Edible Valentines

Love should always be sweet. And edible. Yes, definitely edible. This is why Valentine's day is one of the greatest days of the year. It is a regular love fest for all! 

It is an unwritten rule that one must decorate sugar cookies for Valentine's Day. Being law abiding folk, I dutifully made my sugar cookies and invited small people over to decorate them. The only thing I failed to foresee is that these little edible Valentines wouldn't actually make it to any recipient other than the decorators, themselves. All of the boys decorated their cookies and then promptly devoured them in about four minutes flat. So I guess they won't have anything to give their parents and teachers. But hey - when you're this cute, you can get away with just about anything.

Aren't these guys adorable?!

Oh, where are my own children, you ask? My camera battery died before I got to that side of the table. Parenting fail.

If you haven't made your Valentine's sugar cookies yet, it's never too late. It's never too late for a cookie.(I should stitch that on a pillow, or something.) 

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 tsps. almond extract

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1. Cream together butter and sugar. 

2. Add eggs, vanilla, and almond extract and mix well. 

3. Gradually add flour and salt until completely mixed in.

4. Cover dough and chill for about 2 hours. 

5. When ready to roll dough, remove from fridge and briefly knead to make it workable again. 

6. Roll and cut in desired shapes. If desired, press popsicle stick into the toe about 1/3 of the up from the bottom. 

7. Bake at 375 for for 10-12 minutes

Royal Icing

Ingredients:

4 Tblsp. meringue powder 

1/2 cup water

6-7 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 Tbls. shortening

2 Tbls. corn syrup

Supplies:

Frosting Bags (Disposable always preferable)

Frosting Tips 

1. Whip meringue powder and water on high speed for several minutes until soft peaks form.

2. Gradually add the rest of ingredients until frosting is firm and falls slowly off an upside down spoon. 

3. If not frosting immediately, frosting can be stored in a sealed container for up to four weeks at room temperature.

4. Divide frosting into thirds. The first third will remain white and go into a piping bag. The second third will remain white and be thinned out for flooding the cookies. The last third is to dye red or other various colors.  I was going mostly for red, but I find that you need a whole barrel full of red food coloring to make it actually RED. I always end up with some sort of hot pink. 

5. Outline the cookies with white frosting using a 3 or 4 tip. Allow frosting to dry for at least 15 minutes.

6. Thin the white frosting left in the bowl using 1 tsp. water at a time until you reach desired consistency. The icing should be thin and able to spread easily but not too watery. Spoon it onto the outlined cookies and let the frosting fill the cookie, pushing the frosting to the edges. Allow to dry at least 15 minutes.

7. Dye the remaining frosting and place in piping bags. Pipe words or designs onto cookies.

OR

Just let the kids have at 'em. They're more creative, anyway!

Red Velvet Pancakes with Cream Cheese Glaze

If red velvet ever goes out of style, please no one tell me. I will persist in my little world where this most versatile of flavors lends itself to all manner of baked goods - cupcakes, brownies, macaroons, and pancakes, to name a few. And the great thing about it being a red velvet is that red is prominent at so many major holidays! Christmas, Valentine's and Fourth of July are all BEGGING you to make red velvet goodies. Who am I to say no? 

I first made these pancakes for a Fourth of July breakfast and they were a hit with adults and kids alike. I owe this popularity to the cream cheese glaze. As if everyone didn't already love a pancake, throw some cream cheese glaze on top and you're basically a hero. The pancakes are light and fluffy with just a touch of cocoa. I would be lying if I said I only ate one.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Red Velvet Pancakes

Cream Cheese Glaze:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract (or paste for a little extra something)

1-3 TBLS milk

Pancakes:

1&1/2 cups flour

2 TBLS white sugar

2 tsps baking powder

1 TBLS unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp white vinegar

2 tsps red food coloring

1/4 cup melted butter

1. Make glaze by beating together cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency. Set aside.

2. To make pancakes, whisk together dry ingredients. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl until smooth. Whisk in milk, buttermilk, vanilla extract, vinegar, and food coloring. Stir together with dry ingredients until moistened, but not smooth. There may be some lumps, which is okay. Drizzle in the melted butter and stir until completely incorporated.

3. Drop 1/4 cup batter onto lightly oiled griddle over medium-high heat and cook until bubbles form. Flip and cook until browned on the other side. Drizzle with cream cheese glaze to serve.