Valentine's Day Cookies

The recipe I finally found success with was by Wilton.  The original recipe calls for almond extract.  While this is a gorgeous nutty flavor, some may not care for it and when making it for nut-sensitive friends I modify the recipe.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter , softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

I also don't put salt in my cookies.  Some will say that this effects the rise on the cookies, but I have found that it isn't necessary.  Preheat your oven to 400F.  Gather un-greased cookie sheets.

Begin with room temperature butter.  Cream the butter and sugar together until they are just barely mixed.   I have found that if you over stir this step you add too much air to your batter and the cookies spread.  Mix in the egg and vanilla, again just stirring enough to incorporate.  Then add in the flour in small amounts.  Just before the mix comes together put your spoon aside and press the dough together with your hands.  This will help give the cookie a flaky consistency (like shortbread cookies).  Separate into two balls, this makes it more manageable once rolled out, you will need to use all the dough - it does not refrigerate well.  On a well floured surface and with a well floured rolling pin, roll out the dough until 1/4" thick.  Flour your shaped cutter of choice and cut dough.  Press together scraps and re-roll.  Bake cookies for 5 minutes.  Cool cookies.

Be sure to cool your cookies completely.  If they are even the least bit warm your icing will run off and make a huge mess.

Blissfully Domestic provided me with the most successful recipe for icing the cookies.  When making the "flooding" icing (the icing that covers the entire cookie) be sure to add VERY small amounts of water.   The icing should barely run off your spoon to flood.  I found that to coat the cookie but be thick and opaque you'll need to place some icing on the cookie and gently encourage the icing around the cookie with your spoon to fill it.  When I made the icing runny enough to "flow" on the cookie it was much too thin, and soaked into the cookie.  If you find that your icing is too runny using your sifter, sift in small spoonfuls of powdered sugar until it is back to the right consistency.  

For my valentine cookies I lined in the same color as the fill using a thicker icing.  After flooding the cookies I left them to dry completely (about 20-30min).   I then decorated with thick red, white and pink icing.  Left to set (again about 20 min) and then boxed for storage.  Once the icing is set you can gently stack the cookies without having the icing transfer.  

Enjoy!  Happy Valentine's Day!

School Valentines

I wanted to help my daughter make something for her class Valentines that didn't involve unhealthy snacks.

We decided on rubber-band bracelets.  You know the ones, all the kids are wearing them.  There are YouTube videos all over on how to make different patterns.  We watched a "how-to" video on the fishtail pattern for the bracelets.

I designed cards using graphics I found free online, text that was free online and shapes that were available in photo-editor software.  I also used a free word-search found online to decorate the back of the card.  I was able to print double sided to fit 8 cards per sheet of card stock.

After my daughter made all the bracelets and I printed the cards we prepared for assembly.

I found that a lobster pick made just the right size hole for tying the loom bracelet to the card.

I cut 6 inch lengths of colored baker's twine purchased from a vendor on an auction site.

By placing two holes together closely and near the top we were able to thread the baker's twine through the card and tie the loom bracelet to the Valentine.


My daughter than wrote each student's name on the card.  We made pink themed cards and bracelets for the girls in her class and blue themed cards and bracelets for the boys in her class.

To give the teachers a Valentine that was cute but again not made of junk food we found this idea online.

Using another free graphics pack, free fonts, and shapes in my photo editor software I was able to make this teacher Valentine.

I was able to fit four of these Valentines on a single sheet of card stock.

My daughter then used a glue stick to glue a bag of tea to the Valentine.

The tea bag covers up the heart and the word "tea", but when the tea is used it should be visible again.

My daughter then wrote her "to:" and "from:" on the back of each card.

Hope this helps inspire you to make a Valentine that is both thoughtful and sweet without using candy or junk food.