SWEET SIGNS OF AFFECTION VALENTINES BEGIN WITH A LITTLE BIT OF DOUGH.Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor Dazzle daz·zle v. daz·zled, daz·zling, daz·zles v.tr. 1. To dim the vision of, especially to blind with intense light. 2. someone special this Valentine's Day Valentine's Day: see Saint Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day Lovers' holiday celebrated on February 14, the feast day of St. Valentine, one of two 3rd-century Roman martyrs of the same name. St. with a homemade show- stopping creation from the heart - and the kitchen. Although these edible valentine ideas look glamorous, they don't require all day to prepare. These sweets for your sweetie rely on a shortcut (1) In Windows, a shortcut is an icon that points to a program or data file. Shortcuts can be placed on the desktop or stored in other folders, and double clicking a shortcut is the same as double clicking the original file. - rolls of refrigerated re·frig·er·ate tr.v. re·frig·er·at·ed, re·frig·er·at·ing, re·frig·er·ates 1. To cool or chill (a substance). 2. To preserve (food) by chilling. cookie dough Cookie dough refers to a blend of cookie ingredients which has been mixed into a solid yet malleable form but has not yet been hardened by heat. The dough is often then separated and the portions baked to individual cookies, or eaten as is. . Turn them into a giant heart-shaped cookie, a bouquet of cookies (on sticks), a cookie pizza, individual heart-shaped chocolate chip Chocolate chips are small chunks of chocolate. They are often sold in a round, flat-bottomed teardrop shape (similar to a Hershey's Kiss). They are available in numerous sizes, from large to miniature, but are usually around 1 cm in diameter. cookies and more. The novelty and attractiveness of it all is bound to impress - and show you really care. The recipes are designed to fit into your schedule. Keep in mind that some of the cookies can be made a day in advance and decorated on the day of giving as a gift. Pick up a roll of refrigerated dough in your favorite flavor. Choose from sugar, chocolate chip, peanut butter with chocolate chips or whatever other varieties you find on your market shelf. Some even have a valentine and heart motif. If you opt for baking our giant heart-shaped cookie, you can achieve a professional look by frosting frosting the slight graying of the haircoat around the face, particularly muzzle, in dogs with aging and as a regular feature of some breeds such as the Belgian shepherd dog. the top with Vanilla Butter Cream Butter cream or buttercream or mock cream is a type of icing used inside cakes, as a coating, and as decoration. In its simplest form, it is made by creaming butter with icing sugar, although other fats can be used, such as margarine. Icing (tinted tint n. 1. A shade of a color, especially a pale or delicate variation. 2. A gradation of a color made by adding white to it to lessen its saturation. 3. A slight coloration; a tinge. 4. with pink paste food color available at cake decorating Cake decorating is one of the sugar arts that uses icing and other edible decorative elements to transform otherwise plain cakes into colorful and festive works of art. Cakes come in all shapes and sizes from ordinary single layer sheet cakes to towering multi-tiered wedding cakes. supply or craft stores) and then piping on ``I Love You'' (leave the frosting white), ``Be Mine'' or other desired messages using a pastry bag A pastry bag is used to pipe semi-solid foods by pressing them through a narrow opening at one end, for many purposes including cake decoration. It is filled through a wider opening at the opposite end, rolled or twisted closed, and then squeezed to extrude its contents. and assorted tips. You can vary the color combinations and decorations according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. personal artistic tastes (keep this idea in mind for birthday greetings, too). Present the cookie (overwrap carefully with plastic wrap) on a doily- lined glass or plastic plate or cardboard base wrapped festively in clear cellophane cellophane, thin, transparent sheet or tube of regenerated cellulose. Cellophane is used in packaging and as a membrane for dialysis. It is sometimes dyed and can be moisture-proofed by a thin coating of pyroxylin. tied with ribbons, balloons, hearts or flowers. Our cookie bouquet  This article or section is written like an .Please help [ rewrite this article] from a neutral point of view. Mark blatant advertising for , using . is a little more time consuming to prepare as you'll need to spend some time rounding up the various elements - such as cookie or lollipop sticks, a special cookie pan, food-safe clear cellophane, ribbons and a box - to present an attractive bouquet. Also, because the cookies are fragile (you'll need to make a few extras in case some break), a bit more patience is required on the cook's part. Once baked, decorate the cookies using either the Vanilla Butter Cream Icing or the Frosting Paint and Icing tinted colors as desired. The butter cream is a much creamier, softer frosting than the Frosting Paint and Icing, which dries hard. Gussy gus·sy tr.v. gus·sied, gus·sy·ing, gus·sies Slang To dress or decorate elaborately; adorn or embellish: gussied herself up in sequins and feathers. up the cookies immediately after frosting with assorted candies (such as M&Ms, Red Hots, jellied jel·lied adj. 1. Chilled or otherwise congealed into jelly. 2. Coated with jelly. 3. Prepared or cooked in or with jelly. hearts). When decorations are thoroughly set, overwrap each cookie with food-safe plastic wrap and tie with ribbons to preserve freshness. Then package cookies as desired in a bouquet of cellophane or place atop ruffled ruf·fle 1 n. 1. A strip of frilled or closely pleated fabric used for trimming or decoration. 2. A ruff on a bird. 3. a. A ruckus or fray. b. Annoyance; vexation. 4. white or colored paper or clear shredded shred n. 1. A long irregular strip that is cut or torn off. 2. A small amount; a particle: not a shred of evidence. tr.v. cellophane in a floral box designed for long-stemmed flowers (pick one up at a flower shop). Tie the box with a wide ribbon or a colorful bow. We also tested arranging some of the sturdy cookie sticks in a piece of white plastic florist's foam cut to fit in a small, low vase (or try a basket), which looked terrific. Plan to secure the stems in the foam with tacky crafts glue. Our valentine cookie pizza, topped with coconut and assorted red, pink and white candies, is sure to be a hit with the kids on your list. For simple cut-out cookies, roll the dough out on a floured pastry cloth or wax paper, and with cookie cutters (in the size desired) cut out heart-shaped cookies. After baking, drizzle with melted chocolate chips. There are many other ways to use refrigerator cookie Noun 1. refrigerator cookie - dough formed into a roll and chilled in the refrigerator then sliced and baked cookie, cooky, biscuit - any of various small flat sweet cakes (`biscuit' is the British term) dough - from Chocolate Cookie Turtles to Sugar Cookie Noun 1. sugar cookie - cookies sprinkled with granulated sugar cookie, cooky, biscuit - any of various small flat sweet cakes (`biscuit' is the British term) Fruit Tart, Linzer Bars, Chocolate Chip Caramel Nut Bars and more. Any one of them would make a delicious dessert offering for Valentine's Day or other festivities fes·tiv·i·ty n. pl. fes·tiv·i·ties 1. A joyous feast, holiday, or celebration; a festival. 2. The pleasure, joy, and gaiety of a festival or celebration. 3. throughout the year. SWEETHEART COOKIE 1 (18-ounce) roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough, slightly softened 2 to 3 recipes Vanilla Butter Cream Icing (recipe follows) Grease bottom of a 9-inch heart-shaped cake pan. Line with wax paper, cut to fit; grease paper. Press 1/2 to 3/4 of the roll of dough evenly in pan. (Bake remaining dough separately in rounds or heart-shaped cookies.) Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Cool 5 minutes in pan (no longer or you risk not getting it out of the pan in one piece); then loosen edges with a knife and carefully turn out onto cookie sheet to cool completely. While warm, remove wax paper from bottom. Frost cooled cookie with part of Vanilla-Butter Cream Icing tinted pink with paste food color. Using a pastry bag and tube, decorate and write message or name on cooled cookie with white Vanilla Butter Cream Icing. Makes 1 (9-inch) cookie heart. GIANT COOKIE ROUND: Grease and line 1 (9-inch) round cake pan with wax paper; grease again. Proceed as directed above. NOTE: After cooling completely, wrap up the cookie and store it up to a day prior to decorating, which should be competed on the day of giving as a gift. VANILLA-BUTTER CREAM ICING A versatile icing. Vary the flavor and tint 1. TINT - Interpreted version of JOVIAL. [Sammet 1969, p. 528]. 2. tint - hue colors, as desired, to complement cookies. 1/4 cup butter, room temperature 1 cup powdered sugar Pinch salt 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 to 1 teaspoon orange extract 1 tablespoon whipping cream Noun 1. whipping cream - cream that has enough butterfat (30% to 36%) to be whipped light whipping cream cream - the part of milk containing the butterfat OR milk Paste food colors (optional) In a small bowl, beat together butter, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, orange extract and cream until light and fluffy. Tint with food colors. Use to decorate cookies, either spreading on or piping on. Makes about 1 cup icing. From ``Cookies'' by Natalie Hartanov Haughton, HP Books. COOKIE BOUQUET For ease in making the cookies for the bouquet, we baked the dough, with