Star's Favorite Sweets: Dark Chocolate Love Cookies

Today I am sharing with you one of my new favorite cookie recipes: The Perfect Dark Chocolate Sugar Cookie.  This recipe comes courtesy of Rosie who is the author of one of my favorite blogs, Sweetapolita.  This blog is constantly inspiring me to bake.  My mouth waters just looking at the pictures of her amazing sweet concoctions!  The Perfect Dark Chocolate Sugar Cookie recipe was posted just before the Holidays and I knew I had to try it.  Adding chocolate to anything, even a traditional sugar cookie recipe, is bound to produce delicious results, right?  Let me tell you, it did!  These cookies were such a hit at my annual holiday cookie exchange party that I decided to make them again for Valentine's Day.  My husband loves having home baked cookies out on the counter so I thought I'd surprise him with these love cookies for Valentine's Day.

I must admit, this recipe is quite tedious as it has various steps involving chilling dough, rolling it out, re chilling, cutting shapes, re chilling, etc. but let me tell you, it is well worth it and all of the steps really do matter!  If the steps are followed correctly, this recipe produces the most amazing dark chocolate sugar cookie (which must be why Rosie named them "The Perfect Dark Chocolate Sugar Cookie").  These cookies keep their shape and are an awesome blank canvas for decorating!  They are firm enough to hold together nicely when you pick them up but have a bit of chewiness when you bite into them.  You'll thank me for this one!

Ingredients

      6 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
      1-1/4 cups dark cocoa powder
      1 teaspoon salt
      2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
      2 cups granulated sugar
      1 cup light brown sugar
      3 eggs, cold
      2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Instructions

1. 1. In large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
2. 2. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until fluffy and pale, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs until just combined.
3. 3. Add flour mixture and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Add vanilla and blend.
4. 4. Remove 1/2 of dough from bowl, make a ball, and place on a large piece of plastic wrap on counter.Wrap the sides of wrap over the ball, then press down with the palm of your hand and make a disc about 2" thick. Finish wrapping the disc with the plastic wrap. Repeat with 2nd half of dough. Chill both discs of dough for about 45 minutes.
5. 5. Remove one disc and remove plastic wrap. Place on top of a large piece of parchment paper (I use a silicone rolling mat underneath to ensure it doesn't slip while rolling, but you can even dampen counter so the parchment sticks a bit.), then place two 1/4" wooden dowels on either side of your dough, then another sheet of parchment paper.
6. 6. Roll dough (this will require a bit of elbow grease for the first few minutes until it softens up a bit) so it's flush with dowels--they will ensure that your dough is even thickness.
7. 7. Preheat your oven to 325° F. Slide your parchment paper and dough onto a board, then place in refrigerator for about 15 minutes.
8. 8. Remove from fridge, and cut your shapes using the cutters of your choice, placing them on a baker's half sheet lined with a silicone baking mat (or parchment), with 2" clearance around each one and the edge of sheet. Place sheet with cookies into freezer for 15 minutes before baking. Bake until cookie edges are just crisp, about 16 minutes.
9. 9. Cool sheets on wire racks for 10 minutes, then gently remove cookies and place on wire racks to finish cooling.

Photos courtesy of Sweetapolita

Happy Baking!

-Star

Star's Inspirations: The Perfect Valentine's Day Card

Valentine's Day is right around the corner which means I am on the hunt for the perfect card for my  dear husband.  Cards have always meant a lot to me, even back when I used to adorn them with macaroni.  I enjoy perusing the card isle of my favorite stationary shops and choosing the perfect card for the perfect person on the perfect occasion.  From time to time I even enjoy making my own cards.  

According to History.com, Valentine's Day has been celebrated for centuries in various countries throughout the world.  By the mid 18th century, friends and lovers of all social classes exchanged handwritten notes or small tokens of affection in the name of St. Valentine.  "According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated 1 billion Valentine's Day cards are sent each year... Women purchase approximately 85% of all valentines" - History.com.  Although Valentine's Day can often seem like a cheesy holiday, I must admit, I love it!  I like the idea of taking one day in the middle of cold, gloomy February to express your love for others and feel loved as well.  It's also a good excuse to get a mani-pedi, wear a sexy red dress and if your lucky, get flowers and chocolates!

