Valentine Whispers

Hi All!  Do you have all of your Valentine plans squared away?  I really don't, unless you count what you will see today.  I had to tell Darling Husband he was not allowed to eat these till I took photos.  I also for some treats for my girls, but didn't find anything suitable that wasn't in a huge bag.  Well, I did see small heart boxes of chocolate, but Fun-Sized Chick isn't really big on chocolate.  (Maybe she was switched at birth, just sayin'!)

I would like you to say "Hello" to my "Valentine Whispers."  For whatever reason, I decided I needed to make lace cookies (go figure), anyway, I have never made them before.  I found this recipe at Two Peas and Their Pod.  I had all of the ingredients on hand except for the old-fashioned oats, so those were easy to come by.  I am calling these "whispers," because they were, indeed like eating a whisper of a cookie--so delicate--thin, crispy, the flavors both blended and resonated independently really well.  They baked out so thin that I could see the counter top through them, too.  Looking back at the Two Peas photo, it looked like theirs weren't as thin, they also look like a nicer round shape.  (Maybe I baked mine too long?)  Anyway, these are an easy, impressive recipe.  I would make them when I wanted to make a grand statement without a lot of work.  Intrigued?  Here's the recipe:

Lace Cookies

(Free Printable Recipe)

Yield: 20 sandwich cookies

Cook Time: 8-10 minutes

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ounces dark chocolate, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375^o F. Line two baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and oats. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter, cream, cory syrup, and vanilla. Mix with the beater blade until smooth. Slowly add in the dry ingredients. Mix to combine.
4. Drop about 3/4 of a teaspoon of batter onto prepared baking sheets. Try to make the cookies all the same size. Place only 12 cookies on each sheet because the cookies will spread in the oven.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes. Carefully transfer cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.
6. Find 2 cookies that are about the same size. Spread one cookie with melted chocolate. Place other cookie on top. Repeat with remaining cookies.

Recipe from The Essence of Chocolate

I followed this recipe to a "tee" and would just recommend you keep an eye on them while baking.  I found the bottom rack of my oven cooked them too quickly, so I did one tray at a time on the upper rack.  Do keep them about 3/4 teas. for dropping as they disperse.  I used melted chocolate chips to spread in the middle and I can't believe I'm typing this, but they are almost better without the chocolate.

Now, onto the crafty portion of my post...

Custom Waxed Paper Wrap

I found this idea at MarthaStewart.com HERE and Pinned it to my Valentine's Day Board.  I think this would work well for many holidays--think holly at Christmas, bats at Halloween.  You make this custom wrap just like you did when you were a child with those colorful fall leaves.

1. Cut two sheets of waxed paper the same size, in whatever dimensions you choose.
2. Cut out desired shape (hearts, in this case) from tissue paper.  Martha's directions suggested using a punch, but I was unable to get my punch to work whether the tissue paper was single or folded into layers, so I free-handed my hearts.
3. Place hearts in between your pieces of waxed paper.  With iron set on medium and no steam, use paper towels or a pressing cloth and iron over waxed paper until the layers have melted together.
4. Use the sheet to wrap up your baked goods--so easy! 

Notes:  I used tissue paper that was formerly used, the waxed paper had some ripples in it after I ironed it, but it all turned out just fine in the end.

This is a stack of my lace Valentine Whispers wrapped up.  You could also buy a package of pre-made cookies or bars and wrap them to look especially exclusive.

Will you be whispering to anyone special next week?

Other Valentine-related posts you may be interested in:

Rice Krispie Hearts

Heart "Stockings"

Heart Tassel

Joining these talented ladies: