In ten days, heart shaped candies and chocolates and red roses will start flying off store shelves… and… in eleven days, I will be scouring those shelves for the discounted sales on the leftovers! Yup, sales fascinate me – almost as much as some of the theories behind Valentine’s Day itself.
One of the theories I have come across suggests that it was the actions of a Roman priest, named St. Valentine, that lead to any significance being associated with February 14.
As this theory goes… there was a Roman emperor called Claudias who, figuring that unmarried soldiers fought better than married soldiers, prohibited the marriage of young people! Along came St. Valentine, who was an advocate of marriage and who, (inspite of the prohibition by Cladias), began secretly marrying those people wishing to do so. St. Valentine was eventually caught and imprisoned. And, while he was imprisoned and awaiting his sentence, he started having a visitor. A young lady. Who, turned out to be the daughter of “Asterius”, who was one of the men who was to judge him. The theory goes on to say that, St. Valentine prayed with and healed the young lady of her blindness which led to Asterius himself reinstating his loyalty to Christianity. However, it doesn’t end there – this particular theory further goes on to say that St. Valentine was sentenced to torture and ultimately death – and, the last note St. Valentine sent to Asterius’ daughter was signed with these three words “from your Valentine”.
Now there are other theories and stories – but, this is one of my favorites. When my daughter was in elementary school, it was customary to have little Valentine’s day cards for every one of her classmates. Even though each child took turns going around and placing a Valentine’s day card/chocolate in other’s “mail boxes” while in plain site of each other, my daughter never wanted to sign her name on the cards she gave out, instead she would simply scribble “from your Valentine” on the back!
While I wait for those discounted candies to go on sale, my daughter and I will be chowing on some Beet Crust Dessert Pizza! The beet pizza base isn’t too different from my past beet pizzas – but it does have one teaspoon cane sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla in it.
I baked the base first and let it come to room temperature before topping it with whipped coconut cream, chocolate and peanut butter chips and melted chocolate and melted peanut butter. This dessert beet pizza is quite popular at our home and we have also topped it with whipped cream instead of the whipped coconut. One time, my daughter even insisted we top it with frozen yogurt and homemade hard-shell -and seeing she had a healthy dose of veggies in her dessert, I couldn’t argue!
Today, I am guest posting for a fellow Atlanta blogger – Lindsey over at American Heritage Cooking as she perfects her already ah-mazing baking and decorating skills at the International Culinary School in NYC!

Beet Crust Dessert Pizza
Ingredients
- For the Beet Crust:
- 1 cup roasted and pureed beets, I roasted 2 beets at 400 for 45 minutes
- 3/4 cup almond meal
- 1/3 cup brown flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cane sugar
- Toppings:
- Chocolate chips, 1 1/2 cups
- Peanut butter chips, 1 1/2 cups
Instructions
- For the base: Preheat oven to 375, Mix all ingredients together and bake 25-28 mins
- Let cool
- Then top with coconut cream or whipped cream and 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup peanut butter chips. Melt the remaining cup of chocolate chips and drizzle over the pizza- repeat with the peanut butter chips.
Nithya Ravikumar
Tuesday 14th of April 2015
What an absolutely lovely blog! I’ve just started my own blog so I am very new to it all, but I have certainly been inspired by yours. Thank you for the inspiration, and the recipes – I will definitely be trying some! :) www.nithisclickncook.com
bendiful
Saturday 7th of February 2015
Yummm this looks so pretty and delicious!
Shashi
Saturday 7th of February 2015
Thanks so much Renee!
Curry and Comfort
Saturday 7th of February 2015
I am officially going to call you the "Beet Queen". I remember reading a booked titled the same thing in college, but you are truly the master of beet cuisine. This looks amazing!
Shashi
Saturday 7th of February 2015
Haha - why thank you so much Ramona! I am honored!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
Thursday 5th of February 2015
Like David said, Valentine was something else but this pizza crust is something special. :)
Shashi
Saturday 7th of February 2015
Thanks so much Maureen!
Sonali- The Foodie Physician
Thursday 5th of February 2015
This looks AMAZING!! I am absolutely loving all of your beety goodness!
Shashi
Saturday 7th of February 2015
Thanks so much Sonali