We’re having a little bit of fun today! And hopefully in more ways than one. Firstly we’d like to wish everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day! Hopefully the weather hasn’t been too chilly, but if it has, we’ve got something for you that will be sure to warm you up a little. A delicious romantic desert for yourself and whoever else you choose to share it with.

Origins of Valentine’s Day

Secondly, let’s talk about Valentine’s Day and the origin of the lore.

The origin of Valentine’s can be traced back to “Lupercalia”, a Roman festival for fertility. It is also believed that the day was celebrated as an attempt by the Church to add a religious twist to the Lupercalia festival. The festival was dedicated to Faunus, the god of agriculture, and Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. During the celebrations, men and women were paired based on a lottery system, and most of them eventually ended in marriage. At the end of the fifth century, Pope Gelasius I decided the time of Lupercalia celebrations as the date to celebrate Saint Valentine.

It is also believed that Saint Valentine was able to miraculously heal the blind daughter of his jailer. Another legend says that a Bishop named Saint Valentine of Terni was the true namesake of the holiday. Although it is believed by the people that they are the same person.  Saint Valentine became known as a patron saint of love. It was also said that he used to wear a ring with Cupid on it – the symbol of love – that helped soldiers were able to him. A poem written by medieval author Geoffrey Chaucer in 1381 is considered the origin of the modern celebration of love by historians. It connects Saint Valentine to the celebration of love, solidifying the belief in the history of the festival.

And lastly, let’s get to what we’re here for: this delicious looking recipe that we bet you can’t wait to devour!

Ingredients

• 20-25 Oreo cookies (pick your favourite flavour)
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 2 ½ cups cream cheese, at room temperature
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 4 triangles (40 milligrams) of your favourite infused dark chocolate bar
• 1 ½ tablespoons dark cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon powered sugar (optional, for decorating)
• 1 ½ cup raspberries (optional, for decorating)

Directions (bottom layer):

1. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform baking pan.
2. Put the Oreo cookies in a food processor or blender and pulse until they are fine cookie crumbles.
3. Melt the butter and add to food processor or blender, pulsing until the cookie crumbles resemble wet sand. Pour the Oreo mixture into your springform pan and press down firmly, forming an even layer. Refrigerate for an hour.

Directions (top layer):

1. Combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl; beat until smooth and creamy.
2. In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream until it forms soft peaks.
3. In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the dark chocolate chips and infused dark chocolate for 20 seconds at a time. Stir until smooth. Add to your cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth.
4. Gently fold the chocolate cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream. Pour the chocolate cream cheese mixture into the springform pan and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight.
5. Decorating is up to you! You can add a layer of raspberries on top, dust each slice with powdered sugar, top with more melted chocolate, or all the above!

And there you have it, folks! We truly do wish this satisfies your taste buds – and we’re sure it will! We’ll be back soon with more recipes for all of you cannabis infused enthusiasts!

Until then, stay warm stay safe and above all – stay baked! 🙂