Valentine's Day Cookie Recipe & Sweets Board

IMG_1913_jpg.jpg
IMG_1950.jpg

It’s officially Valentine’s Day week and it has been a hot minute since I’ve made a post! More on where i’ve been and what we’ve been up for a different time…

I put this little dessert snack board together after I eyed the most adorable and delicious cupcake for Siena’s monthly milestone photo. She’s already 10 months, cue the tears! As soon as she eyed this board she couldn’t resist getting into the fun and lately wants to grab anything she can between that little index finger and thumb. Had to capture this moment with my two Valentines this year.

When creating a snack board I like to start with a larger piece then build around it with different colors, textures, and flavors to keep the eye moving around the whole board. For this board, I layered some heart doilies first then arranged some larger dessert pieces like the pastry heart and cupcake before adding in some smaller candies and cookies for different textures. I’m really missing celebrating with my gals this galentine’s and this would definitely be on the menu if we were able to be in person!

I also am resharing my favorite recipe of my mom’s, her cut out cookies!

FullSizeRender.jpg

These cookies are more of an almond shortbread cookie than sugar cookie, and basically melt in your mouth. So good and sweet! Before reading any further, this is definitely not one of my healthy recipe shares, but it is one that will dance on anyone’s tastebuds. The secret is I frost them with my mom’s wedding cake frosting!

These cutouts make for a sweet treat for your Gal-entine’s Day gathering (or Valentines Day dessert with your other half). The recipe makes a ton, so I always end up giving a bunch to friends & family for Valentine’s Day. I’ve also linked all of my baking essentials and table top details below. By far my favorite kitchen tool is our Kitchenaid electric mixer. It was a wedding gift from my mama from our wedding registry and it is so easy to use and efficient! We even have all of the pasta making, veggie slicing, and food processor attachments to use so it doesn’t have to be just for baking!

Dough Ingredients

4 1/2 c. flour

2/3 c. confectioner’s sugar

1/3 c. light brown sugar

1 tsp. almond extract

2 cups butter, softened

Directions

1. Mix together sugars, butter, and almond extract with an electric mixer for two minutes until mixed.

2. Gradually add in flour & mix. Save the 1/2 cup of flour to roll out dough & for cookie cutter. 

3. Once dough is mixed & softened roll into 2 large balls.

4. Sprinkle counter, rolling pin with flour, and cookie cutter with extra flour.

5. Roll out dough to 1/2” thick then press cut out into dough.

6. Place cookies on parchment paper 1/2” apart & bake 10-12 minutes at 300 F.

7. Let fully cool before frosting. Yields 24 cookies. 


Frosting

1/2 bag confectioner’s sugar

1 tsp Crisco (if no crisco add more milk)

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract

Directions

1. Add milk & vanilla extract to the confectionary sugar . Continue mixing until smooth & creamy like yogurt.

2. Section into bowls if adding food coloring and frost!

fullsizeoutput_9eac.jpeg
IMG_0600.JPG
IMG_0578.JPG
IMG_0564.JPG
IMG_0590.JPG
IMG_0581.JPG
IMG_0570.JPG
IMG_0585.JPG
IMG_0580.JPG
IMG_0575.jpg
IMG_0613.JPG

My Baking Essentials

IMG_0622.jpg
IMG_0616.JPG
IMG_0625.JPG
IMG_0637.jpg

Heart Cutout Cookie Recipe

FullSizeRender.jpg

One of my favorite recipes from my family is my Mom’s tried and true cut out cookies. They’re more of an almond shortbread cookie than sugar cookie, and basically melt in your mouth. So good and sweet! Before reading any further, this is definitely not one of my healthy recipe shares, but it is one that will dance on anyone’s heart or tastebuds. I frost them with my mom’s wedding cake frosting!

These cutouts make for a sweet treat for your Gal-entine’s Day gathering (or Valentines Day dessert with your other half). The recipe makes a ton, so I always end up giving a bunch to friends & family for Valentine’s Day. I’ve also linked all of my baking essentials and table top details below. By far my favorite kitchen tool is our Kitchenaid electric mixer. It was a gift from my mama from our wedding registry and it is so easy to use and efficient! We even have all of the pasta making, veggie slicing, and food processor attachments to use so it doesn’t have to be just for baking! We have the azure blue which adds the perfect pop to our white kitchen.

