Chicago French Market's Delightful Pastries Offers Chocolate Dipped Strawberries and other Valentine’s Day Gifts

Delightful Pastries at the Chicago French Market (131 N. Clinton St., Chicago) has arranged an assortment of gift packages filled with delicious pastries and sweets for Valentine’s Day. Treat your sweetie to a dozen fresh strawberries dipped in bittersweet dark chocolate and drizzled with white chocolate ($25). Delightful Pastries also has a Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Tart ($30), this luscious treat is a sweet buttery tart layered with chocolate ganache and covered in fresh raspberries.

The Heart Shaped Chocolate Mousse Torte ($6.75) is perfect for two to share. This moist chocolate sponge cake is layered with chocolate mousse and decorated with rosettes of whipped cream. Also Delightful Pastries has a number of Valentine’s Day gifts under $20. These mini bundles include an assortment of raspberry and chocolate Parisian macarons, beautifully decorated gingerbread and sugar cookies, sweet gift boxes of handmade truffles and other chocolates. Place your orders at (312) 234-9644.

Delightful Pastries gift options don’t end there. Here are two gift box packages with loads of Valentine’s Day goodies.

  

Sweetheart Gift Box- $30

• Ginger bread and sugar cookie hearts
• Small box of raspberry and chocolate Parisian macarons
• Cookie bag of your choice
•   ¼  lb. handmade chocolate bark or ¼  lb. handmade truffles

You're Amazing Gift Box- $50

• Heart cookie sandwich with chocolate butter cream
•  Black and white cookie and cupcake
• Large box of raspberry, passion fruit and chocolate Parisian macarons
• Box of rum balls and chocolate pecan turtles
• Maple cranberry almond granola
• Two chocolate dipped strawberries

Two Valentine’s Day Drink Recipes from Bello Tea at the Chicago French Market

Spending Valentine’s Day at home or going to a potluck party? Bello Tea at the Chicago French Market (131 N. Clinton St., Chicago; 312-380-0707), has offered up delicious recipes for two tasty Valentine’s Day drinks. The Bello Mojito is made with delicious hibiscus spearmint tea, freshly squeezed lime juice, sparkling water and finished with a touch of sweetness. For an adult only beverage, try your hand at making Lara’s Caipirinha Bubbly ‘’Champagne.’’ This easily prepared drink combines Bello Organic Lara’s Caipirinha Herbal Tea with sparkling juice or champagne with a fresh strawberry. Look below for step by step instructions on how to prepare both of these drinks.

Bello Mojito

Serves 2

Ingredients:

§  8 oz. of Bello Hibiscus Spearmint Tea  

§  1 oz. of Fresh squeezed lime juice

§  2 oz. of Simple Syrup ( ½  water, ½ sugar)

§  1 oz. of Sparkling Water

§  Fresh mint

§  Slices of lime

Preparation:

Brew Hibiscus Spearmint Tea and chill it until ready to prepare. In a martini shaker, muddle mint and lime slices together. Add simple syrup, lime juice and tea. To that add ice and shake well. Strain it into a martini glass and add sparkling water. Garnish with a mint sprig and a slice of lime. For a fun twist add your favorite rum. Substitute sugar with agave, if preferred.

Brewing Hibiscus Spearmint Tea

Add 2 tsp. of Hibiscus Spearmint tea to a tea pot then add 8 oz. of boiling water. Let it brew for 5 minutes. Strain and chill.

 

Lara’s Caipirinha Bubbly ‘Champagne’

Ingredients:

§  1-2 oz. of Bello Organic Lara’s Caipirinha Herbal Tea

§  6 oz. of Sparkling Juice or Champagne

§  A fresh raspberry or strawberry

Preparation:

Pour Sparkling Juice or Champagne into a glass. Add Lara’s Caipirinha tea and garnish with fresh raspberry or strawberry.

Brewing Organic Lara’s Caipirinha

Add 3 tsp. of Lara’s Caipirinha to a tea pot, and then add 8 oz. of boiling water. Let it brew for 5 minutes. Strain and chill. It yields 4-8 servings.

Family Friendly Valentine's Day at Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook

Prairie Grass Cafe (601 Skokie Blvd. Northbrook, IL; 847-205-4433) is the perfect family friendly place to spend Valentine’s Day. This restaurant focuses on locally grown fresh and organic ingredients.  Chefs Sarah Stegner and George Bambaris invite families to enjoy Valentine’s day by ordering off the regular menu, no special Valentine’s pricing. Entrées like the Lake Superior White Fish with Portobello mushrooms, sautéed broccoli, and lemon butter sauce ($21) and Crispy Half Duck from "Maple Leaf Farm" with rainbow Swiss chard, herb stuffing "cake" and sautéed pear ($28) are two of the tasty treats that await you at Prairie Grass Cafe.

Maxwell’s at the Club’s Valentine's Day Prix Fixe Dinner

On Valentine’s Day, Maxwell’s at the Club (500 N. Kingsbury St. Chicago IL) is offering a Prix Fixe four course meal, 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. You and your guest will be treated to an appetizer, salad, entrée and dessert. Appetizers include the choice of Pan Roasted Scallops and Cocoa Crusted Pulled Pork. Types of salads available include Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese and Baby Red Romaine. The entrée course will feature Petite Filet and Lobster Tail, Pan Roasted Snapper, Roasted New York Strip Loin and Rotisserie Amish Chicken.

For dessert, choose from a Pistachio and White Chocolate Torte, Ginger Crème Brûlée and more. Make your reservations for Maxwell’s Valentine’s Day Dinner, $45 a person, by calling (312) 527-5800 ext. 301.