365:day 42 and a Recipe: Valentine Kiss Cookies

 

Lauren and I whipped up a batch of Valentine Kiss Cookies on Saturday – don’t they look great?

 

I posted this recipe 2 years ago yesterday but it is worth reposting.  Not the most diet friendly cookies but Valentine’s Day only comes once a year.

 

Cherry Kisses Cookie
2 cups butter (1 pound)
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp maraschino cherry juice
1 tsp almond extract
6 drops red food coloring
1/2 tsp salt
5 cups unbleached white flour
1 cup maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
50-60 Hershey's chocolate kisses, unwrapped

Directions:
Cream butter and powdered sugar together, add cherry juice, almond extract, red food coloring and salt and beat well.
Add flour 1 cup at a time. Scrape bowl.
Add cherries and mix only enough to blend. Dough should be stiff.
Using a small cookie scoop, place dough on greased cookie sheets leaving a little room between them to spread.
Bake at 350F degrees for 12 minutes.
Remove from oven and immediately place an unwrapped Hershey's chocolate kiss on the top of each cookie, pressing down slightly, not too much.
Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Makes 50 cookies.

Pretzel Time

With just a few short weeks left of summer vacation we crossed yet another 'to do' off of my list today. We made homemade pretzels something that I had never done with the girls. They were so excited to make them in the shape of their initials. They tasted as good as they looked
















Pretzel Recipe:

1 pkg. active yeast
1 1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. table salt
3 cups flour
1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp. water
kosher salt to taste

Preheat over to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over water. Add sugar and table salt. Stir in flour 1 cup at a time. Add additional flour if sticky. Turn onto floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. Divide into 10 pieces and roll each piece into a 10' strip. Shape like a pretzel or be creative. Brush with egg and water mixture and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt and bake for 10 minutes. Makes 10 pretzels.

Enjoy!