In Celebration of Valentines Day...

Tomorrow is Valentines Day so I thought I'd post a few of my favorite sweet recipes for this time of year.
Betty Crocker’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/3 c. each: Crisco, butter
½ c. each: sugar, brown sugar (packed)
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 ½ c. flour
½ t. each: soda, salt
Nuts, chopped
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream Crisco, butter, sugars, egg & vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Fold in nuts & chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2” apart on parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes. Or, spread dough into a pizza pan and bake until lighlty brown. Cool on rack for a few minutes then take knife and cut into the shape of large heart... or cut out with heart shaped cookie cutter. Decorate with icing as desired. This recipe came from a Betty Crocker Kids Cookbook I received from my mother when I was young.

Basic Buttercream Icing
1/2 c. Crisco
1/2 c. Butter or margarine ( substitute 1/2 c. Crisco + 1/2 t. Wilton Butter flavor for pure white icing and stiffer consistency)
1 t. Wilton Clear Vanilla Extract
4 c. sifted confectioners sugar
2 T. milk (add 3-4 T light corn syrup per recipe to thin for icing a cake)
Cream butter and shortening with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep icing covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in airtight container, this icing can be stored for 2 weeks. Rewipe before using. Yield: 3 cups
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The BEST Sugar Cookies
2 sticks butter
2 eggs, well beaten
2 t. vanilla**
Pinch of salt
2 c. sugar
4 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
Cream butter and sugar. Sift dry ingredients: Add to sugar and butter alternating with eggs. Roll out thin and cut with desired cookie cutter. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Decorate with sugar sprinkles or icing. ** Option: Replace 2 t. vanilla with 1 t. vanilla, 1 t. lemon extract, 1/2 t. almond extract, 2 T. grated lemon rind.

Sugar Cookies Icing
1 c. sifted confectioners sugar
4 t. milk
1/2 t. vanilla
Mix well. Tint with red or pink food coloring if desired. Dries to “hard” shine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Crust:
2 c. crushed pretzels
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
Filling:
1 (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. Cool Whip
6 oz strawberry Jello
1 large can crushed pineapple, drain, reserve juice
2 (10oz) boxes frozen strawberries, drained, reserve juice Mix pretzels, 1/4 c. sugar & butter. Press into 9x13” dish. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Mix cream cheese, sugar & fold in Cool Whip. Spread over cooled crumbs. Dissolve Jello in pineapple and strawberry juice. (Add enough water to make 2 c. of liquid.) Heat. Put in refrigerator to chill until syrupy. Add fruit and spread over top of cream cheese. Chill and serve.