Here’s my very own House of Creativity, all decked out for Valentine’s Day! Wouldn’t it be great if I could make smoke rings in the shape of white hearts come from the chimney? (Someone should invent a Valentine heart chimney insert!). Right now, snow is pouring down outside my window, big heavy flakes, a little bit heart-shaped, filling the sky . . . Of course, there is perfect music for this . . .
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
See my windows full of hearts? Our house is at the end of a long street; people come to a stop sign here and face my house, just like this. Because of all the one-way streets, pretty soon everyone has to pass this stop sign in order to get where they’re going on this island. ♥ I feel a certain responsibility to provide a some entertainment for people when they get here; it’s perfect for the short attention span! So I decorated my windows with leftover spray snow from Christmas. I made heart templates, little and big, from a piece of clear acetate. I’ve also made templates from cardboard, but they get a little soggy after about the twentieth heart! You could probably do it all faster with heart doilies!
We got a Valentine from a very special person yesterday! She knows who she is! (Thank you 1000 times ♥) Here it is, on our kitchen wall this morning, before the sun came up. This will be here from now on, every Valentine’s Day, forever! ♥ I love it!
What, I asked myself, can I give the girls this snowy Saturday that has it All? It needs to be sweet and Valentiney, it needs to include chocolate (yes, of course it does), it needs to be delicious enough to give away to someone they love, but simple enough so it’s not a lifetime in the kitchen; it needs to look good on a tea table; it needs to make the kitchen smell good; and it would be very handy if the ingredients were in my cupboard NOW. I thought about my chewy, bendy chocolaty Brownies (so here’s the recipe for those, particularly appreciated by kids, in case you are so inclined ♥) but I was looking for the true Valentine coup de grace, I wanted something heart-shaped. And, so, Voila!
ORANGE and CHOCOLATE CHIP TEA BISCUITS!
I love the flavor of orange with chocolate . . . this is an easy-to-make heart-shaped tea biscuit with melty chocolate chips, the perfect little thing to put on a saucer next to a cup of tea.
Here’s how it’s done; a concise recipe will be waiting for you at the bottom of this post, (if you make it through this whole thing 🙂 and actually, that’s not all that’s waiting for you at the bottom!)
Preheat the oven to 400°; put softened unsalted butter and cream cheese into a deep bowl . . .
Add grated orange zest (P.S. I hope you have one of these wonderful zesters! They’re like razor blades you drag lightly across the fruit, easy, painlessly, gathering the zest in the tray; then pop into your recipe! Best new invention since a MacBook Pro!)
Excuse me, time out: Water came to a boil, need to stop and fill my cup!
OK, toss the orangy goodness into the bowl . . .
Use a hand mixer to beat everything together until smooth . . . mmm, cream cheese, butter and orange . . .
Scrape down the batter in the bowl . . .
Add sour cream for richness and tender crumb. BTW, Don’t you think that when the world lost Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald that an overall mistake was made? Don’t you want to say, please, put them back? They left us music divine.
♥ H E A V E N ♥
Stir in two tablespoons of granulated sugar . . .
Gradually beat in a little flour until well blended . . . Oh-oh, check out the top of the refrigerator, we have company . . .
Speaking of Valentine’s! ♥ ♥ ♥
More beating of the flour . . .
Add mini chocolate chips — if you like walnuts, which I do, you can add them here too . . . which I would if we hadn’t run out! Almost had all the ingredients; but trust me, with them or without them, the word is Y U M.
Stir well, my little darlings . . .
Put a heaping tsp. of dough into each cup of an ungreased miniature muffin pan (I took this photo to show you what a heaping tsp. looks like) . . . I used my black-iron heart muffin pan, which I’ve had for a hundred years — I’ve truly gotten my money’s worth out of it! When it’s not in use, it makes my pantry wall look cute by hanging there. I know a secret about this muffin pan, I’ll tell you at the end of this post!
You want to fill the cups completely down into the little points, around the curved tops, so you have good shapes, and level the surface of the dough.
And bake 15-17 minutes until light brown . . .
Now look who showed up . . . Girl Kitty! Speaking of heaven!
We are complete: we have Beauty on the table, Beast is on the fridge, biscuits are in the oven, and all’s right with the world.
