♥ I choo-choo-choose you! ♥

By Vanessa, February 13, 2010 9:06 pm

Happy Valentines Day, readers!

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted. Sometimes my fantasy life (where I just bake cookies in my fantasy kitchen, walk my fantasy dog, and get my hair highlighted every 13 days) is rudely invaded by my real life, and I have to put The Daily V on hold for a few days.

Anyway – I promised you a recipe for fabulous Valentine’s Day cookies, and that’s what you’re going to get! But let’s be honest. Do the men in our lives really want cookies for Valentine’s Day? No. So, to be fair to the men we love, I’m also including a great recipe for grilled rib-eye steak.

Nobody does Valentine’s Day better than Martha Stewart. Lately, she’s been trying to revive Tuiles. These are very light, delicate French cookies. Tuiles are so light, you can almost see through them. They can be cut or molded into any shape imaginable, and they can be flavored however you’d like. Check out Martha’s great recipe for Pink Heart Tuiles:

Ingredients

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large egg whites, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or whatever flavoring you prefer)
Pink food coloring

Directions

In 2 separate bowls, sift flour and confectioners’ sugar, and set aside.
In bowl of electric mixer, cream butter and sifted confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in egg whites, one at a time. Add sifted flour; mix well. Add vanilla. Stir in food coloring until desired shade is reached.
Heat oven with two racks centered to 375 degrees. Place two Silpats (French nonstick baking mats) on 2 baking sheets. Place template on corner of mat. With offset spatula, spread thin layer of batter over template, and lift template. Repeat to make 8 hearts, spaced equally, on each mat.
Bake cookies until cooked through but not brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a spatula, drape cookies over handle of a wooden spoon to curl slightly; let cool. If cookies cool before shaping, return pan to oven for 30 seconds. Bake remaining batter, making sure baking sheets are cool before spreading batter. Store in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 1 week.

And now for the recipe that our husbands and boyfriends will appreciate. Grilled rib-eye steak, with parsley garlic butter. It is genius in its simplicity, and I can’t wait to make it. I plan to follow the recipe on Epicurious.com, which is short and sweet.