until the
ganache sets and feels dry to
the touch.
Remove the cake from
the refrigerator about 20
minutes prior to serving and
allow it to adjust to room
temperature.
Whip up this slightly spice dessert
Metro Creative Syndicate
Decadent treats and Val-
entine’s Day go hand in hand.
Couples typically exchange
gifts on Valentine’s Day, and
those gifts are often accompa-
nied by something sweet.
Romantic dinners still have
a place at the ValentineÕ’s
Day table, as a Statista survey
found that 29 percent of re-
spondents intended to sit down
for a romantic meal as part of
their celebration. Homemade
desserts can be a great way to
show that special someone just
how much they’re loved.
If cooks want to employ the
element of surprise, then this
recipe for Ginger Cake from
Will Budiaman’s “The Essen-
tial Kamado Grill Cookbook”
(Rockridge Press) won’t disap-
point. Firing up the grill is sure
to pique a loved one’s interest,
and the slightly spicy finished
product marks a departure from
more traditional desserts.
Ginger Cake
Yield: Serves 8
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted
butter, cubed, plus more for
the pan, at room temperature
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/2 teaspoons baking
powder
4 teaspoons ground ginger
$185
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1-2/3 cups packed light brown
sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1. Bring the grill to 350 F with
the cooking grate and heat de-
flector installed. Butter the bot-
tom and sides of a 10-inch cast
iron skillet.
2. In a medium bowl, mix to-
gether the flour, baking powder,
ginger, and salt.
3. In the bowl of an electric
mixer, cream together the but-
ter and sugar on medium speed
for 3 minutes.
4. Reduce the speed to me-
dium-low and add the eggs one
at a time. Mix for 1 to 2 minutes
or until light tan in color.
5. With the machine running,
add the milk.
6. Add the flour mixture,
scraping down the side of the
bowl as needed, until fully incor-
porated. Transfer to the skillet.
7. Put the skillet on the
grate. Close the lid and cook for
1 hour or until a knife inserted
into the center comes out
clean.
8. Put on a wire rack to cool
completely before serving.
Cooking tip
Cutting butter into small
cubes and arranging them in
a single layer will help them
soften more quickly.
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B8 Thursday, February 10, 2022
New this year, the Dream Wedding Expo will feature a brunch for patrons to enjoy as the event will
be held earlier in the day to accommodate busy schedules.
Dream Wedding Expo welcomes
couples to plan their future
By KORI SCIANDRA
ksciandra@batavianews.com
As couples kick off their
wedding planning for 2022,
wedding expos are an excel-
lent source to utilize when
deciding where and what they
want at their wedding.
The third annual Dream
Wedding Expo is scheduled
from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 20
at the Genesee River Restau-
rant and Reception Center,
134 North Main St., Mount
Morris, is expected to wel-
come 25 to 30 vendors at this
year’s event. Among those
are The Avon Inn, Breezeway
Barns & Gardens, Partyman
Catering, Strange Design Pub-
lic House, Sweet Arts Bakery,
Adventure Calls Outfitters,
Double M Schuster Barn,
Tommy B DJ, 3 Legged Pig,
The Wedding Dress, Cruise
Planners, The Avon Park The-
ater, Kindred Ground, Willow
Creek Event Center.
New this year, the expo will
feature a brunch for patrons to
enjoy as the event will be held
earlier in the day to accommo-
date busy schedules.
“There will be tasting sam-
ples, a complimentary drink
and swag bags for couples.
There will be prize drawings
throughout the event. A little
something for everyone,”
said Livingston County Area
Chamber of Commerce Mem-
ber Services Coordinator Me-
lissa Savino.
With the changes that have
presented themselves since
2020 and the ongoing pan-
demic, couples and families
may have found themselves
re-evaluating the needs,
wants, and values they share.
Though couples will continue
to get married throughout the
pandemic, many have shifted
their perspective, which may
impact how they plan their
weddings.
Esther Lee, senior editor of
Make Your Dream Home Picture Perfect
77 Years in Business
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The Knot, said that since the
emergence of COVID-19, cou-
ples are experiencing a great
return to their core beliefs as
they wedding plan. The big-
gest wedding trends of 2022
will be a reflection of couples’
values, she wrote.
“They’re diving deep into
crafting their celebrations to
look like them, feel like them,
smell like them, and be full of
their favorite things and peo-
ple,” Brooklyn-based event
planner Jove Meyer told Lee.
