Valentine's Day - History, Chocolate Truffle Recipe, Literary crime & fiction fun

Ever wondered why we celebrate Valentine's day?See

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine's_Day 

Chocolate and anything red is  Valentine's Day!

  

Kirsch Truffles                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Ingredients  

1LB Dark chocolate in pieces

177 ml thick cream

237 ml room temperature butter in small pieces

4 tablespoons cherry liqueur

711 ml unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions

Melt chocolate and cream in a bain mairie or heatproof bowl or a saucepan set over another saucepan of simmering water, stir until smooth. Remove from heat. Add butter and Kirsch; stir until smooth.

Put into an 8-inch square baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm but  maleable (about 2 hours)

Using a melon baller, ice cream scoop or spoon, drop balls of chocolate mixture onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper then refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Put cocoa powder into a large bowl. With cocoa-dusted hands roll balls between your palms until smooth working one ball at a time,.

Roll in cocoa to coat. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Those with a dairy allergy could try experimenting by replacing cream with thick soy cream and butter with margarine.     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Literary fun on Valentine's Day -  Valentine's Day Crime Novels                                                                                                                                                                                           

Love Lies Bleeding - Susan Wittig Albert

The Broken Hearts Club - Ethan Black

Sleep With Me - Joanna Briscoe

Claws and Effect - Rita Mae Brown

Death of a Valentine - M. C. Beaton

How To Murder The Man Of Your Dreams - Dorothy Cannell

Red Roses for a Dead Trucker - Anna Ashwood Collins

A Catered Valentine's Day - Isis Crawford

Hard Feelings - Barbara D'Amato

Love With The Proper Killer - Rose Deshaw

The Saint Valentine's Day Murders - Ruth Dudley Edwards

Plum Lovin' - Janet Evanovich

Happy Valentine's Day - Michelle Fitzpatrick

The Living Daylights - Ian Fleming

St. Valentine's Night - Andrew M. Greeley

Caveman's Valentine - George Dawes Green

Bleeding Hearts - Jane Haddam

The Valentine's Day Murder - Lee Harris

Deadly Valentine - Carolyn G. Hart

Sugar and Spite - G.A. McKevett

Your Heart Belongs to Me - Dean Koontz

The Valentine Victim - Dougal McLeish

Sugar and Spite - G.A. McKevett

Valentine Murder - Leslie Meier

Love You to Death - Grant Michaels

Cat Playing Cupid - Shirley Rousseau Murphy

The Body in the Attic - Katherine Hall Page

A Judgment in Stone - Ruth Rendell

Valentine - Tom Savage

One Rough Man - Brad Taylor 

Murder of a Pink Elephant - Denise Swanson

Daughter Of The Stars - Phyllis A. Whitney                                                                                                                                                      

 

Valentine's Day Fiction Choice

 

The Look of Love - Judy Astley

Highland Storms - Christina Courtenay

It Started with a Kiss!- Miranda Dickinson

Happily Ever After- Harriet Evans

My Sweet Valentine - Annie Groves

The Return - Victoria Hislop

The Real Katie Lavender - Erica James

Sophia's Secret - Susanna Kearsley

Comfort and Joy - India Knight 

Nine Uses for an Ex-Boyfriend - Sarra Manning

A Walk in the Park - Jill Mansell

Wrapped up in You - Carole Matthews

Pear-Shaped - Stella Newman

The House of Dust and Dreams - Brenda Reid

Attachments - Rainbow Rowell

This is a Love Story - Jessica Thompson