20+ Valentine's Dinner & Dessert Recipes - Foxes Love Lemons https://foxeslovelemons.com/holidays/valentines-day/ simple, yet special, recipes for the home chef. Sat, 30 Dec 2023 03:19:38 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.2 https://foxeslovelemons.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/favicon-200x200.ico 20+ Valentine's Dinner & Dessert Recipes - Foxes Love Lemons https://foxeslovelemons.com/holidays/valentines-day/ 32 32 Thumbprint Jam Cookies https://foxeslovelemons.com/thumbprint-cookies/ https://foxeslovelemons.com/thumbprint-cookies/#respond Thu, 07 Dec 2023 09:00:00 +0000 https://foxeslovelemons.com/?p=44875 This Thumbprint Cookie Recipe pairs salty, nutty cookies with sweet jam the way generations of Midwestern grandmas have been making. It uses a special technique of baking the cookies for a bit before making the indentation, which helps prevent the cookies from cracking quite so much. Classic Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies My family’s classic Midwestern sour […]

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This Thumbprint Cookie Recipe pairs salty, nutty cookies with sweet jam the way generations of Midwestern grandmas have been making. It uses a special technique of baking the cookies for a bit before making the indentation, which helps prevent the cookies from cracking quite so much.

Raspberry thumbprint cookies on white parchment paper.

Classic Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

My family’s classic Midwestern sour cream sugar cookie recipe got such a nice response on social media, that I’m back today sharing our thumbprint cookie recipe!

This recipe combines a salty nutty cookie with sweet jam, and it uses a special technique of baking the cookies for a bit first before making the thumbprints, which helps prevent the cookies from cracking quite so much.

What are Thumbprint Cookies?

Thumbprint cookies are a classic in the baking world, especially around Christmas!

The unique feature of these cookies is the indentation created by pressing your thumb into the center, which provides the perfect well for a delicious filling.

Types of Thumbprint Cookies

Thumbprint cookies come in various flavors and with different fillings. Sometimes, they are made with a simple sugar cookie dough, and sometimes they are nutty.

The fillings can range from jams and preserves to chocolate, caramel or even something like Nutella. My mom actually fills hers with frosting!

Why you will love these Jam Thumbprint Cookies

  • If you grew up eating thumbprint cookies, there’s a good chance this recipe is very similar to your grandma’s or mom’s. Nostalgic comfort!
  • These are so versatile and customizable! Swap the walnuts for a different nut, and fill them with any filling you love!
  • These visually stunning cookies make a beautiful addition to a cookie tray.
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Baked Caprese Chicken Recipe https://foxeslovelemons.com/caprese-braised-chicken/ https://foxeslovelemons.com/caprese-braised-chicken/#comments Tue, 12 Sep 2023 08:00:00 +0000 https://foxeslovelemons.com/?p=10092 This Baked Caprese Chicken Recipe elevates grocery store ingredients at any time of the year. One skillet brings together succulent chicken breasts, sweet burst tomato sauce and gooey mozzarella cheese. This Baked Chicken Caprese is bursting with flavor! If the word “caprese” makes your mouth water, this is the perfect chicken recipe for you. While […]

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This Baked Caprese Chicken Recipe elevates grocery store ingredients at any time of the year. One skillet brings together succulent chicken breasts, sweet burst tomato sauce and gooey mozzarella cheese.

A white platter topped with baked chicken caprese over pesto spaghetti.

This Baked Chicken Caprese is bursting with flavor!

If the word “caprese” makes your mouth water, this is the perfect chicken recipe for you.

While caprese salad is best at the height of summer when tomatoes are at their peak, this Baked Chicken Caprese uses grocery store grape tomatoes any time of the year.

This skillet baked recipe uses simple ingredients to make succulent chicken breasts topped with a sweet burst tomato sauce and gooey cheese.

Why you will love this Chicken Caprese Recipe

  • The chicken and sauce come together in one skillet.
  • Great any time of year. Even when tomatoes aren’t at their peak, this recipe will bring out their sweetness.
  • Looks fancy, but uses ingredients that are easy to find in any grocery store.
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Salmon Stuffed with Crab https://foxeslovelemons.com/crab-stuffed-salmon/ https://foxeslovelemons.com/crab-stuffed-salmon/#comments Thu, 31 Aug 2023 08:00:00 +0000 https://foxeslovelemons.com/?p=28920 I promise that this Stuffed Salmon Recipe is the fanciest but easiest recipe you’ll ever make at home. This elegant dinner could be ordered at a high-end restaurant, but it’s achievable for any home cook in less than 40 minutes! This Easy Crab Stuffed Salmon Recipe is elegant but so simple. Don’t you hate it […]

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I promise that this Stuffed Salmon Recipe is the fanciest but easiest recipe you’ll ever make at home. This elegant dinner could be ordered at a high-end restaurant, but it’s achievable for any home cook in less than 40 minutes!

