Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Pre Valentines Day

Posted by Posted by SVDownwards | at 6:45 PM | 0 comments

Today is the day before Valentines Day. The day when I contemplate what horror movies I will watch tomorrow. This is because I have never quite liked Valentines Day. Even as a kid I worried about whether I would receive enough Valentines cards to fill some deep seeded need for acceptance through paper products. Although I would have to say that my main reason for not liking this day is because I have never had the good fortune to spend it with someone. I came close one year but alas it was just not meant to be. This year though I decided that instead of ignoring the day altogether I would embrace it head on. Which translates into to me going way overboard.

My mission of, going overboard, started early this morning because I stupidly drank caffeine before bed and have yet to sleep. I decided to make some shortbread heart cookies dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with red sprinkles for the peeps at my mom’s works; whom I love baking for. Baking for them is great fun because I get the thrill of baking without all that yummy fruit of my labor sitting around to make me fatter. For this cookie I used a rather simple and straightforward recipe.

 Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 cups all-purpose flour

Candy coating chocolate – or chocolate chips (I like the candy coating chocolate better then the chocolate chips because it hardens much nicer)

Red and white  sprinkles

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy then stir in the vanilla.
3. Add flour gradually as you mix till all is incorporated.
4. Roll out dough on a floured cookie sheet to 3/16” thick and cut out your hearts. Place them on the cookie sheets.
5. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes.
6. When cookies are done transfer them to a cookie rack or some wax paper to cool off.
7. While your cookies are cooling off take a saucepan and fill it ¼ way with water. Take a bowel that will fit on top of your saucepan but will not touch the bottom. This is called double boiling for all of you out there. I prefer this method because it is really hard to burn the chocolate. When putting either in a microwave or directly into a pot I have always burnt it. With this method you can better control your heat.
8. Frequently stir the chocolate with a spatula so it evenly heats up. When the chocolate is melted dip your cookies in there and place them on wax paper. Then sprinkle with your sprinkles. Place your cookie sheets in the fridge and allow for the chocolate to harden. Then put into a tin for transport.

And of course we have Pete who felt compelled to help

at every point in the cookie making process.