The Ninja Baker - Valentine's Day

Valentine Fairy Cookies, #Creative Cookie Exchange

NinjaBaker — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 04:53:45 +0000

Snooping can pay off. I spied a container labeled Fairy Cookies in my cousin-in-law’s kitchen. Turns out the jar held homemade cookie mix that cousin Nancy learned how to make in the third grade! Lucky for me, Nancy had just baked a batch of the fairy cookies.

Valentine Fairy Cookies

Nibbling Nancy’s freshly baked cookies whirled me back to memories of my grandmother Nona’s baking. There is something magical and comforting about the fairy cookies. Maybe it’s the sugar crunch. Perhaps it’s the sweet aroma. Or could it be a fairy dust the fairies sprinkle while the cookies are in the oven?

Pixie dust in fairy cookies?

Thanks to cousin Nancy, I am able to share the Fairy Cookies recipe…Just in time for the Creative Cookie Exchange’s Put on Your Pink and Red February Valentine virtual party. (You are welcome to bring your cookies, too. Please scroll down for details.)

Valentine Fairy Cookies

Nancy Lippisch's recipe for fairy cookies is a family treasure. This Ninja Baker is grateful for Nancy's permission to reprint her recipe here.

Ingredients:

Fairy Cookie Mix:

2 1/3 cups Crisco (vegetable shortening)
5 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt

Fairy Cookies:

2 cups fairy cookie mix
¾ cup sugar
½ teaspoon soda
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Fairy Cookie Topping Options:

Sugar, Cinnamon, Frosting

Directions:

To make fairy cookie mix:

Cut Crisco into the flour and salt until the mixture is crumbly and resembles a bowl of sweet peas. Store in a sealed container until ready to use.

To bake the cookies:

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Combine 2 cups fairy cookie mix with sugar and baking soda. Add the egg and teaspoon of vanilla. Blend well.
Shape into small balls.
Roll in a mixture of colored sanding sugar OR equal parts sugar and cinnamon.
Flatten with a glass bottom. Chill in the refrigerator for an hour.
Bake for 12 minutes at 375 degrees.
When cooled, pipe pink frosting hearts onto the cookies if desired.

Note: The dough is sticky. Plastic gloves come in handy.

A note from Laura of the Spiced Life, the hostess of the Creative Cookie Exchange:

The theme this month is Put On Your Red and Pink for Valentine’s Day! Creative Cookie Exchange has decided to stop using the linky. What this means is that the only way to join in the fun is to become a host. Just contact Laura at thespicedlife AT gmail DOT com and I will get you added to our Facebook group, where we discuss our cookies and share links.

You can also just use us as a great resource for cookie recipes--be sure to check out our Facebook page, our Pinterest Board, and our monthly posts. You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month! Also, if you are looking for inspiration for Valentine’s Day, check out what all of the hosting bloggers have made so far:

Big Be Mine Cookie from Food Lust People Love
Glazed Doughnut Cookies from Karen's Kitchen Stories
Iced VoVos from All That's Left Are The Crumbs
Jam Sandwich Cookies from A Baker's House
Pomegranate Cheesecake Cookies from It's Yummi!
Strawberry Rhubarb Meringues from The Spiced Life
Valentine Fairy Cookies from NinjaBaking.com
Valentine Heart Cookies from Noshing With The Nolands

A Fairy Cookie:
Sprinkled with red sugar, frosted with a pink heart and magically baked!

Wishing you Valentine day sweetness every day!

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Tags:

Valentine's Day

Fairy Cookies

Sugar Cookie Recipe

Creative Cookie Exchange

Strawberry Valentine Cake Hearts, #SundaySupper

NinjaBaker — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 00:25:43 +0000

'Tis the season when cherubs string their bows, aim at the hearts of mortals and watch the merriment of St. Valentine's Day. And sometimes the tears. (Spoken by one whose personal cupid didn't aim quite right until much later in life.)

In addition to the shenanigans of February 14th, my guess is that the chubby-cheeked cherubs are giggling at all the delights food bloggers are concocting for the special day. Especially the foodies who congregate on Twitter at #SundaySupper every week.

On February 10th, Jen of Juanita's Cocina will host the much anticipated Valentine party. You are invited to join the exchange of #SundaySupper recipes and ideas at 7p.m. ET on Twitter. Put #SundaySupper in the search bar or click here for the party.

I'm bringing my Strawberry Valentine Cake Hearts to the party. Pink always brightens my mood. There is just something so cheery and healing about the hue. How about you? Do you have a pick-me-up color? Love to read your blues busters in the comments box.

Happy to report, too, the pink of my Strawberry Valentine Hearts is all natural. Not a drop of food coloring went into the mix or the frosting. The cake recipe is from Allrecipes.com's Gothic Girl. Ingredients include sifted cake flour, strawberry jello, milk, butter, sugar, vanilla and pureed strawberries. All the lovely stuff of life!

Strawberry Cake
from Allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
2 cups white sugar
1 (3 ounce) package strawberry flavored
Jell-O®
1 cup butter, softened
4 eggs (room temperature)
2 3/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup strawberry puree made from
frozen sweetened strawberries
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and dry strawberry gelatin until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Combine the flour and baking powder; stir into the batter alternately with the milk. Blend in vanilla and strawberry puree. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a small knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool in their pans over a wire rack for at least 10 minutes, before tapping out to cool completely.
© 2013 Allrecipes.com

Gothic Girl recommended sweetened frozen strawberries. I opted for non-sweetened and swirled in a generous 1/4 teaspoon of organic strawberry jam into each mini heart. (About a half teaspoon for the larger layer hearts.) The result was dee-lightful! Light, luscious and infused with strawberry, the cake was yummy. And the delicious factor was enhanced when topped with the Ninja Baker's Strawberry Buttercream.