Closeup on piece of crab stuffed salmon topped with breadcrumbs, with fork taking a piece.

This Easy Crab Stuffed Salmon Recipe is elegant but so simple.

Don’t you hate it when you try to make a fancy meal for a special occasion at home, and two hours later, you’re frazzled and your sink is overflowing with dishes?

This Crab Stuffed Salmon Recipe is NOT that. When I say it’s easily achievable for a novice home cook, I MEAN that.

If you can stir things together, chop some parsley, and make one simple cut with your knife, you’ve got this.

Why you will love this Stuffed Salmon

  • Hardly any chopping. Fresh parsley is the only reason you need a cutting board. And if you don’t want to even do that, just use dried parsley; it’s fine!
  • The fanciest dish you’ll ever make in less than 40 minutes.
  • Not a ton of dishes. One bowl, one pan, and a cutting board.
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Black Forest Cupcakes https://foxeslovelemons.com/black-forest-cupcakes/ https://foxeslovelemons.com/black-forest-cupcakes/#comments Tue, 28 Mar 2023 10:00:00 +0000 https://foxeslovelemons.com/2013/10/16/black-forest-cupcakes/ These Black Forest Cupcakes are fun to make and so delicious to eat. Moist chocolate cupcakes made with buttermilk are filled with syrupy cherries, and topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. I’m not one to celebrate all the “food holidays” (is there a national bacon in the oven day?), but it just so happens […]

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These Black Forest Cupcakes are fun to make and so delicious to eat. Moist chocolate cupcakes made with buttermilk are filled with syrupy cherries, and topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

A white plate of Black Forest cupcakes, which are chocolate cupcakes topped with whipped cream, cherries and chocolate shavings.

I’m not one to celebrate all the “food holidays” (is there a national bacon in the oven day?), but it just so happens that I had this recipe ready for you, and today is also National Black Forest Cake Day! So, let’s celebrate, I guess!

My husband has worked for a Germany-based auto parts supplier for over a decade, so we’re pretty familiar with German culture and cuisine.

Black Forest cake is perhaps the most well-known German dessert in America. The exact history of the name is up for some debate, with some believing the name is derived from a specialty liquor made in the Black Forest mountain range of southwestern Germany.

Others claim that the name is inspired but a traditional outfit worn by women in the same region. The costume includes a hat with big red pom-poms on top (represented by the cherries on the cake).

Now that my very simplified history lesson is over, let’s make some Black Forest Cupcakes! These chocolatey cupcakes are topped with fresh whipped cream, and they have a surprise cherry filling made with Kirsch syrup. If you’re not sure what Kirsch is, don’t worry, I have all the details for you!

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The Best Creamy Salmon Pasta https://foxeslovelemons.com/creamy-salmon-pasta/ https://foxeslovelemons.com/creamy-salmon-pasta/#comments Thu, 23 Feb 2023 11:00:00 +0000 https://foxeslovelemons.com/?p=22764 With over 2.5 million page views since 2018, this simple yet impressive Creamy Salmon Pasta is the most popular recipe on my website. Roasted salmon, spinach and capers are tossed with pasta and a creamy white wine sauce for a dish special enough for date night at home. This is it! The most popular recipe […]

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With over 2.5 million page views since 2018, this simple yet impressive Creamy Salmon Pasta is the most popular recipe on my website. Roasted salmon, spinach and capers are tossed with pasta and a creamy white wine sauce for a dish special enough for date night at home.

A large blue cast iron skillet filled with creamy salmon pasta with spinach, and lemon wedges as garnish.

This is it! The most popular recipe in the history of Foxes Love Lemons. Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re here after Googling “salmon pasta” or “pasta with salmon” or some combination of those words.

Welcome! I hope that this recipe is everything you’re looking for and more. And I hope you’ll stick around for some of my other popular recipes, including my Mexican street corn salad recipe, potato cake and crock pot beef stroganoff.

