John von Pamer Azuki Linzer cookies with a red bean, yuzu and white chocolate center. Lately, some of the best sweets have been the color of love — and vegetables. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, these comforting red confections made from ingredients not usually associated with homey desserts gave me an idea: a new trademark treat for the holiday. I craved something in a Valentine-worthy hue that was easy to make, easy to love, but not so easy to recognize. There’d be an element of playful surprise — a beet, perhaps, or some beans. John von Pamer Beet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. It started a few months ago while lunching at The Breslin. A dessert called “Best Cake” caught my eye. Actually, it was called Beet Cake. A cross between a red velvet and carrot cake, this two-tiered wonder was slathered in a thick, tangy, cream-cheese frosting and sprinkled with toasted hazelnuts. The base had a maroon tinge, not to mention more flavor than red ...