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.

Halloween Candy Cookies

Well, tonight is the big night for Trick or Treaters. All of the children are excitingly waiting with their candy
 bucket, basket or any container they choose. When my children were small, I used to get all excited, along with them ,about going trick or treating, however, as we get older we loose some of that excitement and just stand back

and watch the younger group as they dress up in their most scary and ugly costume and go from door to door collecting goodies handed out to them.

Most of the time they have so much candy and other goodies that they don't know quite what to do with it, so thru the years we have come up with some solutions. Listed below is one recipe I found on Delicious Dishings Blog, that I am going to make , how about you.  I 'll bet some of you have lots more good ideas about using up all that Halloween lute.

                                           

Reese's PB Cup Cookies (adapted from the NY Times chocolate chip cookie recipe) and Delicious Dishes.

                                                                                      

Ingredients

3 2/3 cups minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
15 - 20 large Reese's PB cups, frozen

Preparation
Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

Coarsely chop PB cups, and set aside.

Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds.

Add chopped Reese's PB cups and stir gently until mixed.

Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours. You can also form the dough into balls, ready for baking, place them on cookie sheets, and freeze them. Once the balls of dough have hardened, scoop them into freezer bags, and take them out and bake them whenever you want warm cookies.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.

Place frozen cookie balls or freshly formed balls of dough (any size you like -- I like mini cookies so I form mine into about 1/2-inch balls) on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (or longer depending on the size), until light golden brown but still soft in center. Let rest for 1 minute, and then transfer cookies to cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough for as many cookies as you want to make.

This is another one for Cup Cakes

Heavenly Candy Bar Cupcakes
From: MyRecipes.com
Prep: 20 min., Cook: 5min., Bake: 18 min.

9 fun-size or 21 mini chocolate-coated caramel and creamy nougat bars

1/2 cup butter or margarine

2 cups sugar

1 cup shortening

3 large eggs

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate-Marshmallow Frosting

Garnishes: chopped frozen fun-size chocolate-coated caramel and creamy nougat bars, candy corn

Melt candy bars and butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat about 5 minutes, stirring until smooth. Set aside.

Beat sugar and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer about 3 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Combine flour and salt. Stir together buttermilk and baking soda. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture, alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in melted candy bar mixture and vanilla. Place 36 paper baking cups in muffin pans; spoon batter evenly into paper baking cups, filling two-thirds full.

Bake at 350° for 18 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from pan, and let cool completely on wire racks. Spread cupcakes evenly with Chocolate-Marshmallow Frosting. Garnish, if desired.

we used Milky Way Bars.

Heavenly Candy Bar Cake: Spoon batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch cakepans. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove cakes from pans, and let cool completely on wire rack. Spread half of Chocolate-Marshmallow Frosting evenly between cake layers. Spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. Garnish, if desired. Makes 12 servings. Prep: 15 min., Cook: 5 min., Bake: 30 min.

Yield: Makes 36 cupcakes

Last  I couldn't resist this spider halloween cake . For the recipe go to MyRecipes.com.

  HAVE A HAPPY HALLOWEEN , DON'T LET THE GHOST AND GOBLINGS GET YA!!!!!!

Cherry Cream-Filled Cookies

Cherry Cream-Filled Cookies

1 (20-oz.) pkg. Pillsbury Refrigerated Sugar Cookies

FILLING
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
1/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries
1 teaspoon cherry liquid
1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

GLAZE
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 drops red food color, if desired

DECORATION
Maraschino cherries, fresh fruit, decorator frosting or candy hearts.

Heat oven to 350 F. Spoon and shape heaping teaspoonfuls of well-chilled cookie dough into balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake at 350 F. for 10 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheets with spatula. Cool completely.

In small bowl, combine all filling ingredients; blend well. Spread about 1 tablespoon filling on bottom of cooled cookie. Top with another cookie, bottom side down, to form sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies.

In large bowl, combine all glaze ingredients; blend at low speed until moistened. Beat at high speed until smooth. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons additional water if glaze is too thick.
Arrange filled cookies on wire rack over 15x10x1-inch baking pan.

