Friday, February 12, 2010

Valentine Cookies

I know there are lots of people that hate Valentine's Day. I'm just not one of them. I loved Valentine's Day as a kid too! Remember making your little paper bag in school with the doily heart on the front for all the other kids to put your valentine cards in? Remember the scratch and sniff valentines? Remember the valentine class parties? Well, I want to say that I'm terribly disappointed that the kids valentines do not have envelopes anymore. I bought 3 boxes last year and finally figured out it was not just an error. Oh, and I'm soooo excited that I get to go to my first preschool valentine's party with Princess Runwild today!!! (Squeals!)

So, as we grew older there was Valentine's Day as a teenager (I seriously try to forget the entire pre-adolescent middle school  years all together:) Now, I won't say I loved Valentine's Day as much as a teenager. It seems the boys had figured out by time that if they didn't have a girlfriend on Valentine's Day (ie dumped them the day before)....they didn't have to buy them anything. Boys! Tisk,Tisk, Tisk, such little animals at that age. (I was being nice there, I wanted to say much worse:) Anyways, I never went unspoiled on Valentine's Day, my Daddy always brought me something. I guess that's what Daddy's are for.

Now, for all the Valentine's that I did not have a sweetie, God made up for it when He sent my husband. When we were dating, my sweet husband always went above and beyond any expectations I had on Valentines. One year he decorated the entire interior of my car windows with stickon heart decals and filled the whole car with balloons. Then he tied balloons all over the exterior of my car. One year he made a gigantic card with poster board and used candy bars for different phrases (ex."You make my heart shoot to the milky way"insert milky way bar). Oh, and the flowers....he says every lady deserves flowers on Valentine's Day..Yes, ladies, he really is that sweet. Oh...he's still a stinky old boy, but he's a sweet one!

Now, my recipe for the day. I found this over at the Southern Plate . If you have never looked at Christy Jordan's blog, you need to put that on your to do list today. Her recipes are right up there with the Pioneer Woman in my book, and it certainly doesn't hurt that she is a fellow southerner :) Seriously, I love her blog, she seems to be a very gracious southern lady. This recipe is called  Mama's Milk Dunkin' M&M Cookies for Valentines. Wheww! If that wasn't a mouthful! I started to alter this recipe when I saw it called for shortening. Don't get me wrong... I don't have a problem with shortening. I've just always been told that butter is suppose to add more flavor.Wow, am I glad I didn't use butter. The shortening gives the cookie a very  nice crispness. And, it is not lacking in flavor in the least. This was a very old timey cookie to me. I know that's an odd description, but maybe you'll understand when you try it. Its on of those recipes I believe my grandmother has made at some point in my life. Its just simple and good. And my little Princess Runwild enjoyed putting the M&M's on the top! Enjoy!

Do you have a favorite valentine memory? Leave me comment and share it!


















Mama’s Milk Dunkin' M&M Cookies
Recipe courtesy of The Southern Plate

1 cup Solid Vegetable Shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups self rising flour
1 1/2 cups M&M’s
Cream shortening, sugars, eggs, and vanilla thoroughly. Gradually add in flour and mix well (or just dump it in all at once like I do). Stir in 1/2 cup M&M’s, reserving rest to decorate the tops with.
Form dough into one inch balls and place on greased cookie sheet. Decorate tops with additional M&M’s (this is GREAT for kids to help with!) and bake at 375 for ten to twelve minutes or until golden brown.

22 comments:

Angie's Recipes said...

The cookies look so lovely!

Jordan said...

I love valentines day too! My favourite memory... hmm. I loved handing out and getting Valentines cards in elementary school, and of course the teachers made it so that each kid had to bring one for every other kid! My most prominent Valentines memory was probably in the third grade when I got a card from a boy who liked the same girl as me... it was sort of known fact that these two were "together". He wrote, "You know about Kelsey and me right?" I didn't know what to make of it, I just remember being really jealous!

Your cookies look amazing! I've always preferred butter over shortening, but when I make these I may just try shortening if it gives it an extra crisp :)

Carey said...

these look so good! I'm up for an old timey cookie! Btw, I tried your smores bars for the the Super Bowl & they were SO YUMMY! Thanks for the great recipe!!!

Lisa said...

Thanks for the cookie recipe!! They look delish:)

New from Friday Follow!

♥peachkins♥ said...

the m&m cookies look great! love the bowl...

Miss Meat and Potatoes said...

Nothing beats a classic like these. And I'd never have thought of them for Valentine's Day but they are perfect! Glad I found your blog on the Friday blog hop;)

Sarah Coulsey said...

YUMMY!!!!!

I am a friday follow!!! Welcome to the club!!!!

Sarah

sarahsblogoffun.blogspot.com

Poppy said...

Thanks for the recipe! I'm a new follower from Friday Follow.

Lucie said...

Oooh these look so nice and chewy! I made your cookies & cream fudge recipe today--is it normal that when heating the condensed milk and white chocolate it became like dulce de leche? I haven't tried it yet and it smells delicious, but yours seemed...whiter!

Sinful Southern Sweets said...

Hmmm...Lucie, I can't say mine looked like a dulce de leche. Sometimes if I cook mine on a higher heat it starts browning a little darker. Maybe that was it? I have found the only color issues I seem to have with the fudge is from the cookies...I have to make sure I don't break them up too much or the fudge turns a grey color. Its still yummy, but you won't get as pure of a color. Hope its yummy for you!

Coupon Clippin Mommy said...

Those look yummy! I'm a new follower from FF. You can find me here: http://www.couponclippinmommy.com/

Far Above Rubies said...

Hello, I'm a Friday Follower following back. So nice to meet you.

I think my favorite Valentine memory was my big older sister always brining me home a treat - she never forget - even after she married and moved away. xox

Those cookies look yummy.

Stacie said...

The cookies in the picture look just like the ones I bought for the kids today. YUM!! I am going to try this recipe. I am now following you from Friday Follow. Have a great Valentine's!

Gucci Mama said...

Those look so yummy and cute!

Following you back; have a great weekend!

Tara said...

Thanks for linking up. I am following you too!

Tara @ Trendy Treehouse

JB's Cookinglady said...

Those look mighty nice with a tall cold glass of milk. Following you from Friday Follow

Holly Lefevre said...

With M&M's how could it be bad! Great recipe.

Happy Friday Follow!

Holly
504main.blogspot.com
hipweddings.blogspot.com

~SHANNON~ said...

Looks deelish!!

Hey I came over from Friday Follow! I'm a day late...but better late than never, huh?

I'm your newest follower! Will ya follow me back? :)

Shannon at:http://www.milkandcuddles.com/

Unknown said...

Mmmmm, delicious cookies. My kids will love these. Happy Saint Valentines Day!

Juliana said...

Those look so very yummy!

Hello! I am following your from TTT Follow Friday. I hope you will return the follow and come by to my blog. I have two, but my main one (with giveaways) is A Blonde Walks Into A Blog. Happy Valentines Day, Juliana

Julia, the Thanksgiving Girl said...

So pretty!

Kim said...

I'm not sure how I missed all your recent posts, but I did. I love this cookies with the valentine's m&m's. They look milk-dunkin' delicious!