Valentine's Day Cookies. Just a bit late. For your viewing, anyway.

Yeah, yeah, so I was Martha-ized. One day before Valentine's Day, her show segment on these adorable but ridiculous lady bug cookies somehow found it's way into the Tivo. And the bug bit me, hard. What could be better than a beautiful sugar buzz?

Off to Confectionately Yours I went. (What the hell is that, you ask? It's one of Salem's best kept secrets for sugarheads and bakers who want to amaze. They carry all manner of baking/icing/candy making supplies. If you don't want to trek down 19th Street near the airport to find them, you can order from them online. But seriously... it's worth the visit!) Colorful sprinkles, and a mix for Royal icing were just what I needed. Of course ten things I didn't "need" came home as well... Just doing my part to stimulate the economy!

Sugar is something this household is trying to handle wisely. With Scot's mother's beloved sugar cookie recipe in hand (or rather half of the recipe -- no one needs THAT many cookies), it was a bit of an experiment as Agave Nectar was used in place of standard sugar. It has a lower glycemic index than refined sugar. Following instructions I'd received to use HALF the amount in place of sugar (so use ONE HALF CUP Avave Nectar in place of one cup sugar), I whipped up the cookies. The dough was a big moister than I was used to, but a quick chill in the fridge solved that issue. The dough, when baked, tastes less brightly sugar-fied than the regular recipe, but that's a good thing.

Especially when topped with royal icing.

We enjoyed a few, and the rest were shared at work the next day, and they were gone in a flash. One person walked away with three in their hand at once. I'm sure they were just going to share.