Spoon glaze evenly over tops and sides of cookies. Glaze that drips off can be reused. Let stand until glaze is dry. Decorate as desired with maraschino cherries. Store in refrigerator.
Genie's Southern Cooking

Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies In A Jar

Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup buttermilk biscuit and baking mix
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk biscuit and baking mix

Instructions for layering ingredients:

In 1-quart wide-mouth glass jar, gently layer and pack ingredients in the order listed. If there is any space left after adding the last ingredient, add more baking chips, dried fruits or nuts to fill the jar

Place lid on top. Cut an 8-inch circle of fabric to cover lid. Place fabric over lid; secure in place with a rubber band, then ribbon or raffia. Decorate as desired.

Note: When measuring brown sugar, crumble it between your fingers for uniform texture. Be sure to pack the brown sugar firmly in the jar to prevent the baking mix from sifting down through it.

Make a gift card to attach as follows: "Empty contents of jar into medium bowl. Stir in 1 stick of butter or margarine, melted; 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until well combined. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are light golden brown.
Makes 2-1/2 dozen cookies

Substitute almond extract for vanilla in cookies containing almonds.

"To make cookies as bars: Empty contents of jar into medium bowl. Stir in 1 stick of butter or margarine, melted; 1 large egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until well combined. Press into an 8x8-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 24 minutes or until bars are light golden brown and center is almost set

Butterscotch Pecan Cookies

1/2 cup margarine
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butterscotch chips
4 cups quick oatmeal (have used the other & it turns out just fine)
1 cup chopped pecans

Put marge, milk, sugar in a pot.
Heat& stir until boiling.
Boil 1 minute Stirring constantly.
Remove from heat.
Add chips,pecans, stir well. Now add
the oatmeal & stir again.
Cool silghtly till it can be handled.
Drop onto greased cookie sheets.
Chill until firm.
Can be frozen for future use.

© 2007 Recipezaar. All Rights Reserved

Favorite Toasted Oatmeal Cookies (T&T)

Favorite Toasted Oatmeal Cookies (T&T)

Source: Adapted from A Collection of the Very Finest Recipes Ever
Assembled into One Cookbook, 1979. (Yes, that really IS the title)!!

3/4 cup butter or margarine (I use butter)
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned raw oats
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla (I use 2 teaspoons)

Optional :
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In medium skillet, over medium heat, heat
butter until melted. Add oats; stir constantly until golden, about 5
minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Meanwhile, sift flour with cinnamon (if using), salt and soda; set
aside. In large bowl, combine sugar, egg and vanilla extract. Beat
until light with wooden spoon or mixer at medium speed.

Stir in oats and flour mixtures and mix well.

Drop by teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. (I use a 2 tablespoon
capacity "ice cream" scoop, then flatten dough slightly before
baking).

Bake 10 to 12 minutes; cool and enjoy. A truly delicious oatmeal
cookie!!

Filled Oatmeal Cookies

Cookies:
1 cup shortening
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:
1 box confectioners' sugar
5 tablespoons shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash of salt
5 tablespoons evaporated milk

Cookies:
Cream sugar and shortening, beat in eggs. Mix baking soda and flour,
then add all dry ingredients and mix with creamed mixture. Stir in
vanilla extract. Wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or longer.
Pinch off in small amounts to form a ball by rolling in hands. Bake at
350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

This is a chocolate shortbread recipe. You may use any tender cookie recipe. You merely need a cookie that crumbles when bit rather than squishing the ice cream out. Both sugar cookies and shortbread cookies make excellent ice cream sandwiches. The shortbread cookies from our Tally Nut Sandies work well as do the chocolate and vanilla sugar cookies from The American Classic Sugar Cookie Kit.

