Valentine’s Day Fun and Romance + HM #170

Get creative ideas for Valentine’s Day fun and let the date night romance begin. Plus link up at Home Matters Linky Party #170 with recipes, DIY, crafts, decor. #ValentinesDayFun #HomeMattersParty

Valentine’s Day Fun and Romance + HM #170

Ah, the season of love. Whether you are looking for some fun and crafty decor ideas, sweet and tasty treats, or romantic dinners, I gathered some great ideas for Valentine’s Day fun and romance in my mini-roundup. I know my fellow co-host have some great ideas too, so please hop around to see them all.

Have a Happy Valentine’s Day!

DIY Valentine’s Tissue Paper Cone Tree from Shirley @ Intelligent Domestications

Healthy Appetizers for Valentine’s Day from Vicki @ Five Spot Green Living

Free Valentine’s Day Printables from Jenn @ Clean & Scentsible

Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookie Recipe from Lorelai @ Life With Lorelai

Valentine’s Day Fun & Romance Blog Hop

Click through all the Hosts and Co-hosts blogs to see the complete Themed Roundup!

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A Home Matters Themed Roundup

Last Week’s Theme: Mardi Gras Celebration Ideas

Next Week’s Theme: Snow Day Ideas – Rock the Boredom

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Under the Stairs Closet Makeover Reveal from Emily @ Sprinkled With Color

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Flank Steak Sandwich with Blue Cheese from Linda @ Poinsettia Drive

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Chocolate Trifles for Two Recipe from Miranda @ Cookie Dough & Oven Mitt

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Painted Upholstered Chair Makeover Tutorial from Wendi @ H2O Bungalow & The North House

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Easy DIY Candy Heart Bath Bombs from Crystal @ Hello Creative Family

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Get creative ideas for Valentine's Day fun and let the date night romance begin. Plus link up at Home Matters with recipes, DIY, crafts, decor. #ValentinesDayFun #HomeMattersParty Click To Tweet

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Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookie Recipe

Remember when you were a kid, and your mom baked you cookies? Well, today, I’m baking up something tasty and delicious just for you. And, it’s a perfect treat with your favorite cup of coffee. As promised in my newsletter, Coffee With Lorelai, here is a fantastic Sugar Cookie Recipe.

Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookie Recipe

A Delicious Heart-Shaped Treat

This recipe is so simple and can be used whether you are rolling out your sugar cookie dough, or pressing it into a cookie mold. For these heart-shaped sweeties, I used a beautiful cookie mold pan.

This pan is always fun to use any time of year, but for obvious reasons, it is especially nice at Valentine’s Day.

Here are a few TIPS for using a non-stick Cookie Mold Pan:

Do not over bake the cookies. The raised edges around the cookies will hold in heat while they cool.

Let the cookies cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes on a cooling rack. Then, turn the pan over and give the bottom of each shape a gentle, yet forceful, smack to release the cookies.

Remember that the cookies will raise a little during baking. You can adjust the thickness of the final bake by adding more or less dough to the mold.

Sugar Cookie Recipe

Here’s What You Need:

Butter, Sugar, Salt, Eggs, Vanilla extract, Almond extract, and Flour. Optional: Frosting or Cookie Glaze.

How-To:

Pre-heat oven to 375° F

Cream softened Butter, Sugar, and Salt until light and fluffy. (I use my new KitchenAid mixer on medium speed).
Add one Egg Yolk, beat slightly
Add one Whole Egg, Vanilla extract, and Almond extract, beat slightly. (If you don’t have almond extract, Rum extract is very tasty).
Add Flour, and beat on low until well mixed. Do not over beat. The dough will be sticky-ish.

Press dough into ungreased cookie molds. Fill each shape about half way.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until edges are slightly browned

Let cool in pan for 15 minutes
Remove cookies from pan, and finish cooling on wire racks
When cookies are room temperature, you can Frost or Glaze.

If you are Rolling your Sugar Cookie Dough to use Cookie Cutters:

Wait to pre-heat your oven
Once Dough is mixed, Divide in half and wrap in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for at least one hour, or over night
Take sugar cookie dough out of freezer, and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes
Pre-heat oven to 375° F
Knead dough until smooth
Sprinkle work surface and rolling pin with flour
Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness for best results
Sprinkle flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking
Use Cookie Cutters to stamp out desired shapes
Place cookies on baking sheets covered in Parchment Paper
You can bake your cookies and they will hold their shape, but if you need them to be absolutely perfect, place prepared cookie sheets in the freezer for exactly 10 minutes to re-chill
Once re-chilled, take out of freezer and bake for 8 to 10 minutes
These cookies should not have browned edges
Now, you have the perfect Sugar Cookie

These cookies are great for sharing. We put a special package together to take to Luke’s dad for his 85th birthday this past week. He loved them!

