Good wasy starters for valentines?!

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Mozzarella and tomato salad. Slice two large tomatoes and a ball of buffalo mozzarella and arrange the slices on two plates. Allow to come to room temperature before serving. Season well with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil, and garnish with halved olives, basil leaves, and maybe even a drizzle of pesto.

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
Nothing says Valentine’s Day dessert quite like red velvet. It seems that it was created specifically with this holiday in mind. Although many variations of red velvet are sold year-round, Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to dust off the red velvet recipes and let them shine! Back in the fall I made red velvet cupcakes (which far surpassed any I have found in bakeries!) and naturally I wanted to do another spin on red velvet with Valentine’s Day approaching. Cue the whoopie pie!
I’ve mentioned before that I grew up eating the chocolate cake and white filling version of whoopie pies known as “gobs” in the Pittsburgh area, but I love all of the variations that have sprouted up in recent years. There’s pumpkin, s’mores, and a whole host of others. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination!

In honor of Valentine’s Day, red velvet whoopie pies were in order. They are fluffy, a little chocolatey, a deep, gorgeous red, and filled with sinfully sweet cream cheese frosting. Truly dreamy.
Red Velvet Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Filling

Yield: About 2 dozen assembled whoopie pies

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Bake Time: 40 to 50 minutes total

For the whoopies:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
? teaspoon baking soda
? teaspoon salt
? cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
? cup vegetable shortening
? cup light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 teaspoons red food coloring
1 cup buttermilk

For the cream cheese filling:
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3? cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

2. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, shortening and both sugars on low speed until just combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy and smooth, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and the red food coloring and beat until just blended.

4. Add half of the flour mixture and half of the buttermilk to the batter and beat on low until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining flour mixture and remaining ? cup buttermilk and beat until completely combined.

5. Using a spoon (or a medium cookie scoop, which is what I used), drop a tablespoon of batter onto one of the prepared baking sheets and repeat, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 minutes each, or until the cakes spring back when pressed gently. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cakes cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

6. While the cakes are cooling, prepare the filling… In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and butter on medium speed. Add the sugar and beat on low speed until combined. Add the vanilla and increase the speed to medium-high; beat until creamy and smooth, about 4 minutes.

7. To assemble: Spread the filling onto the flat side of one cake using a knife of spoon. Alternatively, you can use a pastry bag with a round tip (I used a #12 Wilton tip) to pipe the filling onto the cake. Top it with another cake, flat-side down. Repeat with the rest of the cakes and filling.

Storing: Assembled whoopie pies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If you need to stack layers, place a piece of wax paper between layers.

toast some pieces of bread and serve with finely chopped tomatoes, parsley and olive oil