In previous years, my husband and I exchanged cards for every major event: birthdays, holidays, graduations, promotions, anniversaries, etc.  My hubby always chose a nice card and wrote a thoughtful message in it and I did the same until a few years ago when he suggested that we stop giving each other cards.  He felt that since we'd been together for a number of years, that a card for every occasion was unnecessary.  At first I was disappointed and a little sad, but when I really thought about it, I understood and actually kind of agreed; however, I wasn't ready to say goodbye to exchanging cards forever!  We compromised and decided on two cards a year: One for Valentine's Day and one for our Anniversary (the occasional love note is ok too :).  I kind of enjoy this new tradition because it makes these two cards mean so much more.  Now that we have a little one, I know I may not have the time to peruse the card isle like I used to, so I am shopping online.  I've found so many I love but I've narrowed it down to the following:

I'm slightly obsessed with Paper Source products, and their cards are no exception.  Love these! 

How fun is this check box/fill in the blank card?!

Photos courtesy of Paper Source

Papyrus' cards are always stunning.  They are so detailed and intricate that the recipient of the card can't help but feel special!

Photo courtesy of Papyrus 

Etsy is a great place to find super unique cards.  A few of these are sweet and a few are silly. Love them all!

Photos courtesy of (1) Etsy Shop PABD Elegance, (2) Etsy Shop jdeluce, 

(3) Etsy Shop StrangerDays, (4) Etsy Shop PABD Elegance

Whether you are single, in a relationship, engaged, or married, I hope you'll enjoy choosing the perfect card for a special someone.

XOXO,

Star

DIY With Star: Salt Dough Beauties

With Thanksgiving only a few days away and Christmas music playing in every store you go into, the holidays are clearly upon us!  Every holiday season I like to make ornaments for our tree. This year I plan to make two different kinds (I'll post the second one soon :).  In addition to adorning our tree, I often tie my homemade ornaments to holiday gifts to give the wrapping a little uniqueness.  This year I was inspired to recreate grown up versions of the salt dough ornaments I made as a child.  It's been years since I made anything with salt dough and I must say, it was a lot of fun.  There is something wonderfully nostalgic about getting your hands sticky, rolling out the grainy dough and utilizing your cookie cutters for something other than cookies!

As you can tell by the colors I used for the ornaments, I am super into metallics this holiday season.  I've purchased various types of metallic gift wrap and I think these ornaments will look beautiful with them.  I plan to tie them to gifts and write people's names on the back in lieu of gift tags.  I love that these ornaments are not holiday specific and can be used for friends and family that celebrate Christmas or Hanukah.

These are obviously holiday inspired, but the idea of these simple ornaments could also be used as cute favors for a rustic garden wedding or shower.  You could stamp your initials and wedding date on them and paint them in your wedding colors.  You could also write your guests' names on them and use them as escort cards or at place settings.

DIY Salt Dough Ornaments

Supplies:
- 1/2 cup salt
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cups warm water
- Rolling pin
- Cookie cutters
- Skewer, toothpick or chopstick
- Non-stick baking sheet or parchment paper lined baking sheet
- Rubber stamps and ink (optional)

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees.  Combine water and salt, then add flour. Kneed the dough, adding more flour as needed.  Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4" thick.  Using your cookie cutters (or cups or jars for perfect circles), cut shapes out of the dough and place on the baking sheet.  Use your skewer to poke a hole in the dough (make sure it is large enough to thread ribbon or string through).  If you choose to make impressions on your ornaments, use a rubber stamp (use ink for a colored impression or without ink for an impression only).  You can also experiment with using a toothpick to write letters or draw images.  Place the ornaments in the pre-heated oven and bake for an hour to an hour and a half, turning half way through.  Bake until the ornaments are firm, the thicker they are, the loner they will take to dry.  Let them cool completely before decorating further.

