Strawberry, Marshmallow, Dark Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Should we just get down to brass tacks and I try with all my might to persuade you that you need these Strawberry, Marshmallow, Dark Chocolate Sugar Cookies in your life to make it complete?  Perhaps it's necessary to fill a void, a reason to cheat on that diet (that you knew deep down you weren't sticking to anyways), a salve to soothe away winter blues.  I could even argue the case that these lovely treats contain mood lifting dark chocolate and real strawberries, but really now; stare deeply into their little pink hearts, you know resistance is futile.  

Face it we all have our growing lists of crap-to-do and limited amounts of time to do it in.  I think I'm becoming a master of distraction and can easily convince my vast expanse of a wandering mind that there are a million other things I need to be doing than sitting down working these days.  For one, my chaturanga got up and left, actually I'm not sure if it ever really liked me that much anyhow but I do miss it so.  Baking and my lack of it the last few months was something else I sorely missed so I rounded up all the energy and focus I could and whipped up some treats to share with my Valentines.  It was a good salve and I enjoyed the time immersed in it, one day at a time, I'm going to get there.  I have no idea where "there" is but I know I'll recognize it when I see it.

Until you get to your "there" perhaps you should immerse yourself in a kitchen filled with the aroma of strawberries, the sweetness of soft fluffy marshmallow needing to be licked off your sticky fingers, or perhaps disposing of all the wayward melty chocolate and errant sprinkles is more your speed.  Either way we all can get something we want out of the deal.

    

Strawberry Sugar Cookies
1.2 ounces freeze dried strawberries

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees F. 

2.  Place the strawberries in the bowl of a food processor or blender and pulse until they are a powder. Sift the powder through a fine sieve and discard any larger pieces that are left. Set aside.

3.  Add the butter and sugar to a mixing bowl and mix until the butter is lighter in color and fluffy.

4.  Add the egg, strawberry powder, flour, and salt and mix until well combined.

5.  Roll 1/2 of the dough on a floured surface into a 1/4” thick disk. Cut the cookies in heart shapes or whichever shape you’d like. Place the cookies onto a baking sheet prepared with parchment or silicone mats. Space the cookies about an inch apart. Repeat until all the dough has been used up.

6.  Bake for 8-10 minutes until the cookies feel firm to the touch.
7.  Let cool.

Marshmallow Fluff

3 large egg whites 

2/3 cup granulated sugar + 2 tablespoons 

3/4 cup light corn syrup 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Pinch salt

1.  Beat eggs in a mixer until frothy and then add 2 tablespoons sugar and beat until soft peaks form. 

2.  In a small pan heat corn syrup and 1/3 cup water and rest of granulated sugar until boiling. Let boil until it reaches a temperature of 242 degrees F. 

3.  Pour sugar into mixer with egg whites and beat on low speed, gradually increasing to high speed until the sugar is cool and mixture resembles marshmallow fluff.

4.  Place fluff in a piping bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip.  Pipe the marshmallow fluff onto half of the sugar cookies and top with another cookie and set aside.

This version is so good and fluffy and pipes so well, but if you want to just buy a jar that's cool too.  This recipe will make more than you need and you can store the rest in a covered jar in the fridge for a few days. 

Also needed

6 ounces dark chocolate 

1 tablespoon heavy cream

Assorted sprinkles

1.  Melt the chocolate and cream in a bowl of a double boiler, stirring until melted and then take off heat.  

2.  Dip sides of filled cookies in chocolate and then sprinkle with the sprinkles over a separate bowl.  

3.  Place finished cookies on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper and place in the fridge until firmed up.  Store in a cool place.  

Spreading around a little love and cookies was a huge mood lifter.  I'm putting it back on the do-again-soon list.  

Enjoy,

Gina

Lemon, Blueberry Shortbread Cookies

I finally got around to downloading some photos off my memory card and I was like, "Dang, I wish I could just go back to that moment in time."  You all were probably leaning towards; I dropped off the face of the planet, suffered a horrendous case of karma retribution from the Halloween episode, or worse yet was abducted by aliens.  I'm not completely ruling out the last option since there was this one episode at Trader Joe's last week where I lengthily explained why I was buying freezing dried fruit to the clerk.  For the record, never dribble on about macaronage to the uninitiated, it makes their head spin in ways I've never seen before.  For the most part, I had to lay low and do the thing I hate most, actually I dislike it so much I really don't want to give it any credence by uttering it's vile name.  So we won't talk about the four-letter word that has been sucking the life out of me these days.

