Cooking Tip of the Day: Valentine's Day

Showing posts with label Valentine's Day. Show all posts

Easy Family Friendly Valentine's Day Breakfast Ideas

Valentine's Day falls on Saturday this year....... so surprise the family with a fabulous breakfast...

Make it Special!

These recipes are easy… most can be prepped ahead… and oh so good…. peruse the list and see what fits in your time and budget… for a list of even more ideas… check out the Breakfast and Brunch label.

Quick and easy recipes

Special doesn't have to mean a lot of prep or time in the kitchen ...

Easy Sugared Doughnut Bites ... these are truly easy... and sooo good!

Easy Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes…. these are more like muffins than cupcakes... and perfect for a quick weekday breakfast....

Breakfast Bruschetta with Mascarpone and Blueberries… all I can say is easy and yummmmm… absolutely delicious… add scrambled eggs and you have yourself a great breakfast!

Easy Fancy Shmansy Breakfast Ideas

Cheddar and Chive Eggs In Shell with a Cheese Sauce…. or put the cheddar and chive eggs in a crepe… quick easy and foolproof…and oh so delicious!

Eggs Benedict – terrific poached eggs on an English muffin with luscious Hollandaise Sauce over it… Need to make poached eggs for more than your pan can do? Make them in the oven! So easy! Click here for the "How To Make Poached Eggs in the Oven"

Don't forget Breakfast Sides....

Serve your breakfast with Home Fries and a slice of cantaloupe …. Perfect!

Bacon… add bacon to your breakfast…do it the easy way.. make the bacon in the oven! … quick and easy and hardly any clean-up.

Breakfast Casseroles .......... these are great for serving a family… everyone loves them and they’re easy… some terrific choices are:

Country Gravy Breakfast Casserole - one of my most requested recipes... just delicious!

Spanish Tortilla

Sausage and Cheese Strata… or maybe a Strata with different ingredients …. try the Spinach Ham and Cheese Strata

Southwest Potato and Egg Bake - all the flavors you love from the southwest in an easy egg bake

And for even more ideas....

Waffles

Waffles are always good… make them plain with syrup or get a little fancy and make Bananas Foster Waffles (I have a non-alcohol version too)… or maybe Peach Melba Waffles…. Don’t forget to check my Waffle Making Tips.

Cinnamon Roll Waffles... another waffle that's so good.. you can close your eyes and think you're eating a cinnamon roll!

French Toast

Banana Foster Stuffed French Toast - combines the fabulous flavors of that famous dessert and makes it into a wonderful breakfast treat

Chocolate French Toast - what can I say?.. Valentine's Day and chocolate just go together... Drizzle some raspberry syrup on it... a little powdered sugar... a Chocolate Lover's Dream!

Try a French Toast Casserole... prepare it the night before and pop it in the oven in the morning... what could be simpler?

Pancakes

Light and Fluffy Pancakes…. everybody loves pancakes… they’re always a hit.

German Apple Pancake... can be made in the oven.. stress-free ... fool-proof... and delicious!

Mini Dutch Babies - another pancake made in the oven .. this time they're minis.... make them in a muffin tin and the whole family can enjoy them... serve these with a delicious Dark Cherry Sauce.

White Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Raspberry Syrup - make it special!

Special Kid Friendly Ideas:

French Toast Sticks - another easy recipe kid's will love!

Hash Brown Nests and Eggs… you can make a bunch or a few … they look so good… kid’s love them!

Southwestern Breakfast Quesadillas - a terrific on-the- go breakfast for a busy weekend morning.... easy and just yummy!

Breakfast Burrito - another delicious quick on-the-go breakfast .. check the recipe post for great make-ahead and time saving tips

Egg Biscuit and Egg Muffin Breakfast Sandwiches - don't spend a fortune at the fast food place... make these breakfast sandwiches yourself... they're easy!

Green Eggs and Ham - who doesn't love Dr Seuss? ... a great fun way to get kids to eat spinach!

Kid Friendly Cream Cheese and Jam Omelet - an omelet stuffed with cream cheese and jelly... truly a yummy kid's breakfast!

I could go on and on…. check out the Breakfast and Brunch in the labels for more terrific ideas!