sticks carefully inserted at least 2 inches (or a little more than halfway) into the center of the cookies, in a Wilton brand Heart Cookie Treat Pan found at Michaels arts and crafts arts and crafts, term for that general field of applied design in which hand fabrication is dominant. The term was coined in England in the late 19th cent. as a label for the then-current movement directed toward the revivifying of the decorative arts. store in Tarzana (and other locations around the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. area). We thought the pan was a good investment ($7.99) as it speeded up the cookie-on-a stick process. You can bake six cookies at a time in it. Bake the cookies a day in advance of decorating and giving as a gift. You can attempt to make cookies on sticks without the pan, but you'll have to experiment a little and use about a one-third cup of dough per cookie, shaped into either rounds or hearts. For best results, insert the sticks 2 inches into the sides of these cookies while they are hot - to avoid breakage - immediately after removing from the oven. The special heart pan can also be used to make crisp-rice cereal treats and other heart-shaped goodies. 1 (18-ounce) roll refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough 8 (6- or 8-inche) cookie OR lollipop sticks (available at cake decorating shops or crafts shops) Vanilla Butter Cream Icing (recipe above) OR Frosting Paint and Icing (recipe follows) Assorted valentine candies Cut dough into 8 equal pieces. Press dough into heart spaces (to top) in well-greased (you can also spray with vegetable cooking spray Cooking spray is a spray form of various types of oils, combined with lecithin, an emulsifier, and a propellent such as food-grade alcohol, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide or propane. Cooking spray is applied to frying pans and other cookware to prevent food from sticking. ) Heart Cookie Treat Pan. Carefully insert sticks at least 2 inches (or a little more than halfway) into center of cookies. (You can bake 6 cookies at a time, depending on the size of your oven and the length of the sticks.) Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 12 to 15 minutes (or longer) until golden and cooked through. For best results and least breakage, let cookies cool thoroughly in pan before carefully removing. Decorate as desired using Vanilla Butter Cream Icing OR Frosting Paint and Icing and assorted candies. Allow decorations to set before overwrapping cookies with plastic wrap and presenting in a cookie bouquet. Makes 8 heart cookies on sticks. FROSTING PAINT AND ICING 3 tablespoons meringue powder (available at stores that sell cake decorating supplies; we used Wilton brand) 1 package (1 pound) powdered sugar 7 tablespoons warm water OR more as needed as needed prn. See prn order. to thin icing to proper consistency Paste food colors In a large bowl with a heavy duty electric mixer, beat together meringue powder, powdered sugar and water on medium speed about 7 to 10 minutes or until icing forms peaks. To use as paint, divide frosting among small bowls.(Keep any unused frosting covered or it will dry out.) Tint each portion the color desired with paste food colors and thin with a few drops of warm water until mixture reaches consistency of thick paint. Using 1-inch wide inexpensive artist brushes or a small knife, paint top surface of cookies until smooth using color desired. Let stand until dry. If using candies for decorations, press onto cookies now so they will adhere. To use as icing, divide frosting among small bowls, tinting tint n. 1. A shade of a color, especially a pale or delicate variation. 2. A gradation of a color made by adding white to it to lessen its saturation. 3. A slight coloration; a tinge. 4. each portion with paste food colors desired and thinning with a tiny bit of warm water, only if necessary to pipe on icing. When paint on surface of cookies is dry, pipe decorations on cookies using a pastry bag fitted with desired decorating tips and filled with desired colors. Let cookies stand until decorations are set and dry. Cookies are then ready to package. VALENTINE COOKIE PIZZA 1 (18-ounce) roll refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough 3/4 to 1 cup flaked OR shredded coconut Vanilla Butter Cream Icing (recipe above) Assorted valentine candies (Red Hots and M&M's, etc.) Slightly soften cookie dough (do in 30 second intervals in microwave oven, if using straight from fridge). Cut dough roll in 3 pieces and place on a greased 12-inch pizza pan Pizza Pan is a chain of pizza shops located mostly in northeast Ohio. They are the self-proclaimed "original home of the free pizza," as customers who buy one pizza at regular price can get two more for free with pickup, or one more for free with delivery. . Press dough (with fingers) evenly in pizza pan. Sprinkle with coconut, pressing lightly into dough. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 13 to 15 minutes or until golden. Cool in pan. Make a 4-to 5-inch diameter heart in center of cookie using Vanilla Butter Cream Icing. Top heart with Red Hots. Sprinkle rest of cookie with red, pink and white M&Ms. Cut cookie pizza into wedges to serve. Makes about 10 to 12 wedges. HAVE A HEART COOKIES 1 (18-ounce) roll refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough Vanilla Butter Cream Icing (recipe above), optional Valentine candies (optional) Melted chocolate (optional) Slice partially frozen cookie dough into 1/2-inch slices. Cut each slice in half; form into a heart shape. Place 2 inches apart onto an ungreased baking sheet baking sheet n. A flat rectangular metal pan, often with at least one rolled-up edge, used for baking. . Bake in preheated 375-degree oven 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are crisp; cool 1 minute. Remove from baking sheets; cool completely on wire racks. Decorate as desired using icing, candies and melted chocolate. Makes about 16 cookies. CHOCOLATE COOKIE TURTLES 1 2/3 cups (100) shelled pecans Water 1 (18-ounce) roll refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough 20 caramels 2 tablespoons milk Soak pecans in water 5 minutes; drain well. For each cookie, arrange 5 pecans on on an ungreased baking sheet (1 for head, 4 for legs), leaving about a 1-inch circle in center. Shape a slightly rounded tablespoon of cookie dough into a ball; place over circle, pressing into pecans. Repeat with pecans and dough, placing turtles 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven 11 to 13 minutes or until edges are crisp; cool 1 minute. Remove from baking sheets; cool completely on wire racks. Melt caramels and milk in a microwave-safe bowl in microwave oven on high power 1 1/2 minutes; stir. Heat at additional 10-second intervals until melted. Drizzle over turtles. Makes about 20 cookies. CHOCOLATE DIPPED SUGAR ALMOND COOKIES 1 (18-ounce) roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough, softened 1/2 cup chopped almonds 1/2 cup semisweet sem·i·sweet adj. Having a small amount of sweetening: semisweet chocolate. Adj. 1. semisweet - having a taste that is a mixture of bitterness and sweetness bittersweet chocolate chips Mix cookie dough and almonds in a medium bowl. Refrigerate re·frig·er·ate tr.v. re·frig·er·at·ed, re·frig·er·at·ing, re·frig·er·ates 1. To cool or chill (a substance). 2. To preserve (food) by chilling. 15 minutes for easier handling. Shape cookie dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. Place balls on ungreased baking sheets. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 12 to 14 minutes or until light golden brown around edges; cool 1 minute. Remove from baking sheets; cool on wire racks. Melt chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in microwave oven on 50 percent power 30 seconds; stir. Microwave at 10-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Dip 1/2 of each cookie top into chocolate; let cool completely. Makes about 17 cookies. PEANUT BLOSSOMS 1 (18-ounce) roll refrigerated peanut butter cookies 3 tablespoons sugar 36 milk chocolate kisses, unwrapped Shape cookie dough into 1-inch balls; roll in sugar. Place balls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Top each HOT cookie with a kiss, pressing down firmly. Remove from cookie sheet; cool completely. Makes 3 dozen cookies. SUGAR COOKIE MINI-CHEESECAKES 1 (18-ounce) roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Fresh fruit (such as strawberries) OR cherry pie Cherry pie is a pie made with a cherry filling. Morello cherries (sour cherries) are often used in cherry pies. Cherries are expensive — and sweet varieties are best used eaten fresh and raw. Sour cherries are best for cooking and may be used fresh or preserved. filling Shape cookie dough pieces into 1-inch balls. Place balls into greased mini-muffin pans; press down center to make a deep well. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven 8 minutes or until edges are set and light golden brown. After removing from oven, press down center with back of a spoon to make indentation in·den·ta·tion n. A notch, a pit, or a depression. . Let stand 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a small mixer bowl until smooth. Spoon about 1 teaspoon cream cheese mixture into each cup. Top each cheesecake with fresh fruit or pie filling, as desired. Makes about 24 cheesecakes. CHOCOLATE CHIP CARAMEL NUT BARS 8 ounces (about 24) caramels 2 tablespoons evaporated evaporated reduced in volume by evaporation; concentrated to a denser form. milk OR whipping cream 1 (18-ounce) roll refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough 1 cup chopped walnuts Melt caramels with milk in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, until smooth. Set aside. Press 3/4 of cookie dough into bottom of a greased 9-inch-square baking pan. