Cooking From The Hip: Valentine's Day Family Style
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Valentine's Day will be here before we know it and now that I'm a mom, the day has taken on a whole new meaning in my life.
The romantic meal preparations, flowers and champagne now compete with creating homemade cards, baking cupcakes and shuttling deliveries to Zoran's preschool.
For adults, Valentine's Day is a more intimate experience between two people, but for kids it's all about being social with classmates and friends.
Baking treats to share on Valentine's Day can start a tradition that gives your kids memorable, quality time with you in the kitchen.
Remember to plan ahead: trying to do it on the fly will only stress you out and as everyone knows, if mama ain't happy, nobody is happy, so we want to keep the stress level way down and the fun way up!
Here's what I do: my son and I figure out what we're going to bake together...heart-shaped cookies, cupcakes, or some creative concoction we dream up.
I try to let him choose so he's more excited when the time comes.
Read on for Cat's Sugar Cookies and Raspberry Filling recipe...
I take care of the shopping list a couple of days beforehand so I am not bombarded with work, shopping and baking in the same day.
The night before Valentine's Day, after dinner (when we aren't too hungry) we get to work. (Tip: we usually eat earlier that night so we have time to bake and Zoran is still off to bed on schedule.
The next day is going to be a big day and he needs his rest!)
Once we've baked the treats, everyone gets to have a little sample ("quality control" we call it!) and the sweets get packed and ready for the morning.
Zoran goes off to bed to dream of a fun day filled with treats, cards and lots of love in the air...and I get that glass of champagne! Cat's Sugar Cookies and Raspberry Filling
Ingredients:
- 1 pack of sugar cookie dough
- 1 can of raspberry filling
- 1 pint of whipping cream
- 1 can of apricots
- 1 cup of cream cheese
- cup of confectioner sugar
- 1 small pack of slivered almonds, toasted
Preheat the oven to 350.
Roll the cookie dough into small balls (or hearts or whatever shape you and your child choose).
Bake for 15-20 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, whip the cream cheese, cream and sugar.
Once the cookies have cooled, begin piping the cream mixture and cookies together to form a dome shape.
Once shaped spread the remaining cream all over to completely cover the cookies.
Top with the apricots and spoon the raspberry around the plate and top the whole thing with almonds.
It's no surprise Cat Cora became a world renowned chef. Her culinary aspirations began at an early age, and by 15, she had developed a business plan for her own restaurant. In 2005, she made television history on Food Network's Iron Chef America as the first and only female Iron Chef, and in 2006, she was named Executive Chef for Bon Appetit Magazine. Cat is currently working on her second book, Cooking From The Hip which Houghton Mifflin will release in April 2007.
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