Super delicious birthday cookies

These cookies are inspired by my sister and her hubby who carve their initials in a tree wherever they live. {Insert "aww..." here.}

 
If you are ever on an Army base in Hawaii, and see a tree with a M + M carved on it, that's them. ;)

Even if you don't make the trees, the little initial hearts are about the easiest Valentine cookies EVER!  Just outline, flood and, the next day, use a food coloring pen to write on initials.  Easy Peasy.
 
The make the trees you'll need:

• tree-shaped cookies (see below)
• royal icing in tinted with AmeriColor Leaf Green, Chocolate Brown and Super Red
• disposable piping bags
• squeeze bottles
• #2 decorating tips
• toothpicks
• AmeriColor Gourmet Food Writers (food coloring pens)

 
Cut out cookies using a circle cutter and with a knife, cut a thin rectangle.  Smoosh (technical term) together before baking to make a tree shape.


Once the cookies have cooled, outline the top of the tree and the trunk of the tree using #2 tips.  Pipe a heart in the center of the trunk. (The red icing won't be used until the next day, cover with plastic wrap, pressing onto the icing, and store in the fridge.)

Reserve some piping consistency green icing. Thin the brown and remaining green icing with water, a teaspoon at a time, stirring until it reaches the consistency of thick syrup.  Cover with a damp dish towel and set aside.

After several minutes, stir the icings gently with a rubber spatula to pop and air bubbles that have risen to the surface.  Transfer to squeeze bottles.

 
Flood the tree top with the thinned green icing and the tree trunk in brown.  Use a toothpick to guide into edges and pop air bubbles.

 
Wait at least one hour, then with the #2 tip, pipe grass on the bottom of the trunk.  Let dry overnight.


With a fan brush and Chocolate Brown food coloring thinned with water, add the wood grain.  To make the wood grain, I used a technique I learned from Renee. You can see her wood grain on cookies video on University of Cookie (she's so good).


Thin the red icing with water, as described above and fill in the heart.

Let dry overnight.

The next day, use the food coloring pens to write on initials.

Mendekati Valentine Days, ada aja yang pesan tema percintaan kayak gini.

Jadi ingat jaman muda dulu, xixixiiiii.........
Aku kenal Valentine Days kira-kira tahun 1980-an,kalau nggak salah jaman SMP....., itu juga karena temen-temenku banyakan borjuis.... hihihiiii.... apa yah istilahnya ? 
Yang jelas pada doyan Party dan banyak duitnya......, 
kalau aku mah kereeee !!!
Duluuuu....., aku tanya ma temen-temenku "Valentine Day itu apaan sieh ?!!"
O'on banget yah, "Itu hari kasih sayang tauk !!!" gitu katanya....


Oooh...., berarti ini hari untuk yang punya pacar doang donk !!, jadi aku nggak mesti ikutan ngerayain, wong pacar aja nggak punya !!!
Wuiiiih....langsung deh di pelototin sama temenku itu, maklum dia pengen sumbangan untuk ngadain party-nya sieeeh !!
Alhasil, that's My First Valentine Days Party.... xixixiiii......

Padahal acara belum selesai (kalau nggak salah belom mulai malah) aku udah ngeloyor pulang......, maklum maklumat papieku kalau jam 9 malam TENG, harus udah ada di kamar lagi !!!!


Hihihiiii......, dasar gadis desa !!!



glitter-graphics.com

Valentine Day is Comiiiiiiiiing....... !!!!
Ayo donk pada pesen cake sama aku....., kayaknya fun bener bikin cake, cupcakes or Cookies yang temanya Valentine ini....
Yang jelas nge-Pink and Harts dimana-mana.......

Liat deh, cantik loh buat yang lagi sayang-sayangaaaaaan......
For Someone Special in Your Heart !!!


glitter-graphics.com

I've made these martini cookies before, but they needed an update (and new pictures).  And they needed giant olives....with heart-shaped pimientos. 


