By Lorie Ham
According to Wikipedia, Valentine’s Day, also called Saint Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, originated as a Christian feast day honoring a martyr named Valentine. Later, through folk traditions, it became a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world.
Because of Valentine’s Day, February is often thought of as the month of love. While we should be expressing our love to those around us all year long, Valentine’s Day gives us all an extra push to do so in special ways, whether this is the love for your partner, family, or friends.
How we express that love can come in as many different ways as there are people. One popular way is with a card. Kids give out cute little Valentine’s Day cards in class, partners give more romantic ones, and parents may give something sweet, funny, or cute to their kids. According to Scrapbook.com, in the 1700s something similar to the modern day Valentine’s Day greeting card began to be seen. Of course, there weren’t printed cards yet, so most of these were handmade and hand delivered. However, those who had trouble putting their feelings into words could buy printed verse guides full of suggestions. York Castle Museum in York, England has in their collection what is believed to be the oldest printed Valentine’s Day card in existence, which was printed in London in 1797. Despite the multitude of Valentine’s Day cards out there now to purchase, including even electronic ones to send via email, the most treasured cards are often still those that are handmade with love and care.
Another way commonly used to express love on Valentine’s Day is food. Chocolates are very popular, but many also take loved ones out for a big meal or cook them a special meal at home. Just like with the cards, the personal touch seems to say so much more than just buying something. If you are looking for some recipes to make for those you love this Valentine’s Day, Good Housekeeping has a great list of 40 recipes for Valentine’s Day treats you can make. Some of the many delicious recipes included are for layered Mexican hot-chocolate pudding, water color heart-shaped cookies, stuffed red velvet cookies, and chocolate dipped cookie sticks. It’s enough to make your mouth water!
For the book lover in your life, a book can be a perfect gift on this special day. If their taste leans toward romance in books as well, Romance.io has a list of several romance novels released in February 2026, including ones written by popular authors such as Ali Hazelwood and Heather Fawcett. If their tastes run more to mystery novels, the latest Mystery Coming Attractions February 2026 Valentine’s Edition can be found on Kings River Life Magazine. For fantasy and romantasy lovers, Burner Kindle Book Blog has a list of new releases that includes books by Demi Winters and Tessonja Odette.
For a perfect combination of books and food there’s the latest culinary mystery by Osmund Murrin, May Contain Murder. Chef and food writer, Osmund Murrin, also agreed to share one of the recipes from his new book that is perfect for your Valentine’s Day celebrations.
Recipe: GÂTEAU REINE DE SABA
Serves 8
FOR THE MERINGUE
- 3 egg whites
- pinch of fine salt
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tablespoon superfine sugar
- 1 teaspoon white wine or cider vinegar
For the Cake
- 4 oz. bittersweet (dark) chocolate (at least 60% cocoa solids), broken into small pieces or chopped
- ¼ cup ground almonds
- heaping ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, softened
- ¾ cup superfine sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons rum, brandy or coffee
For the Glaze
- 4 oz. bittersweet (dark) chocolate (at least 60% cocoa solids), broken into small pieces or chopped
- ¼–½ stick (2–4 tablespoons) butter, as needed (see method)
- 1 tablespoon rum, brandy or coffee
- sliced almonds, well toasted, to decorate (optional)
Butter an 8-inch loose-bottomed (about 1½–2 inches deep), and line the base with a disk of parchment paper.
Melt the chocolate for the cake in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of hot water or just give it 2–3 minutes in the microwave. Leave to cool.
For the meringue, put the whites, salt, and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer, or use an electric hand whisk. Whisk till beginning to stiffen, then add the sugar in two batches. When the mixture is stiff and meringue-like, beat in the vinegar and set aside. If you are using a stand mixer and have a spare bowl, use it now, otherwise transfer the beaten whites to a fresh bowl, and rinse the bowl ready for the chocolate mixture.
For the cake, mix the ground almonds, flour, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla and almond extracts using a stand or electric hand mixer, until light and creamy, then beat in the yolks, followed by the cooled chocolate and rum or brandy.
Gently fold in a third of the meringue mixture using a large metal spoon, then half the flour mixture, then repeat, finishing with remaining meringue mixture. There should be no lumps of egg white or flour visible. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and lightly spread it out to the edges.
Bake in a 350°F. There is no need to preheat—in which case it will take 25–28 minutes; if you do preheat, it will take 22–25 minutes. Rotate halfway through cooking time if necessary. The cake is cooked when a toothpick inserted about 2 inches from the edge comes out clean, with a few crumbs attached. The center of the cake should feel slightly soft to the touch but not liquid.
Run a palette knife round the edge of the cake, then allow to cool for ten minutes. Invert onto a rack, discard the parchment paper, and leave to cool completely—about an hour. You can make a day ahead and wrap if convenient.
Melt the chocolate for the glaze with ¼ stick (2 tablespoons) of the butter and rum (as before) till smooth. Chocolate varies, so if it’s too thick to pour, melt in the extra butter. Put the cake (still inverted) on a rack with a sheet of baking parchment underneath and pour the glaze over it, smoothing top and sides. Decorate with almonds if you wish.
When set, remove to a cake plate. If you refrigerate this, the finish will go dull, so best kept in a container at room temperature and served within a day or two.
However you spend your Valentine’s Day, always remember to be safe and keep your loved ones safe. Nothing says love better than looking out for those you care about. If you are unsure if you have the insurance coverage you may need should an emergency arise during Valentine’s Day, or any other day, you can reach out the Mennonite Aid/Mennonite Insurance and they will be happy to help (559) 638-2327.
