Just in time for Valentine's Day..

What would winter be like without chocolate?  Or spring, summer or fall?  We'll be serving these Ganache Filled Brown Sugar Bars at the inn all month. The recipe first appeared in the1995 edition of Food and Wine.  We hope you enjoy them here....or at home!

Ganache Filled Brown Sugar Bars

1/2 cup heavy cream1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped1 3/4 cup flour

1/4 t salt2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature1 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar2 eggs, room temperature1 1/2 t vanilla

1)      Boil the cream over medium heat.  In a food processor, finely grind the chocolate.  With the machine on, add the hot cream and process until smooth. Scrape the ganache into a bowl and let stand until firm, 30 minutes to an hour.

2)      Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350.  Lightly butter a 10 by 15 inch baking pan.  Line the pan with wax paper; butter and flour the paper.

3)      Whisk the flour with the salt.  In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar at medium speed for three minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.  Beat in the vanilla. At low speed beat in the flour in three additions; the batter will be fairly stiff.  Spread the batter in the pan.  Bake for 18 – 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

4)      Cover the baking pan with a large wire rack and invert.  Remove the pan and peel off the wax paper.  Invert the cake onto a large cutting board.  Using a serrated knife, halve the cake crosswise.  Spread the ganache evenly over one f the cake halves, leaving a ¼ inch border.  Top with the other cake half.  Cover and refrigerate until the ganache is set – at least two hours. 

5)      Cut into bars.

Staying Warm During the Winter in Lancaster County

Lancaster County received its first significant snowfall Wednesday – about 9 inches of the stuff.
So on Thursday afternoon, Bruce and I packed up our cross-country skis and headed to Nolde Forest, only 20 minutes away on Route 625; actually it's just over the border in Berks County.

There’s no better place to appreciate the beauty and romance of the snow than among the towering pines, planted over 100 years ago. When hosiery baron Jacob Nolde acquired this area in the early 1900s, there was but one single white pine. Inspired by this tree, the German-born Nolde hired an Austrian forester to create a coniferous forest. Now it’s one of the few places around where you can enjoy over 600 acres of century trees.

There are trails, occasionally marked when they cross each other. We just followed the tracks left by some hikers.

Once off the road, the forest becomes very quiet. Occasionally there’s a group of birds, the gurgling of a stream, or a call from Bruce as he waits for me while I play with the camera.

See if you can hear the stream...

 
Big puffs of snow, falling from high tree limbs, float to the ground silently.

Turn in any direction and you'll see majestic trees reaching skyward.

And the snow is so pristine, it looks blue.

Thank you, Jacob, for having the insight to create such a beautiful place.

Nolde is a well-kept secret – in fact, we only saw two other folks the entire time we were there.

So, grab your Valentine, pack your skis or hiking boots and your backpack and we’ll fill a thermos with hot chocolate, pack up some cookies and send you on your way for a romantic afternoon.

Not into skiing? Here are some other ideas for staying warm in the winter...

Go Ice Skating.  New York has one. So does downtown Cleveland, and now Lancaster has one, too—its very own ice rink. Skating is depicted on countless Christmas cards throughout the years, a romantic way to spend an hour or two. Yep, we’ve skated here at Clipper Stadium. No skates? No worries – they rent.

Or stop and build a snowman, Lancaster has many parks with all the snow you’ll need.  We found this one on the way to Nolde - just past the Amish schoolhouse.  I couldn't resist giving it a hug.

Of course you can look forward to coming back to the inn to soak in your own Jacuzzi, and sit in front of the fireplace. Ah, the best part of winter is warming up.

And don't worry about a little bit of snow - The Artist's Inn is located on State Route 897, so our road is nearly always clear.

For more romantic ideas for Valentines’s Day – or any day, see our January Blog, "25 ways to add romance to your getaway in Lancaster County" from last year.