Easy Fudge Hearts

Two ingredient Fudge… and only a few minutes to make it… a perfect last minute gift!

I must admit this fudge isn’t quite the same as fudge made using traditional recipes.. but it is delicious just the same. It’s creamy… easy to make… and the hearts come out picture perfect…. Mission accomplished!

Okay.. I know the suspense is killing you… two ingredients?? Minutes to make??? … the recipe uses canned frosting and baking chips… that’s it!

I tried making heart shaped fudge pieces last year using my traditional recipe…. I had more scrap pieces than beautiful hearts.. so I 86’d that idea for a post.

This year I started early experimenting… and came across this recipe from Betty Crocker… I thought it was worth a try.. and it was… just what I was looking for.

I did make a slight change in method. I melt the frosting in the microwave... not the chips.. I find chips can burn .. the frosting melted easily and perfectly.. so I dumped the melted frosting on the chips .. I did need to zap it in the micro after I mixed the chips and frosting.. this way the chips didn't burn.

TIPS

Traditional fudge recipes have more ingredients… so way more expensive.. and take way more time to make…. this recipe is really quick and easy.. it’s not meant to replace your traditional fudge recipe.. just a quick alternative.

You can use any flavors you like. I tried Strawberry, Chocolate and Vanilla. In our house, Vanilla was the hands down favorite. Chocolate was pretty good and strawberry just wasn’t our thing.

In our opinion, vanilla tasted the closest to my traditional vanilla fudge recipe… considering the time and expense it takes to make the traditional recipe.. this one may replace it completely.

For the absolute best results, don’t cheap out on the ingredients. Stick to name brands and make sure they are quality ones. In my opinion, Nestle chips are good.. Ghiradelli is best… but you can decide that for yourself.

Now back to the flavors…

As I mentioned.. vanilla was our favorite… I really thought it had a fudge flavor.

Chocolate was good but tasted a little like frosting… not a bad thing.. just not exactly like traditional fudge.. but certainly good enough to enjoy or give as gifts.

Strawberry tasted like.. well… strawberry frosting.. or I would compare it to strawberry milk .. you know the kind.. that powdered stuff some people love. I don’t care for it… so strawberry was not a do-over in our house… but if you like strawberry frosting or milk.. you will like this one.

I used vanilla chips with the strawberry frosting.

You can make any flavors your like… be creative!

I made mine at night… let it set overnight.. and using a small cookie cutter.. cut the hearts out the next day.

Line your pan with non-stick foil with overlap… so you can lift it out of the pan … place on a cutting board and cut your pieces. If you are using a cookie cutter there will be scraps.. good for munching!

I really liked the texture on the top of the fudge.. it really looked so pretty on the hearts.

You have to try this.. a great little gift!

Recipe: Easy Fudge Hearts

All you need:

Canned Frosting, flavor of your choice

1 bag Baking chips, flavor of your choice

1 inch cookie cutter heart shape (optional)

All you need to do:

Line a 9 x 9 or 8 x 8 dish with non-stick foil… leaving an overlap over the side so you can lift it out after the fudge is set. Note: Either size dish will work.. the 8 x 8 just produces a slightly thicker fudge piece.

Place the baking chips in a microwaveable bowl.

Remove the foil from the frosting can, and place can in the microwave and microwave for about 40 seconds on high or until melted.. stir after 20 second intervals until melted.

Pour the melted frosting over the chips and stir until smooth and no lumps appear. If it is still a bit thick .. microwave for 10 seconds on high and stir. (I did this)

Spread into the prepared dish. Allow fudge to set … 30-60 minutes in the fridge or overnight at room temperature. I did mine overnight on the counter. After it had cooled for a couple of hours I covered it with plastic wrap.

Lift out the fudge from the dish and onto a cutting board… cut into small pieces or use a cookie cutter to cut shapes.

Valentine's Day Chocolate Chip Cookie Heart

Every year I would make a big deal of Valentine’s Day… we always celebrated with a special meal… and of course… we had to have dessert. I like this giant cookie heart... it's such a special idea for a family dessert....or even for that special someone.... store bought ones are so expensive... and making your own is quick, easy and best of all... inexpensive....

