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How to Make Chocolate Hearts for Valentine's Day

Daniel Hautzinger
A chocolate pave heart from Chicago's Bittersweet
If you really want to be fancy, you can add a touch of gold leaf, as Bittersweet does

Instead of buying chocolates for Valentine's Day (whether for a loved one or for yourself!), why not try making some delectable chocolate hearts studded with cranberries, with this recipe from Chicago's Bittersweet in Lakeview?

Chocolate Pave Hearts

This recipe uses three egg whites and thirteen egg yolks – you could use the extra whites to make another treat: meringues!

Ingredients

2 cups dried cranberrries
1 cup simple syrup
17 1/2 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate
1/2 pound butter
13 egg yolks
3 2/3 ounces sugar
1 cup whipping cream (whipped to soft peaks)
3 egg whites
melted chocolate (for garnish)

Directions

1. Soak cranberries in simple syrup to plump; strain before using.

2. Melt chopped chocolate and butter in top of double boiler; remove and cool.

3. Whip yolks and 2 2/3 ounces of sugar until fluffy; add chocolate mixture and whisk until shiny and it pulls away from the sides. Gently fold in whipped cream.

4. In separate bowl, whip the egg whites with the remaining 1 ounce sugar to soft peaks. Fold into chocolate mixture. Fold in drained cranberries.

5. Pour into heart-shaped silicone mold. Refrigerate for four hours until firm. Unmold and drizzle top with melted chocolate.