Thursday, February 14, 2013

Cherry Chocolate Kisses

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Now, most people who know me, know that I'm not a huge Valentine's day person. I think it all started when I worked at Hallmark in college and has to listen to Michael Buble and Harry Connick Jr on repeat, crooning, while I stocked glitter cards and pink stuffed animals. Every restaurant is packed or serves a "special menu" of the same foods they serve already at a jacked up price, or worse - prix fixe. A set menu of stuff that I would certainly eat, but others might not, and it's a ridiculous price. I'm all for prix fixe menus at high end restaurants where that's what they do, but not at your local dinner hub trying to be fancy.

Anyways, I do enjoy buying ridiculous gifts for people on Valentine's day. I mean, why is a stuffed bear waring boxers with hearts on it a gift anyone actually wants??? Somehow, that became a marketing ploy and people buy them as serious gifts. I don't get it.

Well, this year, Dan decided to be all super great for Valentine's day. As stated before, things have been stressful and tense at work, so he started Valentine's day on Tuesday with the lovely flowers and a bottle of rum.



Yesterday he gave me another gift that actually isn't coming until next week - stay tuned!

Then today I came home to these.





What does Dan want? To see the new Die Hard movie at the IMAX theater. We are going to see it, just not tonight. Tonight we are going to order subs and lounge around watching movies and snuggling and be grossly romantic. You should be jealous.

As per usual on a holiday, I had my kids in my vocational skills class bake up a storm and have a celebration. We made cupcakes (boxed mix), strawberry shortcakes, ice cream sundaes, another teacher made a gluten free chocolate chip banana bread, and I paired up with one of my students to make these:




They were great! I would add maybe a little more cherry flavor to the dough, maybe use an oil or extract. They were really simple and my student could be a master chef if he wanted to. Another student of mine found this recipe on Pinterest (yes, Pinterest is a classroom tool in my room!).

Cherry Chocolate Kisses
from The Curvy Carrot

1 cup unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 cup powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp maraschino cherry juice from the jar
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 and 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries
granulated sugar to sprinkle on the cookies
1 bag of Hershey kisses, unwrap 1 per cookie you make

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer (we used a hand mixer), beat the butter on medium speed until creamy.
3. Add the powdered sugar slowly and beat on slow speed until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. Add the cherry juice and extract, beat.
5. Beat in the flour. Once combined add the chopped cherries.
6. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet.
7. Use your thumb to press the cookie down a bit.
8. Bake for 14 minutes until the bottoms are lightly browned.
9. Top each cookie with a Hershey kiss right as they come out of the oven.
10. Let cool and eat.

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