25 Ways to Add Romance To Your Getaway in Lancaster County

We have some very romantic guests at our Bed and Breakfast....here are some of their ideas on how to make your Valentine’s Day (or any other day) a special one.

1) Men often call and order special flowers to be placed in the room so that their partner sees them when she arrives. I’ve seen everything from two dozen red roses, to a simple bouquet of yellow daisies. Both were greeted with a sweet “ohhhhhhhh”.
2) While a romantic dinner out is wonderful, couples who are looking for extra privacy really like our Lover’s Basket – stuffed with crusty bread, cheeses, fruit, crackers and chocolate. It’s perfect for sharing on their private porch or in front of their fireplace.

3) Several women have called to see if we can have a special CD playing upon their arrival. There’s nothing like music to put one in a romantic mood.

4) If a couple is spending their wedding night at the inn, usually the groom will arrive earlier in the day to bring in some of the luggage and his special gifts for his bride.
5) Dave wanted to propose to his girlfriend at sunset, so we arranged for a bottle of bubbly and chocolate-covered strawberries on the little porch at the top of the inn – with a perfect view of the sunset. When they checked in, he couldn’t wait any longer and ended up proposing just past 4:30. No matter, they were both so excited I’m not sure they saw the sunset that night.
6) We had one couple get engaged at our breakfast table. Instead of the usual “Bon Appétit” on the bottom of the menu, there was a proposal to Selena from Paul. When Selena was asked to read the menu, she started to cry, and Paul went down on one knee and asked her to marry him.

7) One couple told us that they go to sleep every night holding hands.
8) Many couples take walks together – they say it’s something they rarely do at home, but the world seems to slow down when they are on vacation, or maybe it’s just the magic of Terre Hill.

9) Some couples spend the day watching movies in bed. This is a luxury that doesn’t happen when kids, jobs and housework seem to demand much of your time at home.
10) We recommend sitting on the porch and talk and watching the moon rise and the stars come out at night.
11) Go to a gallery or art museum together and learn why your mate likes certain pictures.
12) We tell all couples to kiss in the middle of a covered bridge – it’s good luck! 13) Go antique shopping – it’s not like going to the mall – you never know what you’ll find.
14) Take a buggy ride through the countryside.
15) We have had honeymooners ride their bikes to a nearby park and enjoy a picnic lunch.
16) Read a book to each other while snuggled up on the couch.
17) Cross country ski (or hike) and come back to the inn to shower together. Ok, we’re not really sure if our guests do this, but we do!
18) Some couples share a wine tasting and fall in love with not only each other, but some of the local wines.
19) Join us for one of our culinary tours – it’s a day to spend together without the hassle of driving – we even toasted one honeymoon couple by clanging the spoon against the glass so they would kiss!
20) Take a hot air balloon ride over the beautiful Lancaster County countryside. 21) Bring a kite and walk to Terre Hill Park to fly it – because we are on a hill, we usually have a dependable breeze
22) Explore a new food together – whether it’s German, Amish, Thai, Italian, Vietnamese or Cajun – we can steer you to the right place to eat.
23) Take a walk in the rain.....or snow!
24) Get a couples massage – our massage therapist lives right next door to the inn, and our guests love her.
25) Take a yoga class together – we highly recommend The Yoga Place in Ephrata.

Some would say that the visit to a B&B alone is romantic – and they would be right. Special care is taken to decorate rooms so that each one is different, and many antiques lend themselves to the sentiments of bygone days.

Breakfasts are also different at bed and breakfasts – usually on a more private scale than at a large hotel, and much, much more leisurely. We serve four courses by candlelight. If you need a little help with romance, we’ve made it easy for you here at The Artist’s Inn, - Romance baskets, My Forever Valentine Basket, Lover’s Baskets, Anniversary baskets and others – are all available on our specials page.

And remember, Valentine’s Day may only come one weekend a year, but romance never goes out of season.

What are your favorite romantic ideas? Let us know – post your comments!