Day 13: My Sweet Hearts

WARNING: If the site of crystallized sweetness makes you cringe, or if you flip the channel when an ad for high fructose corn syrup comes on, or if the very thought of diving into a container of frosting with a spoon evokes your gag reflex, this post is not for you. 

It all started when I was trying to find something to do with the powdered sugar...  I had done a couple of quick online searches for recipes that didn't yield anything I felt was very interesting.  Then I remembered a great baking cookbook that I had received for Christmas a couple of years back, "Butter, Sugar, Flour, Eggs" by Gale Gand. I stumbled upon a delicious looking recipe that didn't look way over my head and called for four cups of powdered sugar in the frosting.  BINGO!  Named Black-and-Whites (which I think is just boring) I like to call it the The Best of Both Worlds Cookie.

I had everything for the recipe (except for cake flour - substituted with all purpose), and instead of using an ice cream scoop to make circle shaped cookies, I put the dough in the refrigerator overnight and rolled it out like sugar cookies.  I rolled the dough to approximately 3/8 inch and cut out heart shapes in honor of Valentine's Day.  (This is the point at which I should impress you by not admitting that I actually didn't plan this at first, but just as I finished the dough on Saturday night, Jett decided that he didn't have the energy to stay up and finish baking so I put the dough in the fridge.  I then proceeded to fall asleep while tucking him in and and forgetting all about the cookies until morning.  But they were in the fridge, chilled, and ready to be rolled out.  Isn't there a famous quote about sleepiness as the onset to genius - no?- maybe there should be!)

On your far left you have phase one, an innocent shortbread cookie perfectly cakey, golden and buttery.

On the far right you have phase two, chocolate attack - half of the frosting mixed with cocoa powder and smothered on one side.  (I have to apologize to a couple of cookie recipients who received a treat plate yesterday that only appeared complete. Delicious, yes. Finished, no.  I ran out of time to frost the vanilla side. I owe you one!)

The finished product added vanilla on the other side made complete with just a little bit of festiveness and a whole lot of sugar buzz!

Pure sweetness!

Now if you are sugar adverse, but you kept reading anyways please close your eyes now.  Click that X in the upper right corner.  And if you decide not to heed this warning then you have given up your right to judge me!

The frosting was truly amazing!  It reminded me of the frosting on a vanilla glazed donut.  I may have eaten an ugly cookie or two.  And I may have found some Teddy Grahams in the cupboard and gave them a little dunk, or two or three.  

 

And just in case that wasn't enough sugar to float a bear, I decided to make cupcakes for my hubby's class for Valentine's Day.  I had a box of Funfetti to use up, and made my own sprinkle buttercream frosting to top it off.  That recipe was super simple:

1 stick of unsalted butter at room temperature

3 cups of powdered sugar

1/4 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Sprinkles to taste

With a mixer blend butter until light and fluffy.  Add powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until blended together and fluffy.  Fold in sprinkles.  Tada! 

What I Used-Up:

1 bag of powdered sugar

Finished the jar of vanilla extract

1 box of Funfetti

1 jar of sprinkles

1 stick of butter