The Accidental Housewife Valentine Sweets from the Heart

Several years ago I was wrote a kid's short story based on Cyrano de Bergerac for Valentine's Day. In it I shared how all of us have gifts that may not always be visible and that we can show someone we love them in our own unique ways. Well, as you know I'm not much of a cook, but this is a truly simple way to share some time with your little ones and give them the gift of your time together. You can also share as I did with my son how Cyrano frequented a place called the Bakery of Poets where he fine-tuned his 'nose' for poetry, along with his love of tasty treats. In fact, it was his 'nose' both long and thin as a banana that inspired me to create one of my son's favorite recipes and one that takes no skill on our part to master. So go buy that frozen dough and those bananas, Valentine's day family fun without much fuss awaits ye and yours!

HEART IN MY HAND VALENTINE SWEETS
(Makes 8 small hand cookies)

Ingredients:

1 16 oz. refrigerated cookie dough (sugar recommended), sliced into 8 circles
Flour for dusting
Small jar of spreadable jam (raspberry, strawberry or apricot jam)
1 cup confections’ sugar
Small amount of water
Assorted food colors

How you make it:

Place your hand on a piece of cardboard or paper plate and, starting at the wrist, trace your hand. Be sure to spread your fingers a bit.. Then cut it out.
Draw a small heart on the cardboard or paper plate (about 1 inch high) and cut that out, too.
On a clean surface coated with flour, use a flour-coated rolling pin to roll out each circle of cookie dough. It should be about 1/8 inch thick. If it starts to stick, sprinkle more flour on the pin. Use your 'hand-made' cookie cutters to cut out 16 small hands. When all your hands are made, place your heart shape in the middle of the hand, and cut it out.
Using your spreading knife, gently cover eight hands with jam. Wipe off or eat any extra jam that goes over the sides. Lift with spatula onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Cover each jam hand with one of the remaining hands. Make sure all the fingers meet.
Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until the sides are lightly browned. Let cool.
For the icing: Put the sugar in the mixing bowl and add water, a little at a time, to make a thick, smooth paste. Divide the mixture equally among the small cups. Add a few drops of food color to each, and mix it up with a plastic knife.

Here's a decorating suggestion to consider, too:

Paint the outside hands with the red icing and fill pastry bags with white, green or blue icing. Gently squeeze the icing out to write 'I Love U' or any other Valentine’s Day message you choose!

BANANA CYRANOSES
(Makes 4)

Ingredients:

4 bananas, peeled
4 oz. dark chocolate

How you make it:

Break chocolate into small pieces.
Put it into glass bowl or measuring cup. Set timer on microwave for 60 seconds and heat. Stir. Chocolate should be smooth. If it’s not, microwave for another 30 seconds.
Use butter knife to coat the whole banana with chocolate. Before you cover the bottom of the banana, lay it on the wax paper. Finish painting it there.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until chocolate hardens.
Before you take your first bite, lift in the air and say 'Vive le Cyranoses' (that’s French for long live Cyranoses) and Happy Valentine's Day, too!