I happen to like the organic, rustic look of the stamped ornaments unpainted so I left a few of them that way.  If you like this look as well, I still recommend you coating them with a layer of Modge Podge to seal them.  I chose to paint the majority of my ornaments.  I used Martha Stewart's Metallic Acrylic Craft Paint in Light Gold and Champagne as well as Martha Stewart's Coarse Glitter Acrylic Craft Paint in Sterling.  I used sheer white ribbon for the smaller ornaments and beautiful satin silver ribbon for the larger ones.  I LOVE the way the silver ribbon looks!

Salt dough is not just for kids!  Happy crafting :)

-Star

Star's Inspirations: The Written Word

Whether expressed through a favorite book, a poem, a story, a love letter, a sonnet, or a classic novel, the written word has a romantic and almost nostalgic feeling.  Incorporating the written word in your wedding decor is a unique way to personalize your wedding.  

Are you or your fiance lovers of the written word?  Was it the written word that helped bring you together?  Maybe you were college sweethearts and met in a Shakespeare class or are known for sharing romantic poems with one another.  If so, you may want to consider incorporating your favorites via printed pages at your wedding.  This can be accomplished in many unique yet simple ways.  Start by tearing out pages from your favorite book, break out your scissors (or Cricut, in my case) and get creative.  Some of my favorites are illustrated below.  I find these images utterly romantic and so sweet. 

Photo courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

Photo courtesy of Krista Sew Inspired

Pretty garlands made with book pages...

Photo courtesy of Pinterest

Photo courtesy of La Papeterie Diva

Photo courtesy of All Things Girly and Beautiful

Photo courtesy of I.Wed.Style.

Love this heart garland made with book pages.  Beautiful and an easy project for the DIY bride.  I posted a tutorial on how to make these hearts in my previous blog post "DIY with Star: Paper Hearts"

Incorporating vintage books in your decor is also a beautiful addition.  They can be stacked  as part of a centerpiece or used as table numbers.

Photos courtesy of Simply Perfect Weddings

Photo courtesy of Ruffled

Book pages on a wedding cake.  How pretty is this!?

Photo courtesy of Brides.com 

Using edible Scrabble tiles is also really fun way to share a message, especially if you are a couple that is really into playing board games!  There are so many great ways to incorporate Scrabble tiles into your wedding decor.

Scrabble tiles as table numbers...

Photo courtesy of A Design of My Own

And as place cards...

Photo courtesy of Style Me Pretty

Photo courtesy of Intimate Weddings

Photo courtesy of Pinterest  

I love these cakes!  If they are little too unconventional for you as a wedding cake, they could be perfect for a Groom's Cake or a rehearsal dinner dessert.

Photo courtesy of United With Love

Photo courtesy of Pinterest

These cakes are a little more traditional but still have the fun Scrabble spin...

Photo courtesy of Blog.Celebration.CO.ZA

Photo courtesy of the Ritzy Bee Blog

Xoxo,

Star

DIY with Star: Rose Infused Sugar Cubes/Hearts

I'd like to share with you one of my fun new kitchen purchases: rose water.  I've been drinking a lot of tea lately and have been enjoying a certain rose flavored loose black tea my mother gave me over the holidays.  Unfortunately, I've run out of it and plain black tea lacks the rose flavor I've come to love.  While perusing the Internet recently, I came across a bottle of French food grade rose water.  I purchased it with the intention to add it to my tea.  I've seen recipes for homemade sugar cubes on Pinterest and thought rose flavored sugar cubes would be the perfect addition to my tea.  Alejandra Ramos, author of food blog Always Order Dessert has posted a rose water infused sugar cube recipe which I used as my base.

Photos courtesy of Always Order Dessert

Here is the recipe:

Homemade Flavored Sugar Cubes

Ingredients
1.5 cups granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons flavoring such as rosewater, orange blossom water, or fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons plain water 
1-2 drops food coloring of your choice (I used 3 drops red to get this bright pink color, 2 drops yellow for the yellow, and 2-3 drops each red and blue for the purple)

Method
Pour the sugar into a large bowl. In a separate small cup, combine the rosewater, water, and food coloring. Pour the rosewater mixture into the sugar and mix thoroughly until evenly combined. The texture should feel and look like wet sand with a bit of fluff to it. If the mixture is too wet, add granulated sugar by the tablespoon until the texture is right (this might be the case if you live in a very humid climate). If it's too dry, add a bit more water. 
Pour the sugar onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and use your hands to pack into a flat, compact rectangle. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut the block across in rows and then again in perpendicular rows, creating approximately 1/2 inch cubes. Leave the cubes to dry for about 30 minutes, before separating gently and letting dry an additional 20 minutes. 

