Valentine Chocolate Pretzel Bites

Here is what you need:

1 bag of the square bite sized pretzels I've heard them called waffle pattern
1 bag of Hershey's Hugs
1 bag of Valentine's M&Ms
Cute little baggies 

Here is what you:

1. Unwrap a bag of Hershey Hugs (preferably with a friend and wine) My mother always said a burden shared is half a burden thus the friend.
2. Preheat your oven to 170 degrees F
3. Using a rimmed baking sheet also called a jelly roll pan. I lined it with parchment paper just to be safe, although I am not sure you really need it.  Lay out as many pretzel bites as you can without them overlapping.
4. Top each pretzel with the Hershey Hug.
5. Place in the oven for 4 minutes.
6. Working quickly, press one M&M down into the chocolate.
7. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes to chill.
8. Wrap up in cute little baggies, give to friends and family... 

Hooray for pop-able, Valentines treats!

Happy Valentine's Day! As always, many blessings, much love, and Happy Baking!

Freddy's Valentine Cookies

This was the first year I made Valentine's for Freddy's class. Last year he was only 9 months old and most of his buddies weren't eating solid foods. This year however, we had a bunch of sugar craving toddlers, so cookies were indeed in order. We gave out little baggies, with heart sugar cookies, chocolate chip, and organic lollipops. I tied the whole thing together with a cut out heart and a little smiley face out of construction paper. 

To make the sugar cookies: 
5 cups of flour
5 cups of sugar
2 sticks of butter
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon of baking soda
2 Tablespoons of cream cheese
Food Coloring 
Food Color Markers to draw the faces

Method:

1. Mix all of the ingredients in your standing mixer, it is a lot to do by hand.
2. Once mixed together separate into two discs, and wrap in cling plastic wrap and let the dough chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 day, or in the freezer up to a month.
3. When ready, roll out the dough, use flour on a board and rolling pin to get the dough to about 1/4 inch thick.
4. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
5. Cut with your favorite heart shaped cookie cutters and place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges are just slightly golden. Let cool and use markers to draw your faces.

To make the Chocolate Chip Cookies with the Heart Chocolate Center

½ cup of sugar bowl sugar
½ cup of brown sugar
1 stick of butter softened overnight
1 egg
1 teaspoon Vanilla
½ teaspoon bakind soda
1 and ¼ cup of all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon of sea salt
1 cup of best quality chocolate chips Ghirardelli is my favorite

24 Dove Hearts

Here is what you do: 

1. Preheat your oven to 325 F.

2. Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl (except for the chocolate chips), wooden spoon is fine. 

3.  Place teaspoon dollops on parchment lined sheet pan. 

4. Bake for 18 minutes. ]

5. Place an unwrapped Dove heart in the center of the cookies while they are still warm. Enjoy

There you have it my friends, easy, classic, but delicious cookies. 

Here is a picture of the finished product... 

Happy Valentines'! As always, much love, many blessings, happy baking!

Red Velvet Pancakes

So... I love pancakes. I always have. My husband doesn't like anything sweet for breakfast but now that I have a little one, we have pancakes together every Saturday. Valentines Day is coming up and to celebrate I have made these adorable heart shaped red velvet pancakes with cream cheese drizzle. I adapted the recipe for Cooking Classy.

What you need:

1 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cups buttermilk

1 Tbsp white vinegar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large eggs

1/2 Tbsp red food coloring

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup salted butter, melted

Cream Cheese Glaze

3 oz cream cheese, softened

3 Tbsp butter, softened

1 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk, plus more if desired

1/4 tsp vanilla extract
pink food dye 

What you do: 

1. Preheat and electric griddle (non-stick) to 350 degrees F. 
2. Whisk together all of the ingredients save the Cream Cheese Glaze. 
3. Pour on to the griddle in a heart shaped pattern. Flip when bubbles appear all over the pancake. I find putting the mix in a cleaned out ketchup bottle works best, but a zip-lock baggie with the corner snipped also, works perfect. 
4. Cook for another minute and take off the heat. 
5. Cream together all of the ingredients for the cream cheese glaze, drizzle on warm pancakes

Serve with glaze and garnish with berries or whip cream and sprinkles.

As always, much love, many blessings, and happy pancaking...