Love Potions

Our love potion was contributed by Celebrity Chef Ameera, who says that everything tastes better with love. Besides this simple recipe, Chef Ameera offers cooking classes to spice up your love life.

Is it true the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach? Enjoy!

Almond Crusted Chocolate Dipped Bananas with Vanilla Bean Gelato

Yields 4

Ingredients

4 Chilled almost ripe bananas (a little green is ok)
3 1/2 Cups Melting Chocolate
2 Cups crushed almonds
1 Pint vanilla bean gelato
Powdered sugar for garnish

Directions

1. Begin by setting the bananas in the refrigerator for about a hour.
2. Melt the chocolate and set to the side.
3. Chop the almonds and place in a dish.
4. Pull the bananas out of the refrigerator and peel down only 3/4.
5. While holding the unpeeled portion of the banana dip into the chocolate and immediately coat with the almonds.
6. Repeat this step for each banana and sit in the refrigerator upright for 10 minutes or until chocolate is set.
7. On a plate, place 1 scoop of the gelato and lay the banana against the gelato and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Chef Ameera offers cooking classes including:

Divas on the Dash- for the woman that “doesn’t think” she has time to cook. Learn to make fierce, flashy, and boast-worthy meals that are vibrant to look at and taste as if you slaved over the stove for hours (We won’t tell your secret)

Lovin’ on the leftovers – How to makeover yesterday’s leftovers…after all, the last bite is always the tastiest…

Aphrodisiacs Class – A lover’s guide to intimate taste testing… (this is best enjoyed as a couples class)

Feasts Fit for YOUR King, Princess and Prince – Preparing hearty meals for the family

Tapas Party - Small, festive, plated courses that will arouse your taste buds. All the rave in Latin culture…

Prima Donna Dinner Party - How to prepare, cook for, and host your own dinner party with style and flair. Everything you need to know about hosting a party and enjoying it.

Vivacious Vegetarians - Just because meat is out of the question, doesn’t mean the fun flavors have to be. She will teach you how to make the sexiest vegetarian dishes without sacrificing taste!

4” Stilleto Wearers Only - This class is only for the bold, brave and beautiful. The meal is a little more intensive due to the preparation and explanation of technique but we promise that the end result is almost as fabulous as you are.

Vixens Around the World – She believes that every culture is beautiful and offers bold sensuous flavors that are to be explored and celebrated. In this class we delve into the various international cuisines. The menu changes from week to week, so be sure to inquire as to where we will take our Vixen vacay before you sign up.

Sweet Treats that’ll keep you Petite - This class will teach you how to make sweets that will leave you wanting seconds and thirds… go head and indulge because the only thing we’ve knocked off is the calories

“Put A Ring On It” – She pulls out all the stops in this class. After this meal, he’d be a fool to let you slip away… but we already knew that didn’t we…

If you have a sexy recipe to share in our love potions, we’d love to hear from you at CyberDatingExpert.com

Pecan Pumpkin Butter Pie © Williams-Sonoma

We are getting close to Thanksgiving, so it’s time to eat your heart out, or at least try a new recipe for the holiday season.

This PecanPumpkin Butter Pie with Butterscotch Cream courtesy of WILLIAMS-SONOMA, will make him call you sweetheart after dessert and all month long.

INGREDIENTS

For the Pie

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups (about 1 1/3 jars) pecan pumpkin butter
• 2 cups evaporated milk
• 1 prebaked and cooled deep-dish piecrust (see related recipe at left)

For the Butterscotch Cream

• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 Tbs. bourbon (optional)

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven. Place a cookie sheet on the rack. Preheat the oven to 325°F. (The pie dish will sit on the cookie sheet, which will help the bottom of the crust to brown.)

To make the pie, in a large bowl, gently whisk the eggs. Add the pecan pumpkin butter and evaporated milk and whisk until well combined. Pour the filling into the prebaked piecrust and bake until the center of the pie is just set, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Check the crust after 30 minutes; if the edges begin to brown too quickly, cover them with aluminum foil. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool for at least 2 hours before serving. If making in advance, cover the cooled pie with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to overnight.

To make the butterscotch cream, in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt. Cook until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture starts to bubble, about 5 minutes; stir with a wooden spoon during the first 2 minutes of cooking (use pot holders to protect your hands), but do not stir after this point. Remove the pan from the heat and very carefully stir 1/2 cup of the cream into the hot syrup, then stir in the bourbon. Let the butterscotch sauce cool to room temperature. You will need 1/3 cup of the sauce for the butterscotch cream; reserve the remaining sauce to drizzle over the pie, or use as a topping for ice cream or cake.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the remaining 1 cup cream and the 1/3 cup butterscotch sauce. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.

To serve, cut the pie into slices and serve with a dollop of the butterscotch cream. Serves 8 to 10.

The Love Potion is provided courtesy of WilliamsSomona.com

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