Live... Bake... Love...: How LIVEBAKELOVE does Valentines day , plus basic SUGAR COOKIE recipe.

Valentines Day has always been a fun time for Faye and I. We have been hosting Valentine cookie parties for a few years now. This year was especially fun. We did a craft project in addition to our usual cookie exchange.

Our craft this year was Valentine Day mugs filled with homemade teabags and homemade cookies. Aside from looking beautiful , they are a delicious treat for anyone receiving them.

For lunch, Faye cooked us up a traditional Southern Menu of Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Blackeye Peas that had been slow simmered with ham hock until it was falling off of the bone, Collard Greens with bacon, Cornbread with Honey Butter and to finish off, Peach Cobbler with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Let's just say we had an amazing Valentines day for us girls.

We hope you enjoy the photos and recipes! Wishing everyone a wonderful Valentines day from LiveBakeLove.

Faye and Yvonne-

Basic Sugar Cookie
Makes

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Sweet Butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk, room temp
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Zest from one lemon
Juice from 1/2 lemon
5 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Prepwork:
1. Zest lemon (since I do not own a zester, I use my mini grated. Works just as good.
2. In a medium bowl, add flour, baking powder and salt. Use your Wisk to mix together. Set aside

Directions.
1. Cream softened butter with sugar. ( I use my kitchen aid, but you can use a hand mixer also)
2 Add eggs , one at a time.
3. Add vanilla, lemon peel and lemon juice.
4. Gradually add in flour mixture until incorporated. Do not over mix.
5. Divide dough in half, form each half into a disk and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hr (or can leave overnight).
6. Once dough has chilled, working with one disk at a time, roll onto a floured to about 1/4 thick. Cut into shapes using a cookie cutter. I used a heart shape with a small cut out designed for placing on the rim of a mug or tea cup.
7. Bake for 6-7 minutes. Cool on cooling rack before decorating.

Icing:
Mix together 2 cups powder sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon corn syrup and 2 tablespoons milk. If too thick add more milk, if too thin add more powder sugar. Should be the consistence of a thick syrup. Add any food color you like.