Red Velvet Shortbread Cookies

Red Velvet Shortbread Cookies

As a baker, Valentine's Day is one of the best holidays for me. I'll use pretty much any excuse to bake: birthdays, Thursdays, 11:08 PM, whatever. Since I live by the title of this blog, these are all compelling reasons for me to bake. But Valentine's Day gives me slightly more legitimate reasons. Calories don't exist on February 14th! Everyone is down to eat red velvet and chocolate, and most don't feel guilty about it. And this means less guilt for me, a serial diet-ruiner. Also, I can hand out heart-shaped cookies and it's not weird...I think. And last and foremost, lots of people tend to be having a bad day on Valentine's Day. Maybe they don't have a Valentine. Or maybe they do. Or perhaps they spent nearly an hour de-icing their car in the morning, using a MARTA Breeze Card (oh, was that just me?). Whatever the reason, I love the opportunity to give people a reason to be happy. And like so many other times in life, the best reason to be happy on Valentine's Day is most certainly sugar. Along with  Red Velvet Cake Batter Fudge (not my recipe), I hope I made a few people's Valentine's Days a bit better this year with these tasty and super precious Red Velvet Shortbread Cookies! Here's how you can brighten some moods on Valentine's Day next year (or, let's be real, any day)!

Biscoff Cookies and Cream Fudge

Biscoff Cookies and Cream Fudge

You saw that title, didn't you? If your first thought was something along the lines of  "couldn't be bad" or "must have that now," I can assure you that you're right. Just as "Biscoff," "Cookies and Cream," and "Fudge" suggest, this is a delicious treat that you need in your life ASAP. And this post is here to help you make that happen.

Now, if you're thinking "fudge is too hard to make and I just can't," I promise that at least for this recipe, you are totally wrong. And while I'm making promises, I'll admit to you that this isn't "real" fudge. By no means did I stand over the stove with a candy thermometer, waiting for the mixture to reach soft ball stage. Ain't nobody got time for that. (Read: I have zero patience).    

I made this fudge in six simple steps, using four ingredients.

Don't believe me? If you keep reading, I see a delicious, fudgy treat in your near future :-) 

Pumpkin Spice Cookie Cups

Pumpkin Spice Cookie Cups

As far as seasons go, fall just might be the most delicious. I insisted that summer was my favorite season for the first 21 or so years of my life. However, as I approach old age, my July birthday becomes less of a reason for excitement and I am growing less tolerant of (read: highly annoyed by) the intense summer heat. I suspect that summer will continue to lose points in my book now that I have joined the dreaded “real world” and have likely seen the last of my summer breaks. Alas, fall wins over my foodie heart and gets extra points for college football and the option to press the “Off” button on the fan I’ve camped out beside all summer.

When I went to Target today, I was embarrassingly excited to see one of my favorite fall items, Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses. I immediately picked up a bag and spent the next few hours daydreaming about what I could bake with them. Folks, this is when you know you have a problem. Hi, my name is Dena and I’m addicted to baking. Sorry I’m not sorry.

Anyways, I decided to make one of my favorite recipes, Butterscotch Chai Cookies, and add my beloved Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses. Read on to see how I made these delicious treats that are also super cute…or as I prefer to say “totes presh.”

Biscoff Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Biscoff Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Just a few short months ago I discovered the amazingness that is Biscoff spread, also known to some as Speculos. For those unfamiliar with Biscoff spread, you may have had Biscoff cookies, as they are commonly served on planes. The cookies taste somewhat like cinnamon graham crackers, and Biscoff spread is made to taste exactly like the cookies, except in a spread form with the consistency of peanut butter. Even though I am not wild about Biscoff cookies, I have been pretty obsessed with the spread ever since trying it. When I tell people about it, I describe it as "right up there with Nutella" which is a bold statement coming from me. Ever since discovering Biscoff spread, I have had fun trying to incorporate it into my baking, as like anything else so incredibly delicious, it goes well with just about anything. Here's how I incorporated it into an oatmeal cookie recipe:

Lauren’s Birthday Cake

Lauren’s Birthday Cake

Red Velvet Cake with Oreo Cream Cheese Filling, Biscoff Buttercream Icing, and Nutella Fudge

As April came to a close, I knew I faced a huge challenge. No, not final exams. Lauren’s birthday is April 29th. For anyone who doesn’t know, Lauren is my best friend and Co-WIDBer. As we were also nearing graduation, I knew I really had to make Lauren an incredible cake. Knowing many of Lauren’s favorite things, I made what I truly believe was the perfect cake for Lauren. Click the link below to see how I made this cake, and how you can recreate it! 

Emily's Birthday Cake

 

Emily’s Birthday Cake: A Kit Kat Cheesecake Brownie Layer and a Nutellla Cheesecake Brownie Layer with Cream Cheese Icing in between, covered in 3 Musketeers Fudge

 

In this post I will disclose the details of perhaps the most intense birthday cake I have made to date. When I asked my friend Emily about some of her favorite desserts and candies she gave me lots of ideas. So naturally I decided to use all of them in her cake. She listed off cheesecake, brownies, Kit Kats, and 3 Musketeers. At first I didn’t exactly know how I was going to incorporate all of these things into one cake. I thought of making cheesecake with a brownie crust, but then realized that might be difficult to layer with other things. I ultimately decided to make cheesecake brownie layers because I felt more confident that they would be structurally sound. Pretty quickly I knew I would make fudge with the 3 Musketeers because technically you can make fudge by melting together chocolate chips and marshmallows, so I knew a marshmallow-based candy would make a great fudge. And to make sure the cheesecake component stood out in the cake, I put cream cheese icing between the cheesecake brownie layers. Next I had to make sure the two cake layers were not the same, (because let’s face it, that would be unacceptable). So, I mixed Nutella into one and put Kit Kat pieces in the other. After lots of brainstorming, I ended up with a cake that was awesome, delicious, and super fun to make!

Here’s how you can make this cake!:

Zaid's Reese's and Kit Kat Birthday Cake

Zaid's Reese's and Kit Kat Birthday Cake

In making a birthday cake for my wonderful friend Zaid, I was faced with yet another new challenge. Zaid said his favorite candies were Reese’s and Kit Kats. I struggled with how I could make the best possible cake for him while still making it unique from the Reese’s cake I made for Lindsay and the cake I made for Rachel that was surrounded by Kit Kats. I also faced the challenge of being a little low on peanut butter when I was making this cake. I had plenty for the peanut butter blondies, but then only had about half a cup when I needed to make the icing, not to mention the fact that I had no powdered sugar. So, partially due to my efforts at uniqueness, and partially due to necessity, I ended up with a totally new cake that got the best reviews of any so far.