edible valentines

Firstly, I must announce that I made my first sale of 2010 yesterday . . . hooray!

Secondly, It is January 16th and I have awoken to birds singing for the past three mornings! What a cheerful sound! And what a gift in the middle of winter!

Thirdly, I've been thinking of Valentine's Day recently and remembering some darling cookies I made last year in celebration . . . which my children happily consumed.

I just whipped up a couple batches of sugar cookies from my favorite recipe. Cut them out with heart cookie cutters. Then I whipped up some royal icing (egg whites and powdered sugar beaten until stiff peaks form). Tinted it with different food colorings. Spread the cookies with frosting. Let it harden completely. Then, poured some red food coloring onto a folded napkin inside of a tin, and stamped cute "conversation heart" sayings on each cookie with alphabet stamps.

I loved how they turned out! So did my kids' classmates, as we took them in to share for classroom valentine's celebrations.

After blogging about this, I am resolved on creating them again this year!

Happy winter to you all!

Fondly,

Kate

Grandma's Chocolate Lebkuchen Recipe

Just mixed up a batch of this yesterday.

Christmas here just wouldn't be Christmas without Grandma's Chocolate Lebkuchen! . . . never had Lebkuchen before? It's kind of like an orangy, spicy, really chewy brownie.
It takes a bit of patience to make it as you start it one day and finish three days later, but SO worth trying!!! Yum!

1 1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup honey
3 Tbsp. water
2 cups chocolate chips
2 eggs, well beaten
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate
2 3/4 cup sifted white flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder

Combine sugar, honey and water in a large saucepan. Bring to boil and dissolve sugar thoroughly. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips, stirring until melted. Let cool until pan is no longer warm. (It is SO important that the mixture is cool at this point. When you add the eggs, if it is too warm, the eggs will cook and curdle and the lebkuchen will be ruined) Add orange juice concentrate and beaten eggs. Sift flour, spices, baking powder and soda. Add to chocolate mixture. Combine well. Store in a tightly closed container at room temperature for 3 days.
Preheat oven to 325 F. Spread lebkuchen into a lightly oiled 9"x13" pan. Bake 35-40 mins. Let cool completely and frost with a mixture of powdered sugar and lemon juice. Cut into 1 1/2 inch squares. Store in a tightly covered container. May be refrigerated. After 24 hours, the flavors will have mellowed.

*my grandma adds candied fruits to this . . . my kids prefer it without . . . this is heavenly with 1 1/2 cups finely chopped dried apricots and dried cherries!