♥ ♥ ♥
Have a basket ready, line it with a clean tea towel . . . pop the biscuits right out of the pan into the basket, you don’t have to let them cool first.
Beautiful and delicious, they can bake as you put on the tea water, and be done by the time the tea has steeped . . . the orange is what you smell first, the chocolate melts on your tongue, and you are happy. ♥
I’m only tellin’ it how it is.
I tried them with this delicious new honey I put on everything these days (it came from Door County by the way, Pat, and all you others who know about and love that neck of the woods — you have the market cornered when it comes to butter burgers and honey!) — but I have to say, although it was delicious, it was gilding the lily; these tea biscuits are good just as they are, straight from the oven; you don’t need butter, you don’t need jam or syrup; you need nothing more. If you are looking for additional cuteness, and who isn’t, you can always sift over a little powdered sugar!
Serve one of these tea biscuits next to a cup of breakfast tea; put them in a basket for a tea party; or if you have a fun Valentine’s tin — they are a wonderful surprise, arranged on a lace doily and dropped by a friend’s house.
And, the secret I had about this muffin pan? Are you ready? OK, this pan, along with the heart-shaped Emma Bridgewater tin in the picture above — they are my Valentine gift to one of you. We’re having another drawing, and even though every one of you is totally deserving, one lucky girl is going to walk away with these two memories of Valentine’s Day 2012! Just leave a comment below (click on the tiny gray letters that say “comment” and you’ll be entered! I figure if I do this often enough and long enough, sooner or later, every one of you will win something with love from the heart of the home and me! That’s my plan.
♥ ♥ ♥
SATURDAY MORNING MARTHA’S VINEYARD
XXXXXOOOOO
Have you heard Paul McCartney’s new Valentine song? Go get a tissue, this is wonderful. I hear love for his new wife in this song, but I think I hear a bit of yearning for Linda too. ♥ Sad. 🙁 But Beautiful.
Bye for now girls . . . have a wonderful weekend!
ORANGE & CHOCOLATE CHIP TEA BISCUITS
- 1/4 c. unsalted butter, softened
- 1 – 3oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
- grated zest of one orange
- 1/2 c. sour cream
- 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1 c. self-rising flour
- 1/3 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 c. chopped walnuts (opt.)
Preheat oven to 400°. In a deep, medium-sized bowl, using a hand mixer on slow speed, beat together butter, cream cheese, and zest until smooth. Scrape down the bowl, add sour cream and sugar and beat well. Gradually beat in flour until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Put a heaping tsp. of dough in each cup of an ungreased miniature muffin tin (heart-shaped if you have it, but just as delicious if it’s round), filling the space completely and leveling the surface of the dough. Bake 15-17 minutes until light brown. Pop biscuits out into a basket lined with a tea towel … cover to keep warm. Can be reheated. Makes a dozen tea biscuits. Make these for you and someone you love. ♥
It’s finally cold here- 43 today. Of course by Wednesday it will be back to the 70’s. But for today it was wonderful to sit in front of the fire and read your blog! I made the hot milk cake- again! It is so yummy. I love love love the heart muffin pan! Thanks for the pick me up on a dreary Sunday afternoon!
Love the heartshaped muffin pan and the heart Emma cup, Would love to win them. I look forward to your blog everyday and am disappointed when you miss a day! Loves going to your shop in Arroyo Grande when it was there too. Thanks for being you!!
I would SO love to win the Valentine heart gifts ~ my dh was born on Valentine’s Day in 1955 (the same day my dear parents were engaged) ~ to top the day off for all time, our precious twin grandchildren were born on Valentine’s Day in 2009!
Wow! ♥
Last year was the first time I bought your calendar. I had heard your name before over the years. I don’t know how I missed out on your calendars, even though I had seen your fabric and other work. I made sure I bought the 2012 one as soon as I saw it. I am from the North but have been living in the South for quite a while, but my heart is still up north. When I look at your art work, how you put everything together, it makes me wish I could just jump into the calendar. I am a country person at heart and I just can not get enough of your talent. If you ever decide to rent out a room at the top of your home, let me know.
