A Sweet Treat for Valentine's Day

Paper valentines became popular in the early 19th century and fancy ones were made with real lace and ribbons in England. Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages when lovers sang or said their valentines. The oldest valentine in existence from 1400s can be found in the British Museum.

Ester Howland was an American printer and artist and the first one to produce valentines in theU.S. in 1850. From that day on the valentine's greeting cards business has taken off.
While consumers feel the continued squeeze of inflationary pricing, the outlook for Valentine’s Day spending seems optimistic. Consumers are expected to spend $25.9 billion on  Valentine’s Day in 2023, up 8% over last year. Certainly, Valentine's Day is big business for greeting cards and candy sales. 57% of Valentine’s Day shoppers expect to buy candy, making it the most popular gift category in 2023. Americans send 151 million Valentine's Day cards each year. 

I do declare a chocolate treat is in order. It's hard to resist a slice of 

Bittersweet Chocolate Kahlua Pie

Cook's Notes: Oh the pie with lots of possibiltiesCook's Notes: A decadent pie where it took a lot of willpower to pass on a second slice. It was one of the easiest pies I've ever made. Lots of ways to customize your pie that include: Oreo Cookie or graham cracker crust, semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips, Amaretto, Kahlua or Bailey's Irish Cream, adding mint flavoring. Top the pie with crushed cookie crumbs or chocolate sprinkles. It's a great addition to your holiday cooking as can be made a day before. Be sure to use good quality chips e.g. Ghirardelli.
Recipe adapted from cooks.com
Filling Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
• 3/4 of one 10 oz. bag Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
• 1-1/2 cups milk (I used 2%)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
• 4 tablespoons Kahlua

Oreo Pie Crust Ingredients:
3 rows of cookies from a regular package of Oreo cookies (don't use Double Stuff brand) 
3 tablespoons melted butter

Directions:

• Use a food processor and crush cookies. Reserve 2 tablespoons crumbs for topping. Place the rest of the cookie crumbs in a bowl and mix in melted butter. Pat crumbs firmly into a glass pie pan.
• Bake for 8 minutes at 350 degrees.
• In a medium saucepan combine 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, and chips. Gradually whisk milk into the chocolate mixture over medium heat until the mixture boils, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute and add in Kahlua. Whisk to mix and transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Cool to room temperature.
• In a small bowl whip cream, add in confectioners sugar, and beat until stiff.
• Fold whip cream and fold into the chocolate mixture. Spoon into prepared crust. Add cookie crumbs on the top. Refrigerate for several hours.