The idea came from a Valentine card that I gave Mr. E a few years ago.

{Sure sign cookies have taken over your life?  Everything you see becomes a cookie.}

To make the martinis, you'll need:

• martini glass shaped cookies (if you don't have a cutter, use a template.)
• royal icing tinted with AmeriColor Bright White, Super Red, Deep Pink, Avocado
• disposable piping bags
• squeeze bottles
• tips in #2, #1 and #12
• toothpicks

 
With a #2 tip, outline the cookies in white.

Reserve some piping consistency red icing.  Thin the pink and remaining red icing with water, a teaspoon at a time, stirring until it reaches the consistency of thick syrup.  Cover with a damp dish towel and set aside.

After several minutes, stir the icings gently with a rubber spatula to pop and air bubbles that have risen to the surface.  Transfer to squeeze bottles.

Flood most of the martini glass with the thinned pink icing, leaving a little room at the top.


Flood the top of the glass and the bottom of the stem in white.  Use a toothpick to guide to the edges.

Let sit 1 hour.

Using a #1 tip, pipe the arrow swizzle stick.


With the #12 tip, pipe the olive with avocado icing.


Directly on top of the olive, pipe a heart with the red icing.


Let dry overnight before packaging.

{Did that scare anyone? It's OK...there's still time!}

Right before I left for New York, our church had a big celebration....there was music and gumbo and a bake-off (!).

I made a little something for the bake-off, but there was also a need for desserts for the dessert table.

{It's hard for me to say no to bringing dessert.}



Did I mention I had my bake-off baking to do and a little trip to New York City to pack for?

{Um...have you voted, yet today?}

I needed something quick and easy, but still pretty. Inspired by these at Munchkin Munchies and these by The Decorated Cookie, I decided to go with mini chocolate hugs & kisses cookies.


This recipe made a bunch (I forgot to count) and they were fast (no flood icing). Perfect for last minute baking!


The only thing I would change would be to make the x's and o's pink next time.


You can even play tic-tac-toe with them when you can't eat anymore.
{That may not happen as they are deliciously addictive, especially in bite-size form. Seriously...make these cookies!}


Chocolate Cut-Out Cookies
{modified from Cookie Craft}

2 & 1/2 c. all-purpose, unbleached flour
1/2 c. dutch-process cocoa (natural is OK, too)
1 tsp instant espresso powder
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1 c. unsalted butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour,cocoa, espresso powder and salt; set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light an fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined.

In 3 additions, add the flour mixture at low speed. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl as needed.

Roll the dough on a lightly floured and cocoa-ed surface. (I mixed the 2 of these, then spread on my rolling surface, on my rolling pin, and used it to dip my cookie cutters.)

Cut the cookies with a square cutter, then divide into smaller squares, if necessary, using a bench scraper.

Freeze cut cookies five minutes.

Bake 8 minutes. Let cool completely.

With white royal icing and a #4 (or so) plain tip, pipe the x's and o's.

With red icing and a #3 or #4 tip, pipe hearts on some of the cookies.

Let the icing dry (overnight is fine).

Mix equal parts meringue powder and water. Brush onto piped designs with a small paintbrush and sprinkle on sanding sugar. Shake off the excess.

Stray sanding sugar REALLY shows up on these cookies, so use a dry paintbrush to remove the excess...like this:



More Valentine Cookie Ideas:

• Scrabble LOVE Cookies
• Sparkly Heart Cookies with va-va-va-vanilla
• Olive You...Valentine Martini Cookies
  

PS....remember to vote each and every day, though February 19th, for Kelly's Cake for a Cause (our team's cake was Take a Bow, but a vote for ANY cake donates $1). Each time you vote, Electrolux donates $1 to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund!!!
{Oh, and after you do, go on back to this post and leave a comment. You'll be entered to win a dozen decorated cookies from me as a thank you!}