OK! 🙂
Hi Susan, thank you for sweet Jack and Girl Kitty videos; your kitties brighten my day, which I needed very much. My mom was with us for the weekend, and she left to go home today; I rarely get to see her, so each time she leaves, I know I won’t see her for a long time and it makes me sad. I also lost my Grandma 16 years ago as of today, February 12th, 2 days before Valentine’s day. Thanks for the pick-me-up I needed. Happy Valentine’s Day to you, Joe, Girl Kitty, sweet Jack.
♥ ♥
Thank you so much for this teacake recipe. I used to have a wonderful cream scone recipe that accidentally got thrown away. I kept trying to reproduce it, but I couldn’t. I knew l was missing an ingredient, but I just couldn’t remember what it was. It was cream cheese! Hooray! I am going to do this recipe with orange & chocolate and plain. I bet I will have some great scones. Thank you Susan. You are great.
I love your blog! I am not a ‘cat person’ but I LOVE Jack–what a personality . He is Darling! You crack me up with the Beauty and Beast. It’s not hard to see how you would have difficulty getting things done with Jack around! Happy Valentine’s Day to you, Joe and everyone!
I love chocolate and orange together. Don’t get grossed out, but I used to dunk Oreos in orange juice when I was little. I can’t wait to make the biscuits. Thank you for finding music that needs to be shared, I wish you could be my personal DJ, in my car, in my kitchen, everywhere. Thanks to the girls who asked you for the bulletin board ideas. The elementary library where I teach would benefit greatly from your art. Thanks as always, big smile.
xoxo Oreos in OJ sound brilliant, especially from a child!
Susan, your heart biscuit look yummy!!! I can’t wait to make them. I’m out of flour and didn’t know until this afternoon. Going back to the grocery in the morning. I love to bake!
Thanks for you blogs and wonderful recipes!
Dina
Happy Valentine’s Day Susan & Joe,
I love the sound of the screen door creaking and squeaking, the cozy kitchen and the aroma of the Orange and Chocolate Chip Tea Biscuits. Your descriptive powers allowed the scent to come right through the computer! I love how you talk to Girl Kitty and Jack, and I love hearing your laugh as you play fetch. May Valentine’s Day be filled with love for you and yours.
All Good Things,
Trish
Ohhhhh, Love the heart pan! My fingers are crossed!
Look so forward to reading your blog…it’s like getting a letter from your favorite sister or best girl friend.Love tea and a treat with my friends xoxo M.E.
Lovely! Whether I win or not, I’ll surely make the tea biscuits…..thank you so much. You always brighten my day.
Wonderful recipe. Can’t wait to have a yummy biscuit with a large cup of tea. Love the blog, Susan. Thank you.
Thank you for the instructions on how to leave a comment. I live near Santa Cruz, California but I’ve traveled down to your shop a few years back. I love all your stuff but my favorite is your note/stationary/cards. I write to friends all over the world and they love to receive one of your works of art! If you feel like sending that heart shaped pan to the other coast – I have the perfect home for it! Chow – Jere
Love your valentines’ day suggestions! I look forward to reading your blog everyday-consider you my friend. Love Jeannie
Love the “Heaven… I”m in Heaven”music with Louie! AND Ella too! Makes me wiggle in my computer chair…maybe I should go dancing! Cheek to cheek! Would love to wish you Happy Valentines Day!
Hi Susan, I take our your books every season and use the recipes and just enjoy sitting with a cup of tea delighting in you, your writing and artwork. I would love to make the tea orange and chocolate biscuits Tuesday for Valentines Day and I think I might try using my little cast iron skillet then maybe I can cut a heart out. Thanks for all your loveliness. Pam from Louisiana
I’ve invited my sister over for Valentine’s Day brunch and have been searching for recipes to prepare. The orange chocolate chip tea cookies will be perfect. Thank you so much!
Thank you Susan for inviting us into your home and sharing hot heart shaped chocolate chip muffins, yummy!
Love your Joe and Susan Heart…so cute. Everything looks lovely. Happy Valentine’s Day
I’ve never had chocolate and orange together, but the heart-shaped muffins look so beautiful that I just know they will taste wonderful. Please enter me into the drawing.
Oh my, if I close my eyes I can just smell the orange…..and chocolate of course.
Hi Susan…..I’d like to enter your contest, please.
We also have a black and white kitty named “Lorenzo”. He is a crazy one, but we love him just the same. I’m here every day – checking on your blog. I like it
very much. Thanks for sharing your everyday life with us.
Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your’s –
Jan
Your house is so adorable and these tea biscuits look so-o-o delicious! I agree, chocolate and orange is the best combo, except of course for chocolate and raspberry, and then there’s chocolate and banana, and who can forget chocolate and strawberry? Happy Valentine’s Day!
I justlove your blog…and that pan….well, it reminds me so much of my mother…enough said! Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone.
Can’t wait to try the recipe but you know what my favorite part of this post was? In the video….when you opened the door….the squeak of the screen door and then hearing the gentle shoosh of the falling snow! I love to read your daily musings….with two busy kids and a hubby my life is too often of the hurried variety, and your posts help me remember to take a minute now and then to enjoy the smaller details that are often the most remembered….like that screen door squeak and the sound of falling snow…. Your art has always spoken to me and I enjoy that it’s always in your posts! I’m sure whoever wins the heart pan will love it so….thank you for sharing so much of yourself with us!
Thank you for being here Katie!
Another great recipe and what’s not to like about such a wonderful giveaway. Hope this time it could be mine – I’ve always been in love with heart shaped anything – but especially tins and muffin pans. Even if I don’t win, thank you for the special moments you give to my days with your blog.
Love the personal photos and of course all the wonderful recipes! I would love to make those heart shaped tea biscuits…
Wishing you a wonderful Valentines Day!!
I love the way you have your home all decked out. I would love to be entered to be the lucky recipient of the valentines giveaway! Have an awesome day! Thanks for all you do to bring a little sunshine into our lives everyday.
Valentine’s Day is not yet here but on Saturday we were greeted with the Harbinger(s) of Spring in my front yard in northern VA. After spending an afternoon out and about in the midst of swirling snow and sleet, I came home and made a pot of white bean soup with kale. When the soup was done, I walked down the hall toward the front door and was surprised when I looked out the window to see robins…not a pair of robins…but at least 50 to 100 robins in my front year. I immediately called my Granddaughter to come take a look. We both stood there wondering why so many robins, why robins only in our yard, what could possibly be in our grass. We walked slowly into the living room to get a better view, and the mystery unfolded. We have a lovely ornamental crabapple tree on the corner of the house that we can see from the living room windows. That crabapple tree was loaded with robins and they were all dining on tiny red crabapples that are about the size of a holly berry. I have never seen so many fat robins in one place. I usually see only one robin at a time some time in late March or April…and that is enough to make me anticipate that spring is just around the corner. I’m completely dumbfounded with 50-100 robins in early February…not to mention that my daffodils are a good 5 inches out of the ground.
My robins just might have done the trick to coax Girl Kitty and Jack to come outside.
What a beautiful picture!
It is so relaxing to read your blog and see how beautiful it is there. Thank you for the Valentine give away. I would love to make heart-shaped tea cakes. 🙂
Oh Duh! somewhere in these comments (I can’t find it now) I asked about the heart shaped pan – I SHOULD have thought to check your store first – just looked and there it is. Running to get credit card now! Hope they are not all sold out after everyone reading the yummy tea biscuit recipe!
Watching Paul McCartney on the Grammy singing My Valentine…so sweet.t
Wasn’t he great? This is the first time I have ever watched the Grammys, don’t know why! I turned it on so that I could see Paulette (Abby) from NCIS! I loved it, will be watching from now on! A friend of ours (David Holt) won a grammy several years ago, I didn’t even think to watch it then! Course we didn’t know he was going to be on!
Oh! So good to be home again. My sister and I went out of town for a crafting weekend at my cousin’s house. Scrapbooking, needlepoint, lots of talking and eating….so wonderful, except no computer. I finally confessed that the only thing from keeping it from being perfect, was missing Susan Branch’s blog. One of my cousin’s gasped and said, “I love her!!” So we all talked about how wonderful you are. Thought I’d pass it on. Consider it a hug from a bunch of adoring fans in California. Happy Valentine’s Day!
OH, that was nice! ♥
I’m so excited now for Valentine’s Day. Your enthusiasm is so catching!! I’m going to make these tea cakes for my co-workers. You just make everything so much fun Susan. Thank you.
