Red Velvet Sugar Cookie Bars

For whatever reason, red velvet has been deemed as a Valentines Day treat. I'm guessing it is the wonderfully red color that it brings, but maybe there is a much more meaningful story behind it all ;) In any case, I LOVE it!

Next up, some yummy sugar cookie bars.  They are GREAT!  They match the classic pairing of red velvet with a cream cheese frosting that is just perfect!

Also, check out my other Valentine sweet treats ideas like Strawberry Oreo Cookies and Chocolate Covered Strawberry Pie here.

Red Velvet Sugar Cookie Bars

3⅓ cups flour
¼ cup unsweet­ened cocoa
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon bak­ing pow­der
1 cup but­ter, softened
1½ cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons (one 1-ounce bottle) red food coloring

Cream Cheese Frosting:
2 8 Oz cream cheese, softened
½ cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Have a 9×13 inch pan ready. I like to line mine with aluminum foil and spray it with cooking spray so that the bars easily lift out and are easy to cut.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream together 1 cup butter softened and sugar until light and creamy. About 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and food coloring until combined.

Add the flour mixture until a soft dough forms. Press into the bottom of the 9×13 inch pan. Bake for about 20 minutes until the edges start to pull away from the sides and a toothpick entered into the center comes out clean. Allow to completely cool before frosting.

To make the cream cheese frosting, Beat together the cream cheese and butter. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat together until smooth. Frost the top of the bars and enjoy!

Recipe Source:  The Recipe Critic

Happy Day 'o Love to you all!

Red Velvet Muddy Buddies

I can't believe I have let my blog go like I have with no posts for so long...forgive me!  The transition from 2-3 kids has thrown me for a loop.  That and the fact that my kitchen is so shut off from the rest of the house...it has been hard to find motivation to cook.  But here I am :)

Valentines is such a fun holiday.  I love spoiling the hubs, but love that the kids can get so into things as well.  My Kindergartener is extremely excited to give Valentines to all his buddies in class.  

These muddy buddies are a perfect snack for this month.  Red Velvet is one of my favorite cakes, and so I knew I'd like this recipe.  It did not disappoint.  Make yourself up a batch...it only takes 10 minutes and well worth the effort! 

Red Velvet Muddy Buddies


5 C. Rice Chex cereal
¾ C. white chocolate melts or chips
¼ C. chocolate melts or chips
2 oz cream cheese, room temp
1½ Tbsp. milk
1 C. Red Velvet Cake mix
½ C. powdered sugar
Valentines colored M&M's or other candies
Heart sprinkles for extra decoration and cute-ness

Measure out Rice Chex cereal and place into a large bowl.  Place cake mix and powdered sugar into a large plastic bag or tupperware with a lid. 

Melt chocolates together in the microwave or on the stove top. Careful not to burn and stir until smooth.  Stir in cream cheese and milk (the chocolate will get thicker, but it's okay) Pour chocolate over Rice Chex cereal and stir until coated. 

Dump cereal into the bag or tupperware with powdered sugar and cake mix. Shake, shake, shake until coated.  Dump onto a cookie sheet and let cool.  Mix with extra colorful candies and serve! 

NOTE: Because of the cream cheese, keep in the fridge if you won't be eating them that day. You can also omit the cream cheese all together if you wish...if you do that, you don't need the milk either!  

Recipe Source:  Key Ingredient

Sugar Cookie Bars

I feel like I've fallen off the blogging planet for a while.  To be honest, I just needed a little break!  We've been eating frozen meals and older meals that I've made tons of times.  But I'm back now ;)

Alright, I couldn't get through this week without sharing one more Valentine treat!  This one is perfect for the holiday and I thought they would be fabulous for St. Patty's Day coming up as well as Easter, just by switching up frosting colors and sprinkles.  

These are as soft delicious as any sugar cookie you've ever had, but a million times easier!  No rolling, no cutting...you're gonna love them :)

Sugar Cookie Bars

1 cup butter; room temp.
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soda

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla & mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt & soda & stir with a whisk to combine. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on a greased baking sheet (use a 13 x 18 pan). Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely and frost.

Frosting

1/2 cup butter; room temp
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
4 cups powdered sugar
5 Tbsp milk
food coloring (if desired)

For frosting combine butter and shortening until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar in 1-2 cup increments until combined, then add milk & mix until smooth and spreading consistency. Spread over cooled cookie.

Recipe Source:  Real Mom Kitchen

britni

Strawberry Oreo Valentine Cookies and Other Valentine Food Ideas...