Did I ever tell you guys about the stalker who asked me out on a date via weird random e-mail (Patty) shortly after I started blogging?  Apparently I lack street sense or something, because I thought it was a fabulous idea to run off and meet up with this stalker and be all starry-eyed bloggy geek with them.  We met at a swanky, hip eatery owned by the Tyler Florence in San Francisco, we sipped ice tea, we ogled our food, and of course we snapped photos of it.  After that one date I was hooked, ready to kick Hot Dog Dude to the curb and hook up with my new bff and play out some romanticized version of the Golden Girls (with much younger hotter chicks of course).  Good times I tell you.  Life changing I tell you to know that there are people out there that see no problem whatsoever with debating the merits of a perfect tart crust.

Truth be told, I have been over blogging for some time.  Yet I am far from over the wonderful people who have come into my life and made it that much better.  I adore checking up on them and seeing what treats they are baking, even what their kids and pets are up to.  Not to mention the fabulous adventures they are always on.  I am way over the endless time suck that is social media, the Pinterest whoring, and the endless content spamming.  I have received some of the sweetest e-mails from folks over the years and keep all of you in my thoughts.  I'm at a crossroads here as to whether or not filling this space fits with me anymore.  I will never be over the Christmas cookie exchange that has been going on for the last few years that included myself, Patty, Lisa C., Lisa D., Jean, and Azmina this year.  Long live the cookie exchange.

If you are far from over cookies, perhaps these may tickle your fancy.

Lemon, Blueberry, Almond, White Chocolate Shortbread

Shortbread dough:

1 cup granulated sugar

Zest from 1 lemon (Meyer is best if you can find them)

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon lemon extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup dried blueberries, roughly chopped

1/3 cup whole toasted almonds, chopped

White Chocolate Ganache:

3/4 cup white chocolate, chopped finely (chips will work)

3 tablespoons heavy cream

In the bowl of a food processor combine sugar and lemon zest, pulse a few times until the aroma of the zest is nice and strong.

In the bowl of a mixer, combine butter and sugar mixture and beat until well combined and fluffy.
Add the egg yolks, lemon extract, salt, and flour and mix on low speed until combined.

Remove the dough from the mixer and fold in the blueberries and almonds.  Spread dough out into a 2-inch thick square on a piece of plastic wrap and wrap tightly and store in the fridge until well chilled, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 1/4-inch and cut the dough with square or round cookie cutter, re-roll any scraps.  I’ve found a 2-inch square works really well and less re-rolling will be necessary. Place cut out cookies a 1/2-inch apart onto prepared baking sheets, prepared with silicone mats, parchment, or greased.

Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Cool cookies on a rack. Once completely cooled combine white chocolate and heavy cream in a small saucepan and melt on very low heat. You can either just slowly drizzle the chocolate over the cooled cookies with a small spoon or add it to a piping bag for a more controlled drizzle. 

Makes about 48 cookies if cut into 2-inch squares.

I liked these cookies so much I ended up make a few extra batches and shipping them off to a few friends I felt may be in cookie need.

So for now I shall kick back with cookies in hand and contemplate the future.  Who knows maybe I will come back as a symbol, you know like Prince.  

Happy Valentines Day!!

Gina

Chocolate Pecan Chess Bars and Valentine's Crafts

It has been brought to my attention that I have been neglecting this space again.  While that may be true, I've been neglecting my homework also if that makes you feel any better.  I may have gotten a little carried away with all the craft preparations for the Valentine's party I had for the kids this weekend.  When glitter and gem stones are involved I somehow lose all track of time.

I sometimes wonder who the bigger kid is at these affairs.  I was setting everything up, getting all the packages open and before I knew it I was knee deep in decoupage and sequins.  I bought some vases at the dollar store and with a few tissue paper squares; sequins, mod podge (glue), and a little ribbon had quite the cute project ready for my little guests to make for themselves.

I had all the supplies necessary for the kids to make their own crowns.  I made a sample one for myself with no intention what so ever of sharing.  Imagine the horror when I saw my nephew running around with it manhandling it, hence the glitter all over it.  Let's just put it this way, he is lucky he is 1 and adorable or I may have to of had a little talk with him.  Crowns of this caliber don't just grow on trees you know. Wait a second; these were made of paper, so scratch that last statement.

Did I have fun with the desserts; let's just say there was homemade marshmallow fluff involved.  In my usual neglectful fashion though, photos were neglected to be taken.  So as an apology I'm offering you some decadent Chocolate Pecan Chess Bars that would be perfect for your Valentines.

Chocolate Pecan Chess Bars

Crust: 

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 

1/2 cup granulated sugar 

2 cups all-purpose flour 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

Filling: 

1 cup granulated sugar 

8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted 

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted 

3 large eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 cup milk 

Topping: 

56 pecan halves, (3 1/2 ounces) or more if you’d like 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Combine butter, sugar, flour, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture is barely stating to come together. Press the crumbs into a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan and bake for 17 minutes. (If you don’t have a food processor, you could melt the butter and just mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and press in the pan.) Let cool for 10 minutes or so. 

Mix sugar, chocolate, butter, eggs, vanilla extract, salt, and milk together and pour over the baked crust. Place pecan halves evenly over the top of the chocolate batter. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes. 

Let cool and cut into squares for serving.

In the off chance I neglect you on Valentine's Day, let me just say how much I love having you stop by here.

Happy Valentine's Day,

Gina

Red Velvet and simple "I Love You" ideas

One thing I've learned over the years is that I don't need complicated or grand gestures to feel loved.  I turned a long week around, simplified it and the love felt all the same.  My husband has been home late every night and while he isn't the most romantic guy (Unless camo somehow translates to romance?) he usually stops and gets me flowers.  I was out anyways yesterday morning so I decided to handle that one for him so he didn't have to waste his evening in long lines after another long day.  It was a win-win for both of us.

I got my work done early and headed into the kitchen to fix some treats for my Valentine's.  My daughter and her friends were coming home after school to eat and hang out.

Two of my daughter's guy friends were arguing as they mowed down hamburgers and cupcakes as to who loved me more.  I'm pretty sure it was the food gone straight to the brain talking, but either way they certainly made my Valentine's Day.   I'm convinced these kids have no food available to them at home.  A few weeks ago, one of my daughter's friends knocked on the door after school and asked if I had any cake.  I wish I was making that up.

My girlfriend makes the best chocolate dipped pretzels and I thought I'd Valentine up her specialty.

I melted about 2 ounces of white chocolate, dark chocolate, and pink candy melts each in small heat-proof bowls. Use the microwave at half power or defrost and stir every 30 seconds or so until the chocolate is melted.  Dip the pretzels and place them on a piece of parchment or wax paper to set up.  The fridge will speed up the process.

Since I was simply having fun with "I love you", I broke up a few of the pretzels to create these fun ones to eat.

I had a little leftover chocolate so I placed the chocolate in disposable piping bags, cut a small tip off the end and piped cupcake toppers onto parchment paper and put them in the fridge.

I baked up a couple dozen Red Velvet Cupcakes and put my toppers on them.  Patty - just posted a Red Velvet Cupcake with the cutest toppers, will have to try those soon.

I hope that all my loves knew that I love them!

I was staring at the calendar this morning and wondering where my week went yet again.  It was just Monday, wasn't it?  I must confess to my mind being elsewhere these days.  I have so many other things that are distracting me and keeping me going in multiple directions.  Some of my best days are when I can cast aside some of those distractions and just play around a bit.  What are some of your best days?

Enjoy,

Gina

Valentine's No-Sew Banners

Would you be my Valentine?  Please don't make me beg.  I've been busy getting ready to have some of my favorite little guests over.  We will immerse ourselves in sprinkles, glitter, gems and Valentine magic.

Since the majority of my guests are in the under 6 bracket I like to make sure that I have everything in an easy to assemble fashion when they arrive.  Especially the ironing (I barely trust myself with one, let alone them.) One of the projects we are going to make is No-Sew Valentine's Banners.

I will cut out all of the pieces and the kids can just assemble them when they arrive.

