Looking Backward, Love

“If bread is the first necessity of life, recreation is a close second.” – Edward Bellamy, Looking Backward
While it may have appeared as if we’ve been off hibernating since our marathon Advent Shadowbox Calendar project at the end of 2012, we’ve actually been out flexing our muscles in the winter weather. Plenty of snow has meant plenty of sledding down our local hill. We’ve also been preparing for the weeks ahead, particularly the upcoming holidays: Groundhog Day, Chinese New Year, Ash Wednesday, and Valentine’s Day!
Of course, such recreation has made us think, most particularly, on our hearts.
So, here are the links to last year’s Valentine’s posts:
Valentine’s Lunchbox Treats: Caramel Kissed Chocolate Thumbprints & Mini-Kissed Chocolate Hearts

Handmade Holidays: Valentines for School
Stay tuned for new posts starting this week….and get yourselves ready for MARCH breAK! 2013 by checking out our MARCH breAK! archive for all of the fun & excitement from last year!
______________________
Quick Links for Mobile Users
Summer of Funner : The Lunchbox Season : In Defense of Burning
Valentine’s Lunchbox Treats: Caramel Kissed Chocolate Thumbprints and Mini-Kissed Chocolate Hearts
Sunday, February 12, 2012
It’s been a long time since we’ve shared one of our Weekly Lunchbox Treats!
This week, we’re adding a bit of Valentine’s flair to the mix!
The kids were enthralled by the bag of Caramel-filled Herskey’s kisses that made its way into the house last week. So, I decided to come up with a special thumbprint cookie to incorporate the rest of the bag! Since we didn’t have quite enough kisses to finish our batch of dough, I also uncovered a bag of mini-kisses from the cupboard and used those in a heart-shaped riff on the original! After tonight’s simple Sunday supper, the kids tested them and approved!! Lunchboxes here we come!


Caramel Kissed Chocolate Thumbprints
and
Mini-Kissed Chocolate Hearts
Ingredients
1 c unsalted butter
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tbs vanilla extract
2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 - 1 c coloured sprinkles, mini chips, flaked coconut, or sanding sugar
1 bag Hershey’s Caramel Kisses, unwrapped
and/or
1 bag Hershey’s/Chipits Mini Kisses
The Method
Heat oven to 375.
Make the Dough
Cream butter and sugar.
Beat in eggs and vanilla.
Gradually add salt, cocoa powder and flour until dough begins to form a ball.
If dough is too soft to work with, refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Using your hands, roll the cookie dough into 1-inch diameter spheres.
Roll the spheres in ramekins filled with coloured sprinkles, mini chips, or other delectables to coat.

For Caramel Kissed Thumbprints
Place candy coated cookie-dough spheres on parchment lined pans.
Press your thumb in the center of each sphere.
Bake for 11-12 minutes.
Make sure to unwrap your kisses before the cookies are finished baking!!!
Remove pan from oven.
Immediately press an unwrapped Hershey’s Caramel Kiss in the center of each cookie.
Cool on wire racks.
For Mini-Kissed Hearts
Press each cookie-dough sphere between your hands to flatten to approx 1/2 in thick.
Free-form the flattened dough into a heart shape.
Use your index finger to indent each heart in 3 places.
Bake hearts on parchment lined pan for 11-12 minutes.
Remove pan from oven.
Immediately press 3 chocolate mini-kisses into each cookie.
Cool on wire racks.
HAPPY VALENTINE’S WEEK!
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Quick Links for Mobile Users
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