Candy Making Remember the smell of freshly made candy?
And that fresh taste - while the candy was still warm?
Oh so tasty.
Don't get me wrong, you can buy some pretty good store candy - but it just never tastes as good as candy you make yourself.
And, when you make candy yourself, you can use a spoon and scrape the mixing pan clean. Yum...
This Valentine’s Day say “I Love You” with Cookies
Christine Steendahl
What better way to tell your sweetie “I Love You” than with some fresh baked cookies? Give some of these sweet treats a try this Valentine's Day. Cupid himself would be impressed by these yummy creations. They are sure to be a hit with your Sweetheart, Children, Neighbors or anyone else special to you as well. Don't forget to get the kids involved! I still have memories of making Valentine's Day Cookies as a child. Heart Shaped Cookies Make you favorite roll-out sugar cookie recipe. Use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut them. Bake, frost and decorate to your heart's content. You can sprinkle them with red or pink crystallized sugar before you bake them, or frost and sprinkle with some tiny candied hearts or pink sprinkles after they are baked. Use icing in a tube to write a message or draw a picture on the cookie. Cookie Lollipop Heart Shaped cookie lollipops are always a big hit. Start with basic sugar cookie dough. Roll it out to about 1/8th inch thickness (place the dough between two sheets of wax paper to keep the dough from sticking). Use a heart shaped cookie cutter and cut an equal amount of hearts. Place half a bamboo skewer, a lollipop stick (found at craft stores) or a Popsicle stick on the bottom half of the hearts. Place the remaining hearts on top and press them firmly together. Bake according to your recipe instructions and decorate as desired. Tip – soak the skewers or Popsicle sticks in water before placing them on the cookies to keep them from getting burnt. Valentine's Rice Krispies Treats Make Rice Krispies Treats and while the mixture is still warm use a large heart shaped cookie cutter to cut them out. If you can't find a cookie cutter of the right size, draw a heart on cardboard and use it as a template. Just lay it on the sheet of Rice Krispies Treats and trace around it with a knife. For even more Valentine fun add a few drops of red food coloring to the marshmallow mixture for a pink version of the sticky treat. Cookie Dough Jar Place the dry ingredients of your favorite cookie recipe in a pretty jar. Write the recipe for the cookie on a heart shaped piece of paper or a valentine's note card. Tie it with a pretty bow around the jar. Make the glass jar even more special by drawing little red hearts on it with a permanent marker. These are so cute and easy! Bouquet of Cookies Bake up some of your favorite cookies. Get a pretty basket and line it with a red or pink cloth napkin. Arrange the homemade cookies in the basket. If you'd like, you can also add some heart shaped cookie cutters, Valentine's Day themed sprinkles, or some hot chocolate mix. Another option would be to use a piece of floral foam and arrange some decorated Cookie Lollipops within the basket and fill the bottom with Hershey's Kisses or other Valentine Candy. All of these cookie ideas for Valentine's Day make wonderful gifts for a special someone that has a personal touch. They are sure to be appreciated, after all, who doesn't like cookies?
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One of my favorite candy recipes for cold weather is peanut brittle.
PEANUT BRITTLE
1 pound (2 cups) sugar
1 teaspoonful lemon extract
1/2 pint (1 cup) golden syrup
1 gill (1/2 cup) water
2 heaping teaspoonfuls baking soda
1/2 lb. (2 cups) shelled peanuts
1 lb. (2 cups) sugar
1 oz. (2 tablespoonfuls) butter
1 teaspoonful glucose
Cook the syrup, sugar, water, and glucose until it commences to thicken and bubble; then add the butter and peanuts and stir constantly until the nuts begin to brown. Remove from the fire, beat in the lemon extract and the soda, and stir through quickly until it foams up.
Pour out on a well-greased slab and roll out very thin. Then break into pieces.
Wonderful...
From the big book of Bon Bon Recipes.
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