I make it fun, then you make it fun! xoxo
So great that you are giving away two classic items for that classic celebration Valentine’s Day. There is nothing better than cooking in cast iron. I always feel it holds the memory of all the other great food made in it. Some of my favorite things in my kitchen are the vintage tins I keep and use over and over again to hold home made treats.
I was planning our Valentine’s candle light dinner for the family. We started this tradition when the kids were small. Now they are twenty-four & twenty & this year we are adding my son’s girlfriend to our little supper. My son wants to make her a heartshaped meatloaf (her favorite & mine too), which he & my husband hate, but I was going to make (your) Lemon Chicken (our Valentine Fave) so it should workout perfectly. Everyone will feel the love!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Sounds wonderful — love the idea of a heart shaped meatloaf!!! 🙂
Oh my! I would so love to win this pan! I am definitely going to make these tea biscuits; they look and sound delicious!!
Mmmm, I think your recipe sounds delicious. I always make peach scones, but I will try chocolate and orange – love that flavor combination. Thank you for the recipe and all you share with all of us – so generously!
Happy Valentines Day Everyone! So cute! Love the escape that this blog is! Thank you!!!
What great Valentines gifts those are. I love baking, and my family loves eating…what a good family we make! Happy Valentines Day to you.
xxoo
I loved the Lemon Pepper so now I’ll have to try out the Orange & Chocolate Chip! You are helping me to get fatter!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
I’m afraid there’s just no way around it at Valentine’s Day!
oh, wonderful! thanks for the loveliness! xo
You’ve made a mundane Sunday evening just heavenly! thanks for the picker-upper-post, along with that recipe..Ohh my!!
Evelyn
I will have to try this recipe. Sounds delicious! I have cats, too. Eleven of them, they live mostly outside. But 2 of them are tuxedo cats. One of them is perfectly tuxedoed, so his name is Tux. He is a very BIG cat! The other one is mostly white with some black on her head and her tail is black. She carries her tail straight up at all times. My grand-daughter named her Snow White Kitty, (after a Hello Kitty video she has). And the way she walks around, she acts like she knows she is royalty!
Oh yum! Those scones look yummy. I should make some for my girls for Valentines day. Sadly my valentine will be on a work trip on valentines day but we get to celebrate bpnext week. So, girl time it is, and those scones will be perfect. Thanks for the recipe!
Happy Valentine’s Day, Susan. Love getting your blog emails. Jack and Girl Kitty remind me of my cat, Sarah Lee. We called her our fresh banana cat! (We had lots of Sara Lee Fresh Banana Cakes at the time!) Would love to win! Thanks!
enjoyed our visit today, look forward to each new day with you.
Love the baking pan! What wonderful heart muffins!
Hi Susan, I loved your blog and pics from New York!! My daughter lives there now(miss her everyday) and everytime we go to visit, we discover something enchanting…. will absolutly be dining at “Tea and Sympathy” next time:) I have all your cookbooks, very worn and well loved from LOTS of use!! Thanks for making us all smile and feel well loved!!! p.s. your biscuits are fab with hot chocolate:)!!
Thanks for the wonderful recipe and for all the love and beauty and joy you share! Happy Valentine’s Day! Oh- just wanted you to know I drove past your childhood home in Long Beach a few days ago– the house says hello!
Oh! How wonderful…I haven’t been to 1721 Park Avenue for ages! Used to stand across the street from my house to wait for the bus to kindergarten! 🙂
Everything about this was just so sweet. Loved your hearts on your windows, the recipe and the pan is to die for!!!!!! I am prepping to paint my entire kitchen, including the cabinets, so no baking this week. I think I will make Crock-pot Chocolate Cake for Valentine’s Day and serve it with vanilla ice cream for my husband and son. Next year hopefully, I will make something in that sweet pan!!!
Susan I LOVE your blog. I look at it at the end of my day just before I go to bed and am always so excited when there is a new post. One of my favorite things is when you have a picture or video of your sweet kitties. I have a sweet one of my own named Zelda she is a tuxedo kitty like Jack and is also about 6 months old. I love the heart shaped baking pan and I am definitely going to make the muffins. They look delicious. I just finished watching the Grammys and I totally agree with you, I think Paul was singing the song to Linda. It is a beautiful song. Thank you for giving me something to look forward to every day. Happy Valentines Day!!!!!!! Marjorie
♥
It’s my birthday on Valentines day! Every year my mom would bake my b-day cake in heart shaped cake pans. Oh how I miss her 🙁 Anyway, I will always have my memories of my special cake that would be waiting for me when I got home from school. When I saw your biscuits I had a rush of fond memories, thank you for that Susan! Happy Valentines Day!
