Cookies,Cakes, and Sugar Oh My!

This week is your two for one special. With valentines this week, my baking was in overdrive. Thank the lord I have people who are willing "taste testers" of my projects or I really don't know hat I would  do with all this sugar surrounding me.

First, I decided to attempt sugar cookies from scratch. I found the recipe online with 5 stars next to it, and honestly i know why. They came out perfect. I was thrilled because it was completely unlike my first attempt at chocolate chip cookies a few years back. that was when I discovered the power of Vanilla Extract...it really changes everything in your cooking.In addition to the basic cookie recipe I added whipped frosting and red candied sugar to create more of the valentines theme with the cookies. I sent most to my son's class valentines party, where I actually got to watch the kids eat and enjoy my cookies (which i loved). Next time I decided though next time to try to find some some substitutes for the immense amount of butter in these cookies. In my opinion they really should be called butter cookies instead, I could grease the entire state of Rhode Island with the amount of butter used in these things. Besides that, a definite success in baking.

My second baking foray this week was a chocolate heart valentines cake. I have done chocolate cakes before and I must say I think this recipe is going to be one of my signature pieces. I have been  scratch baking consistently for about three years now and my chocolate cake has always been on of the best things I bake. This time instead of using icing for more of a rich, dense feel I decided to cover it in Cool Whip and then let it harden in the freezer. Pure Perfection I have to  admit.....I think I am on my way to a signature dish.

Hearts and Chocolate......

Every southern bakery and baked goods brand in my opinion must include brownies. I was never a fan of those brownies dipped in caramel with marshmallows  and drowning in nuts and chocolate sauce. Plain brownies on there own contain enough butter and sugar to send anyone's Weight Watchers points into the stratosphere. But in moderation everyone deserves a treat, a little something in your day to say " you deserve something completely and totally unnecessary" why? because...your awesome.

In planning my menu for my store, brownies are a must.  Tonight, I decided to try the brownie recipe on the back of the Hershey Chocolate baking chips bag.  Following the recipe to the letter i must say they came out really well. I do believe though it called for a lot more butter and sugar i have used in other recipes but that is probably why they did taste so good. I think in future recipes i can probably find some substitutes to make it not such a recipe for a diabetic coma, but that is what this is about right? Making these recipes my own. Creating my own recipes for success......


With it being February of course I had to incorporate my heart shaped baked ware into my evening of baking. I always have had a problem with waiting until things are cool enough before taking them out of the bake ware i use to cook it in.  I can not even tell you the amount of broken cookies, cakes and brownies I have trashed or consumed in the past due to my impatience. Tonight was almost the same but after the second heart shaped brownie that came out was broken, I decided to stop and put my little chocolate hearts back in the freezer until it was the right time for them to come out and be decorated in all the icing and sugar it could stand.

Funny, how in baking and in life we have all had those moments where we don't care if our "hearts" are ready are not to face the world, and we know if we take that risk of coming out of what holds us together, we could break. But, we do it anyway because of that undeniable appetite that we all have for life and chocolate....