The wrapping was simple. All it took was some wax paper and ribbon. I placed the cookies pretty side down on the wax paper, and folded the wax paper around the sugar cookies. Then, I turned the package over so the pretty side of the cookies were up, and tied my ribbon around the wax paper to hold it closed. It was a perfect old-fashioned wrapping for an old-fashioned style sugar cookie.

Now, I mentioned above that these incredible sugar cookies would be fantastic with your coffee. So, I want to know…

What is YOUR Favorite Coffee Drink?

My Favorite Coffee Drink is: ____________ #CoffeeWithLorelai

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Click this Tweet, replace the blank with your favorite coffee drink, and Click-To-Tweet.
Then, sign-up for the newsletter to get in on the fantastic contest/giveaway we are holding in Coffee With Lorelai.

Want a Printable Recipe? Well, here you go:

5 from 1 reviews

Sugar Cookie Recipe

Save Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

8 mins

Total time

23 mins

from: Life With Lorelai

Type: Dessert

Ingredients:

1 Cup - Salted Butter (softened)
1 Cup - Sugar
1/2 teaspoon - Salt
1 Egg Yolk
1 large Whole Egg
1/2 teaspoon - Vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon - Almond extract
2-1/2 Cups - All Purpose Flour

Optional: Frosting or Cookie Glaze.

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375° F
Cream softened Butter, Sugar, and Salt until light and fluffy. (I use my new KitchenAid mixer on medium speed).
Add one Egg Yolk, beat slightly
Add one Whole Egg, Vanilla extract, and Almond extract, beat slightly. (If you don't have almond extract, Rum extract is very tasty).
Add Flour, and beat on low until well mixed. Do not over beat. The dough will be sticky-ish.
Press dough into ungreased cookie molds. Fill each shape about half way.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until edges are slightly browned
Let cool in pan for 15 minutes
Remove cookies from pan, and finish cooling on wire racks
When cookies are room temperature, you can Frost or Glaze.

If you are Rolling your Sugar Cookie Dough to use Cookie Cutters:
Wait to pre-heat your oven
Once Dough is mixed, Divide in half and wrap in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for at least one hour, or over night
Take sugar cookie dough out of freezer, and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes
Pre-heat oven to 375° F
Knead dough until smooth
Sprinkle work surface and rolling pin with flour
Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness for best results
Sprinkle flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking
Use Cookie Cutters to stamp out desired shapes
Place cookies on baking sheets covered in Parchment Paper
You can bake your cookies and they will hold their shape, but if you need them to be absolutely perfect, place prepared cookie sheets in the freezer for exactly 10 minutes to re-chill
Once re-chilled, take out of freezer and bake for 8 to 10 minutes
These cookies should not have browned edges

3.5.3208

Share the LOVE with these Heart-shaped Sugar Cookies! #Recipe #SugarCookies #Cookies

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I know your family and friends will love these adorable heart-shaped cookies. Share the Sugar Cookie recipe with everyone!

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~Lorelai

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DIY Earrings – A Kate Spade Inspired Bridesmaids Gift

Here’s another inspired DIY project from our Regular Contributor, Zen Zhou. Today, she brings us a little something to make your friends feel special on that big day.

DIY Earrings

A Kate Spade Inspired Bridesmaid’s Gift

Part of what makes a big day so special are the bridesmaids, so it only seems fair to give them a little something to say thank you. But all those wedding expenses can add up. Why not DIY them a little pressie? They say the best things in life are handmade, after all. My favourite wedding is my University friend’s, it was really small and intimate, and she personally made all the wedding favours (lavender potpourri sachets…). Come to think of it, I don’t think she has a sewing machine! Definitely a wedding to remember.

The inspiration for this pair of earrings is from Kate Spade, and the original can be found here. I chose it because hearts seem very wedding-y. LOL Plus, I’d never done a Kate Spade DIY before, and there’s always a first time.

Bridesmaids are a special part of the big day. #DIY them a little pressie! #Earrings #Wedding

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What you need

Packaging Foam (waste not, want not I always say)
Ear Stud Backs
Sharpie Pen (gold coloured)
Glue
Scissors

Step 1

Cut a heart from the foam. If you’re not steady with your hands, use a pen to draw the outline of a heart in the foam before cutting. (The gold colour will hide the pen marks later.)

Colour the heart all over using the Sharpie and leave to dry for 10 minutes. You may want to give it a second coat to make the colour nice and uniform.
Repeat for the other side.

Step 3

Apply a dab of glue to the back of the heart and press the stud firmly down. Leave for 24 hours and your earrings are ready to be worn! You’ll find this is a very versatile DIY. Basically, you could change the shape you cut out and have a totally different pair of earrings. Or change the colour by using a different Sharpie or even nail polish!

A cheap, but sweet gift for your bridesmaids. Maybe you can even wear them yourself. If you’d love to use Sharpies for more DIYs–they are my FAVOURITE DIY hack–check out more Sharpie inspiration here:

Give these #KateSpadeInspired #DIY Earrings as a special thank you to your #Bridesmaids. #GiftIdea

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