Now, I bet you’re thinking, “Oooh, yum. Chocolate suckers!” but careful now…somehow, this is even better. How about Hot Chocolate on a stick? Hmmmm? The idea is that you warm up some milk or cream and stir it with these little chocolate melties. Clever. Scrumptious. Adorable.

And easy.

Ingredients:

8 oz. chocolate –your favorite kind will do- milk, semisweet, white–whatever.

1/4 cup cocoa

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Melt chocolate in a double boiler, being careful not to let the water get above a simmer. This will help your chocolate not get too hot and keep it’s pretty sheen. Be sure not to get even one drop of water in your chocolate or it will become grainy and sad. Once it is nearly all melted, take it off the heat and stir to finish the process.

Pour chocolate into a mixer and beat on low. Add the other ingredients and mix thoroughly. It should be quite thick now.

Press about 1-1/2 tablespoons of the chocolate mixture into each well of an ice cube tray. Insert a popsicle stick into each cube. I rolled some into balls because I only had one ice cube tray. That worked just fine too. Let them cool in the fridge.

After about 2 hours they should just pop right out of the tray. We dipped one corner or the bottoms into warmed red candy melts–just for fun.

Then while they were still warm, we found some other things to make them interesting–Valentine decos…

and red hots–and some we left just their plain, old selves.

You can use them yourself or give them out for the perfect little sweetheart gift. When giving them away, be sure to label them clearly and give instructions for their use.

“One Hot Chocolate Stick stirred into 1 cup of hot milk or cream for the perfect winter evening.”

Sweet dreams.  :}

Just in time– a simple, sweet tart-like cookie for your Valentine. Shamelessly made with real butter and cream cheese for a silky smoothness that may just knock your socks off. Note the strawberry jam in the middle is seedless. That adds the perfect touch–with no odd crunchiness to deal with.

Sing with me now—Heaven…I’m in Heaven…

Strawberry Cream Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Seedless strawberry jam

Directions

~In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Add flour and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle. I used a round cookie scoop–so I didn’t need to refrigerate the dough to get it into balls. But if you don’t have a scoop then chill the dough.

~Shape dough into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Using your index finger, make a well in the center of each ball; fill with about 1/4 teaspoon jam. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool.

I tried to restrain myself…but it was useless. The boys were eating them so fast, I knew if I didn’t just start chomping, there’d be none left. This recipe makes about 5 dozen cookies, but honestly, while I was snapping pictures they just kept disappearing. By the time I got this shot–there were 6 cookies left. No, I’m not kidding.

Moral of the story is–Don’t bake cookies when all the guys are home at one time–unless you make a double batch…or carry a big stick.

:}

When my boy tasted these–this afternoon, he said, “I’m really mad at you right now.” Apparently, these chocolaty, marshmallowy, crispy things were threatening to mess with his, “I will get in better shape,” mantra. Oops.

My bad.

Here’s what I say. If he’s so dreadfully mad at me then why did he walk out of the kitchen licking the spoon muttering something about…”manna from Heaven?” Hmmm?

Marshmallow Brownie Bars

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/3 cups flour
3 tablespoon cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon
4 cups fresh miniature marshmallows

TOPPING:
1-1/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups crisp rice cereal

Directions

~In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

~ Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in nuts if desired. Spread in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan.

~Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes. Sprinkle with marshmallows; bake 2-3 minutes longer. Remove to a wire rack. Using a knife dipped in water, spread the melted marshmallows evenly over top. Cool completely.

~For topping, combine the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a small saucepan. Cook and stir over low heat until blended. Remove from the heat; stir in cereal. Spread over bars immediately. Chill.

Original recipe was found at Taste of Home.com

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These little lovelies remind me of those fabulous Devil’s Food cookies that my mama used to buy and….

hide from us. What?!  Too good to share with the kids? Aparently so.

Well fine then.

I’ll make my own.

Ooooh baby.

Do brace yourself.

Devil’s Food Surprise Cookies

Ingredients:

3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
24 large marshmallows, cut in half horizontally or 4 small marshmallows
Chocolate Frosting for Surprise Cookies

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add reserved flour mixture; mix on low speed until combined.
3. Using a tablespoon or 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto ungreased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies begin to spread and become firm, 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Remove baking sheets from oven, and place a marshmallow, cut-side down, in the center of each cookie, pressing down slightly. Return to oven, and continue baking until marshmallows begins to melt, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
5. Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting over each marshmallow, starting in the center and continuing outward until marshmallow is covered.

Devil’s Food Frosting

4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Stir ingredients together till creamy.

Nowwww then…I triple-dog-dare you to make these incredible little devils and NOT sneak six of them in your purse.

Ha!

I’ll win.