Nurturing my inner... valentine's box

Valentine's Day.  Loved.  Hated.  Depends on the year, right?  This year for me... was a baking year.  So, dating status be darned, I wasn't going to miss enjoying this day of heart-shaped, pink and red, fluffy, sweet, candy treats.

I got these great boxes at World Market.  $3.99 for the 5"x7" size.

Made from thin aluminum.

Paper Source in Reston Town Center is such a fun store full of creative possibilities.  I had a few types of hand made papers at home that I bought in recent months.

Gorgeous textures and colors.

They range in price from $4.00 - $9.00 and are quite large.  They come from all over the world.  China, Japan, India.

Had a really nice feel to it.

To make it easy for me, I took a piece of cardboard and made a template the shape of the top.  Then I just had to trace it on the back of the paper with a pencil (remember what those things are) and cut it out.  And I measured up the sides and then cut a straight strip that went all the way around.  A few swipes of a glue stick and a bit of careful alignment and that was it.

Looks like it took a long time, but it was so fast!

I made a simple, plain box into something super fancy looking in no time.

That's when I got the idea to put a Valentine's box together for my mother.  Her Valentine passed away nearly 20 years ago, so I thought it might be nice for her not to feel so forgotten on a day when every other couple around her is celebrated quite publicly.

I reminisced back on the packages my mother used to send me from time to time when I was  in college.  Iced animal cookies, marshmallow fluff, pop tarts, M&Ms. Every college kid's dream.  It's nice that these many years later I could return the surprise. 

When shopping around, I gave a lot of thought to the kinds of things she would enjoy.  So, I made her a card (yes, just like I was in second grade) by quilling.  Quilling (which I'm sure you haven't heard of unless you were born in the 1800s like me) was an art form where thin strips of colored papers were rolled tightly around a special tool.  Using tension and pinching to create various shapes.  I made flowers, hearts and bees.  (It's just one of the many odd things I do.  It's best not to think too hard about why I do it.  Even I'm not sure why I do.)

White chocolate, biscuits, caramel wafers,
 leaf-shaped coasters - all things my mum
would enjoy.

I mailed the package to my mom early last week so she'd have it in plenty of time for preholiday enjoyment.  Now for more projects.

A couple of weeks earlier, I was flipping through the February issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine.  There was a fun article in it called Sharing the Love, about a group of women who get together to work on craft projects.  What stared out as just a few friends gathering at one woman's NY apartment some years back has morphed into a section of their public library being reserved for the room-swelling amount of attendees.  How delightful and inspiring!  It gave me even more ideas.  And made me realize I so need to find a creative group like that to hang around.  But for now, I'll continue to create solo.

A friend invited me and another friend of hers over for dinner (she made delicious fajitas) and to watch some Hallmark Rom Coms last night.  Naturally I had to bring over something Valentine-related for the girls.  I had spent the day baking just for this very purpose.

Sugar Tuiles (Right out of Martha's magazine)

4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsps honey
1/4 cup flour, sifted

I wasn't sure about trying to make these, but since they had so few ingredients, I was willing to give it a shot.  (If they didn't work out, I had time to trash them and never tell a soul.)

Honey: a key flavor, not just a sweetener.

Butter and sugar were also clear contributors to the delicate crisp I was about to cautiously attempt not to mess up.  (I don't really sound so confident, do I?)

Slow melt.

I put the heat on medium and when it began to bubble, it was ready for the final ingredient.

Looked gooey. Mmm.

To ensure there were no lumps, the recipe said to sift the flour.

My tiny strainer fits right over a small bowl.

I added the sifted flour in slowly to the bubbling mixture and whisked it continually to keep it smooth as silk.

Little bit at a time.

If you don't own a Silpat, it will be your sugar tuile making bff.  I have a couple and I adore them for cookie baking.  They are completely anti-stick.  It was easy for me to spread the mixture thinly on them and know it would come up later without issue.

Looks like the consistency of creamed honey
before it's baked. And smooth.

Into a 400 degree oven for around 8 - 9 minutes or until bubbly and amber.  It can quickly go from perfectly done to overdone in a matter of seconds, so don't walk too far away and definitely use your timer.

The bubbles are so visually interesting.
Sweet lava!

Now for some character.  Any shape would work, but I had planned on hearts.  (Given the up and coming holiday.)

Two different sizes.

It will be way too soft to cut into any shapes straight out of the oven.  So it needs to cool for just a couple minutes first.  Not too long though or it will harden too much.  I took the cutters and pressed them hard into the dough and then slightly shook a bit to separate the shapes.

Silpat, I love you. (And it's real love.)

I peeled away the extra pieces and put them aside while the hearts cooled down and became more firm.  I didn't want to waste the excess batter, so I allowed that to cool as well and then when it hardened, I crumbled it up and figured I could use it as a dessert topping of some kind.  (I'm thinking currently on what that might be.)

As soon as the hearts don't bend when the
edges are lifted with a metal spatula, they
can be placed on a rack to cool further.

Love that bubbly texture.  How unique!

Delightful nooks.

Yum. A thin, sweet, honey-flavored crisp that can be added to a bowl of ice cream or on top of a custard.  They reminded me slightly of the burnt sugar you get on the top of creme brulee.

Into the other boxes I had covered, I put a sampling of various treats (in compartment like fashion) that I had been working on rigoriously since the morning.  I won't feature all the recipes today, but I will get to them soon.  (The truffles were amazing!  I know, teaser!  Now you have to come back and read my blog in the future just to find out what they are.)

Cupcake papers make great dividers.

I folded the waxed paper over the top, added the lid and had a nice after dinner surprise for the girls.  It was a win-win for all.  I got practice baking (which was well needed as it doesn't come easy to me) and they got to be helpful, very willing, taste testers.

This country makes a HUGE deal out of this very commercial holiday and I think it especially affects women.  Not everyone is lucky enough to be in the perfect couple situation every Valentine's Day, whether you have someone or not, but all girls like to feel remembered and cared for.  So, here is a special note to all the lovely, lucky, happy pairs out there: Don't get too self-absorbed in each other or sequestered in your own celebration of coupledom.  Share the love with others!  Have a dinner party and invite friends of all marital statuses to attend.  Make some sweet treats for your girlfriends (widowed, married, divorced, single) and meet them for lunch.  Generously hand out flowers and candy just to put a smile on someone's face!  Wouldn't it be nice if everyone felt they had a place in the holiday of love fun?