Winter in KC

Since moving to the Kansas City area over three years ago, I was convinced we had moved too far south - not getting enough snow to suit me. This year has made up for it! Looking out into our backyard is a never ending variety of birds, squirrels, mysterious tracks in the snow and shadows from the woods beyond the fence.

 

The unfortunate fact is that along with snow comes ice and 2 weeks ago I slipped and fell, right in the street at the base of our driveway, injuring my right deltoid muscle. Since then I've really tried to let my arm rest, but given the rather spectacular bruising that has been blooming, perhaps I've overdone it. But I just couldn't resist making Valentine cookies for my first Eclectics Gallery opening last night. And they taste just as good as the ones we always make for Christmas.

 

Here's great tip for frosting. Mix up the standard powdered sugar frosting (1 Tbl melted butter, 1 Tbl milk, 1 tsp vanilla, food color to suit, powdered sugar.) But add sugar gradually and keep the frosting too thin to spread with a knife. Check by drizzling frosting from the spoon - it should flow back into the liquid immediately and not hold its shape. Then, the best part: frost the cookies with a clean pastry brush - the bristle, paint-brushy kind. Paint the frosting all around, over the edges, and put cookies onto a cooling rack set over waxed paper. When dry, cover air tight overnight or stack carefully between layers of parchment inside an air-tight storage box. The next day you can decorate the smooth, hardened surfaces. I used a butter cream mix with my Wilton decorating tips, but it's fragile. If you want permanent, shippable decorations, you need royal icing ....I just don't like the hard, crunchy sugar. But they didn't last long at the Heart Felt Valentine Showcase at Eclectics, so no matter!

  

  

  

  

Okay, enough sugar for one post.