But, are you ready to see what all the fuss about this creamy salmon pasta recipe is about? I’ll let some of the 1200+ reviews (averaging 4.5 stars) speak for themselves:

This recipe was delicious! It’s something you would be impressed with if you ordered it at a nice restaurant and it’s quick and easy to make at home. This is now in my favorite recipe collection.

—Jeri Lynn

This recipe worked so well, and I say this as a timing challenged person. I would make this again and again, not just with salmon, but with shrimp, scallops or even shredded chicken.

—Holly

This was relatively simple and easy while delicious. My family ate every bite.

—Kimberly

This was so easy, fast and delicious! My toddler and myself devoured it. My toddler was able to help me make dinner and we were able to cook everything in under 20 minutes. Winner winner! Thank you for such a great weeknight recipe!

—Rachel
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Chocolate Brownie Pie https://foxeslovelemons.com/brownie-pie/ https://foxeslovelemons.com/brownie-pie/#respond Mon, 06 Feb 2023 11:00:00 +0000 https://foxeslovelemons.com/?p=37598 Chocolate Brownie Pie is the decadent mashup of two favorite desserts that you didn’t know you needed. Flaky, buttery crust is filled with dark chocolate brownie filling. With Valentine’s Day coming up, I can indeed confirm that the way to my husband’s heart is chocolate. While he’d be OK with vanilla bean creme brulee or […]

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Chocolate Brownie Pie is the decadent mashup of two favorite desserts that you didn’t know you needed. Flaky, buttery crust is filled with dark chocolate brownie filling.

A brownie pie topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, on a table with mugs of coffee and milk.

With Valentine’s Day coming up, I can indeed confirm that the way to my husband’s heart is chocolate. While he’d be OK with vanilla bean creme brulee or even a stuffed apple just about any other day of the year, I know what he wants for dessert on Valentine’s Day.

One year I made him decadent Nigella Lawson brownies, and he loved them. Another year, I made him the brownies from the Zingerman’s Bakehouse cookbook, and he went wild. Sometimes I’ll even make Baileys brownies as an early St. Patrick’s Day / Valentine’s hybrid situation.

So this year, I’m going to keep sticking with what I know works and making him . . . chocolate brownies (after honey mustard pork chops or maybe lamb bolognese for dinner). But with a spin, of course.

This chocolate brownie pie recipe takes, what is in my opinion, the best part of any pie (the crust) and fills it with a rich, decadent and just simply great chocolate brownie. Cut it into tiny slices or big wedges – we won’t tell anybody!

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Heart Jam Cookies (Shortbread Thumbprint) https://foxeslovelemons.com/heart-jam-cookies/ https://foxeslovelemons.com/heart-jam-cookies/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2023 11:00:00 +0000 https://foxeslovelemons.com/?p=37400 These Heart Jam Cookies are shortbread thumbprints that are perfect for Valentine’s Day or tea time. Easy to make and elegant, they’ll melt in your mouth! We don’t take Valentine’s Day too seriously around here, but I do like it for one reason: it gives you an reason to cook or bake or eat something […]

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These Heart Jam Cookies are shortbread thumbprints that are perfect for Valentine’s Day or tea time. Easy to make and elegant, they’ll melt in your mouth!

Shortbread heart jam cookies on a decorative plate with a glass of milk and fresh strawberries in the background.

We don’t take Valentine’s Day too seriously around here, but I do like it for one reason: it gives you an reason to cook or bake or eat something special in what is otherwise a pretty cold and dreary month.

I’m all about any excuse for a little celebration, so bring on the Valentine’s Day snacks and easy Valentine desserts. And please make me salmon piccata for dinner first.

Now that my daughter is old enough to understand this kind of silly holiday a little better, I also wanted to do a baking activity for just me and her, and I’m sorry to report that she doesn’t appreciate the wonders of chocolate creme brulee just yet.

So, we made these rich and buttery shortbread cookies that we thumbprinted with heart shapes and then filled with jam. These heart jam cookies are perfect for Valentine’s Day, and they also reminded us of tea time in London!

