A Not So Pretty Valentine’s Day Cookie

They can’t all be blue ribbon winners.

No one’s ever told me this, but I can imagine if when I was really good at raising squash or hogs as a kid someone would’ve wound up telling me this as a way to sooth my hurt pride when I didn’t win the local town’s heaviest _____ blue ribbon contest. So as I stare dumbfoundedly (there’s that damn word again) at my cookie I think to myself, “Suck it up girlfriend…they can’t all be blue ribbon winners.”

Scenario…Vanentine’s Day. Two sick kids at home, a kitchen in complete disarray and no boxed cake mix. There’s no way I can make a cake for my hubby with the heavy responsibilities of the day today. Nor can I bundle everyone up for a quick (read hour…don’t forget I have two kids nothing is ever quick) trip to the grocery store to buy a mix. So my next thought…I made cookies yesterday maybe I can decorate one for him. However, the only icing on hand is the one I made for class last night and it wasn’t what I was used to. Needless to say I was rushing things and next thing I knew I was piping out WAY too runny icing on my cookie. Thought the damn was going to hold but when I flooded it it ran over the sides. This picture shows the attempt at fixing it with a little scrapeage. Yeah…not gonna work. So…my hubby has a cookie that looks like it was decorated by his 2 year old daughter. Guess I could go for the cute factor and win a few points in the end

Chocolate Love

One of my very talented cake friends was asking me about cookies the other day and I dumbfoundedly realized I didn’t have a chocolate cookie recipe. Yes, I realize dumbfoundedly is not a real word but I am choosing to use it because that’s just how shocked I was when I realized I hadn’t taken the time to taste test different recipes. Chocolate recipes none the less!

So…I decided it couldn’t wait. The next day I baked up a big batch of LilaLoa’s “The End-All for Chocolate Cookies” recipe. I mean have you seen her cookies? Anything that pretty has to taste scrumptious! Check out her site!

I decided the occasion would be the first book club my friends and I started. Hearts had nothing to do with the book itself (Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay) but it’s Valentine’s week and I gotta say, I love my friends They deserve a little spoiling!

So mixed up some pink and red (well I failed again at making red but the color that turned out was pretty cool so I went with it) and went to town.

I have to say…chocolate cookies with royal icing…TO DIE FOR. Still shaking my head that I hadn’t come to this realization sooner. Ok…I’m over it. On to another cookie