You will need to assemble a few things:
Assorted fabric scraps or heavy paper (if using paper, there is no need for the iron-on adhesive)
A few yards Heat n' Bond Adhesive Paper (I got mine at Wal-Mart)
An iron
Tacky glue such as Jewel-it
Small spool of twine, string or thin ribbon
Straight edge
Scissors
Hole punch
Googly eyes and gems (because they are just plain fun)
Scrap paper

For the Be Mine Banner cut (3) fabric rectangles that are 12-inches wide by 17-inches long. Then cut (3) heat n' bond strips that are 6-inches by 17-inches long.

Place the heat n' bond as close to the edge of the fabric as possible, run a medium-hot (no-steam) iron over it for about 2-5 seconds, let cool a few seconds and then remove paper.  Fold the fabric with the side facing farthest away from you and bring it to the side closest to you.  Press the fabric together for 8-10 seconds or so until the fabric is bonded.  Trim off edges where there is no adhesive.

Cut the fabric into (9) 6-inch by 5-inch squares and trim off sides of each to form a triangle shape. (You can reserve the scraps for another project.)  You can do it visually or by marking the center of the bottom and lining your ruler up with that point and the point at the top edge.

Cut a piece of heat n' bond that is 2 1/2-inches by 17-inches and fuse it onto the back side of a piece of fabric at least that size in the color you want the letters to be.  Use a pencil and draw letters that are approximately 2 1/2-inches by 2 1/2-inches.  I will draw lines every 2 1/2-inches so that I keep my letters uniform.  Be sure and remember you are drawing the letters in reverse of the way they will be when ironed on.  If I can't figure out the way a backwards letter looks, I will draw it on a scrap piece of paper and cut it out and reverse it and trace it onto the bonding paper.

Cut out all your letters, then peel the paper and place them on the triangles, then place the hot iron on them to fuse for 4-5 seconds.

To assemble the banners punch a hole about a 1/4-inch in from each of the top edge.  Cut (2) pieces of twine that are 13-inches long and cut (8) pieces that are 3 1/2-inches long.

Thread a 13-inch piece of twine through the left side of a triangle that is blank and tie the ends in a knot. Thread a 3 1/2-inch piece of twine through the right side of that same triangle and knot.  Pull the other side of the twine through the left side of the triangle with the B on it.  Repeat.  Finished banner is about 68-inches long.

The Snap I Love You banner requires a few more cuts, but it's totally worth it since it's so cute.

The head and tail started out as 6-inch wide by 6-inch long rectangles that were trimmed down to form a head and tail.  The body of the alligator is (10) 3 1/2-inch by 3 1/2-inch squares and the triangles on its back are formed by cutting 1-inch and 2-inch squares in half on the diagonal and then glued on from the back side along with the feet.  Don't forget the googly eyes and bling.

I cut a strip of white and glued it behind the opening of the mouth and cut little triangle shapes out to look like teeth.

Go ahead; tell me I'm not just the cutest thing ever!

Snappy Valentine's Day!

Just had to share these Almond Balls from Katty's Kitchen I tried this week.  They were so darn good we couldn't stop eating them; I don't think you could either.

Gina

And you thought your camera was an antique...

I've been working my way through 20+ years of collected treasures when I came across this rare find.  Can you believe I own an original Kodak Trimlite Instamatic?  Pretty sweet huh, it even has stickers.  I'm not sure if I can part with this beauty, but if your camera is more outdated than this one; send me your address and I'd be happy to send this one your way.

My house smells like icky cardboard at the moment instead of its usual delightful cookie aroma.  I've never considered myself a collector or anything like that.  Have you ever received a gift you just weren't crazy about, but didn't have the heart to get rid of because you didn't want to hurt the feelings of the giver.... well let's just say I may be guilty of that crime.

Sitting on the floor with a bin full of stuffed animals I played a little game of - I Love You, I Love You Not.  I couldn't help but feel a little blue every time I tossed one into the Love You Not pile, for I couldn't help but remember when and where the girls got each one.

There was one project I had avoided for years; getting my huge collection of photos in order.  Don't lie that you don't have the same problem lying around in a dark corner of your house somewhere.  I always remember being the family shutterbug and I sure have the photos to prove it.  I had photos everywhere, everywhere but in albums that is.  I purchased a bunch of matching black albums and put all I could in them, labeling them by year.  I had quite a few oversized photos that didn't fit anywhere, so I bought a couple of portfolios to keep them in for long term storage.

