VALENTINES DAY TREATS

Aw,  Valentine Day will be here soon.  Are your ready?  Have you chosen a card or gift for your favorite person?   How about some homemade cookies or a heart shaped cake or craft  something special.

Well, I am making  heart shaped cookies for my grandchildren to enjoy .  My husband also has a sweet tooth so I am making him a Texas Sheet Cake . 

Texas Sheet Cake       

By Diana  Rattray, About.com Guide

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• .
• Chocolate Frosting:
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk
• 2 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional

Preparation:

Cake Grease a 15X10X1-inch or jelly roll pan or a 13X9X2-inch baking pan; set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup butter, 1/3 cup cocoa, and 1 cup of water. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. With an electric hand-held mixer on medium speed, beat chocolate mixture into the dry mixture until thoroughly blended. Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute (batter will be thin). Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake in a 350° oven about 25 minutes for the 15X10-inch pan or 35 minutes for the 13X9-inch pan, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Pour warm chocolate frosting over the warm cake, spreading evenly. Place cake in pan on a wire rack; cool thoroughly before cutting. Makes 24 servings. Frosting: In a medium saucepan combine 1/4 cup butter or margarine, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, and 3 tablespoons buttermilk. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat; add 2 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until smooth. If desired, stir in 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans.

THIS CAKE IS SOOO GOOD!!!!!!!  YOU SHOULD TRY IT.

Now for my cookie recipe for my grandchildren:

Valentine's Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• Approximately 3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• Icing, recipe follows
• Silver balls
• Gold balls

Icing:

• 2 tablespoons egg whites*
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• Red food coloring

Directions

Cream the butter. Add the sugar and mix well. Add the egg, milk and vanilla and combine. Sift together 1 cup of the flour with the baking powder and mix it into the batter. Add some or all of the additional flour depending on how much the dough can handle. Form into a disk, cover in plastic and chill in the refrigerator at least 2 hours. Roll out on a lightly floured surface about 1/4-inch thick. Cut out hearts with various sized cookie cutters and place on a greased sheet pan. Bake at 375 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes until very light golden brown. Let cool on the pan.
Icing: Whisk together the egg whites and powdered sugar to form a slightly loose icing. It should flow a little bit but not too much. Transfer a small amount to a separate bowl and add a tiny amount of red food coloring to make pink icing. Pipe a rim of pink icing around the edge of the cookie and then fill in the center with white icing, or just pipe decorative designs on the surface. Embellish with silver or gold balls. Let dry and package up in cello bags tied with a ribbon.
Recipe from Food Network.

Oreo brownies

Oreo brownies / Nashville Budget Meals Examiner Elizabeth Jones
************************************************************
1 cup butter
2 1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/4 cups Hershey cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon good vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
15 double stuff Oreo cookies (crushed)
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Lightly grease pan

In sauce pan melt butter, add sugar, stir almost constantly, add cocoa and allow to combine about 1 minute (do not boil). Add salt, baking powder, and vanilla. Combine thoroughly. Transfer to mixing bowl and add eggs one at a time mixing well. Add flour, do not over mix. Fold in crushed Oreo cookies. Turn out into a 9x13 inch pan, greased or sprayed with Pam. Bake 25 to 28 minutes. Do not over bake. Brownies will be done when cake tester inserted into the center comes out dry. Immediately after taking out of oven spread milk chocolate chips over top and allow to melt. When chocolate chips are melted spread with a knife over brownies to create a frosting

CHOCOLATE DIP STRAWBERRIES

Sweets For Your Sweetheart On Valentines Day
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1 bag (12 ounces) white baking chips (2 cups)
1 tablespoon shortening
18 large strawberries with leaves
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon shortening

1. Cover cookie sheet with waxed paper. Heat white baking chips and 1 tablespoon shortening in 2-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until chips are melted.
2. For each strawberry, poke fork or toothpick into stem end, and dip three-fourths of the way into melted chips, leaving top of strawberry and leaves uncoated. Place on waxed paper-covered cookie sheet.
3. Heat semisweet chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon shortening in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate chips are melted. (Or place chocolate chips and shortening in small microwavable bowl. Microwave uncovered on Medium (50%) 1 minute; stir. Microwave 2 to 3 minutes longer, until mixture can be stirred smooth.)
4. Drizzle melted semisweet chocolate over dipped strawberries, using small spoon. Refrigerate uncovered about 30 minutes or until coating is set.

BETTY CROCKER

CHOCOLATE FUDGE

White Chocolate Fudge
Posted by: Kim

Holidays are just around the corner and these little treats will satisfy anyone with a sweet tooth. They make great gifts too.

2 cups sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter
8 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 cup tiny marshmallows
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped unblanched almonds, toasted
1. Line an 8x8x2 inch baking pan with foil. Extend foil over edges of pan. Butter the foil and set aside.

2. Butter sides of a heavy 3 -quart saucepan. Combine the sugar, evaporated milk, and butter in the saucepan. Cook and stir until mixture boils. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and cook until thermometer registers 234 F ( ~ 15 min). Stir frequently. Remove from heat.

3. Add chopped white chocolate, marshmellows, and vanilla; beat until melted. Quickly stir in coconut and chopped almonds. Pout into prepared pan. Score into squares while warm.

4. When fudge is firm, use foil to lift it out of the pan. Cut into squares. Store tightly covered.

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pie

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pie
Taste of Home -

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
2-1/4 cups water
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pastry shell (9 inches), baked
Whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles
Directions:
In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cocoa, flour and salt; gradually add water. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in butter and vanilla.
Pour into pastry shell. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. Yield: 6-8 servings.