Sweet Valentine: Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe

 So tomorrow is Valentines Day.

Does anyone else feel like Valentines Day is the one holiday that really creeps up on you?

You've just finished celebrating Christmas and the New Year and bam Valentines Day is knocking on your door.

I decided to bake up some valentines treats for my family as an early valentines present,

seeing as my actual Valentine is 10, 000 miles away. 

This year was Sugar Cookies - two ways! 

Half of the batch had chewy jam heart centres, while the second half of the batch was frosted.

Two different cookies from one recipe? Simple! 

I still haven't decided which of the two I like best.

The jam hearts are definitely more grown up and sophisticated,

while the frosted hearts are super cute!

These cookies melt in your mouth, they're not a crunchy cookie whatsoever

This is partly due to the sour cream in the recipe which give them a super soft texture.

Sweetheart Sugar Cookies 

 1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup sugar

125g butter

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups flour 

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 180*C (350*F).

Beat butter until soft 

(if you're using softened butter, you can skip this step - I'm just too impatient)

add in sour cream, sugar, eggs and vanilla and beat for 2 - 3 minutes. 

Add dry ingredients and mix until well combined. 

Cover dough and chill in fridge for 30 minutes or until firm.

Turn out dough onto a floured board, roll out to about 1/2 centimetre/1/4 inch thick.

(You may need to add a little more flour to make the dough more workable - but don't add too much or you won't have soft cookies!)

Use cookie cutters to make shapes and transfer to a lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes until light golden brown - no longer!

When you take the cookies out of the oven they may look underdone - but don't worry, you'll thank me later for your soft melt in your mouth cookies!

Adaptions -

Crunchy cookies: Bake for 5 or so minutes longer, your cookies will be brown on the outside with a lighter brown centre and will harden upon cooling.

Jam Centred Cookies: Cut out shapes in the middle of your cookies and fill with jam, bake for 8 minutes at 180*C before turning the oven down to 120*C for a further 5-10 minutes, or until jam starts to set. 

Sugar Cookie Frosting

125g Butter

2 1/2 cups Icing Sugar

2 tbsp Milk 

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Beat butter until soft.

Add sugar, milk and vanilla and beat until pale and creamy.

Add in food colouring as you wish!

All you have left to do is package them up for your Sweet Valentine! 

That's if they make it to them.

So tell me,

What's your favourite holiday?

and how are you spending Valentines Day?

My favourite holiday is Christmas, HANDS DOWN. 

If it could be Christmas every single day of the year I'd be in heaven!

I don't know how people could ever tire of it!

Juicy News!

All has been a little quiet on the blog front lately, 

as I've been a busyyyyyy busy bee.

But I'm back with a sneak peak of what's to come!

By the end of this week I will have a competition for you all!

I've actually been chosen as a blogger for the Spring Valley Sunnie Days Promotion.

Here's a little sneak peak at what's to come!

I will be giving away a pair of Morissey Sunglasses and you also have the chance to win a pair every 30 minutes by grabbing yourself a Spring Valley :)

I also have another competition in the works for the beginning of march, but more on that in a later post!

and as for the candy I showed you in this post, that was for Box of Treats.

Have a look at their Valentines Gift Packs (photographed by yours truly!)

Speaking of Valentines Day, I'm planning on baking up a storm with some Valentines inspired treats 

so hopefully you'll be seeing them this weekend! 

But do tell me,

What have you got plans for Valentines Day?

and How do you feel about Competitions?

Running behind

Christmas is fast approaching.

The tree is up, the lights are on and christmas music fills the air of shopping centres.

Oh and don't forget Santa!

Speaking of Santa,

I've been a bit of a bad santa this year.

Christmas seems to have snuck up on me

and I've still yet to buy a lot of Christmas presents!

It doesn't help that I have a few recipients who are ridiculously hard to buy for.. 

I'm a bit fussy when it comes to giving gifts.

I always want to find that perfect one so that my gift isn't the one that gets shoved in the bottom of the drawer. 

(Though I still don't know whether that happens :P) 

I thought I'd share a few gift ideas with you in the days leading up til Christmas 

afterall - the holidays are a time for sharing, right?

For the Cafe Junkie

Do you know someone who just can't have a day out without stepping into a cafe (or several)

or maybe someone who has a takeaway coffee cup permanently attached to their hand?

Why not give them a cafe experience at home? 

Bondi Chai is a blend of black tea, honey, vanilla and exotic spices that is so easy to make at home

and tastes just like what you'd get in a fancy cafe (or maybe better!) 

It's usually served latte style - but the recipe section of the site has some fantastic ideas. 

Bondi Chai ice cream sounds like a perfect summer treat! 

Being the oatmeal fan I am - I decided the powder is a perfect addition to oatmeal.

Sweet, spicy and full of flavour. 

Bondi Chai comes in two flavours - Vanilla Honey and Club Cinnamon.

Vanilla Honey was my favourite with the sweetness of the honey and the rich vanilla flavour

- it actually has a flavour similar to that of a sweet custard or cake

but the Club Cinnamon is perfect for someone who likes a bit of spice! 

So how would you give someone a bag of chai powder?

Is that what you're thinking? Well do I have a solution for you!

Take a box or a basket, a little tissue paper to line the bottom

add the chai powder and a cute mug 

and maybe even some tasty treats for your lucky recipient to enjoy with their chai latte

and then all you have left to do is wrap it up and tie a big bow!

Have a look here to find out where you can get some for yourself!

For someone who needs a little pampering or a pampered princess

It can be so easy to forget about looking after ourselves 

sometimes we just need a little reminder!

There's a few women in my life who need to remember to look after themselves sometimes!

Sure - you could give them a voucher for a spa day or a massage

but will they use it? Hmmmmm.

Absolutely Gorgeous has a divine skin care range that is a perfect christmas gift or stocking stuffer.

Absolutely Gorgeous is committed to natural beauty - so their range is full of skin and body care products that use only pure, organic and chemical free ingredients. 

You could purchase one of Absolutely Gorgeous's gift packs 

or put together your own pamper hamper for that special someone.  

Absolutely Gorgeous even have a baby care range perfect for new bubs and why not pick up something to pamper that new mum too!

Just head to Absolutely Gorgeous to buy online, or have a look at their stockists

So tell me - 

are you a more organised Santa than me? 

or has Christmas crept up on you too?

and What's the best gift you've ever received for Christmas?

Kristy received Bondi Chai and Absolutely Gorgeous products courtesy of 

www.bondichai.com.au and www.absolutelygorgeous.com.au

If you'd like a review of your products, send an email to ksayerphotography@gmail.com