Happy Birthday Julie — what a wonderful day to be born!
Thank you! It is a nice day to have a birthday. Every one, well almost everyone, is in a chipper mood on Valentines day. Not an easy night though to go out to a restaurant. 🙂
Love it!! What a wonderful recipe! I wonder if 1st graders would like it for their valentines party?? I guess I should probably stick with the brownies! I may have to look for heart shaped doilies for the windows and a microzester at Target tomorrow. Thank you for being an inspiration, Sue! Happy heart day from Butter burger and honey land…
I have a jelly cabinet in my dining room that I decorate for each season. I now have it decorated with my valentine treasures that I have collected over the years. I have your LOVE book on display. I enjoy having one of your books included with each display that I have throughout the year. All of your books are very special to me. I love your blog. Thank you for all your
recipies and pictures of your special treasures. I love your kitties also. Happy Valentine’s Day Susan!
Thank you Nola!!
Hi Susan! I’m a long time fan but a newcomer to your website and blog. I love it! I get a sense of warmth and coziness, and inspiration to make sure the “heart of the home” is here every day. I’m a Valentine baby so this time of year is especially wonderful. Thanks for all you share!
i’m glad you show girl kitty, she has the kindest eyes and she’s so big and squisshy-looking i wish i could pick her up and hug her! meow.
She’s just as squisshy as she looks…she sleeps right next to me every night and my hand is buried in her warm furry squisshy-ness! She also gives full body hugs when you pick her up!
i guess as you probably have noticed….we are all pretty much cat lovers….any chance you could do a small illustrated book on your kitties…throw in a couple recipes for good luck? we love your kitties.
Thinking about that!
The recipe sounds so yummy. I’ll have to make it for my husband. The first
year we were married (41 years ago) and little money I made blueberry muffins for my husband for Valentine’s day. I have enjoyed your artwork for many
years. I just love seeing pictures of your kitties.
Thank you once again for your charming inspiration. I have always loved anything shaped in a heart! Happy Valentine’s Day!
i just love your books, your blogs, your pictures, and style, from an american susanbrancher in new zealand!
Hi! Rosemary in New Zealand!
I was an American living in N.Z. as a young girl. I know what you mean about loving “everything Susan.” We love everything about her AND her home! It reminds me of our New Zealand homes in Wellington and Lower Hutt……..they were so like Susan’s! The white wooden houses, the furnishings and windows……..fireplaces, hot tea, scones………ahhh. all things lovely!
Thank you, Susan. You “warm our world” with tea, scones! and “love from the Heart of the Home!”
Then I think I need to go there! Thank you Nanette!
You would LOVE it!
I’ve visited England and adored it.(the Cotswold villages and London and like you, long to go to the Lake country and Hilltop Farm to visit Beatrix!) but New Zealand has the much of the English charm……
In the Cotswolds, I loved having to stop our car and wait for shepherds to take their flocks from one pasture to another and all the FLOWERS in the small gardens in front of stone houses. So quaint! So adorable. In my heart, I “live” there every day! Since you love England, you might like Rosamunde Pilcher’s books. They are “comfort books.” All set in England and Scotland.
You need to put New Zealand on YOUR LIST!
Hearts just say I love you all year long! What a darling pan. And orange with chocolate, I can’t wait until tea time! These would go great with my favorite tea – Constant Comment.
Love your cute Valentine House and love the muffin pan. Do you have two, how can you give it away. It looks like a one of a kind. Your so thoughtful. Thanks for all the uplifting blogs. Connie
It is always a Happy Day when I read your blog! You make me smile and laugh. Love your kitty stories. I always feel like we are sitting down to tea toether and sharing friendship. Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your love.
Wishing you a wonderful Valentine Day Susan and Joe! Our house is decorated and ready also! Love the pics and videos of Jack and Girl Kitty—he has such a mischievious boy look and she is so sweet. The biscuit pan is so special and the recipe sounds delicous!