It was a project well worth doing and I only wish I hadn't waited so long.  

I met up with Bonni and Visda for lunch at Zuni in San Francisco to say good-bye to Visda.  Visda is getting ready to leave the country for two years for work and can only bring 2 suitcases with her, and I thought I had it rough.  

Can I leave you with a couple of sweet ideas you could make for your Valentines while I finish up my packing? Besides the sooner I finish, the sooner I hope to get back in the kitchen.  

Chocolate Waffles with Whip Cream and Strawberries

Chocolate Peanut Butter Souffles

Meyer Lemon and Blackberry Muffins

Strawberry-Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone,

Gina

Valentine's Chocolate Bark & Baking Party

I hope you all had a relaxing and fun Super Bowl weekend?  I know I did, I was lucky enough to spend part of it with fellow Bay Area food bloggers baking Valentine's Sugar Cookies and Valentine's Chocolate Bark over at Patty's house.

The last couple of weeks have been rather stressful, we put our house for sale and it's been non-stop showings and trying to keep the place spotless.  Well this baking party must have been just what I needed, because when I returned home I had two offers on the house, one of which we accepted. This is welcome news because it frees me up for the important stuff I've been neglecting, like baking.

The weather in the Bay Area was gorgeous this weekend and the amazing Patty graciously welcomed us into her kitchen. We were joined by Lisa - The Authentic Suburban Gourmet, BonniBella, Baking Barrister, and my daughter joined us too.

We had some amazing appetizers to nibble on.  I brought Blood Orange Jam and Meyer Lemon Bread, Patty made us a delectable Point Reyes Original Blue Cheese Apple Quiche, Lisa delighted us with her Stilton and Walnut Palmiers, Stephanie surprised us with Leek Confit, Goat Cheese and Crostini, Bonni shared Thai Shrimp with us, yum.  Everything was so good; I should have stuffed some in my purse for later.

Looks amazing, huh?  Well then you should have been there partaking in the merriment with us, shouldn't you have.  We didn't just gather there to eat though; we were on a baking mission.  

Patty & Lisa fooling around mixing icing.  

Bonni -Chocolate Pop maker extraodinaire.

Valentine's Chocolate Bark

1 pound dark chocolate - Trader Joe's or whatever good quality chocolate you can find

1 pound milk chocolate - Trader Joe's or whatever good quality chocolate you can find

Assorted sprinkles (the big hearts are chewy red hots)

Melt one pound of chocolate at a time in a heat proof bowl over a pot of barely simmering water.

Let the chocolate cool for a couple of minutes.

Spray a half-sheet baking pan with no-stick spray and pour one kind of the chocolate in the pan drizzling it around.

Melt the second kind of chocolate and pour it in the empty spaces on the pan.  Tap the pan on the counter to fill in the gaps.  

Cover with sprinkles.  Place in the fridge till hard.  Turn the bark out onto a piece of parchment and slam it down to break up.

We divided up the loot and placed it in "Bark Bags", I repeat "Bark Bags", not "Barf Bags" (sorry inside joke).  Again, you should have been there.

Lisa and Bonni helped style the plates for us.  I must say they are both so good at it, I picked up a couple of new tricks myself.  I wanted to pluck a piece of chocolate right off that napkin, but I resisted the temptation. After we finished the bark, we moved on to sugar cookies.  We put on our inner diva decorator hats and created some super cute cookies to take home to our loved ones.  Patty is going to post the cookie recipe for you shortly.

B.B. and her wicked sense of humor, love it!

My Love and her Cookie Love.  Wonder where she gets those mad decorating skills from?

What do you mean you didn't get your invite to this par-tay?  No worries, there will be another one of these baking parties coming up soon.  To get on the super exclusive invite list, you will have to pass a gang group initiation.  You will need to bring an appetizer for the group to analyze, critique and then eat more of, just to be sure our initial impressions were correct.  If you pass that portion of the initiation; we will stick you in a room with no windows, 16 colors of royal icing, 19 kinds of sprinkles and a piece of cardboard and you will have 6 minutes to come up with a masterpiece to present before the group.  Did you think we would start you off with cookies?  You only get those if you make it to part three.

Enjoy,

Gina