Any holiday, no matter how big or small, warrants some sort of baked confection in my house. The level of difficulty for such confections depends on (A) time; and (B) my mood during the holiday in question. This year I was (A) pressed for time, and (B) only somewhat in the mood.Valentine's Day is synonymous with anything sweet. Your sweetheart, for example (mine can be super sweet and mouth-puckeringly sour all at once.) So it makes perfect sense that I take at least a little time to make some sweets with my littlest sweetheart.
Christmas, as you very well know- I bake like Otis Spunkmeyer. I always make cut-out sugar cookies. I'll make a whole big batch of dough, but I only use half of it. The rest I wrap up tightly in plastic, then seal in a freezer bag. The remainder of the dough lies in wait for Valentine's Day, were I'll make little hearts, cupids, lips, X's and O's and such.
This year I chose to make only hearts, and paint them with pretty pastels mimicking conversation hearts. As one heart always reads- TOO CUTE! And the pretty glitter plate and charger was a freecycle find-even cuter!!
INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened (no substitutes)
1 cup butter, softened (no substitutes)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
FROSTING
2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon milk (more or less to adjust for consistency)
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
food coloring
In large bowl, combine butter with sugar, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat using an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
In another bowl, combine flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually stir into the butter mixture until well blended.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 400. Line cookie sheets with parchment or silpat. (Helps prevent bottoms from browning.) Lightly flour surface and roll out dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut dough using cookie cutters.
Place cookies 2 inches apart, bake 4-6 minutes. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting, mix confectioners sugar with milk and almond extract until desired consistency. Divide into separate bowls and add food coloring to each. Frosting should be thick, but thinned enough to "paint" the cookies without running.
Allow to set before storing or writing on the surface of the cookies. Once it has set, I used canned whipped frosting to write on the hearts. If you are using sprinkles or colored sugar, sprinkle just after frosting the cookies.
In large bowl, combine butter with sugar, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat using an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
In another bowl, combine flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually stir into the butter mixture until well blended.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 400. Line cookie sheets with parchment or silpat. (Helps prevent bottoms from browning.) Lightly flour surface and roll out dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut dough using cookie cutters.
Place cookies 2 inches apart, bake 4-6 minutes. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting, mix confectioners sugar with milk and almond extract until desired consistency. Divide into separate bowls and add food coloring to each. Frosting should be thick, but thinned enough to "paint" the cookies without running.
Allow to set before storing or writing on the surface of the cookies. Once it has set, I used canned whipped frosting to write on the hearts. If you are using sprinkles or colored sugar, sprinkle just after frosting the cookies.
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