“Life is not guaranteed, and
we are all craving human con-
nection, now more than ever.
Couples are keenly aware of
that and they want to make
their weddings even more
special than ever before.”
Livingston County, said
Savino, has many unique op-
tions for couples.
Consider the Lodge at
Batavia Country Club
for your wonderful day!
Now Booking
Weddings and
Banquets for
2021
and beyond.
7909 Batavia-Byron Rd. Batavia, NY
www.bataviacc.com
“IT’S WHAT WE DO”
Trusted. Reliable.
Richard Wendt, President
Fully Insured & Free Estimates
THE DAILY NEWS
KNILEY PHOTOGRAPHY
“From barns to ballrooms,
indoor or outdoor, dessert
tables to tiered cakes there are
vendors who are incredible
at listening to couples’ ideas
and creating their dream wed-
dings,” Savino said. “The Expo
will give them the opportunity
to meet these vendors.”
Tickets for the 2022 Dream
Wedding Expo can be pur-
chased online at www.living-
stoncountychamber.com or
by calling (585) 243-2222.
The Expo is still welcom-
ing vendors through Feb. 10.
Contact the Chamber for more
details.
“Join the Livingston County
Area Chamber of Commerce
at the 2022 Dream Wedding
Expo where we will have all
the details to say, ‘I Do.’ Your
‘Dream Team’ is waiting!” said
Savino.
Call 344-8367
to schedule
your consultation
and tour.
B
Professional.
Valentine’s Day gifts that
couples can enjoy together
Metro Creative Connection
Valentine’s Day is a time to
bring smiles to the faces of that
special someone in a person’s
life.
Gifts that appeal directly to
spouses or significant others
may be the standard, but gifts
couple can use together can
bring them closer together.
The following are some great
Valentine’s Day gifts couples
can enjoy together.
n Quirky mugs: Mug sets
come in all shapes and sizes
and express various senti-
ments. Some even feature
interlocking designs designed
to symbolize that couples
are two pieces of one puzzle.
Kissing mugs, which look like
lips touching when they are
brought together, are perfect
for couples who enjoy their
morning coffee together. Look
for them at www.uncommon-
goods.com.
n Matching robes: Plush
terry cloth robes need not be
reserved for luxurious stays at
premiere hotels. Coordinating
robes can be monogrammed
and worn on lazy days when
gathering in front of a cozy fire.
n Charcuterie set: A ro-
mantic meal is the start of any
Valentine’s Day celebration.
Invest in a compact charcute-
rie board with two matching
wine glasses and enjoy the set
on date nights at home even
after Valentine’s Day.
n MasterClass lesson: Pur-
chase a MasterClass instruc-
tional (www.masterclass.com)
and learn photography tricks
or insider tips from established
professionals together. Or find
workshops or classes at a local
arts council or college
Valentine’s Day gifting may be even more enjoyable when the
gift-giving focuses on presents couples can enjoy together.
n Travel excursion: Jet set to
an exotic locale with a planned
adventure. Parents can arrange
for a sitter, friend or relative to
look after the children so the
trip provides some one-on-one
time. This trip can serve as the
second honeymoon couples
dream about.
n Custom cornhole set:
Couples who love tailgating,
camping or opening up their
homes (and yards) to guests
can purchase monogrammed
or custom-carved bean bag
toss boards.
n Fancy coffee maker: Cou-
ples who spend more time in
take-out coffee shops than they
probably should can brush up
on their barista skills at home.
There are plenty of coffee mak-
ers on the market that can help
couples whip up lattes, cap-
puccinos or espressos with
ease.
n Wine club membership:
Couples who enjoy sampling
the latest vintages and flavors
METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION
may enjoy a wine subscription.
Winc.com is just one of the
delivery services available. Or
couples who prefer to be a little
more hands-on can experi-
ment with winemaking kits.
You may wish to check close
to home for wine and liquor
stores that may offer their own
clubs, classes or tastings. Not
into wine, consider your local
craft brewery.
n Hot tub: What can be
more relaxing than soaking in a
warm bath of bubbling water?
A backyard hot tub turns up
the heat on relaxation and time
spent together.
n Tokens of love: Match-
ing or coordinating bracelets,
necklaces or even tattoos can
serve as enduring symbols of a
couple’s love.
Valentine’s Day gifting
may be even more enjoyable
when the gift-giving focuses
on presents couples can enjoy
together.