Recipe: Pretty Princess Heart Cookies
Fit for any princess (or prince!), these adorable princess cookies are perfect for Valentine’s Day or princess-themed party.
Ingredients:
- Batch of sugar cookie dough, homemade or store-bought (Note: For store-bought dough, you may need to add flour to stiffen it so the cookies will hold their shape while baking.)
- Rolling pin, spatula, and cooling rack
- Heart-shaped cookie cutter (a 2 1/4-inch-wide cutter works best)
- Pink colored sugar
- White or pink cookie icing
- Butter knife
- A few pieces of pink taffy or pink StarBurst candies
- Waxed paper
- Kitchen scissors or knife
Directions:
- Roll out the cookie dough and cut out an even number of heart-shaped cookies. Sprinkle half of the cookies with colored sugar. Bake the cookies according to the recipe or package directions.
- Transfer the baked cookies to the rack to cool.
- Turn one of the plain cookies upside down so that the flat bottom faces up. Spread on cookie icing and then set one of the sugar-topped cookies down on top of it. Repeat this step until you’ve assembled all of the sandwich cookies.
- Now it’s time to crown off the cookies with Tiana’s special valentine emblem. Use the rolling pin to roll the taffy or Star Burst candies between waxed paper until it is very thin. (If the candy is too hard to roll, you can soften it in the microwave for 4 to 5 seconds.) Then use kitchen scissors or a knife to cut out a small candy crown for each cookie (a parent’s job).
- Top each cookie with a candy crown, using a small dab of cookie icing to hold it in place.
Recipe: Homemade Thin Mints Cookies
My oldest daughter is gluten intolerant, and I feel like she’s missing out on a huge part of her life by not being able to eat the amazing and coveted Girl Scouts THIN MINTS cookies! To aid in this missing part of her life, I decided to search out a homemade recipe that can be modified for her. The Thin Mints cookie recipe below by Six Sisters Stuff has normal flour in it, but it can be easily modified to include your favorite gluten-free flour.
Ingredients:
Cookies:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Mint Chocolate Coating:
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
Directions:
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and mix until combined.
- Mix in vanilla, salt and cocoa. Add flour and mix until fully combined, and slightly crumbly. Chill dough in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove dough from the fridge and knead a few times on a lightly floured surface to warm up.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8″ in thickness. Use a 1-1/2″ cookie cutter to cut circles of dough (or whatever shape or size you prefer).
- Place cut circles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake cookies for 9-10 minutes, or until edges are set. Let cookies cool completely.
- After cookies are cool, place chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second increments and stir until melted. Stir in peppermint extract until smooth.
- Place cookies in the chocolate one at a time, using a fork to flip and lift cookie out of the chocolate. Transfer the chocolate covered cookie to a baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper. Repeat with remaining cookies.
- Let chocolate harden before serving. You can place cookies in the refrigerator to set the chocolate faster.
Recipe: Vanilla Ice Cream Made With Real Snow!
Many of us in the United States are dealing with insane winter weather, including blizzards and more snow than we’ve seen in years. Take advantage of the piles of white stuff by making it into ice cream! Big hit with kids and adults and only takes 20 minutes. A big bonus – It’s Gluten-Free! Here’s how to do it:
Ingredients:
- 1 gallon CLEAN snow
- 2 cups of whole milk or half and half
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
Directions:
- Combine milk or half and half with the sugar and vanilla.
- Stir until the sugar is dissolved and add it to the fresh snow, then eat!
OR
- One 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 quarts fresh snow
- Combine together and eat!
Thanks to Polka Dot Poplars for the recipes and picture!
Recipe: Almond Chantilly Strawberry Dip
Simple and delicious, Almond Chantilly Strawberry Dip is perfect for parties or just for a snack!
Ingredients:
- 3 oz box Instant vanilla pudding
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- fresh strawberries
Directions:
- Make the vanilla pudding as directed on its package.
- While waiting for the pudding to firm, whip the heavy cream and almond extract together in a separate bowl until thick and looks like whipped cream.
- Add the whipped cream into the vanilla pudding. Stir them together until smooth and have an even color.
- Stick in the refrigerator to cool, then serve with fresh strawberries!
Recipe: Easy Crock Pot Enchiladas
You’d normally not expect to see something like enchiladas in a slow cooker, but this super easy and a little spicy recipe is perfect for these cold winter nights. Thanks to Easy Crock Pot Recipes for the delicious recipe!
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
- 1 can pinto or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can diced tomatoes and green chilis (leave undrained)
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
- 6 flour tortillas
Directions:
- In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion, and green pepper until beef is browned and vegetables are tender, then drain.
- Add the next eight ingredients and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Combine cheese in a bowl.
- In the crock pot, layer about 3/4 cup of beef mixture, one tortilla and about 1/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.