Valentine Treats

These are other treats that I did as packages for Valentines to send out to faraway friends!

I made heart cut out cookies - used the Caradmom Butter Cookie recipe I use at Christmas time.





Valentine Bark - again using the recipe I use at Christmas time but with Valentine M&M's.

Shortbread Cookies

Okay these are really good and when you see how much butter is in them you will understand why they are so good. I mean straight to hips and thighs! I am going to make another batch this week as my sister's are coming into town and they were both Girl Scouts too - so I bet they will remind them of the Girl Scout Shortbread cookie.

I found this recipe on www.allrecipes.com

















The Recipe:

2 cups butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Cream butter and brown sugar. Add 3 to 3 3/4 cups flour. Mix well.

Sprinkle board with the remaining flour. Knead for 5 minutes, adding enough flour to make a soft dough. Roll into a ball and then flatten with a glass dipped in sugar. Prick with fork and place on ungreased baking sheets. (I always put things on greased pans here in the altitude and did with these also.)

Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes.

Valentine Baking

This weekend I was busy making Valentine treats for some friends. I made shortbread cookies that bring me back to selling Girlscout cookies, triple chocolate brownies, the bark I made for Christmas but with Valentine M&M's and then Cardamom Butter cookies with dark chocolate and espresso glaze.

I decided when taking pictures this time I would do them up in a Valentine theme...so red tissue, old time paper table decoration, curly ribbon in gold and red. Unfortunately I didn't have a little red plate so the blue it had to be...

Triple Chocolate Brownies....
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 flaked coconut (I used sweetened flaked coconut)
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup semi-sweet chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x9 inch pan. In a medium bowl mix all dry ingredients* together. In a large bowl mix oil, vanilla and then add the dry ingredients except the eggs. Beat two eggs then gradually stir them in with your mixture. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until the brownies begin to pull away from the edges of the pan. Cool before cutting.

*I sprinkled the chips on the top because here in the altitude chips sink. Sometimes I don't mind that and just make them as is but this time I wanted them pretty since they are gifts.

Panini

I have a Hamilton Beach indoor grill (similar to the George Foreman) and I love it. I use it all the time. I have the one with the plates that remove and are dishwasher safe. And it has plates that are normal grill lined pattern like the George Foreman but also has flat griddle like plates.

Grilled sandwiches are great really on either type of grill insert. This one I used the flat griddle like plates.

It is turkey, Dijon, roasted red pepper and provolone cheese on just a left over kaiser roll.