Visit me on over at Kiki & Company today and check out her fun Valentine ideas while you are there! (click link below)

Well, now that we are all over our Superbowl junk food coma, let's bring on some more Valentines treats!  I try to send treats with my husband to work every week at some point, and this is my weekly contribution to help make things a little more festive around the office.  They are super yummy and just as good as their chocolate counterparts :)  

Strawberry Oreo Valentine Cookies

Cookies:
1 package of strawberry cake mix
2 eggs
3/4 cup of shortening

Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 stick of butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla
4 c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together strawberry cake mix, eggs and shortening until well combined. The dough will be pretty thick. Roll dough into balls, making sure they are all similar in size. Place dough onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Immediately transfer cookies to a cooking rack.

Mix together cream cheese, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar until smooth. Spread onto cooled cookies and sandwich together.

*Makes 12-15 cookies after they are sandwiched together

Recipe Source:  Six Sisters Stuff

Here are a few other yummy things you can try for your Valentine festivities...


Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Pie

Sweet Berry Bruschetta

Strawberry Petit Fours


Enjoy!!

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had to share one of our Valentines treats that we made last week! These cookies are extremely easy to make, and are moist and flavorful. Not to mention that homemade cream cheese frosting is probably the best stuff ever :)

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 box red velvet cake mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
Half a batch of cream cheese frosting *see below

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In an electric mixing bowl, combine cake mix, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until a dough forms. Fold in chocolate chips.

Roll into 24 balls and bake for 8 minutes.

Spread the bottom half of a cookie with cream cheese frosting. Top with another cookie. You’ll have a total of 12 cookie sandwiches.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-3 cups powdered sugar

In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese and butter until smooth, about 2 minutes. Mix in vanilla. Add powdered sugar gradually, until frosting reaches spreading consistency and desired sweetness. If not using immediately, refrigerate.
Recipe Source: Cassie Craves

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Pie

In getting ready for Valentines Day, I found this recipe that had the holiday written all over it!  What says V-day like a chocolate covered strawberry?!  This was an easy fix and devoured quickly :)

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Pie

1 quart fresh strawberries, sliced
1 (8oz) package of cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 cups white chocolate chips (I stuck with just the milk chocolate)
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 chocolate pie crust (like Oreo)

Melt 3/4 cup of of the white chocolate chips in the microwave for about 15 seconds, being careful not to burn.  Set aside.

Beat the heavy cream, vanilla extract, & 1/2 cup of the confectioners sugar with an electric mixer in a bowl until it becomes thick.

In a separate bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese, the other half cup of confectioners sugar, & the cup of melted white chocolate.Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.

Spread the cream into the chocolate pie crust.  Then, press the sliced berries into the mixture ALL over it.  Find every single available nook & cranny, and shove a berry in it!

Melt the remaining white chocolate in one bowl & melt the milk chocolate in another.  Drizzle the melted milk chocolate on first…then the white chocolate. (I would recommend drizzling the chocolate on after it is sliced up, it was hard to cut through the hardened chocolate and make it look pretty still!)

Refrigerate until set.

Recipe Source:  It's a Keeper

Sweet Berry Bruschetta

So I've heard a few people in the ward tell me how yummy these are, and therefore I had to try!  They did not disappoint, that's for sure :)  I had high ambitions of waking up Sunday morning and making these for breakfast, but there were 2 problems...A) 9:00 church, and B) I am NOT a morning person.  So when all was said and done we ended up eating them for dessert Sunday night instead.  They are so yummy and would be a great breakfast for a special occasion, but easy enough to have any day!  The recipe comes from Melinda Christensen.

10 slices french bread, 1/2 inch thick
5 tsp sugar, divided
6 oz. fat free cream cheese (I used the lower fat kind)
1/2 tsp. almond extract
3/4 c. fresh blackberries
3/4 c. fresh raspberries (too expensive!  Strawberries were a nice substitute :)
1/4 c. slivered almonds, toasted
2 tsp. powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting

Place bread on an ungreased baking sheet; lightly coat with cooking spray.

Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar. Broil 3-4 inches from the heat for 1-2 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, almond extract, powdered sugar, and remaining sugar.

Spread over toasted bread. Top with berries and almonds; dust with powdered sugar.

Strawberry Petit Fours

Sorry I am posting late this week...I've been feeling a little under the weather along with most of my family, but I'm back!

Say hello to a dang cute little Valentine treat that comes together in a FLASH!  I do appreciate all the heart-shaped treats floating around, but these are just a bit different!  It's a  little take on the chocolate covered strawberry, a Valentines favorite.  Enjoy!  

Strawberry Petit Fours

You will need the white chocolate oreos {or you can dip your own oreos...I used white chocolate candy coating}. Then spread a layer of wildberry or any other berry cream cheese (I used strawberry) , top it with a half a strawberry--- and finish it off with a drizzle of choclate (melted semisweet chocolate chips).

Recipe Source:  just a little adaptation from the back of the White Chocolate Oreo Box :)