A VALENTINE'S BREAKFAST IN BED

Love is in the air! Wanting to surprise someone special with a little Valentine’s Day love? What about a sweet little tray of relaxation to start your day? Here is a simple, yet thoughtful plan…coffee, tiny hand pies and a pinch of love! And see where this sweet day will take you!

Start with a nice tray. I used my favorite wine crate. A fantastic flee market find that doubles as extra wine glass storage or to tote cookies to an event. It even came with little red handles! Fill it up, and then turn it over it becomes a mini table, just the right size for two. A carafe filled with steamy coffee, mugs, the morning paper and a couple of pies is all you need. Make your hand pies a day ahead. Gather your tray the night before. In the morning, add coffee, paper, pies and you are ready to make someone smile.

Heart Shaped Hand Pies-

2 Cups Flour

¼ Cup Sugar

¾ Cup Shortening

¼ Cup Ice Water

1 Tablespoon Vanilla Flavoring

Cherry Pie Filling

Decorative Sugar 

Blend flour and sugar together. Using a pastry blender, cut the shortening into the flour/sugar until it starts to form small pea size balls. Measure ice water, add vanilla flavoring to water. Blend ice water into the flour/sugar/shortening. It should easily form into a large ball by hand. Sometimes a couple additional teaspoons of ice water may be needed. Divide the ball into two smaller balls. Place in a zip lock bag in the refrigerator for a half hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sprinkle flour on your work surface and roll one of the balls to about ¼” thick. Cut with a heart shaped cookie cutter. I used a 3 ½” heart. Place on parchment paper and baking tray.

Add a little Cherry Pie filling to the center of heart.

With your finger, run a little bead of water around the outside edge of the heart.

With the second ball of dough, roll out and cut heart tops. Cut a smaller heart out of the center, remove but do not discard.

Place the heart on top of the heart with the pie filling.

With your finger press the two hearts together all the way around the heart to seal.

Using the prongs of a fork, press over seal to secure top to bottom.

Add a touch of water to the small heart cut out, and place on edge of pie.

Brush or mist with water the entire pie. Sprinkle with decorative sugar, if you like.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until edge of pie turns golden. Store in air tight container.

With this much love, the morning will become a favorite memory, and maybe, a tradition. The perfect start for a Valentine’s Day. Can a day start any sweeter?