3 one-ounce squares of semi-sweet baking chocolate
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 dash salt
4 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour

Ice cream

Directions

1. Melt the chocolate and one tablespoon butter in the microwave. Set aside.
2. Cream the remaining butter and powdered sugar together. Add the salt.
3. Add the four egg yolks, beating after each. Add the vanilla.
4. Add the flour in three parts, beating after each addition.
5. Scrape the dough onto a large sheet of waxed paper. Pat the dough into a square or round log. Wrap it in waxed paper and smooth the edges into a uniform log. Refrigerate the log for at least an hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the dough into 3/16-inch thick slices. Place them on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for eight to ten minutes or just until set. Cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, place the cookies in the freezer to chill.
7. Once the cookies have chilled, fill them with slightly softened ice cream. The top sides of the cookies should be facing out. Place the sandwiches in the freezer until they are completely firm.

FROM: THE PREPARED PANTRY

Cranberry Orange Cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsps milk
2 tsps pure orange extract
1 tsp orange rind, freshly grated
1 1/2 cups cranberries, chopped

Combine dry ingredients. Cream sugar and shorteningtogether until light and fluffy.

Add milk, orange extract and grated orange rind. Gradually add dry ingredients.

Fold in cranberries. Form dough into 2 logs, each about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap in waxed paper and chill for at least 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit and lightly grease cookie sheets.
Slice logs into 1/4-inch thick slices and bake for 12-15 minutes.

RITZ MINTS

This recipe for ritz mints, a delicious holiday snack, is courtesy of Sarah Dimaggio.

2 sleeves Ritz crackers
1 (14-ounce) package dark-cocoa-mint-flavored melting wafers

Directions
Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a heatproof bowl, set over (but not touching) simmering water, melt chocolate wafers. Stir with a slotted spoon. Dip each cracker into melted wafers, using tweezers or your fingers, until fully coated. Transfer to prepared baking sheets.
Let stand until coating has set and is no longer glossy, 20 to 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container up to one week.

Tip: Dark Cocoa Mint-flavored Melting Wafers can be purchased at wilton.com

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Makes twenty-six 5-inch cookies or 8 1/2 dozen 1 1/4-inch cookies
1 pound unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
4 large eggs
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons pastry flour
3 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 pounds semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add both flours, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and chocolate; mix until well combined.
Using a 4-ounce scoop for larger cookies or a 1-ounce scoop for smaller cookies, scoop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until lightly browned, but still soft, about 20 minutes for larger cookies and about 15 minutes for smaller cookies. Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

RECIPE BY: Martha Stewart

QUAKER OATS CHEWY OATMEAL COOKIES

1 c. sifted all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 c. shortening, soft
1 1/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. oats, uncooked
1 c. raisins

Sift together flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into bowl. Add
shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla; beat until smooth, about 2
minutes. Stir in oats and raisins. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto
greased cookie sheets. Bake in preheated moderate oven at 350 degrees
for 12 to 15 minutes. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

CHRISTMAS ORANGE BALLS

1 9-oz box vanilla wafer cookies
2 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup orange juice concentrate
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1- 1/2 cups pecan pieces

In a food processor, combine the vanilla wafers, 2 cups of the confectioner's sugar, cocoa powder, orange juice concentrate, and corn syrup. Process until the cookies are ground to crumbs and mixture is evenly blended. Add the pecan pieces and pulse until the nuts are finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and form into 1" balls. Roll balls in 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar to coat. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to l month.
CHRISTMASCOOKIE.COM

Christmas Log Cookies

Christmas Log Cookies

1 cup butter
5 tbsp. sugar
Dash of salt
2 c. flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
1/4 c sugar
1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon

Mix first 6 ingredients. Roll into 2 inch length logs.
Bale at 300º for 15 minutes. Cool. Roll logs in a
sugar and cinnamon mixture. Makes 45 cookies

Recipes from Ms Whit: Apricot Oatmeal Cookies

Recipes from Ms Whit: Apricot Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups rolled oats, finely ground
2 cups white or wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
2 cups pecans, walnuts or almonds, chopped

Preheat oven to 375º F and place rack in center position.
Beat butter and shortening with sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Stir in vanilla. Grind oats in food processor until fine, then
combine with flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
Gradually stir flour mixture into butter mixture. Fold
oats, apricots and nuts into batter and drop by heaping
tablespoons, onto lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 10-12
minutes, or until golden brown. Cool 2-3 minutes then
remove to rack to cool thoroughly befor serving.

www.chsugar.com