Friday, February 12, 2016

Valentine cookies, Raisinets, and Pistachios....

Soon it will be Valentine's Day.  We aren't big celebraters of the day, but we like to give a little chocolate and nuts to each other.  Today Hubby and I shopped together for groceries, and I threw in a bag of Dark Chocolate Raisinets (from him) and he chose Pistachios (from me) for Valentine's Day.  Yeah, we are weird like that.  In addition to this lavish display of love and affection, I did have a little "heart fun" by baking one of my favorite cookies -- iced sugar cookies with red hot centers.  I really like a red hot candy with every bite of cookie, so you might spot a cookie or two in the pic below that I WILL eat!  I totally made the cookies for my grandchildren and their families, but I saved a few back just for us.  (That's romantic, isn't it?)


When I was a girl we had a local bakery downtown that  made these delicious heart-shaped sugar cookies with red hot centers for Valentine's Day.  I think they were a nickle apiece back then, and I couldn't wait to walk to the bakery after school to buy myself a heart cookie.  I never forgot those hearts and when I got old enough to make my own cut-out cookies, I made sure to bake up some of those beauties to celebrate Heart Day.  The recipe is my mom's, and if I do say so myself, they are The Best Sugar Cookies Ever.  Yes, they really are.    You should try them.  Want to?  Ok.  Here ya go!



Sugar Cookies

1 c. butter
1 c. Crisco shortening
1 c. powdered sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
4 1/2 c. flour (plus a little more for rolling out)
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cream of tartar
1 t. vanilla

Cream together butter, shortening and sugars.  Add eggs.  Add dry ingredients and then vanilla.  Mix well, scraping down sides of bowl.  Chill in the frig for several hours.  If rolling out dough for cut-out cookies, you may need to add a little more flour.  You don't want dough too sticky.  

Divide the dough into four chunks and roll out on a floured cupboard for cut-out cookies or roll dough into 1 inch balls and flatten with a sugared glass bottom.  You may also like to sprinkle some extra colored sugar on these.  Bake at 350* for 8-10 minutes.  Do not over-bake.  You barely want a golden tinge on the edge.

If you like, you may frost the cookies with an icing mixing:  powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and a little almond extract.  Make as thick or thin as you want.  Add sprinkles.  This recipe makes a large batch, approximately 4 dozen cookies or more.

**Famous Christmas, Valentine’s Day or Easter cookies.

9 comments:

  1. I must have made some cookies with red hots on top sometime in the distant past, because these got my attention and I can almost taste them with the memory - certainly I recall that there must be a red hot in each bite!

    But what did you do as a child? Did you save the bite with the red hot for last? Now that you are an adult you can customize the experience!

    My grandma used to send us Valentine cards every year, and when I became a grandma I planned to do that for my grandchildren. Sadly, the first batch grew up before I ever accomplished it; last year was my first. And this year I flunked out already!

    It was much easier to celebrate with kids in the house, when we could give homemade Valentines and make heart-shaped cookies. Happy Valentine's Day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As a child, I did nibble all the way around the red hot candy and ate it last of all. But now, I can have a red hot with every bite!

      Delete
  2. Happy Valentine to you and yours; the cookies look delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  3. How cute those cookies are! And even more important taste wonderful too!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I haven't made any heart shaped cookies this year. I like your recipe and I think my Mom must have made them as she was so crazy about red hots. I think they would be fun.
    I like that you put raisinets for him and pistachios for you. That is cute. I like this stage of life, these little things mean more to me that the glitz. Have a lovely Valentines Day!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Those cookies are works of art! Beautiful. Love your lavish display...

    ReplyDelete
  6. You made me laugh with the lavish display. And now I really want a cookie.
    Amalia
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  7. Bookmarking this! I did not get around to cookies this year and when I do, I eat them and feel barfy, but THEY ARE SO lovely and so tasty! Happy Valentine's Day, sweet friend!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Those are lovely cookies! I'll have to give that recipe a try next time I make them.

    ReplyDelete

I love reading your comments. Thanks for stopping in. Sorry, but due to spam, only registered users can comment.

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...