Happy Valentine’s Day readers! I don’t know about you, but with Valentine’s Day landing on a Friday, I don’t think anything could beat a delectable dessert and a glass of bubbly with your sweetheart tonight. And who knows more about planning moments and events like this than the fabulous team at Michelle Rago Destinations?

When it comes to planning extraordinary destination weddings, Michelle Rago is on the very top of the expert list – and we’ve asked her to look back on her extensive repertoire of exquisite events from all around the world to find the perfect Valentine’s Day treats for two! She brought us some yummy recipes from Fire Roasted Catering and Amalgamated Cocktails to warm up your winter night!

From Michelle: If you are feeling adventuresome why not bake something to stave off the chilly night? Blueberry Pudding Cake is perfect for a snuggle on the couch. Below is recipe from one of our favorites, Chef Jeremy Stanton of Fire Roasted Catering.

(Photo by Christian Oth Studio)

Fire Roasted Catering’s Blueberry Pudding Cake
This is an old family recipe from Chef Jeremy wife’s family in North Dakota. It’s a combination of a simple cake batter and cornstarch thickened blueberries. The cooking process causes the cake and blueberries to marble together for a gorgeous and delightful dessert.

Cake batter:
– 8 ounces butter
– 1 cup of sugar
– 2 eggs
– 1 1/4 cup of milk
– 2 cups of all purpose flour
– 1 tablespoon baking powder
– 2 teaspoons salt
– 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Using the paddle attachment on your kitchen mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add one egg, continue mixing until it is incorporated. Add half the milk, continue mixing until it is incorporated. Add the other egg next and then add the remaining milk. Then combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Add the flour mixture to the butter sugar eggs milk mixture and mix until it is smooth. Place in a container and refrigerate.

Blueberry Mixture:
– 4 quarts of blueberries
– 1 1/2 cups of cornstarch
– 1 1/2 cups of sugar
– Juice from two lemons
– 1 1/2 cups of boiling water
– Butter to coat a baking dish

Mix the blueberries, cornstarch, sugar and lemon juice in a bowl. Place the blueberries in an appropriate size buttered baking dish, preferably a 10 inch cast-iron skillet. Spoon the cake batter into pockets in the blueberries. Pour over 1 1/2 cups of boiling water. Liberally sprinkle the top with granulated sugar. Bake at 375° until the cake batter is cooked, using this skewer method to test the cake about 45 minutes. 

(Photo by Allan Zepeda Photography)

The Champagne Cocktail
We consulted with our favorite bartender, Andrew Farach-Colton, founder of Amalgamated Cocktails, for some super romantic suggestions!

The original “Champagne Cocktail” involves nothing more than dropping a sugar cube in a flute, dousing it with a few dashes of Angostura bitters, and (slowly!) adding the bubbly. For a little Valentine’s touch, Combier Liqueur de Rose makes a lovely rose liqueur that, if used judiciously, will bring the delicate essence of rose petals. For extra romance float an actual rose petal as a garnish … and voilà!

Thank you Michelle for your fabulous expertise!

Whatever your plans this Valentine’s Day, we hope you have a chance to spend time with your loved ones! Happy Valentine’s Day!