Everyone was so impressed with this scrumptious chocolate heart served at a banquet held by our adult Sunday School class. I got the recipe, and now I enjoy rave reviews from family and friends when I serve it.
Ingredients
8 squares (1 ounce each) semisweet chocolate
1 tablespoon shortening
2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
¼ cup butter or margarine, softened
1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
⅓ cup baking cocoa
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2½ cups whipping cream, whipped, divided
1½ cups fresh strawberries, halved
Preparation
1. Line a 9-inch heart-shaped or square baking pan with foil; set aside.
2. In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate and shortening; stir until smooth. Pour into prepared pan, swirling to coat the bottom and 1½ inches up the sides. Refrigerate for 1 minute, then swirl the chocolate to reinforce sides of heart or box. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm. Using foil, lift from pan; remove foil and place chocolate heart on a serving plate.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Combine confectioners’ sugar and cocoa; add to creamed mixture with milk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Gently fold two-thirds of the whipped cream into cream cheese mixture. Spoon into heart.
4. Insert star tip #32 into a pastry or plastic bag; fill with the remaining whipped cream. Pipe around the edge of heart. Garnish with strawberries.
Serves 8–10
