Well, yes, here it is again that sweetest of days...Valentine's Day...whether you have a sweetheart or not doesn't make a wit of difference...it is still a day to celebrate love, chocolate and everything else of the sweet, sugary variety. I am going to offer up just a couple of ideas for you to ponder...each one delectable and sure to delight anyone you decide to share them with!
I simply LOVE these
Buttery Shortbread Cookies of Sarabeth Levine's (Sarabeth's Bakery/NYC). They are light and melt in your mouth buttery down to their last crumb...the dough is so silky smooth that handling it is a wonder in of itself. Just yesterday I made these treasures for Valentine's gifts for my nieces and nephews. Instead of the fluted cookie cutters I normally use I used heart shaped ones and then covered them with bright red heart decorations. I then wrapped each one individually in a little cello bag and tied a red stain ribbon around the top...adorable is not even the word!
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| Buttery Shortbread Cookies |
If I were technologically savvy and you all know by now that I am NOT, I would have taken a picture of my little creation with my digital camera, uploaded it (or is it downloaded...I can never keep those two things straight) and then posted it on this very blog so you could see what I'm talking about and be inspired. Unfortunately, I can't quiet manage that with my new computer and all, plus my technologically brilliant niece, Casey, is not here to help me so you will just have to imagine it on your own...so sorry about that! You can see, however, see what they look like in their fluted form above. In either case, these cookies are extremely easy to make and just IMAGINE how happy your cherished ones will be when they receive this bundle of love from you...trust me, they will be
very happy...
The
Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (Magnolia Bakery/NYC), while not difficult, is more time consuming than the cookies but well worth it if you want to really impress someone. It is a gorgeous, huge (3 layer) hunk of a beauty queen cake...a sure fire dazzler if ever there was one....all it needs is a tiara!
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| Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting...so pretty! |
However, to give full disclosure, be prepared for your kitchen to look a bit like the set of Sweeney Todd or one of those CSI shows...the red dye used to essentially make a chocolate cake look red, can get messy. I always try to be as careful as possible when making this cake but I still end up with a bloody looking mess...it's quite comical actually so I suggest giving in to your inner child who adores messes and you'll be fine. The end result will be a magnificent masterpiece...and you will be Queen for a Day in the eyes of whoever you make it for.
If you don't have time for baking of any kind...well, then simply go out and buy some red or chocolate candies (heart shaped marshmallows are nice too), wrap them up real pretty and give them to anyone who is dear to your heart...in addition to making that person feel loved and appreciated you will feel the same about yourself...a gift for everyone...
Happy Valentine's Day...hope it is filled with love, laughter and light...
xoxo Nanci
P.S. A special HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Dad, Murray Neidorf, who will be 85 tomorrow...we call him our Sweetheart Baby...how lucky and blessed we are to have him in our lives...
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