Valentine’s Day has always been such a fun holiday to me as a kid. As a mother now, I may even enjoy it more – funny how that is 😉 We try to always have some sort of sweet treat around for this holiday each year – or just anytime, really. The other night the boys had “Guys Night” at preschool. So what were the girls left to do on a cold snowing evening?
Immediately, my daughter and I’s eyes connected and… landed on desserts – as were discussing our options…sugar cookie hearts, chocolate dipped pretzels, and even a few roasted marshmallows (these are the microwavable kind) sounded good to us.
So that’s just what we did – I worked on cutting out the cookies, and making the icing for the sugar cookie hearts. She whipped up thirty-seven chocolate dipped pretzels (to be exact), and I let her take care of about all of the sprinkles (as maybe you can tell). It was teamwork. We’ve had fun enjoying them as an after school snack and giving some away, too. I may need to even make a few more – they’re going fast!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
I’ve been following this amazing cookie blogger for some time now, Jenny Cookies. She makes beautiful creations and specializes in these sugar cookies. I thought this would be the perfect occasion to try them out. I like this recipe because it is simple, delicious, and the cookies keep their shape, too. Instead of using a buttercream frosting, this time, I made a simple icing.
Need chocolate?
Elegant Valentine’s:
Valentine’s Dinner with your Sweetheart
- 3 c. all purpose flour
- 2 t. baking powder
- 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 c. sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 t. vanilla extract
- Simple icing:
- 2 c. powdered sugar
- 1-2 T. milk or more to reach desired consistency
- 1 T. corn syrup
- ½ t. almond extract
- food color of choice
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer with paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed - until smooth and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla until well combined.
- Turn the mixer on low, and slowly add the flour mixture a little at a time. Once incorporated, and no longer sticking to the edges of the bowl, the dough is ready to refrigerate. Wrap the dough in a ball in plastic wrap to form a 1-inch disk. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes or up to 7 days.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface to approximately ¼ inch thickness. Cut out desired shapes and transfer to non-stick cookie sheet.
- Bake for 7-8 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to wire rack
- For the icing:
- In a small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and milk, until smooth. Add in the corn syrup, and almond extract until smooth and glossy. Separate into bowls and add desired colors. Use a knife, spoon, or paintbrush to frost cookies.
