A second honeymoon for a couple of old romantics

You can’t have Valentine’s Day without chocolate, of course; it just isn’t done. Strawberries are a must as well -- their red color a blazing emblem of the day.

But when you dip the berries in chocolate and throw in a glass of champagne, you might as well speak to your love in platitudes: Chocolate-covered strawberries are one of the oldest romantic cliches.

That’s why we’ve created two desserts to make that someone special realize something -- that you’re someone special. These recipes, for chocolate mascarpone strawberries and a strawberry tart, allow you to take chocolate and strawberries in a new direction, and you’ll seem pretty smart in doing so.

Both look wonderfully impressive, and both can be made without much fuss (and who has much time, since Valentine’s is on a weeknight this year?). You can even do a few of the steps ahead.

The mascarpone berries may be easier to make than dipped strawberries; there’s no melted chocolate mess. They work well for a party or an intimate evening. And they’re easy to nibble -- in fact, you will want to nibble a number of them.

You can prepare the filling a day ahead so all that’s left to do is to halve the berries and pipe on the filling. You can also assemble them several hours in advance. Cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

A piping tip: If you don’t have a pastry bag, roll a piece of wax paper into a cone shape, spoon in the filling, then snip off the tip. A resealable plastic bag works just as well (snip off a corner).

When shopping for strawberries, look for jumbo berries with stems. Check the stems and leaves to be sure they are bright-green and fresh-looking -- this is key to a beautiful presentation.

The tart, with its thin layer of ganache and even rows of sliced strawberries, can be a dramatic dessert for two (with, happily, plenty left over) or an exciting presentation for a small party.

The crust can be made ahead and refrigerated. Because so many tarts look same-old same-old when round, we went with a rectangular shape. It makes for easy cutting and serving as well. (But you can also make the tart in a 9-inch round tart pan.)

Be sure to grind the hazelnuts well; if they are too large, the crust will tear when you roll it out. And because this is Valentine’s, pick up the best-quality bittersweet chocolate for the ganache. We added Frangelico, the Italian hazelnut liqueur, to the ganache, but you could substitute brandy or an orange liqueur.

You’ll spend a bit of time slicing the strawberries, but the effort will be worth it. You’ll have a looker of a dessert. Take a shortcut, if need be, and use whole strawberries: Cut the tops off so the berries are the same height, then arrange them pointed side up. The tart can be made a few hours ahead; just be sure to cover it well with plastic wrap. Brush the glaze on the berries just before serving.

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Chocolate mascarpone strawberries

Total time: 20 minutes

Servings: 24 strawberries

Note: From Mary Ellen Rae. The filling can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, covered, in an airtight container. The recipe can be made several hours ahead and refrigerated.

12 large strawberries with stems attached

1/4 cup mascarpone

cheese

2 ounces cream cheese

1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted, plus more for garnish

1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted

3 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier (optional)

1. Wash the strawberries and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut each in half starting at the top stem end.

2. Combine the mascarpone and cream cheeses, the one-fourth cup sugar, cocoa, milk and Grand Marnier in a bowl. Whisk or use an electric hand mixer to thoroughly combine. Fill a pastry bag with a star tip or snip off the end of a resealable plastic bag and pipe a star or dollop of the mixture in the center of the cut side of each strawberry. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

Each strawberry: 31 calories; 16 mg. sodium; 6 mg. cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.96 gram fiber.

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Chocolate ganache strawberry tart

Total time: 1 1/2 hours, plus 1 hour chilling

Servings: 8 to 12

Note: From Mary Ellen Rae of the Times Test Kitchen.

Tart

Nonstick cooking spray

2 cups flour

1/4 cup superfine granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

10 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled

1 egg yolk

3 tablespoons ice cold water

1/4 cup finely ground hazelnuts

1. Spray an 11x8-inch tart pan with removable bottom with nonstick spray (you can also use a round 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom).

2. Pulse together the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor several times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until fine crumbs form, about 15 seconds. Add the egg yolk, water and hazelnuts and pulse just to combine. The mixture should hold its shape when squeezed between your fingers. If it’s too dry and crumbly, add another tablespoon of water. (Alternately, place the dry ingredients in a bowl and cut in the butter with two knives or a pastry blender until crumbs form. Stir in the egg yolk, water and hazelnuts.)

3. Place a piece of plastic wrap on a work surface. Form the dough into a small rectangle and seal tightly in the plastic. Refrigerate 1 hour. (If using a round pan, form dough into a circle.)

4. Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to one-eighth-inch thickness. Place in the tart pan, pressing to fill the bottom and up the sides. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Prick the bottom with a fork, then bake until the bottom feels firm and the tart is pale golden, 17 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Chocolate ganache

3/4 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon hazelnut-flavored liqueur, such as Frangelico

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces

1. Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan, then stir in the liqueur. Remove from heat and add the chocolate. Slowly stir until smooth.

Assembly

1 pound strawberries, ends trimmed

1/2 cup red currant jelly

1. Cut the berries from the stem end down in one-eighth-inch pieces

2. Place the jelly in a small saucepan and melt over low heat.

3. Spoon the ganache into the cooled tart shell, spreading in an even layer with a spatula. Starting in the corners, place the strawberry slices in diagonal rows, meeting in the center of the tart. Fill in with remaining rows ending in the center. (If using a round tart pan, start on the outside working in to make overlapping concentric circles.)

4. Brush the berries with the warm jelly to glaze the tart and serve.

Each of 12 servings: 352 calories; 206 mg. sodium; 88 mg. cholesterol; 20 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 42 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 2.62 grams fiber.