Valentine's Dessert For Two

We are venturing behind the scenes of a casino kitchen and finding out how all they prepare for Valentine's Day! Red Hawk Casino has some special Valentine's Day plans for all the lovers out there (and gamblers). Their executive pastry chef gives a tour, then she'll whips up one of her Valentine's Day dessert specialties live!

6 oz Almond paste
3 oz Sweet butter
1.5 oz granulated sugar
3 ea fresh eggs
2 oz All purpose flour
1 tsp Baking powder

For strawberry sauce:
2 oz granulated sugar
4 oz fresh strawberries
1 tbs Myer's Rum

For vanilla cream (crème anglaise )
2 ea fresh eggs yolks
12 oz Whipping cream
4 oz granulated sugar
1 tbs cornstarch
1 tbs vanilla extract
4 oz half and half or milk
1 oz oz Powdered sugar

In a mixer, Cream butter, almond paste and sugar. Add eggs until incorporated, add flour and baking powder. Mix in for another 3 minutes ( 2nd Speed) . Pipe batter into molds. Bake at 300' for about 15 min or golden brown.

For strawberry sauce: puree together rum, sugar and strawberries.

For Vanilla cream (crème anglaise):
Bring heavy cream to boil. Mix egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, cornstarch and half and half together
temper egg mixture with heavy cream and Continue to cook until slightly thickened
To assemble the dessert; first spoon strawberry sauce into martini glass, pipe in Vanilla Cream ( Crème Anglaise), then your cupcakes with powder sugar, place both cupcakes into glass facing each other
Yield: 6 Valentine's desserts