Happy Valentine’s Day Susan and thank you for sharing this marvelous recipe! I am certain you will have a very special and delicious day, and I’m sending hugs from Germany! xo Love your blog 🙂
Hello Back to you Stephanie!
Our best friends are coming on 14th to share the chocolatey goodies I made.
Hope everyone here has a nice day too
I was trying to come up with something different for Valentine’s Day and your tea biscuit recipe is just the ticket. If I am the lucky winner (and I hope that I am) will the heart-shaped pan arrive pre-filled with these goodies? 😉 Happy Valentine’s Day to you, Susan!
I have tried 3 times to post a comment and this dear darling blog won’t let me, this is a test 🙂
Hmmm. It passed. Sort of. Who’s in charge here???
I woke up this morning and see your blog is back in it’s full glory..the last couple of days it was unreadable! Good to see all is well in “Blogland”…
Blessings,
Gert
Oh dear, did not know that! Oh well, it seems to have a mind of its own sometimes!
Ha..ha..for sure! We are at the mercy of computers aren’t we? smile… Oh..guess what we’ve had almost 5″ of snow this morning! Love being retired, so we can enjoy it’s beauty! (your video of Kitty, Jack and your *snow* just made me laugh! Especially Jack!)
Blessings,
Gert
5″! That sounds a bit serious! Enjoy!
me! me! oh I’d love that heart muffin pan! SO fun! & could Jack be any cuter? He’s growing into such a handsome young man!
Have a wonderful day my friend!
Christy
You too Christy!
Hi Susan! I’ve been a fan of yours since I was 15 years old. This was the year of my 25th birthday and also the year I got married. At the wedding my pastor mentioned YOU in his sermon! He told my husband that since we are now becoming one, all our things will be shared- which means he will now own a myriad of susan branch books.
Your famous here in rhode island 🙂
Much love,
Jillian
How darling is that? Thank you Jillian! xoxo Happy Valentine’s Day! ♥
WOW! Over a thousand and counting!
Happy Valentines Day !!!!
You make me want to run home right now and decorate for valentine’s day. 🙂 Thank you for that wonderful recipe…I can’t wait to try it. I made your hot milk cake from a few weeks ago and it was heaven! 🙂
I heard the Valentine song for the first time last night on the Grammy’s.. It was wonderful and I was so glad to hear it again today on your blog. I think it’s one of my new favorites. Love the give aways that you do.. it always has a special meaning and that makes me want to win even more.. Happy Valentine’s DAy!!!!
Hope my bout with the flu is gone by tomorrow. It’s my grandson’s very first Valentine’s Day and want to hug and kiss him all day. (even though I caught it from him to begin with). Maybe we better just talk on the phone for now 🙂
What a cute idea!
I think the same thing when I hear Paul McCartney’s valentine song, that it’s at least partly about Linda. Your tea biscuits look so yummy. By the way, do you mind someone pinning something from your site to Pinterest?
I really don’t mind because they always put my name on my art and photos — makes me feel better about it!
Hi Susan,
I am planning to surprise my man tomorrow for Valentine’s Day. Lunch at his office, the heart shaped biscuits will be perfect! Fresh raspberries and hot tea, too. Thank you for the recipe, I can’t wait for tomorrow! I never can when it is a holiday!!
Enjoy your day…
Thanks for a great new recipe. I’ve been making scones for years, but have never put cream cheese or sour cream in them before. Delicious! Happy Valentine’s Day to all! 🙂
From one cat lover to another! Happy Valentine’s Day! Thank you for your blog!
I so look forward to your blog. You inspire me so very much. I am reading Gladys Taber’s “The Stillmeadow Road” and I love it.
Good for you, lovely book!
Dear Susan, Your home looks so beautiful and festive with the hearts, Happy Valentine’s Day!!! Can’t wait to make your biscuit recipe, thankyou! Kim DeMichele, Dublin, Ohio
Many years ago, a dear older neighbor had a heart shaped cake pan ~ only one. I often think of her now and the patience she had when I “helped” her bake. Wonder what happened to that pan that I admired all those years ago?
Happy Valentines Day. Love the pan, recipe and Jack. I will make those treats for my next tea party. The girlfriends will love them.
Love the heart shaped iron pan. I’ve loved your reciepts ever since your first cookbook. You guys on the Vineyard have had more snow than we have had in Southeast Mass. This has been a crazy winter. Girl Kitty and Jack are too cute. When ever you have a video of them I show it to our dog Bella. She thinks of them as neighborhood friends. Can’t wait for your next post.
hi susan!!
I’m vivi from argentina
I think it’s the first time I comment on your blog, though I come always (in fact I receive the mail when you publish something)
I am a big fan of your work; a couple of years ago I used to go to a painting workshop, and my teacher had some of your books; and they inspired me several times
I’m the lucky girl who was named in facebook by your team, because I painted a clock with one of your drawings, the one with all the cakes on a table, I see it everyday, and still think the drawings are beautiful and inspiring
well, happy valentine to you; I’m not sure if I can enter the giveaway, since I live so far, but, I thought it was a nice oportunity to say hi…and happy valentine♥
Hi Vivi! Yes you can enter for the giveaway! So nice to hear from you! I remember your clock!! Happy Valentine’s Day!
Hi Susan 🙂 I just love the way you describe your world … it makes me feel like I’m there. So happy & warm, with a cup of tea and heart shaped bisquit.
Sir Paul was wonderful singing his Valentine song on the Grammy’s last night.
Happy Monday ~ and Happy Valentines
Kristen in Tucson
Your blog is my “happy place” and the way I start each morning… thank you!!! I really hope I win – my 5 year old son, Jack, loves to bake with me, and he would certainly get a kick out of making heart-shaped tea biscuits! 🙂
I’m so happy you now have a blog. Love the giveaway. Used to have a heart muffin pan but guess I lost it in a move. Thanks for sharing your kitties. Love that Jack.
Susan, I heart the pictures ofyour kitties and the videos. Thanks for brightening my days. I am so…. oo jealous of the Snow!! I would love to make the tea biscuits in your heart shaped pan. Even if I don’t win I Heart You!! Happy Valentines!!
Hi Susan – Your blog is my “escape” – I truly love it!!! I hope I win the heart muffin pan – it would be a little piece of you at my place!
Hi Susan,
Oh please oh please pick me! That tin is so cute and my sister’s birthday is the 24th and I could give it to her and since we live close I could go over and bake in it! Your page is an inspiration and a joy. Thanks for all you do!
I agree, chocolate and orange go wonderfully together!! The tin and the molded pan are adorable, again, so very kind of you! happy heart day!
Hi Susan,
I always look forward to reading your blog…such good recipes,photos,hints and all-over warm fuzzy thoughts. Thank you! I love the recipe for your orange/chocolate-chip tea biscuits…can’t wait to make them. I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed for the darling heart pan…I can picture corn muffins baking in them for my honey!
Oh wow. I loved the musica! and the sweet hearts on the windows. I am going to stop at the store and get some heart doilies and put them on my windows tonight, after my husband and daughter go to bed. I love the heart shaped pan that is soooooo sweet! I have been racking my brain for something sweet to do for my husband for breakfast ( I think I have found out what!!) Since I will be having dinner with a new group of friends (we started a girls “cooking” group) and the second Tuesday happens to fall on Valentines Day so I was feeling a bit guilty. But we need girlfriends too!
Thank you again for all the sweetness you share with us!
xoxo Joy
I made the biscuits yesterday and they were very easy and very yummy! The only thing that would make them better was if I had a special heart shaped pan to bake them in. (Hint. Hint.) Happy Valentine’s Day Sweet Sue!
Happy Valentine’s Day! Would love to make heart-shaped muffins for my girlfriends here in GA…thanks for sharing the snowy day video. Yearning for a ‘wintry mix’ here in the sunny South. Could really use a pajama day to flip through magazines,drink a pot of tea, and snuggle in 😉
Susan, Thank you for another chance to win one of your pans. I would love that–in fact love anything with hearts and romance attached. I would love to bake some brownies for all my girlfriends in that pan. Loved the video of the snow. We are getting a nice “sleeting” in Arkansas this morning……if only it would actually snow!
Wishing you and Joe (and kitties,too) and very romantic Valentines day! -Donna
Good morning, Susan! And thank you for easing me into another Monday morning. I feel your warmth all the way “over here” in the Pacific Northwest. Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your sweetheart!