Skip the hype: Whip up a D.I.Y. Valentine's Day

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Buttery goodnessCoconut is another optionHomemade hazelnut chocolate spread, slathered on crusty bread.Gordon Ramsay's pineapple souffleHazelnut chocolate Linzer cookiesNot too sweetHazelnut-chocolate swirl ice cream.Go bananasChocolate chip cookiesRich, creamyThomas Keller's chocolate bouchons

Is there a holiday that causes more anxiety than St. Valentine's Day? The pressure is on to come up with something decadent, romantic, luxurious...but all of that can be pretty expensive. Instead of overpriced flowers and cards, costly boxes of candy, or an hourlong wait for a pricey restaurant meal, how about a homemade card and a home-cooked meal, eaten by candlelight? Make it extra special by topping it off with something sweet: Here are some recipes -- some chocolate, some not -- from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen.<br>
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--Rene Lynch<br>
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<a href="http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-sos11-2009feb11,0,2146497.story" target="_blank">First up: The Tortona chocolate cookies from Massimo's Delectables in Marina del Rey. Click here for the recipe.</a>

Buttery goodness

( Spencer Weiner, Los Angeles Times )

Is there a holiday that causes more anxiety than St. Valentine's Day? The pressure is on to come up with something decadent, romantic, luxurious...but all of that can be pretty expensive. Instead of overpriced flowers and cards, costly boxes of candy, or an hourlong wait for a pricey restaurant meal, how about a homemade card and a home-cooked meal, eaten by candlelight? Make it extra special by topping it off with something sweet: Here are some recipes -- some chocolate, some not -- from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen.

--Rene Lynch

First up: The Tortona chocolate cookies from Massimo's Delectables in Marina del Rey. Click here for the recipe.

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