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Featured Recipes:
Delectable Spritz Cookies |
- Courtesy of Kathe R.,
CWFC Member
These cookies are meant to be used in a cookie press. They are a great cookie to make with a friend since you can make many in a short amount of time. You can easily get some assembly line action going -- one of you can decorate while the other uses the press.
Ingredients:
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- ½ cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable shortening
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cream butter at medium high speed in a large bowl.
- Add sugar gradually.
- Beat until light and fluffy for about 5 minutes.
- Add in egg and vanilla and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter sugar mixture gradually in three sections. Mix well. Dough will be stiff.
- Fill cookie press and use according to the directions.
- Decorate with sprinkles if you are not icing the cookies.
- Bake on 375 for 10-12 minutes.
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Quick and Colorful Icing |
- Contributed by Jenn,
CWFC Member
The Delectable Spritz Cookies are beautiful when dipped in a simple icing. Sprinkles and other decorations can then be added quickly on top of the icing before they dry. Jenn says that the icing is great for sugar or gingerbread cookies.
Ingredients:
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- 4 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 3 Tbs. meringue powder (found at baking and craft stores like Michaels and AC Moore and some grocery stores)
- Approx. 4-6 Tbs. of water
- Food coloring
Directions:
- Mix the powdered sugar and Meringue Powder together and then add the water one tablespoon at a time until it's the consistency you want. Add drops of food coloring to create the desired color.
- Use a thicker consistency to outline the cookie with a pastry bag. Then use a thinner consistency to fill in the middle of the decoration or for dipping the top side of the cookie.
- FYI: meringue powder is used instead of raw egg whites because it's safe for children, elderly and pregnant women to eat.
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Great Gift Ideas
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Homemade Truffles
Valentine White
Chocolate Bark
Linzer Heart Cookies
Candy Filled Cookie Cutters
Chocolate Heart-Shaped Candies
Heart-Shaped Chocolate Lollipops
Decorated Heart-Shaped Spritz Cookies
Chocolate-Dipped Biscotti |
Please share your recipes with us!
Click below to
go to the recipe sharing page on our site:
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Think Outside the Box! Make Something with a Friend for a Friend
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Valentine's Day is also a nice day to show a friend how much you
appreciate them and value their friendship. We suggest getting together
with one friend and together making something special for a mutual
friend. Homemade cookies, a loaf of bread or even a jar of granola
would all make nice gifts. Making it with a friend will give the gift
double the meaning. |
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Dear Friends,
Welcome to the Valentine's edition of the Cooking With Friends Newsletter. There are many ways to cook with your friends and enjoy the holiday -- making cookies and chocolates for gifts, trying out cool new kitchen tools and even preparing a romantic dinner in advance so that you can relax and enjoy it too.
Don't forget to visit us at www.cookingwithfriendsclub.com, where you will find more recipes, a discussion group and lots of ideas for Cooking With Friends!
Alison, Shannon and Dana
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Start a New Tradition
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To some, Valentine's Day is another sentiment-driven holiday created by the greeting card industry. But we still love it! It gives us another opportunity to prepare foods with our friends. It's also the perfect excuse to get sappy and infuse a maximum amount of meaning to the foods we're making for people we care about.
Store-bought candies and cookies are appreciated on that special day, but why not make it even more personal by making them yourselves?
While the December holidays may be the most common time of year to make cookies and candies for friends and family, there's no reason why you and your friends can't jazz up winter with a new holiday tradition for Valentine's Day.
That's why we suggest that you:
Get Creative.
When there are two of you, you can think of more creative ways to make and package edible valentines.
Be Adventurous.
Does the thought of making something a bit more complicated (say truffles) intimidate you? Then team up with a friend who will inspire you to try something new. You'll feel so proud at what you will be able to accomplish.
Start Something New.
Life is so much more interesting when you break away from routine. |
Tips to Starting a Valentine's Day Tradition with a Friend
- Ask a friend. Since you may be starting one of your new favorite traditions, think about whom you'd like to share it with you and which friend would be most appreciative of the new tradition.
- Decide what you want to make. Candy, cookies, no-bake chocolates, cookie mixes in a jar, etc.
- Set a date (or two) in advance to get together. You may want to allow one or two days for making your foods and another to package them together.
- Decide whose house you will be cooking in. If you've set aside two dates, you may want to alternate homes.
- Create a shopping list. First, go through each other's cupboards and see what you already have. Then make a list of what you still need.
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| Time-Saving Tools & Cool Gadgets |
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Make a Romantic Dinner Ahead of Time with a Friend
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There's nothing like a romantic dinner for two at home with your special someone. Unless of course, you end up spending the whole time in the kitchen preparing and cooking the meal rather than spending the time together. That's why we encourage you to get together with a friend who also plans to make a romantic dinner and prepare what you can in advance.
Of course, if your significant other likes to cook too, it can be fun and romantic to prepare Valentine's dinner together. Some people will find that their spouse is the best cooking "friend" they could imagine.(Others aren't so lucky!)
A favorite Valentine's Day Menu Item to Make Ahead
with a Friend:
Mini Crab Cakes |
Throw a Valentine's Day Exchange
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If you're looking for some diversity in your cookies and candies, organizing a Valentine's Day Exchange may just be the perfect option. Invite friends who you think would be interested in homemade gifts, encourage friends to bake together and gather to exchange the fruits of your labor. You'll be so excited to see what a wonderful array of goodies your friends can create and you can give away.
Tips on Hosting a Cooking With Friends Club Valentine's Day Swap
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Pick a date and time that's convenient for you, the hostess.
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Arrange a group of friends and post a message with the proposed date and time to the group and see who is interested.
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Keep track of the interest - we suggest capping the group at 12 people. If it gets too large, you may want to divide into two swapping groups.
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Once you have a group, set some guidelines and decide on a focus for your exchange.
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Make sure you specify logistics ahead of time - do you want your cookies to be packaged in cellophane or would you rather them placed on a platter?
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Ask people to let you know in advance the kinds of treats they will be bringing. | |
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Alison Bermack, Shannon Henry and Dana Bowen
Visit our web site at www.cookingwithfriendsclub.com.
Join our Yahoo discussion group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CookingWithFriendsClub/
Email us at info@cookingwithfriendsclub.com
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