Gracious Rain

Now, I bet you’re thinking, “Oooh, yum. Chocolate suckers!” but careful now…somehow, this is even better. How about Hot Chocolate on a stick? Hmmmm? The idea is that you warm up some milk or cream and stir it with these little chocolate melties. Clever. Scrumptious. Adorable.

And easy.

Ingredients:

8 oz. chocolate –your favorite kind will do- milk, semisweet, white–whatever.

1/4 cup cocoa

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Melt chocolate in a double boiler, being careful not to let the water get above a simmer. This will help your chocolate not get too hot and keep it’s pretty sheen. Be sure not to get even one drop of water in your chocolate or it will become grainy and sad. Once it is nearly all melted, take it off the heat and stir to finish the process.

Pour chocolate into a mixer and beat on low. Add the other ingredients and mix thoroughly. It should be quite thick now.

Press about 1-1/2 tablespoons of the chocolate mixture into each well of an ice cube tray. Insert a popsicle stick into each cube. I rolled some into balls because I only had one ice cube tray. That worked just fine too. Let them cool in the fridge.

After about 2 hours they should just pop right out of the tray. We dipped one corner or the bottoms into warmed red candy melts–just for fun.

Then while they were still warm, we found some other things to make them interesting–Valentine decos…

and red hots–and some we left just their plain, old selves.

You can use them yourself or give them out for the perfect little sweetheart gift. When giving them away, be sure to label them clearly and give instructions for their use.

“One Hot Chocolate Stick stirred into 1 cup of hot milk or cream for the perfect winter evening.”

Sweet dreams.  :}

Hot Chocolate Sticks

 

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Ingredients

• 8 oz. chocolate –your favorite kind will do- milk, semisweet, white–whatever.
• ¼ cup cocoa
• ½ cup powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Melt chocolate in a double boiler, being careful not to let the water get above a simmer.
2. Once it is nearly all melted, take it off the heat and stir to finish the process.
3. Pour chocolate into a mixer and beat on low.
4. Add the other ingredients and mix thoroughly.
5. Press about 1-1/2 tablespoons of the chocolate mixture into each well of an ice cube tray.
6. Insert a popsicle stick into each cube.
7. Let them cool in the fridge.
8. After about 2 hours they should just pop right out of the tray.

Notes

“One Hot Chocolate Stick stirred into 1 cup of hot milk or cream for the perfect winter evening.” Sweet dreams. :}

1.2.4

Just in time– a simple, sweet tart-like cookie for your Valentine. Shamelessly made with real butter and cream cheese for a silky smoothness that may just knock your socks off. Note the strawberry jam in the middle is seedless. That adds the perfect touch–with no odd crunchiness to deal with.

Sing with me now—Heaven…I’m in Heaven…

Strawberry Cream Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Seedless strawberry jam

Directions

~In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Add flour and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle. I used a round cookie scoop–so I didn’t need to refrigerate the dough to get it into balls. But if you don’t have a scoop then chill the dough.

~Shape dough into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Using your index finger, make a well in the center of each ball; fill with about 1/4 teaspoon jam. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool.

I tried to restrain myself…but it was useless. The boys were eating them so fast, I knew if I didn’t just start chomping, there’d be none left. This recipe makes about 5 dozen cookies, but honestly, while I was snapping pictures they just kept disappearing. By the time I got this shot–there were 6 cookies left. No, I’m not kidding.

Moral of the story is–Don’t bake cookies when all the guys are home at one time–unless you make a double batch…or carry a big stick.

:}

Strawberry Cream Cookies

 

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Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• Seedless strawberry jam

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla.
2. Add flour and mix well.
3. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.
4. Shape dough into 1-in. balls.
5. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.
6. Using your index finger, make a well in the center of each ball; fill with about ¼ teaspoon jam.
7. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until set.
8. Remove to wire racks to cool.

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