Celebrate with Those You Love.

Happy Valentine's Day.

   Whether you are celebrating with the love of your life, a best friend or a favorite granny, it is the perfect time to let them know how much you care.  Even a favorite pet deserves a hug and a treat. My dogs like a piece of carrot to munch on. 🐕🐩

Hubby and I usually have takeout from our favorite Chinese restaurant and watch a romantic movie. Favorite movies of ours, from the oldest to newer ones: The Best Years of Our Lives, Sabrina, Moonstruck, and Legally Blonde. If you love musicals and spectacular dance numbers, try Singing in the Rain.

 I love chocolate. I'm always looking for a new recipe using chocolate. This is a cookie that can be made ahead of time and enjoyed on the holiday. 

BTW, if you have a recipe you would like to share, send it to me and if I used it, I will send a novella to you.  Please leave a comment. do you celebrate Valentine's Day?

Heart-Shaped Cookies, Chocolate Filled with Jam

Description

Delicious chocolate cookies with toasted walnuts and filled with a sweet fig jam, apricot jam or strawberry jam.

Ingredients

Cookie dough:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup California walnuts, toasted
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled butter, cut in 15 – 20 pieces
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For assembling and decorating the cookies:

• 1/2 – 2/3 cup fig jam or apricot jam, or strawberry jam.
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
• 1/2 cup finely chopped California walnuts

Preparation

1. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade combine the flour, walnuts, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and nutmeg. Process until the nuts are finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until blended into the dry ingredients and the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small cup, whisk together the egg yolks, water, and vanilla.
2. Add to the flour mixture and process until the dough holds together in a stiff mass. Transfer the dough into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 – 60 minutes, until firm but not hard.
3. Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and cover cookie sheets with parchment paper. Divide the chilled dough in half (keep the piece you are not working on refrigerated). On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to a thickness slightly less than 1/4 inch. If the top of the dough is sticky, sprinkle it lightly with additional flour. Using a heart-shaped (or round) cutter 1 1/2 – 2 inches in diameter, cut cookies from the rolled-our dough. Gather the scraps together, re-roll them, and cut additional cookies. As cookies are cut, place them, about 1/2-inch apart, on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cookies look dry. Cool for about 2 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely before filling. Continue rolling, cutting, and baking until all the dough is used.
4. To assemble and decorate the cookies, place half of them in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Spread each one with about 1/2 teaspoon of jam, then top with a second cookie. When all the cookies have been filled, top each with about 1/2 teaspoon of melted chocolate, spreading the chocolate with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the chocolate lightly with walnuts. Let the cookies stand 2 – 3 hours, or until the chocolate is firm, then store them in an airtight container.
5. An alternative to rolling out the dough: For an easy, though not heart-shaped variation, the dough can be chilled, sliced, and baked like refrigerator cookies. Place the prepared dough on a lightly floured surface and divide it in half. With your hands, roll and pat each piece into a log about 9 inches long and 1 1/2 inches across. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for several hours, until firm. (The dough will keep refrigerated for several days.) Cut the logs into slices slightly less than 1/4-inch thick, then bake, fill, and decorate as directed.
6. Calories 100 calories
7. Total Fat 6 g
8. Trans Fat 0 g
9. Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g
10. Cholesterol 15 mg
11. Sodium 14 mg
12. Carbohydrates 10 g
13. Dietary Fiber 1 g
14. Protein 2 g
    

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    Her Country Heart byReggi Allder Sierra Creek Series Book 1 of 4 books.
    

         Amy Long needs a forever home. Downsized, she lost her apartment in the city and returned to the small town of Sierra Creek to find a fresh start. Does she belong? Cowboy Wyatt Cameron doesn’t think so. She’s in the way of his plans and as executor of her grandmother’s estate, he can send her packing.  What can Amy offer to change Wyatt's mind?  

    Excerpt: Her Country Heart Sierra Creek Series

    CHAPTER 1
    

    “Sierra Creek,” the driver shouted as the Greyhound bus came to an abrupt stop on the two-lane highway.

    Amy Long pushed her hair behind her ears and grabbed her worn suitcase. Surprised to see her hand tremble, she seized the case with both hands and rushed toward the front of the bus.

    A gust of hot wind slapped her face as she stepped outside. Gravel pelted her bare legs when the bus drove away. She squinted and read a faded road sign, Sierra Creek population five thousand. There wasn’t a building in sight.

    After years of living in the city, she’d forgotten how sweltering and desolate it was here. She’d vowed never to return home. Odd it was the first place that came to mind when she and her young son needed a fresh start.

    With Granny gone, there was no family left to welcome her. She swallowed a sob. Maybe it was a mistake to come back.

    The relentless afternoon sun beat down on her shoulders and her arms began to burn. San Francisco, the air-conditioned city, seemed a million miles away. Impatient, she cleared her dry throat, wiped the perspiration from her forehead, and let out a groan as the minutes ticked by. What wouldn’t she give for some shade and a bottle of iced water?

    With a sigh, she pulled out her smartphone and checked the time. Thirty minutes since she’d arrived at the bus stop and not a single car had gone by. Where was the arranged ride into town? Granny’s handyman was supposed to meet her. He apparently wasn’t a stickler about being on time. She reminded herself she was in the California foothills, not in a busy metropolis where time was money.

    The sound of a truck rumbled in the distance. With the back of her hand, she pushed her bangs out of her eyes and squinted. Hopeful, she watched the pick-up come closer. A shiny black Ford F150 with an extended cab pulled up in front of her.

    “Amy,” a man yelled through the open window as his brown hair fell casually over a high forehead and deep-set blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight. She moved nearer and stared at his wide cheekbones, square jaw, and full lips. About thirty? A flutter of recognition stirred in her as palpable charm radiated from his broad smile, Wyatt Cameron. 

    His muscular arms flexed as his huge hands squeezed the steering wheel. “Don’t just stand there. Get in the judge is waiting.”

     Discover what happens next with His Country Heart Sierra Creek Series Book 2 of 4 books by Reggi Allder. Confirmed bachelor, cowboy, Wyatt Cameron, wonders why he is attracted to a woman he hardly knows. Yeah, she’s sexy and sweet, but she comes with baggage he doesn’t need. If he follows through, will he marry in haste and regret in leisure?

    Prefer Romantic Suspense?

    “Reggi Allder will hold you on the edge of your seat as you follow her real-to-life characters You won’t be disappointed.” “Intense, I couldn’t put it down.”

    Check out the Dangerous Series, book 1 Dangerous Webb, by Reggi Allder. 

    

    
    
    

    Follow Reggi Allder:

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     Thank you for coming by.  Remember so leave a comment. Happy Valentine's day!

     Hope you will stop by again soon.