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven 10 minutes. Sprinkle 1/2 cup nuts over cookie crust; drizzle caramel mixture over nuts with a spoon. Top with teaspoonfuls of remaining cookie dough; press gently into caramel mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup nuts. Bake 12 to 14 minutes longer or until edge is set. Cool in pan on a wire rack; cut into bars. Makes about 16 bars. APPLE CHOCOLATE CHIP DESSERT PIZZA 1 (18-ounce) roll refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough 2/3 cup oatmeal, uncooked 2 (3-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 1 egg 1/4 cup dairy sour cream 1 tablespoon sugar 1 (12-ounce) package frozen scalloped scal·lop also scol·lop or es·cal·lop n. 1. a. Any of various free-swimming marine mollusks of the family Pectinidae, having fan-shaped bivalve shells with a radiating fluted pattern. b. apples, thawed in microwave on 50 percent power 6 to 7 minutes 1/2 cup chopped walnuts Mix cookie dough and oatmeal in a medium bowl. Press mixture evenly onto bottom of a greased 12-inch pizza pan or a 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven 11 to 15 minutes or until edge is set and center is slightly soft. Beat cream cheese, egg, sour cream and sugar in a small mixer bowl until smooth. Place apples on top of crust. Spread with cream cheese mixture and sprinkle with walnuts. Bake 25 to 30 minutes longer or until cream cheese is set in center. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Makes 12 servings. LINZER BARS 1 (18-ounce) roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 cup seedless Seed´less a. 1. Without seed or seeds. Adj. 1. seedless - lacking seeds; "seedless grapefruit" seedy - full of seeds; "as seedy as a fig" seedless adj → raspberry jam Grease an 8-inch-square baking pan. Crumble cookie dough into a medium bowl. Add almonds, flour and cinnamon; mix well. Reserve 1/2 cup cookie dough mixture; set aside. Press remaining mixture onto bottom of prepared baking pan. Spread jam over cookie. Roll out reserved dough on a lightly floured surface into an 8x5-inch rectangle. Cut lengthwise length·wise adv. & adj. Of, along, or in reference to the direction of the length; longitudinally. Adj. 1. lengthwise into 10 strips. Lay 1/2 of strips over jam, placing them about 1-inch apart. Lay remaining strips crosswise over first ones. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 25 to 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Makes 16 bars. SUGAR COOKIE FRUIT TART 1 (18-ounce) roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1/3 cup powdered sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/2 cups fruit (whole raspberries OR blueberries, sliced bananas, peaches OR strawberries) Grease bottom and up sides of greased 9-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom (see Note.) Press cookie dough evenly into prepared pan. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 22 to 25 minutes or until edge is set and center is still slightly soft. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla in a small mixer bowl until smooth. Spread evenly over cooled cookie crust to within 1/2-inch of edge. Arrange fruit as desired on top of cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate 1 hour. Remove rim of pan; slice into Verb 1. slice into - move through a body or an object with a slicing motion; "His hand sliced through the air" slice through go, locomote, move, travel - change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically; "How fast does your new car go?"; "We wedges. Makes 8 to 10 servings. NOTE: If tart pan is not available, press cookie dough onto a greased baking sheet to measure a 9- to 11-inch circle. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. CAPTION(S): 7 photos Photo: (1 -- color) A cookie bouquet is a glamorous edible valentine that will impress a loved one or friend. Decorate as desired with icing and assorted candies. (2 -- color) Say "I love you" to someone special on Valentine's Day with a giant homemade heart-shaped cookie decorated with butter cream icing. (3 -- color) Bake this fun valentine cookie pizza with chocolate chip cookie dough for the kids and let them decorate with M&M's and Red Hots. (4 -- color) no caption (Heart-shaped cookie) (5 -- color) Whip up an assortment of edible valentines using refrigerated cookie dough, different pans, icings and valentine candies. (6 -- color) Flowers are ordinary, but arrange a delicious cookie bouquet in florist foam in a small vase, and you have a unique gift. (7 -- color) Make cut-out cookies with simple-to-use heart-shaped cookie cutters. After baking, drizzle with warm, melted chocolate. Michael Owen
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