The Ninja Baker's Strawberry Buttercream is easy. Combine a 1/2 cup of European butter, 1/2 cup of non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening, 3 tablespoons of heavy cream, 3 tablespoons of strawberry puree and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Slowly mix in 4 cups of sifted powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of meringue powder.

For more Valentine recipes visit the sites of the sweet #SundaySupper food bloggers listed below.

#SundaySupper Valentine's Day Breakfasts, Apps & Main Dishes:

Asparagus, Clam & Bay Shrimp Pasta from Galactopdx
Bacon Double Cheese Burger Bites from In the Kitchen with KP
Cheese Stuffed Cannelloni from Curious Cuisiniere
Fried Heart Pizza from Mooshu Jenne
Garlic Shrimp Bruschetta from MarocMama
Green Olive, Goat Cheese & Basil Crostini from Hip Foodie Mom
Indian Shrimp Pulao from Soni's Food
Individual Beef "Phyll-ingtons" from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Ranch, Bacon and Cheese Crisps from Daily Dish Recipes
Red Velvet Pancakes with Cream Cheese Frosting from Peanut Butter and Peppers
Rissóis de Camarão | Portuguese Shrimp Dumplings from Family Foodie
Spicy Red Cabbage Quiche | Veggie Quiche Recipe from Masala Herb

#SundaySupper Valentine's Day Sweet Eats:

Banana Bourbon Blondies from The Messy Baker
Banana Cream Napoleon from Food Lust People Love
Brown Butter M&M Cookies from Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts
Brown Butter Rolo Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies from Damn Delicious
Cherry Pie Hearts from Home Cooking Memories
Chocolate Baumkuchen from Webicurean
Chocolate Bread Pudding from La Cocina de Leslie
Chocolate Chip Banana Cake with Baileys Banana Cream Sauce from The Lovely Pantry
Chocolate Covered Bacon from I Run For Wine
Chocolate Covered Stuffed Strawberries from Country Girl in the Village
Chocolate Mousse from Mom, What's For Dinner?
Chocolate Roll filled with Nutella Cream from Basic N Delicious
Chocolate Truffles from The Wimpy Vetegarian
Chocolate Velvet Ice Cream with Cherry Sauce from Vintage Kitchen Notes
Cinnamon Sugar Tortillas with Chocolate Sauce from The Roxx Box
Coconut Sweetheart Cookies from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
Coeur a la Creme from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Cream Cheese Mints from Simply Gourmet
Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Mousse with Coconut Cream from Sue's Nutrition Buzz
Dark Chocolate Raspberry Torte from Kelly Bakes
Deliciously Baked & Festively Glazed Mini-Donuts from Mangoes and Chutney
#GlutenFree Chocolate Almond Cloudless Cake from Cooking Underwriter
Heart Shaped White Chocolate Cakes with Raspberry Cream from Noshing with the Nolands
Homemade Cherry Mash Candies from Juanita's Cocina
Maple-Date Bars from Diabetic Foodie
Meyer Lemon Marmalade from Shockingly Delicious
Mini Samoa Bundt Cakes from She Likes Ruffles, He Likes Truffles
Molten Chocolate Lava Cake from Gotta Get Baked
Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes from The Meltaways
Pistachio and Chocolate Souffle from Small Wallet Big Appetite
Raspberry Custard Tart from Kudos Kitchen
Raw Fudge Love from Mama's Blissful Bites
Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
Red Velvet French Macarons with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Filling from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
Red Velvet Fudge from What Smells So Good?
Red Velvet Ice Cream Sandwiches from Cravings of a Lunatic
Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies from Magnolia Days
Red Velvet Sugar Cookie Bars from Chocolate Moosey
Red Wine Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting from The Urban Mrs.
Strawberry Shortcake! from The Foodie Army Wife
Strawberry Valentine Cake Hearts from Ninja Baking
Tres Leches Tea Cakes with Honey Riesling Soaked Fruit from Neighborfood
Valentine's Bakewell Tarts from Happy Baking Days
Valentines Chocolate Apples from Big Bear's Wife

#SundaySupper Valentine's Day Drinks:

Blood Orange Vodka Martinis from The Catholic Foodie
Bloody Raspberry Cocktail from My Cute Bride
Strawberry Gin Fizz from girlichef

#SundaySupper Valentine's Day Tablescape: A Romantic Table For Two Please from An Appealing Plan

Wishing you all the sweetness and love of Valentine's Day throughout the year.

The Ninja Baker

The Ninja Baker's recipes are also available at:

BlogHer Food Editor's Pick of the Day
(27 December 2012)

?Allrecipes.com:
The Ninja Baker's Japanese Plum Sweet Memories and Recipes

Bob's Red Mill:
Almond Oatmeal Apple Cookies

Bob's Red Mill:
The Ninja Baker's Gluten-Free Breakfast Cupcake

Wholesome Sweeteners:
The Ninja Baker's Gluten-Free Coconut Chocolate Cheesecake Minis with Espresso Cream

Wholesome Sweeteners:
The Ninja Baker's Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Champagne Glaze & Optional Lemon Peach Marmalade Filling

?LifeKraze

Tags:

Valentine's Day

strawberry cake and frosting recipes

#SundaySupper