Dough

4 1/2 c. flour

2/3 c. confectioner’s sugar

1/3 c. light brown sugar

1 tsp. almond extract

2 cups butter, softened

Directions

1. Mix together sugars, butter, and almond extract with electric mixer for two minutes until mixed.

2. Gradually add in flour & mix. Save the 1/2 cup of flour to roll out dough & for cookie cutter. 

3. Once dough is mixed & softened roll into 2 large balls.

4. Sprinkle counter, rolling pin with flour, and cookie cutter with extra flour.

5. Roll out dough to 1/2” thick then press cut out into dough.

6. Place cookies on parchment paper 1/2” apart & bake 10-12 minutes at 300 F.

7. Let fully cool before frosting. Yields 24 cookies. 


Frosting

1/2 bag confectioner’s sugar

1 tsp Crisco (if no crisco add more milk)

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract

Directions

1. Add milk & vanilla extract to the confectionary sugar . Continue mixing until smooth & creamy like yogurt.

2. Section into bowls if adding food coloring and frost!

fullsizeoutput_9eac.jpeg
IMG_0600.JPG
IMG_0578.JPG
IMG_0564.JPG
IMG_0590.JPG
IMG_0581.JPG
IMG_0570.JPG
IMG_0585.JPG
IMG_0580.JPG
IMG_0582.JPG
IMG_0575.jpg
IMG_0613.JPG

My Baking Essentials

IMG_0622.jpg
IMG_0616.JPG
IMG_0625.JPG
IMG_0637.jpg

Thanksgiving Table Scape

IMG_1356.jpg

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I’ve been playing around with different decor options throughout this month before fully transitioning into winter mode. When we moved into our new place we got a new kitchen table and although the round shape wasn’t my first choice we’ve been making it work and I’ve enjoyed putting the different place settings together using the gold chargers I had kept after our wedding.

I love how they add an extra touch to pull the setting together. I was obsessed with the texture of these layered leaf placemats that have brushes of gold throughout. They were a great way to bring together those accents with the rest of our place and coordinated with the gold pumpkin centerpiece.

falltablescape.jpg
IMG_1311.jpg


This table setting can changed into a range of possibilities if you’re hosting a Friendsgiving this year or Thanksgiving Day.

We always have our bar cart out and styled along with whatever holiday it is and it makes for an easy way for everyone to help themselves. I usually put out a cheese board and fill it with some dried fruits, nuts, and fig or pumpkin jams this time of year. I usually pair a hard, soft, and robust cheese and a variety of breads and flavored crackers ahead of time so it’s ready to go when guests arrive. My favorite crackers are the rosemary flavored ones that I actually found at Target, they’re by Archer Farms & so yummy! I usually grab our cheeses from Whole Foods/ Traders. Trader Joes always has some seasonal favorites I like to try and some great florals for dressing up a table if you need it with something fresh and natural.

falltablescape.jpg
IMG_1320.jpg
falltablescape (1).jpg
tablesetting.jpg
fallcenterpiece.jpg
pier1pumpkin.jpg

If you’re interested in seeing where I found all of the table scape pieces be sure to click on the widgets below! Many of the products are on sale and marked down for end of season, or will be by Black Friday next week so book mark your pages and go back to restock for next season. The placemats are gorgeous and under $2 each right now!

Many of my pieces I keep and reuse year after year. I just change up where I put them around our place to refresh everything. I’m thinking of looking for some gold silverware to match the chargers once sales start and saving for next season or using them for Christmas time when we have guests over.

I hope everyone enjoys their upcoming Thanksgiving with their loved ones. We’ll be traveling upstate back home and cannot wait to spend much needed time relaxing with family and maybe seeing some snow! We’ve only had one snow fall here in NYC and the first one is always so exciting and made me instantly want to finish up my holiday decorating! (Which I’ll be doing the rest of this weekend before we get traveling.) Happy shopping season friends!