Eat Your Hearts Out! This Valentine's Day, Dunkin' Donuts Introduces Cupid's Choice Heart-Shaped Donuts

CANTON, Mass., Feb. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- With Valentine's Day approaching, Dunkin' Donuts wants you to put their heart in your hands. Dunkin' Donuts, America's everyday, all-day stop for coffee and baked goods, has introduced the new Cupid's Choice heart-shaped donut, the brand's first-ever shaped donut and a sweet new way for sweethearts to show their love this season.

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The Cupid's Choice Donut is a heart-shaped yeast shell donut filled with Bavarian Kreme, topped with strawberry icing and a festive mix of pink, white and red heart-shaped sprinkles. Chocolate lovers can also try the Cupid's Cocoa Donut, a heart-shaped chocolate yeast shell donut, filled with jelly, topped with chocolate icing and decorated with pink, white and red heart-shaped sprinkles. Made from a special new chocolate yeast mix recipe developed by Dunkin' Donuts' renowned culinary team, the Cupid's Cocoa Donut has a light and airy texture compared to a traditional chocolate cake donut. Both donuts will be available at participating Dunkin' Donuts restaurants nationwide through the end of February for a suggested retail price of 89 cents each. To make this Valentine's Day even sweeter, select restaurants will also offer a new half-dozen donut box featuring a clear window perfect for showcasing all your favorite donut varieties.

February is "Chocolate Lovers Month" at Dunkin' Donuts, with participating Dunkin' Donuts restaurants serving a variety of new cocoa donuts, along with the new Chocolate Chip Bagel Twist, and returning favorites such as the Triple Chocolate Muffin and Mocha Swirl Lattes.  

For another sweet offering, throughout the month of February, Dunkin' Donuts and American Express have introduced the new "SweetLife Sweepstakes." From Feb. 1 through Feb. 28, every time Dunkin' Donuts guests use their American Express® Card at a participating Dunkin' Donuts restaurant they will be automatically entered for a chance to win an array of prizes, including a VIP Trip for four to Universal Orlando® Resort, tickets for admission to both Universal Studios Florida® and Universal's Islands of Adventure®, a full year of Air Travel on JetBlue®, free Dunkin' Donuts coffee for one year or free Dunkin' Donuts Cards. To find out more details, including how to enter without a purchase, consumers can visit www.DunkinDonuts.com/sweetliferules.

Additionally, just in time for Valentine's Day, Dunkin' Brands' Executive Chef Stan Frankenthaler has whipped up a quick and easy dessert, the "Cocoa Donut Grilled Cheese," featuring Dunkin' Donuts' Cocoa Donut. A perfect treat to make for your sweetheart, the "Cocoa Donut Grilled Cheese" looks and tastes indulgent, but is only approximately 330 calories. A short video of Chef Stan demonstrating how to prepare this dessert can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZT9jEAnIy8.

For this and other ways to satisfy your chocolate cravings at home this month, Dunkin' Brands' Executive Chef Stan Frankenthaler, a three-time James Beard Award nominee, offers these sweet recipes:

Cocoa Donut Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients:

• 6 Dunkin' Donuts Cocoa Donuts
• 6 oz Dunkin' Donuts Reduced Fat Cream Cheese (Dunkin' Donuts Reduced Fat Strawberry or Blueberry Cream Cheese is recommended)
• 1 Package Fresh Strawberries, Thinly Sliced
• Cooking Spray

Instructions:

1. Cut the Dunkin' Donuts Cocoa Donut in half, creating a top and bottom.
2. Placing the cut side down (glazed side on the top), spread 2 Tablespoons (1 oz) of Dunkin' Donuts Reduced Fat Cream Cheese onto both halves of the donut.
3. Slice one large strawberry thinly and place a few slices on top of the Dunkin' Donuts Reduced Fat Cream Cheese. Top with other half of the donut.
4. Coat a fry pan with cooking spray and heat on the stove.
5. Once the pan is hot, place the donut sandwich into the pan, and cook for 2 minutes. Then, flip over and continue to cook for another minute until golden.
6. Serve warm and share with a fruit salad (optional).

Baked Strawberries with Triple Chocolate Muffin Crumb

Ingredients:

• 1 Dunkin' Donuts Triple Chocolate Muffin, Crumbled
• 1 (12oz) Bag of Frozen Whole Strawberries
• 1 Cup Plain Non-Fat Yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 2 Teaspoons Butter
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a mixing bowl, add the strawberries, vanilla extract and sugar. Mix gently.
3. In a small 6 to 8 inch oval baking dish, spread 1 cup of vanilla yogurt on the base of dish. Top with half of the crumbled Dunkin' Donuts Triple Chocolate Muffin.
4. Taking the sugared strawberries, place one at a time, pointed side facing up, on top of the crumbled Dunkin' Donuts Triple Chocolate Muffin until the dish is filled with strawberries.
5. Breaking up the butter with your fingers, sprinkle the butter on top of the strawberries.
6. Top the strawberries with the remaining half of the crumbled muffin.
7. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes at 350F until the dish is bubbling and muffin topping is slightly browned.

Spicy Mocha Latte Steak n' Eggs

Ingredients:

• 1 (3/4 lb) Piece of Flank Steak
• 1 Large Yellow Onion, Chopped Roughly
• 3 Garlic Cloves, Chopped Roughly
• 2 Chipotle Peppers
• 1 (12oz) Can Tomato Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Paprika
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 Large Dunkin' Donuts Mocha Latte
• 8 Small Tortilla Wraps, Steamed or Fried
• 2 Cups Shredded Lettuce
• 1 Tomato, Diced
• 1 (8oz) Block of Soft Cheese, (e.g. Queso Fresco or Feta)
• 8 Eggs

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Using a large pan with deep sides, heat oil on the stovetop.  
3. Season the piece of flank steak with salt and pepper.  
4. Add beef to the hot pan and sear on both sides to a golden brown, approximately 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove beef from pan and place into a 9x13 baking dish.
5. In the same pan used to sear the beef, add the onions and garlic. Cook until soft and translucent.  
6. Add can of chipotle peppers, paprika, tomato sauce and salt to the pan and simmer for another 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the large Dunkin' Donuts Mocha Latte. Stir to incorporate.
7. Using an immersion blender or traditional blender, puree the sauce. Pour this sauce on top of the beef and place into the oven for approximately one hour until the beef is fork tender.
8. Once the beef is cooked, slice thin.

Assembling the Steak n' Eggs:

1. Steam or pan fry the tortilla wraps.
2. Pan fry the 8 eggs, preferably over easy.
3. Place one tortilla wrap onto a plate. Top with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and cheese.
4. Place the second tortilla wrap on top. On top of the second tortilla add a few slices of the sliced flank steak and spoon some of the mocha chili sauce on top.
5. Top off with 2 fried eggs.

To learn more about Dunkin' Donuts, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com or follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/DunkinDonuts) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/DunkinDonuts).

About Dunkin' Donuts

Founded in 1950, Dunkin' Donuts is America's favorite everyday, all-day stop for coffee and baked goods. Dunkin' Donuts is a market leader in the regular/decaf coffee, iced coffee, hot flavored coffee, donut, bagel and muffin categories. Dunkin' Donuts has earned the No. 1 ranking for customer loyalty in the coffee category by Brand Keys for four years running. The company has more than 9,700 restaurants in 31 countries worldwide. In 2010, Dunkin' Donuts' global system-wide sales were $6.0 billion. Based in Canton, Mass., Dunkin' Donuts is a subsidiary of Dunkin' Brands, Inc. For more information, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com.

SOURCE Dunkin' Donuts