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Salmon Pesto Pasta https://foxeslovelemons.com/salmon-pesto-pasta/ https://foxeslovelemons.com/salmon-pesto-pasta/#comments Mon, 02 Jan 2023 11:00:00 +0000 https://foxeslovelemons.com/?p=27579 This Salmon Pesto Pasta is a restaurant-quality dish that comes together very easily at home. So flavorful, elegant and quick enough to make on a weeknight! If you ask me to name a dish that is super easy for any home cook to make on a weeknight, but kind of feels like a restaurant meal […]

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This Salmon Pesto Pasta is a restaurant-quality dish that comes together very easily at home. So flavorful, elegant and quick enough to make on a weeknight!

Overhead photo of skillet filled with spiral shaped noodles tossed with pesto, and chunks of salmon.

If you ask me to name a dish that is super easy for any home cook to make on a weeknight, but kind of feels like a restaurant meal on date night, it would be either creamy salmon pasta or baked pesto salmon.

I know that noodles of all kinds are a workweek staple for most households, including around here, where some variety of veggie pesto pasta with chicken seems to be on our menu weekly.

But sometimes, using salmon instead of chicken makes it seem fancy, even for a weeknight (my instant pot salmon and apricot glazed salmon are also great weeknight salmon meals).

Pairing salmon with noodles in this salmon pesto pasta allows you to add some protein to your carbs, in a way that’s a little bit different and leaner than the traditional ground beef with red sauce combination.

“We made it earlier this week and it was a hit! Great, easy recipe. Thanks!!”

—Rahul
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Salmon Piccata https://foxeslovelemons.com/salmon-piccata/ https://foxeslovelemons.com/salmon-piccata/#respond Mon, 28 Nov 2022 11:00:00 +0000 https://foxeslovelemons.com/?p=36391 This restaurant-quality Salmon Piccata serves up crispy salmon fillets glazed with a tangy sauce made with lemon juice, wine, capers and butter. Once I have an open jar of something or the other in the fridge, I pride myself on using it up. I hate food waste! So an open tub of gochujang is an […]

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This restaurant-quality Salmon Piccata serves up crispy salmon fillets glazed with a tangy sauce made with lemon juice, wine, capers and butter.

Salmon piccata in a white skillet, garnished with lemon wedges.

Once I have an open jar of something or the other in the fridge, I pride myself on using it up. I hate food waste! So an open tub of gochujang is an invitation to make Korean meatballs as often as possible.

Recently, it was an open jar of capers. I don’t even know why I originally bought them, I just knew I needed to use them up.

So, I made lemon butter shrimp pasta and creamy salmon pasta, too. But there were still more. Apparently I bought the largest jar of capers to ever exist.

Now, if you Google “how to use up a bunch of capers,” I’m guessing a lot of piccata recipes come up. Piccata sauce is a delicious combination of fresh lemon juice, butter and lots of capers.

Piccata is usually made with chicken or veal, but you know that I’m always making new salmon recipes. Like my pineapple salmon, this salmon piccata recipe is truly a restaurant-quality dish that is actually pretty easy to execute at home.

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Lamb Bolognese (The Best Lamb Pasta!) https://foxeslovelemons.com/lamb-bolognese/ https://foxeslovelemons.com/lamb-bolognese/#respond Mon, 21 Nov 2022 11:00:00 +0000 https://foxeslovelemons.com/?p=36327 Lamb Bolognese is a gourmet twist on a classic Italian pasta recipe. Nothing is more comforting than twirling big forkfuls of pappardelle in this rich sauce. Make a double batch, because it’s freezer friendly! Other than Italians, I have a feeling that Midwesterners eat just about the most pasta per capita. Especially in the fall […]

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Lamb Bolognese is a gourmet twist on a classic Italian pasta recipe. Nothing is more comforting than twirling big forkfuls of pappardelle in this rich sauce. Make a double batch, because it’s freezer friendly!

A gold fork twirling pappardelle pasta with lamb bolognese in a black bowl.

Other than Italians, I have a feeling that Midwesterners eat just about the most pasta per capita. Especially in the fall and winter, when it’s cold, damp and seems to start getting dark at about 2pm.

While I definitely try to sprinkle in lighter, non-pasta dinners like almond crusted chicken, Greek chicken meatballs, and shrimp fajitas, I do admit that noodles like salmon pasta make up a significant portion of our cravings during this time of year.

And while a pack of ground beef will always be on standby for meat sauce rigatoni or fettuccine bolognese, sometimes I like to change things up.

Just as ground lamb tacos are a unique twist on taco night and lamb sliders and lamb lollipops are elegant for a holiday appetizer, this lamb bolognese recipe will have you coming back for seconds with its rich, hearty, gourmet flavor.

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