Valentine Vignettes and Cookies

Last night, I finished the arduous task of Fall Quilt Festival faculty and curriculum selection. The file boxes are parked by the back door waiting for my husband to load them in my car to take to the Quilts, Inc. office tomorrow. My faithful assistants, Kim and Jill, will take them from there to get out the contracts this week.

Files Ready to Go to Office

So today is my day to invite you in for a visit. I’ve baked heart-shaped sugar cookies and decorated our home with multiple Valentine vignettes just for you. Want to come in?

Welcome

This morning, after going to my much loved and needed yoga class, I came home and started right in to make cookies for our visit. I turned on the Love Channel on our XM Satellite Radio, lit a vetiver and shaved vanilla soy candle, and got out all the ingredients.

All Ingredients Ready

The recipe I use is one I have had since early marriage and have given to many friends. There are a few things I do differently than most sugar cookie recipes. I’ll tell you about those as I make the cookies along with the recipe.

Grammy’s Sugar Cookies

Ingredients: 1 cup margarine or butter, 2 cups sugar, 2 whole eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 4 cups flour, 1 tablespoon vanilla

Cream together margarine or butter and sugar.

Blend in eggs.

Sift together the salt, baking powder, and flour.  Then, gradually add to the mixture.

Add vanilla to mixture and beat until smooth.

Mix Dough Until Smooth

Do not refrigerate dough. Divide into 3 parts. Roll one part at a time. Put left-over dough from each rolling all together for fourth and last part.

Flour pastry cloth and sock by rolling pin on floured cloth. Take one part of dough and turn over a few times on cloth to coat with flour.

Turn Dough on Floured Cloth

Roll out 1/8″ thick on pastry cloth. Each time, you take another part of dough to roll out, you need to flour the pastry cloth again.

At Christmas, a friend of mine wanted to make my sugar cookie recipe, but she was stumped when I told her to use a pastry cloth and a sock on the rolling pin. She searched the internet and found these items.

I’ve had mine since I was married many years ago. I’d since worn out the sock, but used the top of one of my husband’s tube socks…washed of course. Now I have a new pastry sock thanks to Willie. She bought a set for me when she got hers. I use the pastry sock, but still using the old pastry cloth as it hasn’t worn out yet. I also roll out pie dough using the pastry sock and cloth. Wash and dry these by machine after each use before putting away.

When dough is rolled out, cut with cookie cutters. If the dough does not come up with the cutter, use a spatula to lift it off the pastry cloth.

Use spatula to Remove from Pastry Cloth

Place on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar.

Sprinkle Cookies with Sugar

I have a large assortment of heart-shaped cookie cutters and can’t begin to use them all each time I make Valentine cookies. I have a friend who loves these cookies and likes nothing better than to receive them at Christmas and Valentine’s Day. Recently her sugar intake has been cut back drastically, so she loves the little cookies that are just bite size. Then, she’s able to still have bits of sugar cookies. So all sizes come in handy.

Heart-shaped Cookie Cutters

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. I find I have better luck if I bake only one cookie sheet in the oven at a time. Cool single layer on waxed paper. I bake different sizes on a single cookie sheet because some friends and family like their cookies cooked crispy while others prefer theirs barely brown. This way everyone is happy and that’s a good thing.

Crispy or Barely Browned

Cookies are finished, and tea is ready. Would you come for tea now?

Please come for tea.

Now would you like to see the Valentine vignettes I did for you? As the quote goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.”

At My Kitchen Window

Hearts with Covered Basket

Table Runner on Coffee Table

Friendship Heart Quilt

Table in Entrance

Valentine Collage

Handmade Valentine

Vintage Valentine Hankies

Things for Little Hands to Touch

Vignette with Granddaughter Pictures

Hanging hearts can also be pillows on chairs

Happy February and Valentine’s Day from my home to yours with love,

Judy

Tags: cookie cutters, cookies, cooking, decorate, hearts, home, kitchen, Quilts, Quilts Inc., recipe, tea, Valentines, vignettes, Welcome