I am not usually on the ball when it comes to holidays.  I would really like to be.  In fact, I try to be.  But I never seem to have enough time in the day to achieve everything that I would like to.  Instead, I find myself laying awake in bed at night thinking of things I wish I would have done that day or thinking of the things I should definitely accomplish tomorrow.  This year, I decided that we would be on the ball for Valentine’s Day and actually make some treats ahead of time.  So, last Friday, in addition to the Pretzel Treats, we made my Great-Grandma Congdon’s Rolled Sugar Cookies.

The morning went something like this…

Make dough.  Chill dough.  Roll dough.  Cut out dough.  Bake.  Cool.  Ice.  Sprinkle.  Eat.

It also went something like this…

Make coffee.  Turn on cartoon for kids to watch.  Assemble cookie dough.  Put cookie dough in refrigerator.  Wait for dough to chill.  Drink coffee.   Do something productive (check Facebook).  Dough is chilled sufficiently.  Get kids.  Roll out dough on cutting board on dining room table so kids can help.  Let kids cut out hearts from dough.  Be patient.  Let them transfer cut out heart to baking sheet with spatula.  Be more patient.  Praise kids for doing a good job.  Put cookies in oven.  Set timer.  Drink coffee.  Get another tray of cookies ready.  Begin to wake up.  Get a system down.  Eva cuts out heart.  ‘Good job Eva!’  Easton transfers heart to cookie sheet with spatula.  ‘Good job Easton!’  Timer goes off.  Remove cookies from oven.  Transfer cookies to cooling rack.  Repeat cut out, transfer, patience process.  Lots of praise exchanged between siblings.  Kids are done with cookie factory jobs.  Turn on another cartoon for kids.  Make icing.  Get kids.  Spread icing on cookies.  Allow kids to distribute sprinkles on cookies.  Heavily.  Find more patience.  Let go of need for cookie to look perfect.

Daughter insists on high fives for everyone.

Kids are having the best time ever.

*heart bursts*

It was such a good morning.

Thankful for my sweet valentines (pictured above at bottom right) and for being on the ball this year.

Grandma Congdon’s Rolled Sugar Cookies

• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup shortening or butter
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Cut shortening into dry ingredients (I used an old-fashioned pastry blender).  Beat eggs and add sugar, then vanilla.  Add dry ingredients to egg/sugar mixture.  Refrigerate 20 minutes before rolling.  Bake at 350 for 8 minutes.  Makes about 6 dozen depending on size of cut out.

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The icing has almond extract in it.  Almond extract is so divine.  It is one of my most favorite things on earth.

Icing

Icing Ingredients

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 teaspoons milk
• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• assorted food coloring

Icing Directions

1. In a small bowl, stir together confectioners’ sugar and milk until smooth.  Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy.  If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.
2. Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity. Dip cookies, or paint them with a brush.

Icing Note:  I ended up making two separate batches of icing since i wasn’t sure about the cookie/icing ratio – you may just choose to double this upfront.  Recipe given above is for single batch.  Printable Icing Recipe Courtesy of All Recipes

Happy Heart Day to you and yours –

Ang