To make molded cubes: pack the wet sugar mixture tightly into a small (about 1" to 1.5") cookie cutter on a piece of parchment paper. Gently lift the cutter off and let the sugar dry for 30 minutes before moving onto a drying rack and letting dry on the reverse side. Repeat for each cube until completely dry (about an hour).
When completely dry (you should be able to squeeze a cube gently without it breaking apart, you can serve in a regular sugar bowl, or store in an air-tight container.

My DIY Tutorial

I made the cubes as well as molded hearts and both turned out great and were so fun to make!  Below is my tutorial for the molded hear shaped ones (my method differed slightly from the above).

I started with the ingredients listed above (I mixed red and blue food coloring to get the purple color below).  Once mixed together, it was the consistency of wet sand:

Rather than packing the sugar into the cutter, I pressed it down on a sheet of parchment paper and used the cutter to cut out heart shapes - like you would sugar cookies:

I let them dry for about 30 minutes, then flipped them and let them dry over night.

These little babies were delicious in my tea and added just the right amount of rose flavor.  If you try this recipe with rose water, make sure to start with just a bit as a little goes a long way and the flavor can quickly become overpowering.  Alejandra Ramos, of food Always Order Dessert suggests adding a few to a glass of Champagne or white wine which I think sounds lovely!  I recently made delicious vanilla cupcakes with vanilla butter cream (recipe to come) and topped them with these sugar hearts.  They were a big hit!

Think of the color and flavor combinations you could try!  These cubes or hearts would be so cute at a wedding, shower or just for you for your afternoon tea.  I think I may have to try making these with orange blossom water or lavender syrup next!

Enjoy,

Star

DIY With Star: Paper Hearts

I originally learned to make these paper hearts while studying abroad in Denmark almost ten years ago.  I haven't made them in a really long time but thought I would make some to decorate for Valentine's Day.  They are perfect for Valentine's Day, but would also be lovely at a wedding, bridal shower, or birthday party!
This is truly a simple project.  All you need are strips of paper and a stapler!  I used pale pink and cream paper but any color combination would work.  Below is the tutorial to make five paper hearts:

Step 1 - Cut thin strips of paper in the four sizes listed below.  Each paper heart will use one of the longest strips and two of each of the other size strips.

• Five 11inch strips (shown in pink)
• Ten 8 1/2 inch strips (shown in cream)
• Ten 7 1/2 inch strips (show in pink)
• Ten 6 1/2 inch strips (shown in cream)

Step 2 - To make your first heart, fold one of the longest strips in half and place in the middle. Line the strips longest to shortest on either side of the folded strip.

Step 3 - With the fold of the folded strip facing up, add the two longest strips on either side, leaving about an inch or two of the fold sticking out the top.  Continue with the next two sizes on either side.












Continue with the next two sizes on either side.














Staple all of the pieces together at the base.













Step 4 - Starting with the outside strips (the shortest strips), bring each strip down to the lower part of the folded strip.  Once both sides are brought down you will have your first heart shape.  

Continue with the next two sizes.  Staple at the base.



Step 5 - Cut the extra paper off the bottom of the folded piece.

Ta da, your first heart is complete!

Repeat by making four more hearts.  You can then thread ribbon or string through the loop at the top.

I used white twine to string them together and hung them above my kitchen window.  Love them!

I've found these available for sale all over Etsy.  Some sellers have gotten really creative, using bold colors, sheet music and maps... but why buy them when you can make your own?!  Try making your own paper hearts with different types of paper.  Check out some of these ideas.

Photo courtesy of Etsy

Photo courtesy of Etsy

Photo courtesy of Etsy

Happy crafting!

-Star