Sweets For Your Valentine

Sweetheart Sugar Cookies

Southern Living rescued me with their sugar cookie recipe. You would think in this bulging 3 ring binder below with hoards of recipes inside, I would be   

able to find my favorite sugar cookie recipe. Unable to locate it sent me browsing the Internet. Southern Living's recipe was easy to follow and is now a top  favorite. And I only did some slight tweaking :)
The recipe made 22 cookies using a small cookie cutter (one pictured is 3 inch)
Ingredients:

• 1 cup of softened butter (2 sticks)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla 
• 1 large egg
• 2-1/4 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder

Directions:
Tips

• Place two large pieces of wax paper that overlap each other on counter or cutting board and flour
• Make sure to continually flour cookie cutter during process as well as the metal spatula and rolling pan to eliminate dough sticking
• Investing in a rolling pin sleeve really prevents dough sticking to the pin 
• Chilling dough makes it easier to handle

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375. I used my pizza stone which worked great and I did not grease it but if using a cookie sheet the recipe suggested VERY lightly greasing it. Keep in mind there is a lot of butter in dough so you don't want cookie sheet too greasy for baking cookies 
• Beat softened butter, sugar and vanilla till light and fluffy, add in egg beat till well blended
• Combine flour, salt and baking powder and add to butter mixture, beating just till blended
• Refrigerate dough 1 hour or in freezer 30 minutes 
• Work with enough dough to roll out for 2-3 cookies at a time
• Place cookies two inches apart
• Bake 8 minutes or until edges lightly browned
• Cool on baking sheet 3 minutes and transfer to a wire baking rack

Icing 

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 TB.butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 drops red food coloring
• 1-1/2 TB Amaretto or 1/4 tsp. almond extract
• start small 1/4 cup 

Beat ingredients till smooth adding in tablespoons of milk at a time until right consistency 

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Valentine Craft Ideas from Pinterest

   Valentine Garland 

Valentine Gift Bag

18 completed jars of M & M Candy Brownie Mix (recipe previously posted February 2, 2013)