c is for cadeaux {valentine s'mores}

ha

you might think i speak french

but i don't

although i do subscribe to some frenchy magazines

like marie claire idees

because they are so clever

and appeal to my desire
to surround myself with perfection

until i realize 

that perfection is a moving target

that i am too lazy to get up and chase

so

the real reason i know what cadeaux means

is because i went to school with a guy whose surname is cadeaux

and he told me that it meant gift

and it wasn't even a pick up line

but it would have been a good one

that i might have fallen for

better than

i have a tape in my car...wanna go listen to it?

and here we are

it is officially february

which means

 valentine's day is around the corner

and i have been a busy little cupid

working on my valentines

but

 instead of penning heartfelt poems

and loving prose

i'm

 giving gifts

petits cadeaux, if you will

of sweets

graham cracker and gooey marshmallow treats

graham cracker and gooey marshmallow treats swathed in chocolate

okay

smores

but valentine themed smores

with pink marshmallow

they will be individually wrapped 

and sent on their way

to be enjoyed

while holding the hand of a loved one

or a stranger

if that's your thing

Graham Cracker Cookies

(printable recipe)

from Carol Walter's great cookies

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon*

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly firm

1/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed**

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 tablespoons honey

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine flours, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a bowl and whisk well. Use electric mixer on medium-low speed to beat butter until softened. Mix in the sugars. Add honey, egg and vanilla extract, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add dry ingredients to butter/sugar mixture in three parts, mixing only enough to blend ingredients after each part. Remove dough from bowl and divide dough in two. Flatten each half into a rough rectangle, wrap with plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours.

* i think the recipe could do with less cinnamon

**i used dark brown sugar to good result

Roll and cut into desired shape.  Put on lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 until starting to brown around the edges, about 12-14 minutes

let cool

tempered chocolate

you can use dark or milk chocolate. i happen to be partial to dark

dip or "frost" the cookies before making the marshmallows

allow to fully harden before adding marshmallow filling

Okay--

i want to tell you

these are really good 

if you stop here

and fill with a bit of raspberry jam

or

peanut butter

but if you want to make them into smores

you need  marshmallow

I used my tried and true recipe that I made far too many times this past christmas...

really, 

i make other things

i promise