Sweets for my Sweet

Ross hates my cooking. Seriously, he has gotten to the point where before he tries anything, he asks, "what's in this?" As if I'm trying to poison him with healthy ingredients! So for Valentine's Day I figured the least I could do was make a 100% Ross-approved dinner.  I made enchiladas with extra cheese and no canned tomatoes. Now that's love (and a stomachache).

But what was even better was dessert. We saw an article in the local paper about the popularity of red velvet cake-themed desserts around this time of year and I asked if a) he liked red velvet cake, and b) he wanted me to get something from the nearby bakery.  He said it'd mean more if I made it myself. Well, you ask, I deliver! I used the recipe printed in Tastebud Magazine, a local foodie publication.

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tsp. red food coloring
1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1. Preheat oven to 350* Fahrenheit.
2. Sit together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy and smooth (about 5 minutes).
4. Add eggs to the mixer bowl one at a time. Add vanilla and red food coloring and mix until combined.
5. Alternating, add flour mixture and buttermilk to mixer bowl, starting and ending with flour mixture. Scrape down bowl as you go to ensure the mixture is well combined.
6. Drop tablespoons of batter onto parchment paper (or aluminum foil) lined sheet pans, at least 2 inches apart.
7. Bake 7-10 minutes, or until cakes spring back when pressed gently.


Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

Classic Buttercream

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 to 1 Tbs. vanilla extract

Cream butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar slowly and beat for about 10 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla at the end and mix well.

Ross' favorite color. How appropriate!

I intended to follow the recipe exactly, but 1 Tbs. of dough made mini-whoopie pies so I added a bit more on the second pan to make bigger cookies! Also, turns out I had red "writing frosting" in the pantry and not red food coloring. So they're more like brown velvet whoopie pies. But that's okay. They are still delicious.

Speaking of sweets, check out the cutest Valentine that ever entered my mailbox:

Obviously, I checked "yes" and texted a picture to their mom.

These boys are definitely one of the top 3 things I miss most about Texas.  But I digress.

Here's my big-kid Valentine:

I guess my husband is the type to buy overpriced flowers on Valentine's Day. He also got me a more personal gift of Christopher Elbow local artisan chocolates. But the dog ate them out of Ross' bag at work. No, seriously. There's a beagle at work who's been known to eat Ross' lunch when he's not looking, so I think I believe the story.

Hope your week continues to be filled with love!