Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods

These have become such a favorite in our home, easy to make and they are so impressive looking. I was at the high school today showing mine off, I'm in charge of a bake sale for V-Day, and the principal went nuts for these.  I'm so excited to sell these to the students.

Ingredients
Pretzel Rods
Almond Bark or Candy Melts
Valentine Jimmies
Celo bags ( I bought mine at Joanne's in the candy making department)
Wax paper

Ingredients

Place wet pretzels on wax paper to dry

Add contrasting color and sprinkle with jimmies

Cute centerpiece

Such a fun craft

Melt the almond bark or candy melts in tall plastic containers, make sure you only microwave 30 seconds at a time, stir after every 30 seconds. Dip the pretzel rod into the melted chocolate and place on a piece of wax paper to dry. Melt a contrasting color in a different container and using a fork drizzle the chocolate over the top of the cooled rods. Quickly sprinkle jimmies on wet chocolate. Dry completely and bag. This is a great teacher or friend gift and can be made for any occasion.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Love is in the air, or at least the delicious smell of chocolate sugar cookies baking. I've been wanting to try these and I'm glad I did. I love the rock star look of the hot pink and black royal icing, it gives them an extra pop. These are easy to make and will make that some one special say "Be Mine". I like a lot of cookies so I doubled the recipe and listed as such below.

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup cocoa

1 tsp salt

12 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp

1 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt; whisk to blend and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.  Blend in the egg and vanilla.  With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated and no streaks remain.  Form the dough into a disc, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 1-2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325˚ F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to about ¼-inch thickness.  Cut out desired shapes with cookie cutters and place cut outs on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes, just until set.  Let cool on the baking sheet about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Decorate as desired.

Aren't they cute?

I think the colors together are awesome

Swirly heart

I love you

Enjoy!

Source: Annie-Eats

Valentine's Day Balls

Do you like Valentine's Day? Do you feel the urge to run out and spend $$ on greeting cards and boxes of chocolates? I'm sort of in the middle, I like getting things on love day, and I like giving things, but I'm not the super crazy romantic type. A few years ago I did make homemade fortune cookies and left them in my hubby's car for him to find, but he didn't find them and they melted.  Boo! I do remember our first Valentine's Day as a married couple, we were so poor. I made him a heart shaped cake and he brought me a small bouquet of flowers, awwww. This year I made a few cute crafts to hang around the house and I've also got piles of gifts on the dining room table to mail off to my nieces and nephew. (I send them a goodie package for every holiday) Here is what I've been working on. I'm going to link you to another blog where she has a great tutorial on flower rosettes, she makes a wreath out of them, but I made balls instead.  These have been super fun and easy to make. I took an idea from this blog and changed it up to make balls instead of a wreath. Remember I made this earlier in the month and I love it so much I'm keeping it up year round.

Things you'll need to make Valentine's Day Balls
Styrofoam balls
Felt cut into 3 inch circles
Low temp glue gun
Straight pins

By combining different techniques you can make a

unique centerpiece for your table.

I love the different colors in this one

This looks like luscious velvet 

Flower Rosette close up

I've placed mine on candle stick holders, don't they look cute?

Enjoy!

Love Bites

Today while lying in bed with a bad back this recipe came into my mind. I knew I had frozen cookie dough all rolled out in the freezer, I had white royal icing in my fridge and a tub of chocolate frosting, an idea was born. These little cuties are super easy to make and a great gift for Valentines Day. I'm going to say they are even diet conscious, as long as you only eat one! Good luck with that.

Ingredients
Heart shaped cookies
Tub of chocolate frosting
Royal icing ( I dyed my white icing to a bright pink)
Valentine Jimmies

Bake cookies according to recipe and let cool. Place chocolate frosting into frosting bag with #4 tip. Frost one side of heart cookie and top with another heart. Frost the top of the cookie sandwich with royal icing,
(I used this) and sprinkle with various jimmies.

My Valentine collection of jimmies is growing

Mini heart cookies waiting for some frosting

Place chocolate frosting on one side of heart and make a sandwich 

mmm, these look good just like this

These cuties are ready to get dressed up

Pipe some royal icing on the top

And sprinkle with jimmies

A whole plate of mini Love Bites

I love that you can see the chocolate oozing out

Enjoy!

Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes (Valentine's Day)

I love cupcakes, but they need to be good cupcakes. I don't care if they are made by scratch or from a cake mix, they just need to taste great. I came up with this recipe by accident and my neighbors can tell you this is my best one yet. It's super easy since most of it is using a mix or pre-made frosting, the only thing you need to do is make the ganache and that is super easy. Of course you can use homemade frosting if you'd like, but why not take a few shortcuts, and believe me when your friends bite into these little gems they'll never know your secret.
I've decorated these cuties for Valentine's Day and I think they would be perfect for your loved ones too.

Supplies
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 container store bought chocolate frosting
heart sprinkles, bought here

Ingredients for Ganache
1 pound good-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

2 1/3 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup corn syrup

Prepare and bake cupcakes according to box, cook and let cool. In the meantime make the ganache filling. 

Directions for ganache (Makes 4 cups)

Place chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Bring cream and corn syrup just to a simmer over medium-high heat; pour mixture over chocolate. Let stand, without stirring, until chocolate begins to melt.

Beginning near the center and working outward, stir melted chocolate into cream until mixture is combined and smooth (do not overstir).

Refrigerate, stirring every 5 minutes, until frosting just barely begins to hold its shape and is slightly lighter in color. Use immediately (ganache will continue to thicken after you stop stirring). Put ganache into a frosting piping bag or a large ziplock bag. Store extra ganache in fridge for another use.


Putting them together

Take the cooled cupcakes and hollow out a hole in the middle, I used an apple corer. Eat the piece you core out. Pipe the ganache into the hole in the cupcake.  If you don't have a piping bag, a ziplock with a small hole cut in one corner works great. This cuts down on the mess, who would want to try and spoon this stuff into a cupcake?? Next we are going to frost these; take a can of store bought chocolate frosting and once again place in a piping bag, I like to use the tip that just has a large opening. (sorry I don't know which # it is) You can use any tip # or just frost these with a knife. Frost your cupcakes using a back and forth motion, sprinkle immediately with heart sprinkles. Share with your sweetheart. 

Start with a cupcake

Using an apple corer remove center of cupcake

This is what it looks like

I found this ganache in my fridge left over from another 

dessert and presto, this recipe was invented. Notice 

my fingernail mark? I had to taste it!

Place ganache into piping bag and pipe into center of cupcake

Fill it to the top. NO licking at this point

Fill all cupcakes

I love Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge frosting, place into piping bag

I like to do a zigzag design with the frosting.

Top with heart sprinkles.

Store leftovers in fridge, if there are any :)

Enjoy!

Valentines Day Wreath

I haven't made any crafts for quite awhile and my fingers got itchy just thinking about making something cute.  I went to Joanne's and bought 1 yard of pink, white, red and hot pink felt (this week it's $2.99 a yard), I found this tutorial here and decided to go for it. Olivia and I needed to catch up on Dirty Little Secrets and Toddlers & Tiaras and before I knew it the wreath was finished. It was super easy to make and I'm ready to cover some styrophone balls in the same cute rosettes.

Things you'll need
Styrophone wreath form (I bought a heart shaped one)
Pins, lots
Felt cut into 3 inch circles ( I bought a quilters 3 inch form to trace around)
Big glass of icy Diet Dr. Pepper (that's how I roll)

Follow the tutorial and you'll have a darling wreath in a few hours. I used some wide ribbon to make a hanger for mine.

Stuff to buy

Getting started

Half way done, you can't make a mistake with this craft

The wreath is done!

I hung it on my LOVE wall

Even from up close you can't really tell that

it's made from simple pieces of felt.

Enjoy!

Source: Design Sponge

Valentines Day gift suggestions for the cook in your love life

Valentines Day is about love, and what shows love more than food? Cool cooking tools!!  All cooks love getting new and exciting things for their kitchen.
 Check out this collection below!

Who wouldn't want one of these cuties? 

Your kids will love getting a sandwich like this in their lunch.

Who can resist a cute apron for the kitchen?

Mixing bowls shaped like hearts? Darling!!

Together you and your valentine can make something yummy!

You and your kids will get a kick out of this 'heart' felt gift 

Every cook needs one of these in their kitchen, if you don't have

one yet, maybe this is the year to get one.

 ( Mine is navy blue and I've

had it for 18+ years)

Enjoy!