Be mine, valentine

MERINGUE COOKIES

4 eggs whites

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup golden eagle syrup

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Food coloring of your choice

Pinch of tarter

Preheat your oven to 175 degrees. Line two bake sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Combine sugar, egg whites and tartar in the bowl from your mixer over simmering water, making sure your bowl is not touching the water. Constantly whisk the egg whites until the sugar has dissolved. Attach the whisk attachment on a stand mixer or a hand held mixture, slowly beat egg mixture. Add in vanilla extract and any food coloring. Slowly increase the speed and continue to beat mixture until stiff peaks have almost formed. The mixture is ready when the whisk attachment dipped into mixture leaves a curled but stiff peak when removed. Transfer mixture to a pastry bag fitted with an open star tip and pipe your heart shape onto the sheet pans. Bake for 2 hours, then turn off the oven and leave the door slightly ajar for meringues to cool down with the oven. Store meringue cookies in an airtight container away from any heat or moisture.

RED VELVET CAKE

2 cups sugar

1 cup golden eagle syrup

11/2 cup crisco

1 stick of butter

E eggs

4 cups cake flour

2 tsp cocoa

2 tsp salt

2 cups buttermilk

2 tsp vanilla

4 oz. red food coloring

2 tsp vinegar

2 tsp soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 4 9 inch cake pans. In a separate bowl mix flour, salt, and cocoa set aside. Cream together in a stand mixer crisco, sugar, syrup and butter until smooth and creamy. Add eggs one at a time beat well. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk beginning and ending with the flour. Add vanilla and food coloring. In a 1/4 cup mix vinegar and soda and pour into batter. Scrape sides of bowl and mix well. Pour into greased and floured cake pans and bake for 20-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool 3-5 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack and place in the freezer until ready to add frosting.

MYSTERY ICING

1/2 cup plain flour

2 cups milk

2 cups sugar

2 sticks butter

1 cup crisco

Dash of salt

2 tsp vanilla

In a sauce pan over medium low heat melt 1 stock of butter. Whisk in flour until thick and then add milk. This will make a thick paste. Let cool to room temperature. While the flour mixture is cooling in a stand mixer beat remaining stick of butter, crisco and sugar until creamy and smooth. When flour mixture has cooled add it to the stand mixture and cream until spreading consistency. The cake should now be ready to frost.