Making sweet memories

Could it be true that
Mother really did know best when it comes to America’s lovingest of
holidays?

By LISA LOSASSO

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

Valentine’s Day seems to have become an optional holiday, which a lot of people don’t celebrate because many people believe you shouldn’t have to set a day aside to show people how much you love them … you should show them every day.

This is true. But, it’s so easy to get caught up in day-to-day life, and although we may have the best intentions, we aren’t always able to find the time. This Valentines Day, set one day aside and do something special for the people you love. Nothing says “I love you,” better than a gift from your kitchen.

Growing up, Valentine’s Day was always a special time in our home. Mom always helped to make beautiful Valentine boxes and treats to bring to school and dad would always arrive home with an ornate card and a dozen roses for my mother.

It’s so comforting to have these memories and now is the time to make them. Spending time in the kitchen with your kids and loved ones will create lasting memories … even if it’s something simple.

Some of my favorite Valentine treats can be made quite simply from mixes and ingredients that you probably already have in your cupboards.

A fun and simple breakfast could include freezer cinnamon rolls arranged and baked in a heart-shaped pan or, if you have a waffle iron, heart shaped waffles with strawberry jam or syrup, link sausages and coffee, tea, juice or a strawberry milk mix make a delicious morning meal.

The waffles can be made ahead of time and frozen in individual baggies. These can be pulled out of the freezer at anytime and popped into a regular toaster to be heated.

For lunch, a quick and simple sandwich can be made with a large heart-shaped cookie cutter, by cutting the bread in the shape of a heart and filling it with peanut butter and jelly. These are a nice surprise to put in lunch bags and pack for school lunches. If your little ones are not yet in school, grilled cheese sandwiches could also be made by cutting through the cheese and the bread with a heart-shaped cookie cutter. They’re cute, tasty and handy for dipping in a hot bowl of cream of tomato soup.

If you’re not a baker, or can’t seem to be able to find the time because of busy work and school schedules, refrigerator cookie dough or brownie mix cut into heart shapes and decorated with red or pink icing make a sweet heartwarming treat.

Decorated sugar cookies are a fun project to do at home with the kids, grandkids, nieces or nephews. They’re just as much fun to make as they are to eat. Home made cookie dough can be made a day ahead and refrigerated until you’re ready to roll the dough out and cut the cookies.

Any kind of baked good, whether made from scratch or a mix, is always a gift well received by friends and family, because it means you took the time to do something special.

MOM’S SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE

3cups flour

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1⁄4 teaspoon mace

1⁄8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

Sift flour once before measuring. Measure flour, salt, baking powder, and mace. Place in flour sifter. Cream shortening by mashing it against the sides and bottom of bowl until it is a soft mass. Measure sugar. Add it gradually to the creamed shortening — rubbing the sugar and shortening against sides and bottom of bowl with the back of the spoon.

Continue in this manner until all sugar is added and mixture is creamed to a soft fluffly lightness. Add egg and beat into the creamed mixture. Measure and add vanilla.

Measure and add cream. Add about a third of the sifted dry ingredients and stir to blend. Continue until all is incorporated. Chill dough for half an hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place about a third of the dough on a pastry cloth or slightly floured board. With rolling pin (floured or cloth-covered) roll the dough to 1⁄8 inch thickness.

Roll dough by flattening slightly, then rolling from the center to outside in all directions. Dip cookie cutter into flour and cut into desired size and shape. Lift each cut piece of dough onto baking sheet. Place in oven and bake for 8 minutes.

BUTTERY ICING

1⁄2 cup butter

1⁄4 cup shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla

1⁄8 teaspoon salt

4 cups powdered sugar

2 to 4 tablespoons milk

In large bowl, combine butter and shortening. Beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and salt. Mix well. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well each time. Beat in enough milk until light and fluffy.

For Valentine cookies: Separate into three containers. Leave one white. Add enough food coloring to make one small bowl of red icing and one small bowl of pink. Decorate with sprinkles if desired.

Note: This is also a wonderful icing for cakes and cupcakes.

Recipe courtesy of Carol Bell.

SWEDISH GINGER COOKIES (PEPPARKAKOR)

1 cup butter

11⁄2 cup sugar (half cup brown and half cup white if desired)

1 egg

11⁄2 tablespoon grated orange peel

2 tablespoons dark corn syrup or molasses

1⁄2 teaspoon cardamom (optional)

1 tablespoon water or orange juice

31⁄4 cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoons soda

1⁄2 teaspoon clove

1 teaspoon nutmeg

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs. Beat until light and fluffy. Add orange peel, corn syrup, and water (or juice). Mix well. Sift together dry ingredients. Stir into creamed mixture. Chill dough for 1⁄2 hour. Roll to 1⁄8 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. If you want, you can sprinkle with colored sugar or decorate with a piece of almond. Bake at 350-degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool slightly and remove from cookie sheet.

Recipe courtesy of Helen LoSasso.

MOM’S WAFFLE RECIPE

2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

3 eggs, separated

21⁄4 cup milk

1⁄2 cup shortening, melted

Sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together. Combine beaten egg yolks, milk and shortening. Stir quickly into dry ingredients. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites and bake on hot, heart-shaped waffle iron. Serve with strawberry syrup or jam.

Recipe courtesy of Helen LoSasso.

RED VELVET CHOCOLATE CAKE

3 tablespoons cocoa

1⁄2 ounce red food coloring

11⁄2 cups sugar

1⁄2 cup Crisco

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cup flour

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon vinegar

Cream Crisco and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Make paste of coloring and cocoa and add to sugar mixture. Add flour and milk alternately. Mix soda and vinegar and add to cake batter while still foaming. Pour into two 8-inch greased and floured cake pans or 2 medium heart-shaped baking pans. Bake at 350-degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of Recipes to Remember: Personal Favorites. Sponsored by Local 717 Women’s Committee.

STRAWBERRY ANGEL FOOD CAKE DESSERT

1 large angel food cake, broken into bite-sized pieces

1 quart fresh strawberries, cut and sliced

1 package strawberry glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 small canned milk

1 (8-ounce) sour cream

1 (12-ounce) container frozen topping

Mix powdered sugar, canned milk, sour cream and frozen topping. Add angel food cake and mix. In a separate bowl, mix strawberry glaze and strawberries. In tall clear bowl pour a layer of the white mixture. Poke holes in mixture. Add layer of strawberry mixture and repeat until the bowl is full. Refrigerate before serving.

Recipe courtesy of Stacey Nocholas from “The American Cancer Society Relay For Life Cookbook” for Trumbull Country Children Services, 2001.

CREAM CHEESE CUPCAKES

11⁄2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1⁄4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon soda

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

1⁄3 cup oil

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla.

Cream cheese filling

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 unbeaten egg

1⁄2 cup sugar

1⁄8 teaspoon salt

12 ounces chocolate chips

Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, soda and salt. Add water, oil vinegar and vanilla to flour mixture. Beat until well combined.

Combine cream cheese, egg, sugar and salt. Beat well; add chocolate chips.

Put paper cups into cupcake pan. Fill each cup about 1⁄3 full and add one tablespoon cheese mixture. You can also use individual heart-shaped cupcake tins.

Adapted from recipe by Jeanne Ley in “The American Cancer Society Relay For Life Cookbook” for Trumbull County Children Services, 2001.