I also made heart shaped cookies to put in my son’s lunch box with a note… actually I made them periodically throughout the year … and tucked them in my hubby’s briefcase or my son’s lunch box… I firmly believe in telling those we love… just that… we love them.

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be extravagant to be special… just thoughtful. What better way to do it than with sweets. This cookie heart is so easy to make and the folks at Betty Crocker have made decorating it easier than you ever thought possible.

I have an icing bag… and I do make icing from scratch and do the whole decorating thing… but I don’t always have time… and Betty Crocker solves the problem with their canned icing …. it comes with a small assortment of tips and is very inexpensive… they really make decorating very simple.

It doesn’t have to be as perfect as a professional baker would do it… it will look terrific… trust me.. and whoever is the lucky one to have it… will love it.

I used a Wilton baking pan… see my Tip of the Day… I used their recipe because I felt it probably would turn out best using their quantities… the recipe is below.

Quick Tips

Make sure that you spray your hands lightly with cooking oil before you gently press the cookie dough into the pan.

Gently spread the dough out.

Take the dough and using a large serving spoon… divide the dough in fourths… dropping a spoonful of dough in the pan… I dropped the dough in different areas of the pan… then used my hands to gently spread it out. This helps to spread it evenly throughout the pan.

Leave about a ¼ inch border from the sides of the pan… the cookie dough needs room to expand.

Cool completely before icing…

This is a super easy and great way to celebrate the day…

PRINT RECIPE

Recipe: Valentine’s Day Chocolate Chip Cookie Heart

All you need:

½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

All you need to do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray the pan with cooking oil spray (I used butter flavor).

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter and the sugars until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and vanilla, mix well.

In a separate small bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt.

Add the flour to the butter mixture and mix well.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Spread the dough into the prepared pan.

**Make sure you leave a ¼ inch border from the sides of the pan so the cookie dough has room to spread.

Bake 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown.

Cool on a rack for 5 minutes.

Remove from the pan.

Cool completely before decorating and/or cutting.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Easy Family Friendly Valentine's Breakfast Ideas

Valentine's Day falls during the week this year so if you can't make a special breakfast during the week... celebrate next weekend with a fabulous breakfast... who says you can't stretch the holiday.

These recipes are easy… most can be prepped ahead… and oh so good…. peruse the list and see what fits in your time and budget… for a list of even more ideas… check out the Breakfast and Brunch label.

Make it Special!

Easy Sugared Doughnut Bites ... these are truly easy... and sooo good!

Easy Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes…. these are more like muffins than cupcakes... and perfect for a quick weekday breakfast....

Cheddar and Chive Eggs In Shell with a Cheese Sauce….put the cheddar and chive eggs in a crepe… quick easy and foolproof…and oh so delicious!

Serve your breakfast with Home Fries and a slice of cantaloupe …. Perfect!

Bacon… add bacon to your breakfast…do it the easy way.. make the bacon in the oven! … quick and easy and hardly any clean-up.

Breakfast Casseroles .......... these are great for serving a family… everyone loves them and they’re easy… some terrific choices are:

Southwest Potato and Egg Bake

Spanish Tortilla

Sausage and Cheese Strata… or maybe a Strata with different ingredients …. try the Spinach Ham and Cheese Strata

And for even more ideas....

Crepes… crepes always are terrific… make them ahead… separate them with waxed paper and cover them tightly with plastic wrap…..fill them with whatever you want… so easy!

Waffles are always good… make them plain with syrup or get a little fancy and make Bananas Foster Waffles (I have a non-alcohol version too)… or maybe Peach Melba Waffles…. Don’t forget to check my Waffle Making Tips.

Banana Foster Stuffed French Toast

Or try another stuffed French Toast… Aloha Pineapple Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast or French Toast Stuffed with Blueberry Cream Cheese

Light and Fluffy Pancakes…. everybody loves pancakes… they’re always a hit.

White Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Raspberry Syrup

Chocolate French Toast…. no listing would be complete without French Toast…. Chocolate French Toast is divine.. not a chocolate lover? Try a French Toast Casserole... prepare it the night before and pop it in the oven in the morning... what could be simpler?

Special Kid Friendly Ideas: