Award-winning American Culinary Federation Chefs Offer Valentine's Day Recipes And Tips

February 14 brings with it flowers, cards and gifts. But for many food lovers, a culinary treat is the greatest token of one's admiration. Reporters in need of expert advice and recipes are in luck. American Culinary Federation (ACF) pastry chefs, chocolate experts and certified chefs across the country are available as sources for Valentine's Day-related food stories.

ACF is happy to help with your story, whether it's about desserts with a healthy twist, gluten-free cakes or how to prepare an affordable Valentine's Day themed dinner. Here's a look at some of our sources:
-Members of the ACF National Pastry Committee
-More than 300 Certified Executive Pastry Chefs
-More than 3,000 Certified Executive Chefs and Certified Master Chefs
-Thousands of pastry chefs who work in some of the top restaurants, hotels and country clubs
-Past ACF Pastry Chef of the Year and U.S.A.'s Chef of the Year? award winners
-Members who have appeared on TV competitions, from "Top Chef: Just Desserts" to "Cupcake Wars"

ACF is proud to offer the following family-friendly Valentine's Day recipes created by our 2011 Pastry Chef of the Year Alex Hwang, assistant pastry chef at Cherokee Town and Country Club in Atlanta.

Linzer Heart-Shaped Cookies

Yield: Approximately 15 cookies (varies with size of cookie cutters)

Ingredients:
5.5 oz. butter
5.5 oz. powdered sugar
4 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
Zest from 1/2 lemon
5 oz. cake flour
4 oz. almond flour
4 oz. cake crumbs
2 t. ground cinnamon
5 oz. raspberry jam
3 oz. powdered sugar, for garnish

1. In large bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar.
2. Add one egg at a time, mixing and scraping down well.
3. Add vanilla extract and lemon zest.
4. Add cake flour, almond flour, cake crumbs and cinnamon; combine until you can't see any flour.
5. Chill dough in refrigerator.
6. Roll chilled dough to 1/8-inch thickness.
7. Preheat oven to 350F. Cut dough with heart-shaped cutter. In half of cookies, make additional heart-shaped hole. Bake until golden brown, about 12-15 minutes.
8. Remove cookies; cool.
9. Spread raspberry jam on bottom cookie (without hole). Put powdered sugar on other half of cookies (with hole); place on top of cookie covered with jam. Dust extra heart cookies with powdered sugar.

Raspberry Heart-Shaped Panna Cotta

Yield: Approximately 6 (varies with size of mold)

Ingredients:
4 sheets leaf gelatin
4 oz. milk
4 oz. sugar, divided
12.5 oz. heavy cream
3.5 oz. raspberry puree
5 oz. orange juice
1/2 vanilla bean
1/2 t. cold starch (optional)
Raspberries, for garnish
Blueberries, for garnish
Blackberries, for garnish
Whipped cream, for garnish
Chocolate stick, for garnish

1. Bloom gelatin.
2. Heat milk and 3 oz. sugar.
3. Add soaked gelatin to mixture.
4. Add heavy cream and raspberry pur?e. Blend well with hand blender.
5. Portion into heart-shaped mold.
6. In separate bowl, combine orange juice and remaining sugar. Scrape vanilla bean. Add vanilla to mixture. Add cold starch (optional). Mix well. Set aside.
7. To plate: Unmold panna cotta on plate. Add orange sauce around heart. Add assorted berries atop sauce. Pipe whipped cream on center of panna cotta. Place chocolate stick on top of whipped cream.

About the American Culinary Federation
The American Culinary Federation, Inc., established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in North America. With more than 20,000 members spanning more than 210 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and programmatic accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States, with the Certified Executive Chef designation the only culinary credentia