Valentine's Day Baking



Today I had fun baking edible Valentine's for everyone rather than giving cards or candy.  I made stoneware heart mold sugar cookies decorated with an egg yolk stain.   I've been wanting to try my stoneware cookie molds that we've had for several years and somehow never gotten around to using.  Today I made the time and it sure was an enjoyable way to spend a Valentine's day afternoon.

I only had whole wheat flour on hand and didn't have any vanilla, so I had to make do.  The cookies still turned out tasty, they would probably be better with half unbleached white flour and some vanilla, but they still had a nice flavor.  I put a light coat of oil on the molds and then sprinkled them with flour to help release the dough.  Then with an already slightly rolled out dough, I pressed it in and rolled it with a rolling pin, so the back is flat.  Trim the sides and remove gently by tapping to release and pulling it off.   It comes off easily if the dough is cold enough, you can then paint or leave plain, and place on a greased cookie sheet and bake.  The color I used to paint with is made with 2 egg yolks, a half a teaspoon of water and a few drops of food color.  Cookie molds add so much detail to cookies, they are like artwork.  Next I want to try making chocolate in the molds, and you can use stoneware molds for casting paper as well, I've done it and they turn out beautiful.




While my cookie dough was chilling for 2 hours, I decided I wanted to make something that would use up lots of eggs and milk.  Yesterday I got 14 eggs from the chicken coop and I've been getting a dozen or more everyday.  I found cream puffs filled with chocolate pudding used 8 eggs!  The pudding had 4 yolks and almost 3 cups of milk, and the baked cream puffs used 4 eggs.  When the kids came home from school they each got to have a home made chocolate cream puff and Valentine cookie, what a surprise!.  I made them with whole wheat flour too, and they turned out delicious.  I love to bake for special occasions and the people in my life, this is some of the good things in life to me.  Happy Valentine's Day!