Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Blog With Friends: Love You

Today’s post is the next in our series of Blog With Friends theme collaborations. Each month a group of bloggers get together and each publish a project based on a theme. What I love about this partnership is that it’s not bloggers with similar interests or strengths but a diverse group coming up with a variety of posts. In a given month we may have a recipe, sewing tutorial, crocheting, crafts projects, book review, technology post and/or a short story, all related to the theme of the month.

Blog With Friends | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

This month’s theme is Love. In honor of VD, of course. Ummm . . . Valentine’s Day, that is. There will be individual project pictures and links to what everyone else has to offer at the end of my post. There's also a blog hop for bloggers to link up any of your Love themed posts.

Here’s a peek at what we all came up with:

Blog With Friends: The Creative Cupids | www.BakingInATornado.com



As usual, my addition to the group is a recipe. And since we all know that time honored equation: Valentine’s Day = Chocolate = Love,  a Valentine’s Day post was right up my alley, my cup of tea, in my bailiwick and just what the doctor ordered. Did I miss any cliches?

 Hugs and Kisses Cookies | www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #cookies

I developed the recipe for these Hugs and Kisses Cookies one morning while dipping my Chocolate Almond Biscotti in my coffee. I thought it would be a great idea to create a recipe for a cookie that kids might like to dip in their cocoa. These Hugs and Cookies stand up perfectly to dipping in a hot drink. They’re easy to make but they do take some down time. The dough needs to sit in the fridge before you form the shapes, and again before you bake. If you wan to do it in steps, you can make the doughs a day in advance, they’re fine to chill overnight, and then make the cookies the next day.


 Hugs and Kisses Cookies | www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #cookies
Hugs and Kisses Cookies
going into the oven

I made these cookies giant because bigger is better when it comes to baked goods (or so my kids tell me), but you can certainly make them smaller too. You’ll just need to make the rolls thinner and adjust your baking times. No matter how you choose to make them, bet you get rewarded with hugs and kisses!


 Hugs and Kisses Cookies | www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #cookies


Be sure to visit all of this month’s other Blog With Friends projects:



Stacy, of Stacy Sews and Schools shares King and Queen of Hearts Crowns, a sewing tutorial for Felt Crowns for Kids.


Robin of Someone Else’s Genius shares a Love Cage Captured Chainmaille Bracelet tutorial.




Christy of Uplifting Families shares how to make Sweet 'n Salty Valentine's Day Popcorn. This would even make a great centerpiece for a Valentine’s Day party.




Lydia of Cluttered Genius shows us Repurposing Wedding Flower Pedals and turn them into a beautiful piece of memorabilia.




Sarah of The Momisodes amuses us with a funny Love Poem.


Baking In A Tornado | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics


Hugs and Kisses Cookies
                                                                        ©www.BakingInATornado.com
 
Printable Recipe
 
Ingredients:
1 stick butter, softened                             
1 stick margarine, softened                              
1 cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar                                         
2 eggs                                                                   
1 tsp vanilla                                             
3 cups flour                                              
1 tsp baking powder                                 
1 tsp salt 
                                               
5 TBSP baking cocoa
 
1 1/2 tsp strawberry extract
1/3 cup flour
red food coloring
 
Opt: Hot cocoa for dunking 
 
Directions:
*Beat butter, margarine and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder and salt.
*Divide dough in half.
*To one half, add the baking cocoa.  To the other, add the strawberry extract, 1/3 cup flour and red food coloring.
*Wrap both halves of dough, separately, in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
*Put parchment paper onto baking sheet.
*For the “X”: separately take about 1 tsp of each dough and roll until it’s about 7 inches long. Place the strawberry roll on your parchment paper at a slant. Place a chocolate roll so that it forms an “X” with the strawberry roll. Press lightly in the center. Crimp the ends so the pieces are the same size, turn each end sideways slightly.
*For the “O”: separately take about 1/2 tsp of each dough and roll until it’s about 7 inches long. It should be thinner than the pieces you used for the “X”. Put the 2 colors of rolled dough side by side and, starting in the center and working out,  twist them together to form a circle. Place on the baking sheet and press the top gently to be sure the circle stays closed.
*Put the baking sheet into the fridge for 20 minutes.
*Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
*Bake cookies for approx. 10 - 12 minutes.  Let sit on baking sheet for 1 to 2 minutes before removing to cool completely.
*Opt: dunk in hot cocoa


18 comments:

  1. I can't tell you how much I <3 those cookies!!! SO MUCH FUN!!!!!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Stacy, they really were fun to make. I guess I still like playing with my food.

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  2. Those are some wild cookies! Just remember us guys like action movies and a good bottle of bourbon or whiskey for VD. We're easy!

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    Replies
    1. Yes you are, I don't even have to turn on the oven for either of those options.

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  3. These are so out of the box - in the best possible way! Love it so much!

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  4. Too Cute. I think they would work with a basic sugar dough too, maybe???

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    Replies
    1. You could try it. You do have to be careful that whatever dough you use doesn't spread too much. You want the cookies to maintain their shape.

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  5. Replies
    1. Thank you, Rena. As you can see I had fun playing with my food.

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  6. These look so cute and festive! Perfect for Valentines day, sweetest day, birthdays and anniversaries ❤

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  7. These are so cute. I might have to make some for the kids.

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  8. These look so awesome. I've pinned so I can remember for next year!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you do try them. Bet your kids have fun dunking them in cocoa.

      Delete

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